God and Gump

The Hound of Heaven

Have you ever run from God? I think most everyone can admit they have at some point. But here's the part we don't picture in our mind's eye. God gives chase. He doesn't stand there and wait for us to return to Him. He runs to us - He runs after us. Pursues us. His Spirit is at work in our lives to draw His children into Himself. He's active, not passive. Sometime we think we can avoid His watchful eye. But those who are called His child are ever in His sight.

When we consider the parable of the Prodigal Son, the image that stirs my heart is how the father runs to his son as he sees him approaching. The father had every right to tell the son to go away and never come back because the son basically told his father that he was dead to him and he wanted his inheritance now. Even though squandered everything and returned, starved and hopeless, the father was running towards him, embracing him, heaping love on him. I can visualize the father couldn't be restrained as he ran with a heart filled with compassion to greet his son just as he saw him appear over the horizon - long before te son saw him.

Christian Apologist Ravi Zacharias tells of a poet named Francis Thomspon that wrote a poem titled "The Hound of Heaven" in his online newsletter "A Slice of Infinity". Click below to read Ravi's short article, "On The Run".

Give Thanks to God, Our King

Psalm 47

God is King Over All the Earth!

Clap your hands, all peoples!
Shout to God with loud songs of joy!

For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared,
a great king over all the earth.

He subdued peoples under us,
and nations under our feet.

He chose our heritage for us,
the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah

God has gone up with a shout,
the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!

For God is the King of all the earth;
sing praises with a psalm!

God reigns over the nations;
God sits on his holy throne.

The princes of the peoples gather
as the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
he is highly exalted!

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Ethical Stem Cell Research Breakthrough

The highlight of the news today was the report of the breakthrough on stem-cell research. Scientists have learned of a way to make normal human skin cells behave like stem-cells in laboratory tests. I'm not a scientist and I don't play one on t.v., so I'll let you read the article published by the NY Times if you want details.

This is a wonderful achievement for science and medicine and a great advance for the culture of life. The purpose of my post today is to ask a couple of questions for us to ponder.

1. Would there have been such an effort to find other ways to research stem-cells if President Bush had not been so steadfast on this issue?

2. Do democrats see this as good news? Is this bad news for those seeking to use this as a wedge issue in the 2008 elections?

We were told time after time that President Bush was single-handedly causing people with ailments like spinal injuries and Alzheimer's disease to live in misery because he vetoed federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research. The President stood his ground and maintained that there were other ways to conduct the research without using embryos. It looks like he was right.

In June, Congress tried to undo the President's prohibition on embryonic stem-cell research, but the President kept his promise to veto the bill. Nancy Pelosi said this in a fund-raising email shortly before the veto, "Tomorrow, with a single stroke of his cruel veto pen, President Bush will dash the hopes of millions of Americans seeking cures through the miracle of stem-cell research (emphasis mine)."  Hillary Clinton also used the veto as an opportunity to whip campaign supporters into a froth by saying, "[the veto was] just one more example as to why we're going to send [Republicans] packing in January 2009 and return progressive leadership to the White House."

Shame on people like Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton who have such a myopic view of this sensitive issue to think that the only way to conduct research was through the use of embryos. If their view isn't myopic, then that means they are being intellectually dishonest. If that's the case, then who is really being cruel?

In reality, it is a wonderful fact that important stem cell research continues without giving in to the notion that life is disposable and insignificant.

So Speaker Pelosi, I am going to describe the great news of the day by rephrasing your quote, "Today, because of brilliant scientists interested in finding a better way - without political agenda- lifted the hopes of millions of Americans seeking cures through the miracle of non-embryonic stem-cell research."

Happy Reformation Day!

Well, so much for a new years resolution to blog more. I've actually blogged less in '07 than in previous years. So I figure I'll need to write about 5 posts a day for the rest of the year to catch up. Suffice to say - that ain't happening! But I'm going to try to be more faithful at posting in the remaining two months of '07 (my how time flies).

Hey...anyone know what today is??? Well, yes it is Halloween, but that's not the answer I was looking for.

Today is Reformation Day. On October 31, 1517 a German monk named Martin Luther changed the world when he nailed his Ninety-five Theses to the doors of the Wittenberg Church. Luther did this to start a debate and dialog on the Catholic doctrine and practice indulgences.  Contrary to popular belief, he did not wish to cause a schism in the church. But obviously, that was the result and the official beginning of the Reformation and Protestant movement.

If you'd like to read more of Luther's work, or the writings of other theological titans you can go to http://www.monergism.com/ and click on "ESSAYS".

Happy Reformation Day!

Be Reasonable

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4-7 ESV

I've been stuck on this verse all week. Even going so far as to committing it to memory. I'm not really sure where I'm going with this, so I'm just going to type and see what happens.

Yesterday I was doing a word study on what Paul meant when he tells us to let our reasonableness  be known to everyone. But today's culture dictates that we be unreasonable. With information being reduced to bite size elements, it seems everyone is screaming their bullet points in hopes of being heard. But really, it seems no one is listening to anyone. All you have to do is watch pundits argue on the news or look at websites, watch commercials to see that it is all about being heard. We must get our point across, at all costs!

In my years of working as a lobbyist, I can't tell you how many times I was trying to communicate my position on an issue and not listening to the other side. Instead of actually listening, I would think about what I needed to say next. Often times in near desperation I'd say to myself, "Why don't they get it? Why don't they see it my way? Why can't they just be reasonable? "

Philippians 4:5 above, Paul tells us that we need to demonstrate reasonableness. The Greek word he uses is "epieikes" (pronounced ep-ee-i-kace') which means to be appropriately mild and gentle, to demonstrate forbearance. Paul is telling us treat others reasonably so others can see Christ in our gentleness and in our forbearance. We are able to this because we have the confidence of the Holy Spirit through rejoicing in the Lord always.

The world has a generally negative view of evangelicals, in my humble opinion, because we are seen as not being reasonable. Because we try to talk the Gospel message to people instead of giving an account for our faith with gentle love. I remember at college, two "evangelicals", Brother Jed and Sister Cindy delivered the message of hellfire and brimstone with a bullhorn daily from the Oval at The Ohio State University. They literally used to yell at students as they passed by with the warning of eternity in Hell and calling us all fornicators, idolaters and drunks. Students would shout obscenities back and argue. I'm sure the entire scene was not pleasing to God. While Jed and Cindy may have been correct from a doctrine perspective, I believe they could not be more wrong in how they delivered the message of saving grace. We can still hold to the truth of our faith and be reasonable at the same time. In Matthew 5, Jesus calls us to be the light into the world and to let our light shine before others so they can see our good works and that God is glorified (Matthew 5:16). A part of being that light is being reasonable with believers and unbelievers alike and giving the truth in love.

A Springtime Morning Prayer

I read this Puritan prayer this morning, so I thought I'd share on this early spring morning. The picture of daffodils was taken by my wife, Jean. Enjoy!

Lord of Heaven,

Thy goodness is inexpressible and inconceivable.
  in the works of creation thou art almighty,
  in the dispensation of providence all-wise,
  in the gospel of grace all love.

And in thy Son thou hast provided for
  our deliverance from the effects of sin,
  the justification of our persons,
  the sanctifications of our natures,
  the perseverance of our souls in the path of    life.

Though exposed to the terrors of thy law,
  we have a refuge from the storm;

Though compelled to cry, “Unclean”,
  we have a fountain for sin;

Though creature-cells of emptiness
  we have a fullness accessible to all,
  and incapable of reduction.

Grant us always to know that to walk with Jesus
  makes other interests a shadow and a dream.

Keep us from intermittent attention
  to eternal things;

Let us judge our Christianity,
  not only by our knowledge of Jesus,
  but by our love for him, conformity to him, our    dependence on him.

Give us a faith that is both real and progressive,
  that holds on its way and grows stronger,
  that lives and works in the Spirit,
  that profits by every correction,
  and is injured by no carnal indulgence.

Amen and Amen!

Great Is the Lord

Psalm 145 (ESV)
Great Is the Lord
A Song of Praise. Of David.

1 I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
8 The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The Lord is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.
10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and all your saints shall bless you!
11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
12 to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
[The Lord is faithful in all his words
and kind in all his works.]
14 The Lord upholds all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
16 You open your hand;
you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and kind in all his works.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
20 The Lord preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

That's My King

Here is a wonderful video that describes our indescribable King! It's a video with the words of the late Dr. S.M. Lockridge. It's about three minutes long. I have yet to watch and listen to this without being moved. Enjoy and share with a friend!

Thanks Trent for passing this on to me!

Humble Adoration

"Knowing God without knowing our own wretchedness makes for pride. Knowing our own wretchedness without knowing God makes for despair. Knowing Jesus Christ strikes the balance because he shows us both God and our own wretchedness."-Blaise Pascal

That, my friends, is the very definition of humility before our Lord. To adore God is to think about His character.

I'm writing this post because a few of you have asked me if I am feeling bad about myself or if I have a self-esteem problem because the subject of most of my recent posts has focused on my depravity. No worries. I may, from time to time, agonize over my sins more than I should. But God always pulls me through it. Granted, going to a point of self-loathing is certainly not good, I believe it is necessary and spiritually healthy to be mortified over our sin. And in spite of what Dr. Spock and pop psychologists say, I truly don't feel the need to have a high self-esteem. I believe that "high self-esteem" can actually be a barrier spiritual maturity. God's grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9) and replaces the need for self-esteem.

For the longest time, I had great difficulty understanding how to "adore" God. I mean, it's really impossible for my finite mind to comprehend His infiniteness. But I've learned that adoration comes from regular submission, confession, repentance and studying His word. I don't mean for this to sound formulaic, so please don't take it as such. But when I come before God broken, in realization of my sinful nature, submitting to His authority, confessing my sin, repenting (to turn away from) of my sin and receive the grace already given, humility is a natural outgrowth. And from humility, I'm given the softened heart to adore my Adonai. Just typing this makes my eyes well up with tears.

I certainly don't claim to as humble as God would like me to be. I struggle with pride all the time. But I've found that a pious pride will lead to a spiritual drought and the only oasis is in the scriptures. The scriptures are replete with descriptions of God. We can't just meditate on Him and pray to Him and expect true revelation on His character - we have to read what He tells us about Himself in His word. Below are just a few passages that can help us adore Him in humility. Would you join me in drinking Him in today?

"To whom then will you compare me,
that I should be like him?", says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
calling them all by name,
by the greatness of his might,
and because he is strong in power
not one is missing. Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable. (Isaiah 40: 25-26,28)

For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them. (Psalm 139:13-16)

My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever. (Luke 1:46-55)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:1-5)

God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)

...yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. (1 Corinthians 8:6)

Act of Approach

Adoration is a key component in personal worship of our God. Thinking of His attributes (His everlasting love, grace, mercy, goodness, holiness, omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, unchanging character, truthfulness, etc) helps me focus on how awesome He is and in the manner I must approach Him.

The following is an old Puritan prayer from the book Valley of Vision which is beautifully written in a way of humble approach to our King in Heaven.

Act of Approach

Benign LORD,

I praise thee continually for permission to approach thy throne of grace,
and to spread my wants and desires before thee.

I am not worthy of thy blessings and mercies for I am far gone from original righteousness;

My depraved nature reveals itself in disobedience and rebellion;

My early days discovered in me discontent, pride, envy, revenge.

Remember not the sins of my youth,
  nor the multiplied transgressions of later years,
    my failure to improve time and talents,
    my abuse of mercies and means,
    my wasted sabbaths,
    my perverted seasons of grace,
    my long neglect of thy great salvation,
    my disregard of the Friend of sinners.

While I confess my guilt, help me feel it deeply, with self-abhorrence and self-despair, yet to remember there is hope in thee, and to see the Lamb that takes away sin.

Through him may I return to thee,
    listen to thee,
    trust in thee,
    delight in thy law,
    obey thee,
    be upheld by thee

Preserve my understanding from error,
    my affections from love of idols,
    my lips from speaking guile,
    my conduct from stain of vice,
    my character from appearance of evil,
     that I may be harmless, blameless, rebukeless, exemplary, useful, life-giving, prudent, zealous for thy glory and good of my fellow-men.

Amen