Since the beginning of Christmas week, I have been reading Charles Swindoll’s, The Church Awakening, which I will be discussing with fellow pastors the first week of the New Year.  I cannot say I have read a lot of Swindoll’s books—however, I have great respect for a pastor who has ministered with integrity for more than four decades.

Swindoll begins his book with an excerpt from the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.  On occasion, Leno interviews people on the street to show how comically ignorant we can be about things that all of us should know.  In this clip, Jay Leno’s topic is the Bible…

Leno asked one person, “Did Adam and Eve have children?”

A woman, after a few seconds of deep thought, said, “No, no, they never had any kids.”

“Name the two brothers, Cain and ____________.”

Absolute blank stare.  Had no idea.  They probably were thinking, Cain and Hurricane, or something like that.  No…she had no answer.

“Okay…what happened to Lot’s wife?”

Zero response.  And then one of the bystanders blurted out, “Who was Lot?”

Little hint:  “She turned into ____________.”

The person said, “An angel.”

Leno turned to someone else.  “Can you name one of the apostles?”

No reply.  He continued, “Okay, then, name the four Beatles.”

Immediate response:  “John, Paul, George and Ringo.”  The crowd cheered.

To say that we live in a Biblically illiterate culture is to put it mildly.  Now, Jay Leno does not necessarily pick the “brightest bulb in the box” for these interviews.  However, even among our brightest, this Biblical illiteracy is a genuine issue.  One simple example is found in the inability of college students to grasp classic literature because the Biblical allusions (which occur often in literature) are lost on them.

Of course, the issue here isn’t the importance of Bible trivia.  I don’t believe Peter will be standing at the pearly gates giving pop quizzes on the Bible to see if people make the cut for entrance into heaven.  However, the truth is, if people are ignorant of the Bible, they are very likely to be ignorant of the God of the Bible.  And even in a nation with a stronger Christian heritage than many, we increasingly find ourselves among folks whose beliefs are more a product of Hollywood values (if you will forgive the oxymoron) than Christian values.

But Swindoll’s book is not about our culture’s need for God’s Word, it is about the need for the people in the church to know God’s Word.  Hence the title—The Church Awakening.  If we would be ambassadors of Christ in this world, if we would be in a position to practice and share Christ’s teaching—then we must know it ourselves.

It is this reality that motivated our less usual approach to telling the Christmas story this year by starting in the book of Genesis and making our way through key Old Testament passages before we arrived at the birth story Christmas morning.  Part of the purpose in this journey was to give us a “big picture” view of the Grand Story God is telling.

As we enter the New Year, the new sermon series in the book of Proverbs should provide a good follow-up to our fall Bible series and our “big picture” approach to advent as we consider the importance of absorbing divine wisdom.  And what is the Bible if not the most significant repository of divine wisdom?

Then, toward the end of January, we will launch the Know Your Bible Seminars, moving from some of the most basic questions about the origin of God’s Word to some of the most profound demonstrations of the supernatural and life-changing nature of the Bible story.

However, church awakening and personal spiritual renewal are most dependent on the daily devotion each of us gives to time in the Word and prayer in the context of a life of love and obedience.  As we kick-off the New Year may the words of Micah 6:8 be our guide…

He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

In Christ, Pastor Dan

I feel it is incumbent upon me, as I write these words within a week of Thanksgiving, to wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day.  I know that some of you may think it rather early to be turning to Valentine’s Day—it is three months away.  However, in view of the fact that a certain number of retailers have moved up the kick-off of the Christmas shopping season to Thanksgiving night, I am thinking that if I don’t get an early start on Valentine’s Day, I might be considered slothful in my well-wishing.

It seems like only a few years ago—actually, it was only a few years ago—that post-Thanksgiving Christmas shopping started at 9am the Friday after Thanksgiving.  Then someone got it in their heads that they could create a greater rush of customers by starting the shopping season first thing in the morning on Black Friday—7am or, even earlier, 6am.  Some retailers who had not anticipated this turn of events soon enough decided that for the next year they would catch their competitors “unawares” by starting at 5am or, even earlier, 4am.  Of course, with such an early start, many customers realized that there wasn’t a good reason to go to bed at all, especially with the felt need to arrive early to get a good place in line.  With doors opening at 4am, getting through the doors at 4:05am would undoubtedly mean that the best bargains would already be gone.

Such thinking, however, paved the way for the next logical deduction:  if no one is going to bed anyway, why not open at midnight.  What a terrific idea.  But before the novelty of such an idea could wear off, some bright-eyed up-and-comer decided that to get a jump on the competition, the stores could actually open ON Thanksgiving Day night.  The obvious problem with opening at night, however, is that the effects of gorging ourselves on turkey and stuffing will mean that many of the best customers will be fighting overwhelming lethargy and heavy eye-lids.  So, some have decided to move the post-Thanksgiving Christmas shopping to the middle of Thanksgiving Day.

Honestly, in a consumerist culture, it is not too surprising that the holiday supposedly set apart to give thanks for all that we have should become supplanted by a seemingly more significant “holy” day set aside for buying all the things we do not have yet.  And we do all of this why?  Oh yeah, because Jesus is the reason for the season.  Really?

Forgive me if I am coming across as a little bit cynical this holiday season.  But it seems to me that our culture’s desire to use Thanksgiving Day to add one more shopping day before Christmas is a stark example of the words the Apostle Paul records in Romans 1:25, “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.”

Our exchanging Thanksgiving, a day set aside to thank our Creator, for yet one more shopping day, seems to me a powerful picture of exchanging the truth of God for a lie by worshipping and serving created things rather than the Creator!  We need Thanksgiving.  We need this one day a year set aside as a holy day to acknowledge that “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).  And our need to give thanks to God is inestimably greater than our need to get a jump-start on the Christmas shopping season, even if the Black Friday deals seem too good to pass up.

I have an idea.  Rather than seeing Thanksgiving Day as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season, let’s view it as the perfect way to begin to prepare our hearts for the greatest reason to give thanks:  that God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.  Let Thanksgiving be our reminder of what the advent season is all about, the celebration of the coming of the newborn King.  Let Thanksgiving be a reminder to us of what Christmas is really all about, the birth of our Savior!

O come let us adore Him,

O come let us adore Him,

O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!

In Christ, Pastor Dan

Some people think God does not like to be troubled with our constant asking.  The way to trouble God is not to come at all.

–Dwight L. Moody

I appreciate pastor of yesteryear Dwight Moody’s sentiments here.  Sometimes we can become self-conscious about our prayers.  We wonder whether we are asking too much of God or whether we are forming our prayers “the right way” or whether our concerns are worth bringing to God.  But these questions often miss the more significant truth—God desires our fellowship.

Prayer is to the Christian life what oxygen is to the body.  We can no more thrive spiritually without prayerful communion with God than we can survive physically without food or water or air.  However, the reality is, prayer can be a difficult discipline to make a regular part of our daily lives.  Certainly, some of the questions raised above can be stumbling blocks to time in God’s presence.  But equally significant are busyness and laziness, both of which distract us from carving out the time to be with God.  And that is really Moody’s point above—what troubles God is when we do not come at all.

So, how do we combat such stumbling blocks to time with God?  I can think of no better answer to that question than following our Lord’s example.  Time and again, in the New Testament, we see the picture of Christ, the Son, taking time out of His busy ministry to spend time with the Father.  Few passages put it more simply than Luke 5:16, “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”  Let’s consider three simple lessons Jesus’ example teaches us.

LESSON #1—If Jesus needs prayer, so do we!

You might think that the divine Son of God could get along well on His own.  And yet, Jesus feels the need to prioritize prayer.  And you get the sense that at the heart of His prayer life is the desire for communion with His Father.  When you love someone, it is natural to desire to be with them.  And this is what is modeled for us by our Lord.

Of course, we are not children of God in the same way that Jesus was God’s Son.  We do not share in the divinity of the Godhead.  And yet, when Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, it is significant that He invited them to address God as “our Father.”  God’s Word reveals that we have been adopted as children of God.  “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!”  (1 John 3:1).  And just as an earthly father desires fellowship with his children, so to the heavenly Father desires fellowship with us.

LESSON #2—We need to withdraw often!

This may be the hardest word of all.  In reality, life is busy.  And what spare time we do have is often easily eaten up by TV, internet, and countless other diversions.  It is not that these things are necessarily bad if done in moderation.  However, what is unhealthy is allowing such things to cause us to shorten or postpone our time with our Father.  If we would follow Christ’s example, withdrawing often, discipline is required.  To prioritize time in God’s presence requires daily discipline, a decision of the will.

Disciplined, daily time in prayer can be difficult at times.  When life is especially busy or hectic, we may not feel like praying.  Eugene Peterson aptly remarks that feelings are often the “scourge of prayer.”  He says that, “To pray by feelings is to be at the mercy of glands and weather and indigestion.  And there is no mercy in any of them.”  The truth is, the days we feel the least moved to prayer are usually the times we need it the most.

LESSON #3—We need time in lonely places

I don’t know about you, but I am sometimes hard pressed to find lonely places.  Growing up in the country, on twenty acres, it was not hard for me to find a place where I could “holler” as loud as I wanted and no one would care.  For most of us, these days, finding lonely places requires a little more intentionality.  But whether it is the back yard, finding a quiet room or taking a walk, we need time to be alone with God.

Prayer is not always easy.  However, there are few things more important in the life of the Christian and, as Moody says, few things more important to our God.  May we take our cue from our Lord and make regular time set apart to be alone with God a daily priority in our lives.

In Him,

Pastor Dan

And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.  1 Peter 5:4

I wonder what most of us think of when we think about Heaven.  Do visions of Cherubim dance in our heads?  Maybe we see a picture of the pearly gates?  Or maybe, in the words of one author, we see it as “just a harp and crown trip.”

In truth, I am not sure any harps will be handed out—as fond as I am of stringed instruments.  And I am not even sure we will be wearing jewel-laden crowns.  Frankly, wearing a crown for eternity sounds like a headache.

So, what does Peter mean when he speaks of a crown of glory that will never fade away?  For that matter, what does Paul mean when he speaks of “a crown that will last forever,” “the victor’s crown,” and “the crown of righteousness” (1 Cor 9:25; 2 Tim 2:5, 4:8)?  Crown, at its core, has to do with exaltation (Eze 21:26).  And in terms of the Christian’s heavenly reward, crown is most often associated with being exalted by God.

This concept may be difficult for us to grasp.  For in the ultimate sense, God is the only one worthy of exaltation.  And yet, Scripture speaks of our exaltation.  As we read in 1 Peter 5:6, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”  And this idea did not originate with Peter.  Jesus declares, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11).

Jesus gets at the heart of the matter.  The problem is that our natural bent is to self-exaltation.  That is at the core of the sin nature.  Even in the Garden, was this not what motivated our parents to eat of the forbidden fruit?  How does the serpent tempt Eve?  “You will be like God” (Gen 3:5).  It is the thought reflected in atheist Ayn Rand’s book Anthem, “I am done with the monster of ‘We,’ the word of serfdom, of plunder, of misery, falsehood and shame.  And now I see the face of god, and I raise this god over the god who will grant them joy and peace and pride.  This god, this one word: ‘I.’”  We might not put it in such a crass way, but is this not the god of our age:  self-exaltation?  Even from infancy, we want to be first, we want to be preferred, we want to exalt ourselves.  And nothing changes through childhood, adolescence and adulthood.  As adults, we may learn to be a little more subtle in our self-exaltation.  But no matter how you repackage it, it is the same old thing.

But Jesus shows us a different way.  He doesn’t merely teach us a different way—He shows us a different way.  Jesus models the way of selflessness, self-sacrifice, and submission to the will of the Father (See Phil 2:5-11).  Why?  Why would the God of all creation humble Himself and become obedient to death—even death on a cross?!?

The answer is simple—Jesus sought his exaltation not from the world but from the Heavenly Father.  Jesus recognized worldly exaltation as fickle, shallow, superficial.  He died so that we might live in obedience to the will of the Father—He lived for future glory.

Oh how I need to learn from Jesus to keep my focus on future glory.  It is so much easier to seek my own exaltation through the enjoyment of things, through recognition from man, through self-centeredness.  But God’s Word keeps calling me back.  God’s Word keeps redirecting my focus.  God’s Word keeps reminding me that there is something so much greater than all of these things—His future glory.

And it is future glory that Peter so desperately wants believers to keep their focus on.  Peter, who learned firsthand of the calamities which result from taking our eyes off of Jesus, challenges us to keep our eyes on Jesus and the future glory we will experience in Him.  He wants us to be reminded of “the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Pet 1:5).  Especially in the face of trials he says, “But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed” (1 Peter 4:13).  And he concludes his book with this future-focused benediction, “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (1 Pet 5:10).

Believers, we are bombarded with countless reasons each and every day to take our eyes off of Jesus and His future glory.  We are surrounded by things of this world which seek to distract and detract from eternity.  But we have the powerful Word of God, the empowering Holy Spirit, and the life-giving Son calling and enabling us to live for God’s eternal kingdom.

Let us keep our eyes on the Chief Shepherd, keep our focus on His appearing and live our lives for the crown of glory that will never fade away.

Pastor Dan

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Hebrews 12:1

Without a doubt, one of the most helpful inventions the automobile industry has given us is cruise control.  It not only makes long trips less laborious, it also helps to keep speed in check.

But cruise control can also have a negative effect by allowing us to become less engaged.  I remember hearing a story, some years ago, about a van full of migrant workers driving on a California interstate who wrecked when they left the wheel unattended thinking that cruise control would allow the van to drive itself.  I am hard pressed to believe the story is true.

However, it is reflective of a truism in the spiritual realm.  Sometimes we are tempted to put our spiritual growth on cruise control, opening the door for experiencing a spiritual wreck.  A person can lead what seems to be a thoroughly Christian life, without really being spiritually engaged.  It is possible to attend church each week, to go to Bible study, to participate in ministry, and even to prioritize daily devotions, without really engaging our minds with God.  You could call it Cruise Control Christianity.

I was personally convicted of this reality, in my own life, when I read Hebrews 12:1 recently.  I confess that I am occasionally tempted to just go through the motions.  Sometimes these temptations are the results of spiritual apathy—I just don’t “feel” like living for God.  Other times these temptations come about as a defense mechanism against other people—“fine, if you don’t like the way I do it, find someone else.”  And then there are times when I am tempted to go through the motions because I am too caught up in my own agenda, or sinful behaviors, or selfish desires.

Then I read Hebrews 12:1.  What a powerful verse.  What an inspiring verse.  What an antidote to the temptation to live life on cruise control.  First, it reminds us of the many believers who have gone before us who have provided examples of living life in faithfulness to God.  The Scriptures are filled with phenomenal examples of faith, from Joseph and Rahab in the Old Testament, to Paul and Peter in the New Testament.  We see in these examples not perfect people, but people who were seekers after God’s own heart.

After reminding us of our many great role models of faith, the verse challenges us to throw off those things which hinder us spiritually, especially the entanglements of sin.  How I have seen, in my own life, the way that sin and worldly things can bog me down in the race of life or even divert me onto destructive paths.  It makes me think of The Pilgrim’s Progress in which John Bunyan paints the Christian life as a journey.  There are so many distractions and temptations to knock us off the path.  By God’s Spirit and in obedience to God’s Word, we must get rid of such things.

And the verse concludes with a call to perseverance.  This is a tough one.  At times, life’s challenges can tempt us to just chuck it all.  Every night’s news seems to have a story about someone who has chucked it all in a very destructive way.  But for many of us, this temptation is much more subtle.  Certainly, it may express itself in quitting or blowing off things that are important.  Or, sometimes, it may mean keeping up appearances but without desire, passion, heart.

To persevere, however, especially in the context of the metaphor of running, is to refuse to simply go through the motions.  It is to be actively engaged, to move forward with purpose, to refuse to put our lives on cruise control.  In spiritual growth, it means that daily devotions (prayer and time in the Word) are not done so that we can check them off the list, but with a genuine desire to be transformed more into the image of Christ.  In personal ministry, it means that we do not serve Christ’s people or our neighbors out of a sense of obligation, but with a purposeful desire to further Christ’s kingdom and bring glory to Him.  Even in our down time, perseverance in the race means that we do not judge the use of our time solely by what pleases us, but that we run everything through the grid of that which is pleasing to our God (Rom. 14:17-19; Eph. 5:10-11).  Ultimately, a life that is not on cruise control is one that is lived intentionally for Christ and His Kingdom.  May we live our lives in this manner, to the glory of our God.

Pastor Dan

The firestorm has passed.  Rob Bell’s controversial video put out just before the release of Love Wins accomplished its intended result:  free publicity—gads of free publicity.  The talking heads have put in their two cents, ranging from Eugene Peterson’s¹ “endorsement” (controversial in its own right) to John Piper’s² infamous tweet, “Farewell Rob Bell.”  So, here am I, Johnny-come-lately, with a few thoughts of my own, especially for those who, like me, do not spend all of their time reading blogs.

First, let me say this—I have read the book.  At first blush, you might think that this is prerequisite to blogging about a book.  Interestingly, though, the most controversial reactions to Bell’s book came from folks who had not even read it.  In part, it was this reality that motivated me, along with the pastors I join for a very informal “book club”, to actually read the book.

Second, for most believers, I do not believe the book is worth reading.  I say this not because of Bell’s theology, but because of the lack thereof.  Even a reviewer who tends to be sympathetic with people who push the theological envelope wrote, “Rob Bell’s book left too many questions unanswered about too many topics to carry the discussion forward”.³ Bell is intentionally vague and fuzzy in his assertions, which was his way of saying that evangelical Christians should be less dogmatic.  But his gross lack of theological precision, intentional or not, is too inconclusive to add anything to this debate.

Third, in spite of my disagreement with Bell’s fuzzy statements about heaven and hell, I do find myself sympathetic with his argument that evangelical Christians are often too dogmatic.  Case in point:  I attended a conference not too long ago where a Calvinist preacher clearly questioned the “save-ability” of Arminian Christians.  This sort of rhetoric does not belong in the church of Jesus Christ.  So, to some extent, I agree with Bell’s assertion that we need to back off of the inflammatory, pejorative language when referring to fellow believers with differing convictions on secondary issues.  As well, we need to give less weight to the dogma of our theological traditions and more weight to Scripture.

However, in spite of the fact that I get what Bell was trying to do in this book, I cannot endorse his faux-universalist publicity stunt, nor his willingness to make it seem as though God’s Word has nothing clear to say about hell.  Such theological vacillation can only result in misleading his readers.  One clear example of such misleading was revealed in an MSNBC interview he took part in.  The interviewer repeatedly stated his interpretation that Love Wins asserts a universalist position (that all people are eventually saved).  This in spite of the fact that Bell repeatedly denied that he is a universalist.  But to no avail.  Bell’s vague and fuzzy language was so effective that he had sold this journalist on his faux-universalism, in spite of Bell’s insistence otherwise.

This reveals a negative result of wielding a double-edged sword—it often cuts both ways.  Bell wants to entice an inclusivistic culture to embrace Christianity by acting as if we can fudge on the biblical reality of hell and the importance of faith in Christ before death.  But he also wants to retain, or at least put forward, fidelity to God’s Word.  The truth is, as the MSNBC reporter so curtly communicated, you cannot have it both ways.  Either you embrace Christ’s message, “I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the father except through me” (John 14:6, NIV84), in stark opposition to our culture’s inclusivism, or you set aside God’s Word as archaic and embrace universalism.

Does it matter what we believe about Jesus?   I will leave you to draw your own conclusion as I end my blog with a few words from the authority on this subject, Jesus Christ.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”  John 3:16–18, NIV84

Pastor Dan

1 Regent College Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology
2 Pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church
3 Scot McKnight in Relevant Magazine

            Sometimes I think I read too many books.  It reminds me of the line in Ecclesiastes, probably the most often quoted verse by Bible college and seminary students, “Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body” (Ecclesiastes 12:12b).  However, my issue is not weariness with reading too many books.  It is, more so, the effect of reading too many books that are spiritually challenging.

            Why can I not be content with the Sunday morning comics?  Doesn’t another great piece of wisdom literature reveal, “A happy heart makes the face cheerful” (Proverbs 15:13).  And I confess I am currently finding much enjoyment from Dorothy Sayers’ detective stories written in the early 1920s.  Comics and good fiction—this is the kind of reading which makes my heart happy.

            However, time and again, I find myself getting sucked into books which challenge, convict, and call me to be a more fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ.  I think of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s, The Cost of Discipleship; A.W. Tozer’s, The Pursuit of God; and Jerry Bridges’, The Pursuit of Holiness.  These are the kind of books that do exactly what any good prophetic preacher should do, “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.”  However, though I know they are good for me, sometimes such writings can be tough to swallow.  No matter how good my vegetables might be for me, somehow it is always the sweets and snacks that catch my eye (and my taste buds). 

            Of course, there is nothing wrong with sweets and snacks in moderation, but if our diet does not include a regular intake of healthier options our systems will not function well.  And the same is true with our “literary” consumption.  Magazines, comics and fiction are fine in moderation, but at the center of a healthy diet is the Word of God and books which help us to live it out. 

            I am thinking, today, of just such a book which I have only begun reading entitled Radical:  Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream by David Platt.  Books like this really should come with some sort of warning.  Warning:  Reading this book may result in conviction and severe discomfort!!!  Obviously, the title alone is enough to make a sane person break out in hives.  But consider what the author writes about our tendency to redefine Christianity:

And this is where we need to pause.  Because we are starting to redefine Christianity.  We are giving in to the dangerous temptation to take the Jesus of the Bible and twist him into a version of Jesus we are more comfortable with.
A nice, middle-class, American Jesus.  A Jesus who doesn’t mind materialism and who would never call us to give away everything we have.  A Jesus who would not expect us to forsake our closest relationships so that he receives all our affection.  A Jesus who is fine with nominal devotion that does not infringe on our comforts, because, after all, he loves us just the way we are.  A Jesus who wants us to be balanced, who wants us to avoid dangerous extremes, and who, for that matter, wants us to avoid danger altogether.  A Jesus who brings us comfort and prosperity as we live out our Christian spin on the American dream. 

Do you see what I mean by convicting? 

            However, as tough as books like this may be, as difficult as they may be to swallow, I know I need them.  I know I need men and women of God using the Word of God for “teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” in my life (2 Timothy 3:16).  Sure, it might be easier to only take in media which entertains or tells me what I want to hear.  But I am thankful for the Godly individuals who call me to something greater than myself, who call me to a more authentic relationship with my Creator, who call me to learn to love sacrificially.  And so, I guess I will keep reading those books, in spite of their tendency to convict, and be thankful that I have a God who is not finished with me yet.

                                                                                    Pastor Dan

Click to hear Pastor Dan’s recent sermon on Prophetic Preaching

            Just this morning I was reminded of a relatively insignificant event, but one that has stuck in my memory, from my senior year in high school.  It was the national speech tournament in Chicago and I was competing for a national championship in a few different events.  I recall standing outside with a portion of the thousands of students and teachers present waiting for results to reveal who would move on to the next round.  When I read my name on a huge posting that hung from the top of the building, indicating that I made it to the next round, I was so excited that I turned to the lady next to me, who happened to be a nun, and said, “Praise the Lord!”  Her response to me, however, put a damper on my excitement, “God doesn’t care if you get into the next round.”  Ouch!

            Now, in her defense, I am guessing that my remark came off a bit flippantly.  And in the big scheme of things, I know that God’s central concern at that moment was not about getting me to the next round.  And, when all is said and done, I came home with no awards. 

            However, it does raise a question—“Does God care about our joys and sorrows, our successes and failures, even if they are in areas that do not have ultimate significance?” 

            I have recently been reading Gary Thomas’ book Pure Pleasure.  And in the chapter I read this morning, “Enjoying the Earth without Loving the World” Thomas poses the same question I raise above.  And he quotes from a number of great passages which touch upon this topic, one of which is James 1:17, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” 

            Is it?  Is every good and perfect gift from above?  I believe it is.  In fact, God’s Word is filled with references to His innumerable gifts.  It is God’s nature to give (Matt 7:11).  As Christians, I believe we need a greater awareness of the Source of the gifts we enjoy every day.  God offers more than a get out of hell free card.  He invites us to enjoy Him in and through His creation.  Thomas writes:

God isn’t merely our Redeemer…he is also our Creator.  He made us, and he made this world.  So when we participate in this world as he made it, we celebrate him….  In fact, we insult him when we deny the glory of his creativity.  When we speak of God only as Savior, we use him as a rescuer—but he is much more than that!  He invites us to truly enjoy him and all that he has made, no longer using God merely to enjoy the world (as he sets us free from addictions, helps us to reclaim our finances, restores our health), but also using the world to enjoy God.

That is a different concept—using the world to enjoy God.  I sense that for many of us this happens somewhat naturally when it comes to His more spectacular gifts.  When we see the beauty of a sunset sky silhouetting the Olympics, it is actually difficult not to give glory to God. 

            But we do not have to wait for a spectacular sunset.  Truly, we can experience pure pleasure as we use the simple blessings of daily life to enjoy Him.  Again, it is seeing every good and perfect gift as coming from His hand and living in gratitude for these gifts. 

            Of course, the temptation we are susceptible to is allowing the enjoyment of things to cause us to forget the source of all good things.  Deuteronomy 8:11-14 warns the people of Israel, after entering the promised land, about the possibility of becoming proud and forgetting God “when you eat and are satisfied, when you build find houses and settle down.”  Instead, what they need to do is allow the enjoyment of the good things God provides to remind them of His provision.  As we read in Deuteronomy 8:7-9, “For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing.”  Truly, it is God who is the source of even our simplest blessings. 

            As we enter into Spring and this time of warmer weather, sunnier skies, and blooming flowers, may we learn, more and more, to enjoy the giver of every good gift.  May we be a people characterized by gratefulness and joy because we serve such a gracious Heavenly Father.  And may we be faithful to share these gifts and this joy with those around us. 

In Christ, Pastor Dan

“Our greatest fear as individuals and as a church should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.”  Tim Kizziar

            Jesus tells a parable which is recorded for us in the book of Luke that is all about a man who fancied himself as quite the success: 

The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, “What shall I do?  I have no place to store my crops.”  Then he said, “This is what I’ll do.  I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.  And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’”  Luke 12:16-19

This man was successful.  In today’s lingo, we might say that his business had a banner year.  So he took all the proceeds and sunk them into the acquisition of more wealth.  With what goal?  To “take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”  Why, isn’t that the American dream? 

            However, in Christ’s parable, the dream turns into a nightmare.  For when it came time to meet his maker, all of his wealth did him no good.  And, to the contrary, he was found to be a man who had invested much in the things of this world, but little in eternal things: 

But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?”  This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.  Luke 12:16-21

He was successful in the things that really didn’t matter.  Or to put it another way, he climbed to the top of the ladder of success, only to find it was leaning against the wrong wall.

            The temptation to succeed in the wrong things is all around us.  Certainly, we can all relate to the appeal of being able to say to ourselves, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years.”  According to American culture, having a healthy retirement that will enable us to experience a relaxed and pleasurable conclusion to our life on planet earth is one of the grandest hopes a person could have.  Is this not the very definition of success?

            Of course, the problem with this perspective is that it is focused only on life on planet earth.  The question is—Do we believe that there is more to life than this life?  Do we believe, as the Scriptures reveal, that life eternal makes our time on this earth seem like just one small pixel on the 70 inch flat screen of our lives?  Do we believe that God measures success not on how much pleasure we produce for ourselves, but on how faithfully we loved Him, how zealously we sought to bring the joy of the gospel to people in our sphere of influence and around the world, and how diligent we were to sow God’s Word into the lives of those we came into contact with on a daily basis?  In other words, were we light and salt on this earth?  Did we point people to Jesus in our words and deeds?  Did we bring glory to the name of God as we fulfilled the greatest command, “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength”?

            If you are like me, you need these reminders again and again and again.  Thankfully, God inspires men and women to repeat this message time and again through various mediums and in different places.  The book in which I found the quote with which I begin this article is actually a tremendous example of such a reminder, Francis Chan’s Crazy Love.  It is a book all about experiencing success in the things that count.  It is a relatively easy read, length-wise.  But it is anything but easy in terms of the message.  Don’t let the title fool you.  This book packs a punch.  Having said this, it is kind of like eating your greens—though it may not taste sweet going down, it provides lots of the nutrients we need to grow. 

            Of course, learning to enjoy God’s blessings while prioritizing God’s kingdom, is not easy to do.  Thankfully, we have the transformative Word of God and the indwelling Spirit of God continually working in us to shape us into the likeness of our Father God.  May we keep growing to reflect our God more and more in all that we are, say and do. 

                                                                                    In Christ, Pastor Dan

 Note:  Crazy Love is now available to borrow from the RBC library.

            It may come as a surprise to you that Sunday, February 13^th has been set aside as the National Day of Purity.  This little holiday is a very recent invention.

            However, I believe it is a great idea to recognize this day, especially in such close proximity to Valentine’s Day.  For we know that the best romance is romance done God’s way.  And God’s way is the way of sexual purity.  I want to take advantage of the opportunity to give some practical encouragement and helps on this timely topic. 

            There are many Scriptures which speak to the importance of purity, but one of the best and most concise is Hebrews 13:4, “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.” 

            In a world where things like co-habitation, adultery, homosexuality and the dating culture have blurred Biblical teachings on love and marriage, Hebrews 13:4 provides a very basic, powerful statement for God-honoring purity.  This verse covers purity within marriage, by speaking of judgment for the adulterer, and purity outside of marriage, by speaking of God’s judgment on the sexually immoral.  Basically, “sexually immoral” renders the Greek word “pornos” which covers any kind of sexual activity outside of the confines of marriage (including homosexuality, pre-marital sex and pornography). 

            What does it mean to keep the marriage bed pure?  Well, it begins with purity of the mind.  How are you doing when it comes to guarding that which you allow to enter your mind?  We are inundated with so much garbage through media these days.  And as they say, garbage in, garbage out.  But purity means being careful about what television or movies we consume.  Just because a new show looks really good does not mean that it is good for us.  It also means having safeguards when it comes to the web.  There are some basic rules that help to keep families safe on the web including…
#1  Use a web filter (e.g., Hedgebuilders and Bsecure)
#2  Keep your computer in a public area in your home, especially when it comes to kids 
#3  If you have ever struggled with pornography, find accountability partners 
I cannot emphasize the importance of accountability enough.  (See the resources listed at the end of this blog). 

            Keeping the marriage bed pure, however, goes beyond the mind to romance and marriage.  So much of our culture militates again purity previous to marriage, especially in the dating culture of our youth and single adults.  But we must not assume that just because our culture does it a certain way, it is the best way.  I firmly believe that God’s way is the best way, and that God’s way would discourage the dating scene so common even among young teens.  A great resource for youth or single adults to read in this regard is Josh Harris’ I Kissed Dating Goodbye.  Another one I recommend is Choosing God's Best: Wisdom for Lifelong Romance by Dr. Don Raunikar.  Personally, I am a strong believer in the value of courtship and emphasizing group dates.  We do well to avoid unhealthy amounts of intimate time together between those who are not ready for the marriage commitment, the place where romantic intimacy is meant to be enjoyed.

            Regardless, when it comes to romance and marriage, whether you are a parent, a youth or a single adult, do not assume that purity will happen automatically.  In our world today, purity requires intentionality and, sometimes, it means sacrificing personal wants and practicing self-control.  But, as I already mentioned, I firmly believe that this way is the best way because it is God’s way.  Your thoughts?

Resources:

Every Man’s Battle and Every Young Man’s Battle by Arterburn and Stoeker; Every Woman’s Battle and Every Young Woman’s Battle by Ethridge; I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Harris; Choosing God's Best: Wisdom for Lifelong Romance by Dr. Raunikar 

For parents:  Logged On and Tuned Out by Courtney; Against the Tide by LaHaye; Preparing Your Son for Every Man's Battle by Arterburn and Stoeker.

“Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.” Daniel 11:45

            When you think of the book of Daniel, what do you think of?  Daniel in the Lion’s Den!  Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego!  Or for those of you who, like me, have had young children who cherished Veggietales, maybe you think of Rack, Shack and Benny (and “The Bunny!”).

            The first half of Daniel is filled with these great, familiar stories with clear, powerful lessons.  However, if you haven’t read Daniel in a while, you might be surprised to learn that the second half of the book is filled with prophecies and visions that are not quite as straightforward producing differing opinions even among those who hold in common a high regard for Scripture as the Word of God. 

            For people who are really into eschatology (the study of the end times) Daniel provides for exciting reading.  But for those of us who are not quite as enamored by the endless debates, one might wonder whether all of Daniel is worth reading.  Can the average Christian get anything out of the second half of Daniel without turning to a commentary or Bible study notes? 

            I believe the answer is yes.  In fact, I believe that, sometimes, study notes and commentaries can lead us away from the most important truths God means for us to learn in His Word.  For example, the king referred to at the beginning of this article, who exalts himself over God in Daniel 11, can arouse many questions not answered directly by the text:  Who is this king?  When will (or did) he reign?  Is this the Antichrist?  These are not bad questions.  However, the message of this passage is understandable regardless of how you answer those questions—namely, what we read in the last verse of Daniel 11, “Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.”  In other words, this ungodly king, no matter how great he thinks he is, will not escape death.

            This passage reflects a truth communicated throughout the book of Daniel—that there will be times, on earth, when men will rule in opposition to God, when God’s people will be persecuted, and when things will look awfully bleak.  But in spite of all this, God is still on His throne and will eventually put everything right.  Even the most arrogant and powerful of rulers will eventually come to their end.

            What meaning does this have for you and me?  Tremendous meaning!  Certainly, it gives us hope in the face of life’s more significant trials, knowing that no matter what we face, God will eventually put everything right.  But I also believe that we need to apply this principle to the more mundane, daily concerns we face.  How easily I get caught up in the small things of life:  a rude driver, disrespect from a family member, a disagreement with a co-worker, or feeling slighted at church.  How much of my time is spent wrapped up in thinking on such things which consume much time, yet produce little fruit. 

            For example, after a recent haircut I presented a gift card with just enough left to pay for it.  The lady tried running the card, but could not do so due to the magnetic strip.  Then, she tried entering the number on the card by hand.  But after 3 or 4 tries, she gave up and told me that there must be nothing left on the card.  Now, I always keep receipts with gift cards so I know how much remains.  And I was fairly certain that this card still had money left on it.  After much frustration, I finally asked if there was someone else who could help.  Right away, another employee came up, entered the card’s number, and on his first try was able to bring up my correct card balance and finish the transaction. 

            In hindsight, I am glad I persisted and was able to use the card.  However, I wish I had not allowed myself to get so frustrated over it.  I wish my hope in God’s eternal kingdom would have translated into a calmer spirit in the face of such an insignificant concern. 

            Too often, I unthinkingly allow such small things to distract me from the more important things in life.  But as a follower of Christ, I must learn to number my “days aright” (Psalm 90:12).  I need God to continually expand my view of life according to His eternal kingdom so that I do not allow little frustrations to rob me of joy, peace or opportunities to reflect God’s grace.  As one author adeptly puts it, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.”  May we all increasingly embrace a greater awareness of the temporary nature of life on planet earth and the eternal nature of God’s kingdom and live each day accordingly.

                                                                        In Christ, Pastor Dan

            What is God doing at Renton Bible Church?  As a pastor and elder, this is a question to be asked time and again.  How is God working?  Where do we see His hand moving?  Central to leadership in Christ’s church is being aware of God’s leading.  Why is this important?

            I am reminded of a small group study I led as an intern while attending seminary.  We used Henry Blackaby’s Experiencing God for our curriculum.  What a tremendous study this was.  And though the popularity of this study has faded as new curriculums have come along, the basic message still resonates quite powerfully, because it is based on Scripture.  In a nutshell, Blackaby’s message was that, as believers, we need to find out where God is working, then join Him.  Is this not the example Christ gave us in John 5:19?  “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.”  Our more natural tendency is to ask God to come alongside us and bless what we are doing.  But Blackaby argues that it should be the other way around.  We must seek to join God in what He is doing.  In other words, it is not about man’s plans, purposes and programs, but God’s plans, purposes and programs. 

            There are two significant implications of this principle that are even now being worked out in our body.  The first of these “outworkings” is found in our hiring for a new staff position, and the second in a ministry direction our leaders are considering.

            First, we have sensed God’s blessing on Joshua Williamson’s internship with our church.  This has been evident not only in our conversations as elders, but also in feedback we have received from various individuals in our body.  As a result, though this was not part of our original plan, we decided to create a 30 hour a week associate pastor position enabling the Williamsons to continue as part of our body.  This direction was only affirmed by the positive comments at our meeting Sunday, December 19^th, with the result that the elders decided to call Joshua to take this new position. 

            Starting January 1^st, Joshua will transition from pastoral intern to associate pastor.  Joshua will continue as he has been with a number of his current ministries:  Silver Eagles, Youth Discipleship/Leadership Development, Men’s Fellowship and Connect Sunday School.  However, he will increase his involvement in three areas:  Preaching (six times a year), Regular Pastoral Duties and Community Ministry (monthly instead of quarterly).  This last one, centered around community outreach, is an area that we have particularly seen God leading in our body and is a reflection of our desire to join Him in what He is doing in 2011. 

             The second area where we desire to join God in what we see Him doing has to do with an emphasis in our ministry.  During my sabbatical this summer I read a book entitled, The Trellis and the Vine.  The basic gist of this book is that, in the church, we need to focus less on the trellis, the framework and structures that help keep ministry going, and more on the vine, making and nurturing disciples of Christ.  In the church, it is very easy for trellis work (i.e., buildings, programs, committees) to overshadow the more important work of tending the vine. 

            Over the next month, our elders and pastors will be reading this book in preparation for our annual elder retreat the last weekend of January.  At this retreat, we will discuss what we have read and consider how we are doing, as a church, at tending the vine.  Overall, this annual retreat is our chance to stop and ask, specifically, what it is that God is doing and how He wants to use us in the coming year. 

            In view of this upcoming retreat, I want to invite you to consider praying for our elders/pastors on a daily basis during the month of January.  Specifically, would you pray for God’s leading as we read this book?  As well, would you pray that God would grant us wisdom to see where He is working in our body so that we might know how best to join Him in what He is doing in 2011?  Finally, would you pray that God would lead us as we seek to lead the members of Renton Bible Church to more faithfully accomplish His Kingdom purposes?

            In 2011, may we continue to grow in seeking God’s leading in our lives and in the life of our church and may we do our part in becoming and making more fully devoted disciples of Jesus Christ.

                                                                                In Christ, Pastor Dan

            I have a confession to make-I love snow. 

            I know, I know, snow definitely has it's down side.  For example, the many who were stuck in traffic countless hours on the commute home from work this week definitely have a strong case against snow! 

            It reminds me of a trip we had to take ten years ago in Minnesota.  Debb's parents had flown in to visit us from San Diego.  So, we had to make what is usually a three hour drive from Marshall, Minnesota to the big city, Minneapolis, to pick them up.  The report on the news had said, "blowing snow."  We had only just moved there, so we didn't think much of that forecast. 

            As we drove through town visibility was 100% and the roads were clear.  However, the moment we got outside of town, it was white out conditions.  It was as if someone flipped on a switch that unleashed a continual barrage of snow.  Or, should I say, it was as if someone turned the light switch off.  For, truly, we could not see more than ten feet in front of us.  It was like a blizzard.  Snow was blowing non-stop across the flat landscape.  We were driving 30 miles an hour for most of that trip.  Needless to say, it was a long, white-knuckle drive to the big city.

            So, I can certainly say that there are times when snow is less appreciated.  And, to be honest, as much as I loved the snow in Minnesota, I am not sure I would choose to live in a climate again where there is snow on the ground 5 months out of the year. 

            However, months on end with snow on the ground isn't an issue in the Pacific Northwest-snow usually only lasts a matter of days here.  And unless I have a special trip planned, driving is not much of an issue for me.  My commute to work is just a little over a mile and it is flat!  (This is why I am able to be writing this article at the office on the morning after our huge snow event.)

            The point is, on a personal level, I love snow.  More than anything, I love the beauty of a freshly falling snow.  I love to see big flakes gently floating down to the surface of the earth.  I love to see everything covered in white.  There is something magical about snow. 

            There is also something Biblical about snow.  Snow is not a topic that shows up often in Scripture, but in a few places where we do find snow, it is used to paint a very powerful picture.  I cannot help but think of Psalm 51.  You may recall that this is the Psalm David wrote after getting caught in his adultery with Bathsheba. 

            Nathan, the prophet, came to David and exposed his sin for what it was.  As a result, David writes Psalm 51:1-3, "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.  Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.  For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me."  And a few verses later David writes, "Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow" (Psalm 51:7).  There are a few things David makes clear here.  First, he acknowledges his sinfulness and need for cleansing.  Second, he wholeheartedly believes in God's ability to cleanse him of his sin.  He knows that if God washes him, he will be whiter than snow.  God's cleansing is all he needs. 

            As believers, we learn a few important lessons from David here.  First, we are reminded that sin is serious and needs to be dealt with.  The fact that we live in a culture which questions whether or not sin even exists makes the seriousness of sin more difficult to grasp.  But no matter what our culture says, sin is real.  And, as David points out in this Psalm, sin is serious because all sin is ultimately against our Creator. 

            Secondly, David points to the fact that the heinous nature of sin is only matched by the unconquerable power of grace.  God washes away sin utterly and completely.  It isn't merely that God has washed away our sin, past tense.  It is that God washes away our sin, present tense.  When we turn to Him in genuine repentance, there is a genuine washing that takes place.  We are not merely washed white as snow.  We are washed whiter than snow. 

            The devil is referred to as the "accuser of the brethren" (Revelation 12:10) for good reason.  He wants us to feel unforgiven and unworthy to come before our God.  But the Word makes absolutely clear that Christ's sacrifice for sin is absolute.  There is power in the blood.  For this reason, there is no sin stain that is beyond the cleansing power of Christ's redemption. 

            As we enter this season with snow, may we remember why it is that the Christ-child was born on Christmas Day.  May we be ever aware of the seriousness of sin, but equally aware of the power of Christ's sacrifice to cleanse us from it.  As we read in Isaiah 1:18:

"Come now, let us reason together," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."

                                                                  In Christ, Pastor Dan