Visit to art in a Utah cave

  Today, my brother-in-law Ben and I visited what is known as the "Red Man Pictograph of Timpie Valley."  After studying still pictures, a video and the map (see link above), we set off to find the cave on the side of a very large foothill beside a much larger mountain. 

View of the cave from where we parked

Zoomed in, still from the truck

  It should be stated here that while I live at an elevation of 5000+ feet in Denver, I rarely hike straight up the side of a mountain... in fact, never!  Ben set off, with Cinch...

  After taking the picture of Ben, I also set off, but eventually I had to set down... out of breath.  The view was pretty amazing, even though there's no greenery during the winter as you look out at the Salt Lake and its surrounding mountains. We're actually really close to the cave at this point.

    We did make it.  The hike took about 15 minutes, and we stopped to see another small cave along the way.  They are quite interesting looking in and of themselves; but with the rock art, it's definitely worth the hike!

Me with the aged Man

Ben posing with the subject of the portrait

The Cave

See the truck at the crossroads below?

View to the Southeast

View to the Northeast

A Magical Christmas

Here's a great perspective on the First Advent of Christ; the eyes of a recent mother can re-open the old,  old story of wonder.

The Blest Man - Isaac Watts (Psalm 1)

     Psalm 1

     Issac Watts

Blest is the man who shuns the place

Where sinners love to meet;

Who fears to tread their wicked ways,

And hates the scoffer's seat;

But in the statutes of the Lord

Hath placed his chief delight,

By day he reads or hears the Word,

And meditates by night.

He like a plant of gen'rous kind,

By living waters set,

Safe from the storms and blasting wind,

Enjoys a peaceful state.

Green as the leaf and ever fair

Shall his profession shine,

While fruits of holiness appear

Like clusters on the vine.

Not so the impious and unjust;

What vain designs they form!

Their hopes are blown away like dust,

Or chaff before the storm.

Sinners in judgement shall not stand

Amongst the sons of grace,

When Christ the Judge, at His right hand

Appoints His saints a place.

His eye beholds the path they tread,

His heart approves it well,

But crooked ways of sinners lead

Down to the gates of hell.  

Sing to:

  "O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing"

  "Amazing Grace"

  "Alas and Did My Savior Bleed"

The LORD's Unbelieving Messiah

  In considering, on this election day, what Scripture passage(s) should be instructing my thinking concerning whatever God has elected for our nation as we move forward, my mind quickly went back to Isaiah 44-45 where I quite recently spent significant time.  God anoints a messiah for His purposes, and twice (45:4, 5) He says that this messiah has not know Him.  He also says in 45:3 that at least a part of His purpose in this is that this messiah will come to know Him.

 But consider, this divinely-elected ruler smashes nations through empire-building and accumulates vast wealth, by the sending of God - not exactly activities we'd condone in our leaders typically.  But, the point of the entire passage is missed if we simply say fatalistically that 'God's will will be done.'  That is true, but this passage is part of a lengthy and powerful argument for the absolute greatness of God compared to the futility of idols.  In other words, the point of this prophecy/appointment which was given long before Cyrus breathed is to demonstrate that the LORD Does/Causes/Chooses/Effects/is THE LORD!  So, we trust Him, regardless of what unbeliever He elects for our nation and what devastation that may cause here and elsewhere, in God's plan.  God's plan goes forward unhindered and unhinderable - worship Him, place full confidence in Him, His greatness, His goodness.

*******

 Also, an unrelated but excellent post on a wonderfully different perspective on our elections from some grateful, not-yet Americans...

He cares for YOU!

  I Peter 5 begins by speaking to pastors, among the other instructions which follow that first paragraph comes the instruction to cast our cares or anxieties on the Lord.  Reading that recently, I began to think how God might take care of those burdens.  But the passage has a different point, His care is not for our cares; it is for us!  His concern is for His sons and daughters, not their problems.  Their problems are simple for Him; they, however, are incredibly important.  It was with those thoughts, that I gave a second stanza to a poetic verse I wrote several years ago.

My Lord Cares

“He careth for thee,” and not just for thee,

But for all of the “thee’s” on this earth.

He bled and He died; He lives, glorified,

Declaring “thee” consummate worth.

“He careth for thee”: ‘twas not for thy cares,

That the Savior came down to this earth.

He bled and He died; He lives, glorified,

Declaring “thee” consummate worth.

Signs seen in a WY Rest Area...

Crossing Wyoming on Monday, it seemed best to us to be in a car not a bus when we stopped at this Rest Area.  Being a bus did not look safe here...

This is not just a matter of perspective; that's really how it looked! Bus, onward to the prairie!

Dogs, however, need not worry for their safety.  They will NOT be thrown away.

My private opinion is that the notation was needed to avoid confusion...

(The rest stop is on I-70, near the middle of Nowhere.)

The Mighty Fortress is our God

While singing "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" yesterday evening, I was reminded that this song is a poem with a message woven through all four stanzas, the stanzas really do not stand alone.  This song, which must be nearly five hundred years old, is a worshipful battle-song about the Mighty God triumphing over the Prince of Darkness.  We, His people, participate in that victory because God chose a Man who was also the Lord of Armies to fulfill that victory, and we have received His Spirit.
Themes: God's strength, Satan's attacks, the Trinity, guaranteed victory through Christ

A mighty Fortress is our God,

A Bulwark never failing;

Our Helper He amid the flood

Of mortal ills prevailing:

For still our ancient foe

Doth seek to work us woe;

His craft and power are great,

And, armed with cruel hate,

On earth is not his equal. 

Did we in our own strength confide,

Our striving would be losing;

Were not the right Man on our side,

The Man of God's own choosing:

Dost ask who that may be?

Christ Jesus, it is He;

Lord Sabaoth His Name,

From age to age the same,

And He must win the battle. 

And though this world, with devils filled,

Should threaten to undo us,

We will not fear, for God hath willed

His truth to triumph through us:

The Prince of Darkness grim,

We tremble not for him;

His rage we can endure,

For lo! his doom is sure,

One little word shall fell him. 

That word above all earthly powers,

No thanks to them, abideth;

The Spirit and the gifts are ours

Through Him who with us sideth:

Let goods and kindred go,

This mortal life also;

The body they may kill:

God's truth abideth still,

His Kingdom is forever.

Evangelicals and Muslims Together?

  Sunday, CNN featured this article on its website, "How Evangelicals Could Grow to Love Muslims." I agree with the guy's basic premise that evangelicals could get over their prejudices against Muslims, just as they got over their one against Catholics from 50 years ago.  The subplot is that they would also make natural allies for Republican social conservatives since many Muslims are socially conservative.  (This same would apply to Latino immigrants; if the Republicans would compromise on the immigration issue, they could gain a powerful constituency that would be a very natural alliance.)

 Anyways, I considered posting the article on Sunday because I thought it said a useful thing.  The  'need to hate [or simply, be against something]' which the article matter-of-factly mentioned is certainly not a Christian ideal.  So, there ought to be some question as to what has hijacked our thinking so that the outside world doesn't even know us by our love!  

 But it was the headline article on Hank Williams Jr.'s tirade against President Obama, mentioning Islam, today which made me decide to blog.  Now, the President has attempted to make it clear that he is a Christian in his own understanding.  Obviously, he could be lying.  But, that's not really the issue.

  Would it be a bad thing if he were a Muslim?

  No.

  Not from a Christian perspective, other than in regard to his soul - followers of Jesus have usually lived under unbelieving rulers.  From an American perspective (which should be secondary for followers of Christ), it would also be a positive outcome of our values to elect someone who was not from the majority faith.  It would be the most basic expectation of our values to say that someday someone of another faith would lead this country which claims to hold freedom of religion as a core tenet.  Otherwise, we undermine the core of the word freedom and relegate those of other beliefs to second-rate status ...if it would be 'un-American' to have a President who claimed something other than Protestant-ism.  But, that's a sidetrack.

 To return to the original article, it is noteworthy that all sitting justices on the US Supreme Court are Catholic or Jewish in faith.  (Remember that this religion was formerly vilified in US politics.)  Now, of the four Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates, only one (Barack Obama) claims to be Protestant - the others are confessedly Roman Catholic or Mormon.  Politics is an odd world, but amid the many shades of gray which it creates, Christians should try to live out their Lord's commands, not become party to one earthly agenda or another.

 As for Americans generally, it is vain to decry one who 'takes away your freedom' and at the same time say that that one has no right to power, when it is the freedoms you cry for which he champions by being in the position he is in.  Neither race nor religion nor gender are sufficient to disqualify someone from office based on American values.  I do not speak for Christian values here, though if the freedoms that are being championed truly were derived from Scripture as many claim, than that also must be considered.

Eternal Expansion

  I was reminded this morning of the fact that in many ways we have no idea what God has prepared for His people in eternity.  Certainly we have glimpses, but eternity is rather veiled.  The passage that reminded me of this is Isa 9:6-7 which describes the Son who has been given to us, giving Him glorious titles of divinity and goodness.
 Then, it says that the increase of His government and of peace will be unending.  What will the everlasting expansion of administration of the Prince of Peace look like?  How will peace grow forever in a place of perfection?  What mysteries does the Might God and Father of Eternity have in store for us?

Shame.

  In the video I am about to recommend, Brene Brown shared truth that our culture and our selves need to hear.  I came across it on Anthony Bradley's website and watched it because I thought it would be relevant to something I've been thinking about.  It was relevant to a whole lot more... me, the world I live in, the world I'd like to live in.  How to live 'whole' lives, why we don't have the connections to others that God made us to have, the depths of our need for honesty about our brokenness, and many other insights.  May you find a needed part of God's truth in this video, for your self and then for your neighbor.





Two tidbits: "You cannot selectively numb emotion."  "Courage... the ability to tell who you are with your whole heart."


I rarely watch 20-minute videos; I never take notes; I always listen while working on something else.  I watched; I took notes; I focused.

Beyond the Dream (Team)

Obviously it is not news that Kobe and LeBron have both said that the 2012 USA Olympic mens basketball team could beat the 1992 'Dream Team.' Obviously it is also not news that Jordan and Barkley have ridiculed the notion. Frankly, it is ridiculous!

I am a casual basketball fan at best, but when I can glance at the names on THE Dream Team and know of all but one of them (Chris Mullin), and he's still a Hall of Famer, that was a stacked roster. Beyond that, not only was the Team itself inducted into the Hall of Fame, everyone on it except the single college player (Christian Laettner) was individually inducted into it. It seems ludicrously absurd to suggest that the current US team will come even close to having 11 of 12 members in the HOF, much less being inducted in as a team. I think, Kobe is the only one on the team that is a lock for the HOF...

Having said all that, there is one similarity between the two teams, Coach K...

... and now, this casual fan will return to rooting for the USA and hoping for another gold medal by the mens basketball team!

Between Two Fires - evangelical Palestinian followers of Jesus

  Today I finished reading Between Two Fires: The Untold Story of Palestinian Christians.  I suppose it would be as surprising to most Western Christians as it was to me to find out that there are Gospel-believing and -obeying Christians, assembled as churches, ministering in the various sections of Palestine.  In all my reading and conversations, this has gone almost completely unmentioned.  (I came across this book while reading an excellent book by Nabeel Jabbour.)

  The testimonies of those who sacrifice and serve daily to share the good news of Jesus in words and works to those around them will be a source of encouragement and exhortation to any believer.  As the marginalized witness to a marginalized people, these brothers and sisters demonstrate what it looks like to love the Lord God first and then to love their neighbors (often, enemies) as themselves.  This is seen in the grime and the dirt of real struggles and failures and growth.  The book is mediocre in style and format but stellar in content.  I'd strongly recommend Between Two Fires to all those who love to see the Body of Christ in action and those who care deeply for the lost around the world.

 Technical details: It's a relatively short read at approximately 127 pages.  There's an excellent addendum at the end.

High and Low: Man and God

  Reading in Isaiah 5 this morning, I noticed an interesting comparison in verses 15 and 16.  The context is God's condemnation and judgment upon His people.  He says that this judgment will result in those with lofty, proud (literally 'high') eyes being brought low.  Then, He says that He, their God, will be exalted (literally 'high') when this happens.

  This is fascinating since the normal expectation when a god's people are crushed by another people is for that god to be humbled, brought low.  So, how is it that this God is exalted in His people's humbling?  

  The Lord of the Armies is exalted even when His people receive defeat and humiliation at the hands of others because He sent the defeat and humiliation.  He is the God of justice and righteousness, not some territorial god who is personally threatened by the success or failure of His worshipers.  Instead, He demands that His people be holy and obedient and clean, seeking to be as He is.

  And this was utterly impossible.

  

  And so, God Himself was humbled and exalted...

  ...so that His people might be people of justice and righteousness and humility, till the day He exalted them under His own exalted lordship.  He suffered judgment so that He might bless and heal them.

(images from here and here)

The Mountain of the Lord - an eschatological speculation

  I read the beginning of Isaiah 2 this morning and was struck by the way the God's temple is described: it is described as if it could literally be a Temple Mountain or a Mountain Temple... as if this great temple from which God will teach and judge the nations might literally be built into a mountain or carved from a mountain, a temple that would be by earthly measures worthy of the God worshipped there and the King served there!

 So, I looked around to see what the best mountain temples currently look like.  None fit the image in my mind, although some are impressive.  I'd love to see someone draw a magnificent imagined Mountain Temple.  But for now, here are the best mountain temples I could find...

A Temple in China

Honorable Mentions:

Monastery at Petra

(Petra's temple wasn't built into the mountain apparently.)

Monastery in Turkey

Aztec Temple

Hidden in My Heart

  While I frequently recommend authors, books or poems, I don't believe I've recommended a music cd on here before.  I've even posted thoughts on what the New Testament says about music.  But today is a good time to recommend a set of excellent cds.  We were given the first Hidden in My Heart right before our first daughter was born.  We loved it!  Calming truths of Scripture put to lullaby music.  

 Well, this week we found out that just as we are expecting our second daughter, they have released a second volume.  So, now we are finding out if we will love this one as much as we loved the first one.

You can listen through the cds on their pages, Scripture as poem and lullaby...

Book culture - an occidental phenomenon

   In Is That a Fish in Your Ear?, David Bellos provides some fascinating insight into the nature of literary translation and the languages and culture which accompany it.  Citing UNESCO's database of the top 13 most popular source languages for translation, only Swahili (and English) are not most frequently translated into English.  Swahili is translated most often into Russian, and then English second.
   75% of all translations are either from (65%) or into (10%) English.
   47% of all translated books were published in either English, French, or German.

   Bellos makes this poignant comment which should influence our thinking concerning how to spread the Gospel:

Culture is not the prerogative of any part or place in the world, but book culture [...] is heavily concentrated in Britain, the United States, France, and Germany. (pg 210)

   If you are thinking of ministering outside of those four countries, think through non-literary approaches and concentrate on them. Even though literature (particularly the Word of God) will be vital for the growth of the work of God, it may not be vital for the beginning of that work in many places.  Consider whether this was not true in earliest Christian times.

Blame-shifting the source of our sin

The source of sin lies closer to home than you or I may want to admit.  It's easy to blame God or the devil for our struggles, but the primary source of our sin lies within our own hearts.  Explaining temptation by saying, "God is testing me" or "Satan is attacking me" positions "me" either as the victim, if I am defeated, or the hero, if I prevail.  But confessing that "My heart is desperately wicked" provides no such comforts.  It heads off all attempts to shift blame, and cuts down all the pretensions of spiritual pride.

~ Colin Smith, Jonah: Navigating a God-Centered Life

(recently given to me by friends, and it's pretty rich so far.)

Only Sacred Places

There are no unsacred places only sacred places and desecrated places.

~ Wendell Berry

  A thoroughly Christian sentiment, though I'd never heard of Wendell Berry before reading this quote this afternoon, and I have no reason to think he would see it as such.  May we seek to restore the sacredness to the places that have been desecrated.

Thy Kingdom come...

 

Grace in Witnessing

Non-christians will always automatically hear gospel presentations as just appeals to become moral and religious--unless in your preaching you use the good news of grace against legalism.  ~ Tim Keller (from his 'Preaching Syllabus')

We Love Him, BECAUSE...

He who loves may be sure he was loved first; and he who chooses God for his delight and portion may conclude confidently that God has chosen him to be one of those who shall enjoy Him and be happy in Him forever; because our love and electing of Him is but the return and repercussion of the beams of His love shining upon us.”

— Robert Leighton
A Practical Commentary upon the First Epistle of Peter


(via Of First Importance)

1 Peter 1:17-19 paraphrase, with thoughts on fear

If the one whom you call 'Daddy' is the impartial Judge of everyone's actions, your life in this distant place should be lived with fear and the knowledge that your freedom from all the emptiness that you inherited at birth has been bought, and know that it cost the treasured life-blood of the perfect Christ, not some fleeting fortune which would have vanished anyways.

   Generally, our culture has said that no one should ever have any reason to fear and that fear is bad. In a perfect world, yes; but in a broken world, all must know fear, and fear can actually be good. In 1 Peter 1:17-19, the believer is called to live with fear and knowledge of freedom. That sounds strange. The gospel says that there is a proper fear that remains with the Christian while they are 'in exile' in this land which is never fully home, but with that fear there is the knowledge that we have been ransomed from the futility of the temporary by the most precious of treasures. For those who call God 'Father', there will be a day when our exile is complete, when we are free from the emptiness from which we have been ransomed, and then we will no longer need to fear, for we will be like Him. For those who do not know God as Father, they ought to be terrified lest the impartial Judge speak of their works immediately. And even in this world, there are people who should rightly terrify the doers of evil.

There is more on this topic of Christian fear to consider... 2 Cor 5:11; Jude 23; Heb 12:18-29

Challenges from Psalm 115

THE IDOL 

He made a golden idol;

He gave it every organ.

Yet, no part of it is vital; 

So, it can't receive his corban.

Only if the God you serve truly sees, speaks, feels and does can you see, speak, feel or do.  If instead you serve a piece of wood or metal, the cravings of the depraved heart (fame/glory/ a name for yourself, superiority and prejudice), the cravings of a debased body (excess food or drink, illicit sex), the cravings of a deformed mind (ultimate knowledge and its power), you are serving idols that are senseless: blind, deaf, mute, and without feeling.   The idols we serve express their sense-lessness through us.  So, which of the GODS around you beckons you to bow?  

Does the American Dream of ultimate comfort, security and satisfaction blind your sight to what is real?  

Does the oft-sanctioned lie of being a superior people (maybe, 'a Christian nation' or 'a nation that fights for its and others' freedoms) cause you to despise the suffering of your fellow humans whom Christ loved, blinding you to the reality of your utter sameness before the throne of God?  Does the idol of Freedom demand your allegiance compelling you to attend it and exalt it and yourself above the humble service and obedience which ought to be pledged to the King of the Universe at all costs to self?  Has the God of Temporal Security slandered the Truth and said that you have been or should have been promised safety as you go about this 'mist'-y life?  Has the Deceiver of the Fountain of Youth told you that foolishness is wisdom or that this world's beauty is meant to be lasting?

Then, read Psalm 115 and meditate on the God who actually walks through the heavens, who can actually remember and bless and give gifts and help and shield.  Give Him glory, all peoples; fear and trust in His Name!

Visual Map of World Population

The World's Population Displayed Proportionally by Nation

(thanks to 22 words)

Good News, as reported in the Media

No, really it is good, positive news:

 The Woman who found Mr. Right at age 70 and was walked down the Aisle by her Dad!

 We are living in one of the most peaceful times in history, or maybe the MOST peaceful time in history!

Gender norms: violence and domesticity

This excellent article was posted today regarding "Violent Men, Working Women, and Evangelical Gender Norms." I have recently given significant thought to the issue of 'stay-at-home' moms. As a hot-button topic for American Christianity for so many years, this discussion seems to have lost much biblical and historic perspective.  This aforementioned article addresses some of those issues.

I would add a couple of thoughts regarding why it is not true that 'the ideal Christian wife is a stay-at-home mom.'  Until about two generations ago, both parents were stay-at-home parents, in most settings.  The world was far more rural which meant that family life centered on the home.  The father and mother were both at home raising the kids.  As my grandmother described her family growing up on a farm in Virginia, she said the boys grew up doing the outside farm work with her dad who worked full-time (and more), while she and her sisters grew up doing the domestic farm work with her mom who worked full-time (and more).  All this work happened to be at home.

However, at some point, many fathers not only began working outside the home, but they also began to abandon their responsibility to raise their children in godliness and responsibility.  Thus, the mothers often covered this neglect as best they could.  When mothers needed to leave the house as well in order to support their families, many homes went into free-fall.  Somehow Christian fathers and mothers must both give serious attention to raising godly and mature children, neither ceding the responsibility to the other (Deut 6; Tit 2; etc).  As the above article urges, we must give serious attention to being Biblical in our culture, not simply to defending tradition or culture or the perceived past.  Two generations have shown us that this will not be easy, but the Word of God and the Spirit of God will not fail to enable God's children to follow His path.

Jesus and the Imprecatory Psalms

 The 'Christo-centric' (RHM) preaching approach is absolutely the only way to preach or make sense of the (many!) imprecatory Psalms and passages in the Psalms. On the one hand, the 'imprecations' are simply cries for justice, and such a passion is surely right. So for example, despite the troubling, shocking ending to Psalm 137, the writer is appealing to simple justice. If any fair-minded observer is asked the question: 'what do the perpetrators deserve?' the answer would be 'the degree of suffering they imposed on others.' [...] If we 'tone down' the cry against injustice as something 'primitive' we cannot appreciate the cross--because there we see that the punishment for such cruelty is exactly what the Psalmist has called for. We see God's 'little one' being dashed to pieces. Yes, the punishment that human injustice and evil deserves is just as bad as the imprecation stated! But what the Psalmist could not see is that when God's Messiah came the first time, he came to bear the judgement on human evil, not mete it out. And the Psalmist could not see that he deserves to be condemned as well for his own life-record. At the Psalmist's 'stage in Redemptive-History' he was stating truth as far as he could see it. But we now have been both humbled by the cross (so we cannot cry for vengeance in the same way) and we have been given enormous hope by the cross. We see that God will do justice in the earth. He is so passionately against it that he experienced it himself so that he could some day end all evil without ending us. This keeps me from having to put myself in his place and become sucked up into the endless cycle of vengeance and retaliation.

  So the Imprecatory Psalms are taken very seriously by the cross--they point to the drastic action God took on the cross. Yet because of the cross, we do not cry for vengeance in the same way. We can seek out justice in society without any blood-lust (or indeed even ill-will).

  In short, there is no way to preach the imprecatory Psalms without pointing to Christ. A non- Christological reading of these Psalms will only lead to Christians being led into an anachronistic 'holy war' mentality.

~from Tim Keller's "Preaching Syllabus" (underlining mine)

a simple thought on loving God and each other

And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.

Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected.

(2 Jn 5-6; 1 Jn 2:4-5a - ESV)

The essence of loving one another is to walk in God's commands. The proof of our love for Him is our obedience, and the essence of our love for each other is in that same obedience.

The Religion of Consumerism

If you care to consider this, kindly read the whole thing and think about it before commenting.  The context is the question of what do we see as the Kingdom of God which we are to desire upon this earth and, particularly, how does our consumerist model match up.  The entire section in the book is worth considering.

   In particular, they don't want us to ask, "Where does all this stuff come from?" Instead, they encourage us to accept a certain magic, the myth that the garments and equipment that circulate from the mall through our homes and into the landfill simply emerged in shops as if dropped by aliens. The processes of production and transport remain hidden and invisible, like the entrances and exits for the characters at Disney World. This invisibility is not accidental; it is necessary in order for us not to see that this way of life is unsustainable and selfishly lives off of the backs of the majority of the world. What the liturgy of the mall trains us to desire as the good life and "the American way" requires such massive consumption of natural resources and cheap (exploitive) labor that there is no possible way for this way of life to be universalized. (Though the United States comprises only 5 percent of the world's population, we consume somewhere between 23 and 26 percent of the world's energy.) The liturgy of consumption births in us a desire for a way of life that is destructive of creation itself; moreover, it births in us a desire for a way of life that we can't feasibly extend to others, creating a system of privilege and exploitation.

- James K. A. Smith, Desiring the Kingdom, pg 101. (emphasis mine)

The Prince of India - Lewis Wallace

I have recently been reading (or listening to, on my Kindle) Lewis Wallace's The Prince of India: Or Why Constantinople Fell (1893).  As it is far beyond it's copyright date, I got it free sometime back.  It attracted me since it talks of both India and Constantinople, both topics of interest to me.  It has far exceeded my expectations of an old novel!

  

I rarely read classic works, particularly those that are unknown to me: they tend towards the tedious too often; and if they have not achieved recognition already, why would they now?  Still, with many hours of driving time in which to listen to it, I figured I would at least start it, and now I am thoroughly hooked.  It is masterfully told.  Some may have recognized the author as he who wrote the perennial best-seller, Ben-Hur.  To my mind, this work easily overshadows the other, thought doubtless my lack of having read that in the author's original makes my comparison unjust.

While in most classic works, the flowing and descriptive works may begin to wear on one's patience, here it enhances the subject.  The East and its ascendant warriors encounter the royalty of the Byzantines in their courts. The effect is to build a plot more slowly than the modern novel is often built, but the very weightiness of the topic, even in a novel, allows for this care in detail.  Doubtless, I am biased towards the author's weaving in numerous places that I have grown to love and expect to see again.  Still, I would gladly recommend the book to anyone who loves to have characters, cultures and history unfolded for them in graceful fiction.  

Not to minimize an ancient urging, Tolle Lege!

the Great Feast

We were made for feasting at a Great Feast!

Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat!  Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.  Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.

And [Jesus] said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”

This mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken.

And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God.

~ Rev 19:9b; Isa 55:1-2; Lk 22:15-16; Isa 25:6-8; Lk 13:29

PS I am quite aware of the hermeneutical difficulties of stringing these passages together; consider the theme, not the hermeneutics... or, just watch for another blog post. :)

The next world instead of this one?

Theologies, churches, and preaching seem more concerned with helping people feel good about being in this world with all its hedonistic tendencies than with calling individuals and nations to a true conversion to the way of Jesus of Nazareth.  There seemed to be much more concern with the Christ of Glory who could justify the glories of our United States way of life than with Jesus of Nazareth who lived and died as a scandal to all the respectable, religious, and fine people of this world!  

~ foreward, Manana by Justo Gonzalez

The Prophetic Nature of the Lord's Communion Supper

Here are a few more thoughts to accompany my last post on The Last Supper and First Communion Celebration.

And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.  (Luke 22:14-20 ESV)

I have regularly heard of the MEMORIAL aspect of the Christ-ordained ritual we have recorded above (vs. 19; also, 1 Cor 11:24, 25).  In the last couple years, I have become familiar also with the PROCLAIMING aspect of the Supper mentioned in 1 Corinthians 11:26, "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes."  But, it was not until considering this passage this weekend that I became aware of the PROPHETIC aspect of the supper.  

Notice the highlighted section from verse 16.  Jesus is saying that the Supper will one day be fulfilled in His Kingdom.  One somewhat loose translation amplifies the statement as follows, "For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God." (NLT).  This amplification seems to be in line with what the passage is saying.  

Here are some thoughts, and I would be glad of critique or comment.  I believe Jesus, the great Lamb, is saying that the meaning of the Supper is in His death for the people of God, His Bride, bought from every kindred, tongue, people, and nation.  He is going to be broken and poured out for them as a sacrifice.  They are to remember and to proclaim this sacrifice through this Supper, but they must also look forward.  There is coming a Day... a Great Day when the Lamb will have gathered all whom He bought to Himself, when every blood-washed sinner is drawn near to the face of GOD... and, on that Day, the Lamb will celebrate the Supper with all of His people.  It will be the biggest party, the greatest celebration, the most lavish banquet of all time (and maybe of eternity), as the fulfillment of the greatest event and message is fulfilled in the matchless splendor which its Author and Perfecter intended.  

Oh! THAT will be Glory!

Meditations on the Last Passover and First Communion Celebration

As I've been drawn to meditate on the final Passover which Jesus the Lamb had with those who were closest to him, these reflections from MacLaren's Exposition of St. Luke has been helpful.

[Jesus] discloses His earnest desire for that last hour of calm before He went out to face the storm, and reveals His vision of the future feast in the perfect kingdom. That desire touchingly shows His brotherhood in all our shrinking from parting with dear ones, and in our treasuring of the last sweet, sad moments of being together. That was a true human heart, 'fashioned alike' with ours, which longed and planned for one quiet hour before the end, and found some bracing for Gethsemane and Calvary in the sanctities of the Upper Room.

...

"It is sufficient to note that in [the elements] He gives what He does not taste, and that, in giving, His thoughts travel beyond all the sorrow and death to reunion and perfected festal joys. These anticipations solaced His heart in that supreme hour. 'For the joy that was set before Him' He 'endured the Cross,' and this was the crown of His joy, that all His friends should share it with Him, and sit at His table in His kingdom."

Maclaren, Alexander (2005-05-01). Expositions of Holy Scripture St. Luke (Kindle Locations 7119-7123, 7127-7130). Public Domain Books. Kindle Edition.

Purposeful discipleship

This was shared in a session last night from Mark's gospel. About purposeful discipleship...

  "And then Jesus walks up to them in the middle of their work day and says, Follow Me. He promises to make them into man-fishers. They may have had little idea of what it was to be a man-fisher, but they trust him, and he helps them to have a goal in mind. If they follow Jesus, he is going to make them into something. He is going to take their mundane lives and make something amazing out of them."

A Wife's Submission

The most thought-provoking (and probably, controversy-stirring) posts I have seen recently on marriage are those two related posts: 'Must a Wife Always Follow Her Husband's Leadership?' and 'Wives, Submission, and Foolish Husbands'.  They are both useful for their different emphases, and while the passage mentioned by Naselli may not be a teaching passage, it may well be instructive... in fact, it is definitely useful for instruction (2 Tim 3:16), the question is what sort of instruction is meant. :) ...ponder, ponder, ponder...

The origins of repentance

Hence it is evident, that never a good thought, never a penitent thought would have come into our hearts, had not some thoughts of peace and good-will come into God's heart. When he remembers his covenant of mercy for us, so as not to remember our sins against us, then we remember our sins against ourselves with shame. 

- Gospel Humiliation, Ralph Erskine (referring to Eze 16:60-61)

the Holiness of God

Until we have seen ourselves as God sees us, we are not likely to be much disturbed over conditions around us.  We have learned to live with unholiness and have come to look upon it as the natural and expected thing.  We are not disappointed that we do not find all truth in our teachers, or faithfulness in our politicians or complete honesty in our merchants, or full trustworthiness in our friends.

We are not qualified to appreciate the holiness of God.  A new channel must be cut through the desert of our minds to let the sweet waters of truth that will heal our sickness flow in. 

We know nothing like Divine holiness.  It stands apart, unique, unapproachable, incomprehensible and unattainable.   Only the Holy Spirit can impart to the human spirit the knowledge of the holy. 
...

When God rises to put down iniquity and save the world from irreparable moral collapse, He is said to be angry.  Every wrathful judgment in the history of the world has been a holy act of preservation.  The holiness of God and the preservation of the universe are inseparably linked.  God's wrath is His utter intolerance of whatever degrades and destroys.

- by GDC, my grandpa