We moved to a new town and new house in November, 2010.  The house is great, but needed some updating and improvements.  We're finding as we plow through the list of things to be done that doing one project often leads to another.  When you rip out an old, leaking corner shower stall to install a new one (or pay someone to do this, which is what we did), you'll probably find that the bathroom floor also should be replaced.  At least it's a small bathroom.  When you're having the house roofed, you might find that the sheathing underneath needs to be properly fastened down, some of the fascia board behind the gutters is rotten (largely because the gutters need to be replaced - but we pretty much knew that already), the exhaust pipe for the hot water heater is in need of repair, and the chimney chase is so poorly flashed that the sheathing around it is rotten.  These things are no big deal, but they illustrate the point that one thing leads to another.
Maybe you've found something similar as you seek to grow in grace.  You identify a project - controlling your overactive temper.  And you go to work on your self-control.  You start to identify triggers to your temper: the lousy driving of everyone on the road except you; disobedient children; the incompetence of a certain co-worker; your spouse not meeting your every expectation; etc.  You try really hard in those moments to not lose your temper.  But as you think about and pray for self-control, you begin to realize it's not just your temper.  You don't have self-control when you're at the store with credit card in hand.  The all-you-can-eat buffet is an occasion for unrestrained indulgence.  High speed internet and an empty house are too much to resist.
Then by God's grace you begin to see that you don't just have a problem with self-control.  You have a deeper problem of the heart.  The reason that you can't control your temper is that (as Tedd Tripp once said in a counseling class) your kingdom isn't coming and your will isn't being done.  In those situations you're saying that your way is better than God's.  You are more important than he is.  Your spending spree on credit is saying that God's provision for you isn't enough - you're bowing at the altar of gifts instead of the Giver.  The over-indulgence of your physical appetites shows that you worship pleasure above God.  What God has provided for you in Christ is not enough. 
A little "self-improvement" project unearths some ugly stuff.  Idolatry isn't pretty.  But it's good you found it.  When working on our house, I don't like finding new projects that need to be done, but in the long run it's better for the house and the people living in it.  When you see red flags for projects/problems in your life (like controlling your temper), it's not self-improvement that you need; it's Jesus.  Make no mistake; you have work to do in growing in grace, but if you try to do it on your own, you'll fail.  You need his grace to do the painful work of digging deeper to find the heart problem behind the presenting symptoms.  It hurts, but what a wonderful thing to find out that we have been worshiping self so that we can re-focus on our Savior, Jesus.  In him we have a perfect righteousness; in him we have forgiveness of sins; in him we have everything we need for life and godliness.  Why would we try to replace that with some lesser idol of our own making; why would we be satisfied with anything less?

So, I enjoy reading.  It wasn't always that way.  When we were kids, my brother loved to read and I loved to play.  As I saw it, his reading kept him from playing with me: a problem to which I didn't always respond well.  If you know my parents, you can check with them.  Somewhere in elementary school a reading contest got me going on reading (pretty sure it was 2nd grade with Mrs. Sowles - thanks!).
There are so many blessings that come with reading.  Some are a bit cliche, but true - you can go places and times you've never been and could never go.  You can learn tons about life, history, food, culture, hobbies, hobbits, architecture, theology, sports, relationships, wardrobes, finances, scripture, and on and on we could go.  And one other thing...a picture is worth 1000 words?  Not always.  The words of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as my dad read them to me years ago and as I have re-read them created images in my mind that were better than anything the (very fine and  enjoyable) big screen adaptation has managed.  Two plus hours of images fail to fully capture what the words of the book portray.  
These days I'm on a bit of a reading kick, so I thought I'd write about it.  I'll tell you something about my reading, but I want to hear from you.  What are you reading and give me one or two of your favorite or most influential books you've ever read.  I've been reading a small stack of commentaries on Matthew's gospel, since that's what I'm preaching through.  Besides that Planting, Watering, Growing: Planting Confessionally Reformed Churches in the 21st Century is proving helpful for this church planter.  I've just finished up Spiritual Depression by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones which helpfully applies biblical truth whether you're facing depression or not.  I'm about to begin The Trellis and the Vine regarding how we do ministry in the church.  I'm in the early stages of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy, where I've learned that one of the passions (and gifts!) of a deeply thinking man was teaching children!  On the secular side, two books about baseball.  This summer I read 3 Nights in August and am now enjoying Moneyball by Michael Lewis.  The two books offer two different approaches to the game of baseball.  I'm thinking the reality lies somewhere in between.  [DISCLAIMER: Reading these books and mentioning them here does not mean I recommend everything in them or about them.  If you want to know more about why, ask me before you pick one of them up to read.] 
Okay.  A few on the all-time list.  How People Change by Tim Lane and Paul Tripp.  If you've ever been discouraged with your growth in grace (sanctification) this book should be on your must read list.  Rightly applying the principles laid out here can be life changing.  More than Conquerors is a commentary on Revelation that opened my eyes to understand a book of the Bible that had been very confusing.  And one from my childhood: Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton.  There are so many I am leaving off this list.  But now, really.  I want to know what you're reading and some all time favorites.  Share away.

That's how long it's been since the most deadly terrorist attack on American soil.  I bet you remember where you were on the morning of September 11, 2001.  I sure do.  The radio alarm clock that woke us up that day wasn't pouring out music, but rather talk of an airplane hitting the World Trade Center in New York City.  I didn't realize they were talking about a jet and not a Cessna; a terrorist attack and not an accident.  You might wonder why we were sleeping so late, but in our defense, we lived on the west coast at the time.  As the day wore on, the magnitude of what was taking place became clear.  This was a coordinated attack, not an accident.  The toll?  On board American Airlines flight 11 that hit the north tower of the World Trade Center: 92 souls, all killed instantly.  On board United Airlines flight 175 that hit the south tower: 65 souls, all killed instantly.  On board American Airlines flight 77 that hit the Pentagon: 64 souls, all killed instantly.  On board United Airlines flight 93 that was courageously brought down in Shanksville, PA, by a band of brave passengers: 44 souls, all killed instantly.  At the World Trade Center, 2606 killed.  At the Pentagon, another 125 killed.  All told, 2996 people died that day in the terrorist attacks.  Sobering, isn't it?  It should be.  Not sure that 10 years later is any more significant than 9 years last year or 11 next, but as a nation pauses to remember, what should we think?  Here are a few thoughts on the 10th anniversary of 9/11. 

The words, 'killed instantly' jump out.  With the exception of the terrorists, not what those who died were planning on that day.  Not typically what any of us are ever planning on when we get out of bed and head off to whatever it is we do.  But it iis appointed to man to die once, and after that comes judgment.  Are you ready?

Evil men will do evil things.  The magnitude of 9/11 was shocking; the ability to carry out such an attack, disturbing; the brazenness of the attack, chilling; but the fact of such a thing should not be surprising.  Those who reject the God of the Bible as the one true and living God and embrace false gods, left to themselves, will care nothing for his creation, people made in his image, or his special people.  Some will act in accordance with the depth of their depravity.  The more amazing thing is the restraining grace of God at work in the world.

Whether seeing the disturbing image of iconic buildings in our nation collapsing or uprisings in the Middle East, I love the comfort of Psalm 2.  "Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed...He who sits in the heavens laughs."  God is not troubled by the raging of terrorists or tyrants; he laughs at it.  If our refuge is that Lord and his Anointed, we need not fear.

Give thanks for freedom and those who defend it.  I went to bed last night knowing that if my house caught on fire, within minutes there would be men I have never met putting that fire out.  I drove to church today without a thought of fear that I might be perrsecuted or arrested for worshiping publicly.  We don't even think about those things very often because we assume them.  It's not like that everywhere in the world.  Since we are to render honor to whom it is due (Romans 13:7), let's remember to honor and thank those who run into burning buildings and not away from them; those who go towards the battle instead of fleeing from it so that the battle doesn't come to us.  Thank you.  At the same time, remember that those people are instruments in the hands of God.  Our help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

The only way to live is trusting in Christ.  You know how Psalm 2 ends?  "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled.  Blessed are all who take refuge in him."   Come what may if your refuge is Christ, you will
be safe in the storm and he will bring you home to heaven whether you're killed instantly in a terrorist attack or die of old age.

So may we remember.  Remember what happened that day; remember the pain and pride we felt; remember the hurt that family and friends still feel; remember our great privilege; but most importantly remember our Creator and his Son, Jesus.

No theme today; just some miscellaneous thoughts.

Many Words.  This picture - along with the caption, "Can you do this?  (In other news, this is the effect of my preaching on my children.)"- got more feedback on Facebook than anything I have posted in a long time.  It happened while I was preaching on Proverbs 10:19, "When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent."  Not sure what the significance of that is, but the comments received ranged from the virtue of flexibility to comparisons to Eutychus (check Acts  20).  Maybe he was just being a 3 year old (with a rubber skeleton) at the end of a long day.  But that Proverb is interesting when thinking about sermons and blogs.  Lots of words there, which doesn't inherently indicate the presence of sin (the Bible has many words; God ordains the preaching of the word as the means he will bless).  But wow.  Let's be careful with what we say and write. 

Redeeming the time.  I was talking with my brother-in-law recently, and he gave me a good idea.   I don't spend too much time reading blogs, although there's a lot of good stuff out there.  His idea was bookmarking some good blogs on my phone so that when I am stuck somewhere (like waiting for a haircut), I can easily pull them up and read something with profit instead of just launching birds or matching jewels.  What blogs do I read when I take the opportunity?  Among others, I enjoy Kevin DeYoung and Tim Challies.  (Disclaimer: just because I've linked to them doesn't mean I agree with everything they write.)  So if you've got a phone that can access the internet and ever have a little down time, there's one idea.

Promises.  God keeps his.  2 Peter 1:3-4.  "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire."  That is nothing short of amazing.  For more thoughts, head over to the "Messages" page and check out the morning and evening message from September 4, 2011.  Thanks, Dad. 

If you plant seeds in good soil, stuff'll grow.  Of course there are other variables. If the ground is thorn infested, your crop might get choked out.  If the soil is too shallow, there will be no roots and the sun (instead of contributing to the plant's growth) will scorch the crop.  If a bird eats the seed before it gets into the ground, there will be no crop.  You likely recognize some of these concepts from Jesus' parable of the sower.  We need hearts of good soil, plowed up, prepared, ready to receive the seed of God's word whenever it is sown. 
It's much easier to have soil that's receptive to other kinds of seed.  Maybe you've found that it's hard to profit from hearing the word of God preached, but to soak up the latest gossip is no trouble.  It's easy to fill your heart with the mindless drivel from TV, but to sit down and study the scripture is hard.  The lies of the devil often find fertile ground in our minds with little difficulty, but we struggle to cling to the promises of God.  Why are our hearts too often good soil for the wrong kind of seed?
There's a reason farmers have a job.  If the right kind of plants just grew, they wouldn't have to cultivate the soil, pull and kill weeds, irrigate, fertilize, and so on.  But "cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field.  By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread." (Gen. 3:17-19)  Interesting; the reason farmers have to work hard to produce a crop is the same reason you have to work hard to profit from the Word - the curse of sin.  So to prepare your heart for God's truth, you'll have to do battle with the sin that remains.  That's hard work: prayer, meditation, anticipation, ripping out the weeds of anxiety and the love of money, wielding the shield of faith.  But it's worth the hard work that we can only do by God's strength.  Psalm 126:5-6 "Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!  He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him."

Just a quick thought from this morning.  We opened our windows last night and  turned off the air.  The house was actually chilly this morning!  According to  the Weather Channel this is our 10 day forecast.  If  you don't bother clicking the link.  The highs range from 77 to 82.  The lows from 57 to 64.  After some pretty oppressive heat and humidity, I am thanking  God for the cooler weather!  Which got me to thinking why wasn't I thanking God  during our week of 100 + heat indices (which is minor compared to the heat my family and friends to the south have been dealing with most of the summer).  Now
we certainly don't have to like all weather (or food or colors, etc.) equally.  It is good for us to thoroughly enjoy a low humidity 77 degree day where you're comfortable inside or outside.  I loved taking a family bike ride to prayer meeting last night and not breaking a sweat!
The question comes, however, do we thank God for the weather we don't like so much.  Does my complaining about other weather reveal a heart that is not certain that what God has for me is best?  I believe in a sovereign God.  That being so, I should be thankful for all that comes to me - good or bad (from my perspective).  Whether I understand or not, his plan is best for me and you.  But don't stop with the weather; think bigger.  Easy to thank God for health; harder to thank him for illness, pain, surgery, and suffering.  Easy to thank God for financial prosperity; more difficult to thank him for hard times.  May God give us grace to see our trials through the light of Scripture.  James 1 is especially helpful.  God uses the trials for our good, our growth and steadfastness.  So let's thank God for the cool weather.  And the hot.  What are you thankful for?   

Stop me if you've heard this or something like it before (or said it yourself).  From a person raised in the church: "I wish I had a more radical testimony like so-and-so.  I think that if I came from a more outwardly sinful background I would have a greater appreciation for the blessings we enjoy here."  There is something inherently wrong about such a sentiment.  Were Jesus strongest words of warning reserved for really outwardly wicked sinners like murderers or adulterers or for religiously raised, self-righteous folks?  The latter!  D. Martin Lloyd Jones (who got me thinking about this) says, "You can be innocent of all gross sins and yet be guilty of this terrible thing, of being satisfied with your life, of having pride in your achievements and of looking down on others and feeling that you are better than others.  There is nothing worse than that because you are saying to yourself that you are somehow nearer to God than they are, and yet the whole time you are not." (from Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure - a great resource whether you suffer from spiritual depression or not!).  Is that you or me? 
Lloyd-Jones' point and the one I am trying to make here is that if we don't comprehend the depth of our sin and are always comparing ourselves with others who are 'worse sinners,' we won't see the glory of Christ's sacrifice for sin.  Compare yourself with God's standard.  You must love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength and your neighbor as yourself.  Have you?  Sure, I've never murdered someone, but I have been full of self-righteous pride.  My sin is ugly.  It's only when we truly feel this that we will experience the joy that comes from resting in Christ.  Lloyd-Jones says, "If you have never realized your guilt or guiltiness before God you will never have joy in Christ.  It is impossible.  'Not the righteous, sinners Jesus came to save.'  'They that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick.'"
It may be counter-intuitive to think that contemplating our sin will lead to greater joy, but if we skip this part, we'll miss the true joy Christ affords all who find refuge in him.  Only then we will see the greatness of the Savior who died to forgive all of those sins.  If you are in Christ, you are forgiven and free and therein is true joy.  So make sure you see the depth of you sin, but don't stay there.  Move quickly to the cross and find the joy that comes from  deliverance through Christ our Savior!

My family just had the privilege of taking a vacation.  We had a wonderful time of relaxing, enjoying time with family that we don't see often, seeing God's creation and the creative abilities he has given to men, and and having a different schedule.  Now we are home and getting back into our regular routine.  As many folks say after a vacation (often with sadness or disgust), we're back to real life.  Or are we?  What is real life?  Many folks view the weekend and vacation as real life - the rest of the week is just working so they can enjoy those brief moments.  Others view those brief moments as times of rest and refreshment to recharge them for the real life of what God has called them to do as employees, parents, church members, and other responsibilities.  (Though often the "back to real life" comment belies a wish that real life was more like vacation and less full of responsibility; I know because I have thought this way.)
But maybe both of those views fall short of how God wants us to view life.  He built right into creation a pattern of work and rest.  Both the weekend and the work week are the real life God has designed for us.  So at this moment whether you've been in your cubicle for 10 hours today or changing dirty diapers and planning the menu for the week or lying on a beach and eating out,
this is real life.  You're living it.  1 Corinthians 10:31 reminds us, "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."  And Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."  So work hard to God's glory!  Enjoy your vacation for his praise!
And above all, remember that this world is not our home; we're just passing through.  As we walk through this life, we have our eyes fixed on the goal which is eternal life in the presence of God.  That is real life, and that is why Jesus came.  John 10:9-10, "I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved [eternal life] and will go in and out and find pasture [this present life]...I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."  Are you living the real life?  It's found in Christ now and for eternity.

 

My stomach turns when churches get involved in politics beyond praying for leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-2), submitting to the laws and lawmakers of the land (Romans 13:1-7), and dealing with moral issues that may also come up in political discussions.  I also do not appreciate the notion that the United States of America has a corner on the gospel.  The gospel of Christ knows no national exclusivity.  So please don't misunderstand what I am about to say.

God sovereignly places each of us in particular places at particular times.  In those places, God calls us to be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16).  We are also to pursue the well-being of those places with the goal of the good of God's kingdom.  When God did deal primarily with one nation, we find in Psalm 122:6,9 "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem...for the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good."  When God's people were in exile in Babylon, Jeremiah wrote to the exiles and said in Jeremiah 29:7 "But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare."  And under the new covenant when the gospel is going to all nations, the prayers for "kings and all who are in high positions" are so that "we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.  This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior." (1 Tim. 2:1-3)

As it is fitting to have a day to honor others whom God calls to particular tasks (like mothers or fathers), I'm thankful for Memorial Day to remember those in our military who have served and are serving our country.  They help provide for us a place of freedom and peace where we can lead quiet, godly, dignified lives, worshiping our God and seeking his honor.  They have been placed in their position by God and do not bear the sword in vain (Romans 13:1, 3-4; 1 Peter 2:13-17).  So I am thankful for the service both of my grandfathers gave.  I am thankful to my brother-in-law who bravely served our country, to 2 other brothers-in-law currently serving, and to the many others.  I know I am a day late, but as a citizen of this country, I am thankful to God for the freedom and peace to worship God and for those who defend that freedom.

Here are three questions that I have been thinking on.

1. Are you ready?  Of course this question comes to mind because of the many deceived people who believed that they were going to be raptured out of this world last Saturday.  But should it take a false prophecy to get us to ponder whether we are ready to meet our Maker?  The whole point of Jesus telling us that we can't know the day or the hour (Matthew 24:36) is so that we will be ready.  Matthew 24:44 "Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."  The way to be ready is through faith in the one who spoke those words.

2.  What are you attached to?  (I know; I ended the sentence with a preposition.  I thought it sounded better than "to what are you attached?")  My youngest son has been carrying around 2 things the past few days - a baseball glove and a Bible.  The removal of those items from his grip results in a crying meltdown.  (I know; we're working on it.)  He's attached.  Us?  Our responses might be more socially acceptable than Zach's when we can't have our favorite thing, but those responses show much about our hearts.  Anything that you cannot live without has become too important to you; in other words it is an idol.  If you can fill in the following blank with something other than God (a family member, air conditioning, approval of others, double chocolate brownies, etc.), pray with me for grace to tear that idol from God's throne and worship only him.  If _____________ was taken away from me, I couldn't be happy.

3.  Who knows you best?  My wife knows me so well that she often knows what I am going to say before I say it.  But she's not the one that knows me best.  The one who made me knows me (and you) like no other.  And as his children, he has our best interest at heart like no one else.  That means that everything he brings to us is exactly what we need.  Whether good or bad, joyful or sad, God gives it for our good.  He's helping us shed our idols and be ready to meet him one day.