The Cost of Reformation

I'm reading a book written centuries ago from a English pastor to fellow pastors, encouraging and exhorting them to undertake their calling as overseers in the Body of Christ with rigor and dedication.  Two of his strongest exhortations (of which I am in agreement with) are sorely lacking in the model the modern-day church fellowships model:  "catechizing" by the pastor (personal instruction of the congregation) and biblical church discipline.  Though much as changed since 1656, it is amazing how people and their great need for Jesus have remained the same!  Following are paragraphs containing some of Baxter's observations and comments upon reformation.  These words were no doubt as true in his day as ours.

"How long have we talked of reformation, how much have we said and done for it in general, and how deeply and devoutly have we vowed if for our own parts; and, after all this, how shamefully have we neglected it, and neglect it to this day!  We carry ourselves as if we had not known or considered what that reformation was which we vowed.  As carnal men will take on them to be Christians, and profess with confidence that they believe in Christ, and accept of his salvation, and may contend for Christ, and fight for him, and yet, for all this, will have none of him, but perish for refusing him, who little dreamed that ever they had been refusers of him; and all because they understood not what his salvation is, and how it is carried on, but dream of a salvation without flesh-displeasing, and without self-denial and renouncing the world, and parting with their sins, and without any holiness, or any great pains and labour of their own in subserviency to Christ and the Spirit:  even so did too many ministers and private men talk and write, and pray, and fight, and long for reformation; and that they who were praying for it, and fasting for it, and wading through blood for it, would never accept it, but would themselves be the rejectors and destroyers of it.  And yet so it is, and so it hath too plainly proved:  and whence is all this strange deceit of heart, that good men should no better know themselves?  Why, the case is plain; they thought of a reformation to be given by God, but not of a reformation to be wrought on and by themselves.  They considered the blessing, but never thought of the means of accomplishing it.  But as if they had expected that all things besides themselves should be mended without them, or that the Holy Ghost should again descend miraculously, or every sermon should convert its thousands, or that some angel from heaven or some Elias should be sent to restore all things, or that the law of the parliament, and the sword of the magistrate, would have converted or constrained all, and have done the deed; and little did they think of a reformation that must be wrought by their own diligence and unwearied labours, by earnest preaching and catechizing, and personal instructions, and taking heed to all the flock, whatever pains or reproaches it should cost them.  They thought not that a thorough reformation would multiply their own work; but we had all of us too carnal thoughts, that when we had ungodly men at our mercy, all would be done, and conquering them was converting them, or such a means as would have frightened them to heaven.  But the business is far otherwise, and had we then known how a reformation must be attained, perhaps some would have been colder in the prosecution of it.  And yet I know that even foreseen labours seem small matters at a distance, while we do but hear and talk of them; but when we come nearer them, and must lay our hands to the work, and put on our armour, and charge through the thickest of opposing difficulties, then is the sincerity and the strength of men's hearts brought to trial, and it will appear how they purposed and promised before.

Reformation is to many of us, as the Messiah was to the Jews.  Before he came, they looked and longed for him, and boasted of him, and rejoiced in hope of him; but when he came they could not abide him, but hated him, and would not believe that he was indeed the person, and therefore persecuted and put him to death, to the curse and confusion of the main body of their nation. 'The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in.  But who may abide the day of his coming?  and who shall stand when he appeareth?  For he is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap:  and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver:  and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.'  And the reason was, because it was another manner of Christ that the Jews expected; it was one who would bring them riches and liberty, and to this day they profess that they will never believe in any but such.  So it is with too many about reformation.  They hoped for a reformation, that would bring them more wealth and honour with the people, and power to force men to do what they would have them:  and now they see a reformation, that must put them to more condescension and pains than they were ever at before.  They thought of having the opposers!"
- Richard Baxter, quoted from "The Reformed Pastor," pg. 189-191, first published in 1656

Our views of reformation or revival are often generally outward:  we wish to see revival in our churches, revival in our cities, the power of God sweeping over nations and the entire world.  But what we often miss is that revival must take place in our own hearts or not at all.  Baxter quotes a portion of Malachi 3:1-3 to illustrate the point, and it is revealing.  This cleansing and purifying of reformation is not for the wicked of the world as much for the priesthood.  God wants to save sinners and make them holy through His Son.  But "reformation" deals with a constant refinement, the sanctification of those already being saved.  If God has made us kings and priests unto Him, it follows that it are His disciples whom He desires be purified and holy before Him.  If the church is pure, it will lend itself to making pure followers of Christ.  Where the Body is polluted and diseased, it will only spread death and destruction instead of the life Christ desires.  Like the Pharisees, many misguided men have made proselytes twice the sons of hell as themselves.

Christ wants to purify me.  He wants me to be revived and reformed.  Many pastors have laboured and prayed for revival without effect because they neglected the fact they must be revived first!  It is a personal work by the Holy Spirit.  He will do His part because that is His will for my life.  The question remains:  am I willing to pay the price reformation demands?  Am I willing to lead even if no one follow?  In a way, reformation is all about me.  Yet I cannot reform myself.  I must yield to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, placing my faith in Him.  Following Jesus will cost a man his life.  Is it worth it?  Yes.  Do I want it?  That remains a question for each one of us.  Am I willing?  Our lives will display our answer.

"Why" Questions

I have heard people say there are questions we ask of God which reveal a lack of faith.  Only God knows.  I have been asking a lot of questions lately.  The more we struggle or suffer, the more cause we have to ask God about how all this works together in His plan.  When difficulties persist, the only way to persevere is to rest upon the truth and strength of God.  Those who live according to their own understanding are like King Saul, whom when the battle pressed against him he chose to fall upon his own sword and end his life.  Any question humbly asked of God will not cause our rejection by Him.  There is no question off-limits for the contrite seeker, for God has made all things.  He is aware of our deep longings, fear, confusion, anger, or uncertainty.  It would be better for us to confess everything we know is wrong with us than to quietly ignore our sins and weakness.

Is it a question spawned by lack of faith when we ask God, "Why is this happening?"  If a person had no faith or belief in God, I doubt they would seek Him for advice!  Did David the king of Israel have faith in God?  Yes.  Even when he struggled with all manner of trials, his faith in God never wavered.  Did he have questions?  Absolutely.  Did he question the direction God was taking his life.  Yes.  Listen to his words in Psalm 13:1-32:  "How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? [2] How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?"  I have heard people say, and perhaps in my life I also have said that asking "why" God has done or allowed something reveals a lack of faith.  Perhaps I had not yet suffered enough!  Let us consider Psalm 10:1:  "Why do You stand afar off, O Lord? Why do You hide in times of trouble?  How about Psalm 22:1?  "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning?"  Who can forget the words of Jesus on the cross?  Jesus asked God the Father "Why have you forsaken me?"  Certainly this does not reveal a lack of faith, for Christ had all faith.

Let us put away all pretenses and arrogant piety, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ.  Let us not shy away from who we REALLY are.  It is a sad reality that experience in church attending and "Christian" manners are often substituted for true spiritual maturity.  There is a pious dishonesty among people who know what is frowned upon in church circles.  I once went to a church men's BBQ where someone (probably a friend who was invited) brought a six-pack of beer.  The soda went fast, but among twenty or so men no one, not even the man who brought the beer, drank one.  Are we so naive to believe among those men there was not one who drinks beer occasionally or even more than occasionally?  If you bring a drink to a gathering, I don't see why you wouldn't drink it yourself!  But we pull this same nonsense with God when there is cursing and anger in our hearts and we don't confess this before God.  People might buy our act, but God doesn't.  Yet He is gracious and merciful, knowing our feeble and often deluded frame, and continues to teach us with His masterful, unsearchably wise ways.  The Pharisees were no different than any other men, yet their sin was greater before God than the harlots and swindlers because they proclaimed their own righteousness and condemned others.

Sometimes we do things we know are sinful and ought not do, and sometimes we think and feel contrary to the example provided by Christ.  Instead of confessing these sins, we try to repress them.  We do our best according to the flesh to quash the source of these fleshly tendencies and thus doom ourselves to futility.  The only way to overcome the sins of the flesh is to be purified by the Holy Spirit's indwelling presence and power.  The sooner we admit and confess how we really are, the sooner we are willing to ask the questions which seem almost irreverent, the sooner we will see ourselves in God's truth.  "I know I'm not supposed to fear or doubt, so I'll just ignore those bad thoughts."  Too late!  We condemn ourselves by our hypocrisy.  Even if our questions reveal a lack of faith, are we too ashamed to ask them because we want to keep up appearances of having all faith before God?  Doesn't He know our faith is weak?  Doesn't He know we are complete failures in ourselves?  Yes.  It is only when we admit our lack God will supply our need.  Ask Him and rejoice in His answers!

Infinity Personified

"He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. [5] Great is our Lord, and mighty in power His understanding is infinite."

Psalm 147:4-5

 
I've been thinking about the magnificence of our God, the Creator of all things.  God has made amazing things on earth, but His glory and grandeur displayed in the heavens is beyond words.  A song comes to mind:  "My God is so big, so strong, and so mighty.  There's nothing my God cannot do."  The earth is a pretty big place compared to us.  Flying about 7,300 miles from Sydney, Australia to Los Angeles, California takes about 12 hours.  The airbus I have flown averages around 600 miles per hour.  But how does that speed compare to the speed of light?  The speed of light (a constant) is 186,000 miles per SECOND, or about 700 million miles per hour.  Because our galaxy and space is such a gargantuan place (much too small a word!) a mile is so insignificant we would have to use hundreds of zeros!  A "light year" is the distance light travels in a calendar year at 186,000 miles per second, a total of just under 10 trillion kilometers.  In fact, the largest measurement used is a "Gly," or gigalight year, which equals one billion light years!  A Gly is not even a measurement God would use, because He is infinite!

Our galaxy is one of billions of galaxies in the universe, and is estimated to be about 100,000 light years wide.  Scientists estimate there are two to four hundred billion stars in our galaxy alone in a universe of billions of seen galaxies.  The deeper we see into space, only greater is the expanse.  Below is a picture taken by the Hubble telescope.  Take the size of the moon while looking at it from the earth and separate it into thirty tiny parts.  This is the view beyond that 1/30th of the moon's relative size as seen from earth - and look at the galaxies!  If you want to see more, go to the Hubble website from which this shot was downloaded.

Stretching out farther than the eye can see in every direction, God's creation glimmers and shines.  The Milky Way galaxy in which earth resides is not the biggest either - the Abell 2029 galaxy is 6 million light years across with 100 trillion stars!  A seven-foot human is considered a giant:  how about the God who fashioned the universe?  Words cannot adequately describe our God.  We are limited in our feeble longings to praise the one from whom all blessings flow.  May we with the angels shout, "Glory to God in the Highest!  Psalm 19:1-3 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. [2] Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. [3] There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard."  Like David we can echo Psalm 8:3-4, "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, [4] what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?"

Our God is infinite, absolutely limitless.  He is wisdom, power, glory, strength, love, and righteousness without degree.  There are many gods people serve, but only one worthy of worship:  the Almighty God, Creator, Maker, Sustainer, and Savior of the World, Jesus Christ.  Without Him was nothing made that is made.  He is our All in All, and may we never forget how blessed we are to have Him as LORD.

Let Our Light Shine

During a conversation today a co-worker of mine remarked, "It seems like the world is running away from what it really needs."  I told him that statement is more true than we can know.  The world is on a rampage of rebellion against God.  Christians are not called to be highbrow "goody goodies" who stand in judgment of the world.  Whoever is of the world has Satan as father, ruler, and master.  Those who have been born again through faith in Jesus Christ are now alive to God.  One thing that will mark a true believer in Christ is that we no longer walk according to the model of Satan's self-seeking rule.  Ephesians 2:1-3 says, "And you He (Christ) made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, [2] in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, [3] among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others."

I saw a Verizon commercial about their new phones accompanied with their new catchphrase:  "Rule the Air."  It is an ironic phrase, seeing that Satan is called the "prince of the power of the air."  I am not suggesting that Verizon is satanic or cell phones are the devil's playground in themselves - though an argument could be made that they can become an idol.  With the internet connection, camera, video, texting, movies, live TV, games, calendar, contact lists, e-mail, tweeting, and countless applications, there are many things to distract us from seeking God and heeding His voice.  The commercial focuses on the consumer, the Verizon customer who has the ultimate power of telecommunications, not to mention the coveted internet hot spot!  It's funny that we can be duped to think that we are the center of the universe!  The world trains us to focus on us, our abilities, resources, power, and status.  Satan wants us to focus on ourselves so our view of God becomes fuzzy, dim, or even lost.  He has the entire world system under his sway as it says in 1 John 5:19:  "We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one."

Christians are in the world but are not of the world, even as Christ was in the world but not of it.  This does not mean that we cannot use the technology of the world.  It means that whatever we do, we must do for the glory of God because He is our Master and King.  It is not a cell phone that is evil:  it draws to the surface the evil rebellion within a teen who texts and chats in secret after his parents tell him to stop.  The camera feature is not evil, but it reveals the wickedness in the hearts of those who take lewd photos of unsuspecting women in changing rooms.  Satan is all about promoting self.  "Do what you will.  No one is being hurt, and there's nothing wrong with a little fun."  Recognize justification of disobedience as Satan's voice!  We are our biggest hindrance to a loving, eternally long relationship with Jesus Christ.  We must be born again and be purged from our sins filled with the Holy Spirit.  God must open our eyes so we might see.

Instead of mounting frustration over the blindness of the lost and their perversions, let us remember that we were once under the same sway.  Let us consider ourselves that we walk above reproach, honoring God with what we do and say.  Cultivate compassion by the grace of Jesus Christ so we may become a beacon of the Light of the World that people may live.  A lighthouse does not have wheels to chase ships at random.  It is planted firmly in the same shore that it may provide light and guidance for the lost or direction for those seeking safe passage.  Many Christians are like mobile lighthouses that shine their lights into the equivalent of the eyes of insensible drunks passed out from trying to satisfy the lusts of the flesh.  In doing so we are like a man who screams into a tornado, "Shut up!"  What will it profit?  The tornado will not yield, my voice will be drowned out, and I will likely be swept off my feet!  But if we are like Christ - stable, personable, accessible, loving, gentle, compassionate, gracious, and merciful - and carefully build upon the solid foundation of Christ, God will bring searching people naturally to our shores so we might direct them to safe harbor in the everlasting arms of Jesus.  The storm may rage but our light can still shine.

No matter how far people may drift, no matter how fast or far the world may run from God, God remains near.  Praise God that if we desire Him He will be found by us.  If any in the world come to Christ, He will receive them for He has said in John 6:37, "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out."  Instead of living after the world's model, let us follow Jesus.  It is He who holds the keys of Hell and Death, and only Jesus has the Words of life.

All of You

Sometimes I hear "Christianese" which causes me to wonder if we comprehend the doctrines of scripture.  A song commonly sung in evangelical circles repeats, "I want more, I want more of you Jesus" and people often pray, "Lord, we need more of you in our lives."  A foundational truth of Christianity is that Jesus Christ has become a sacrifice for sin and has risen from the dead so we might be born again through the Holy Spirit's power.  When we confess our sins, repent, and trust in Jesus as Savior and LORD, He sends the Holy Spirit without measure who regenerates us and dwells within us.  Technically therefore, we have the same Spirit who dwelt in Jesus Christ to the full.  We cannot have more of Him because He has given all to us.  John 3:34 says, "For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure."  We see that we have all of Christ as the song goes, "All of you is more than enough for all of me..."

That being said, there is a measure of truth to the cliche statement about needing more of Christ in our lives.  The fact remains that we can limit the work of God in our hearts through disobedience, refusal to yield to the leading of Christ, and obstinately seeking after our own will.  This spiritual principle is outlined in Luke 6:38:  "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."  If we do not give our all to God, we will not be able to operate in the fullness of the Holy Spirit's power because we hinder our own progress.  If we carefully measure out our service or giving unto the LORD, His blessings and empowerment will be rationed back to us.  Though God has given His all, unless we give all back to Him our spiritual maturity and growth will remain stunted, anemic, and nominal at best.  Often the Luke 6:38 verse is applied in the way of financial giving but it is not limited to monetary blessings.  Isn't the Holy Spirit Living Water who flows through us as an everlasting fountain?  Why choose a cistern when a fountain is available?

I am convinced the Christian who complains that God doesn't speak isn't listening as he ought.  It is never a problem with God's voice but with our ears and the hardness of our hearts.  God is never to be blamed when we do not live a life of victory, or do not walk in the Spirit, abide in the Vine, and remain well-founded upon the Rock who is Christ.  The dock is not to be blamed when the rope tethering the ship slips free and allows the ship to drift.  The dock remains intact, stable, and immovable though the tides flow in and out.  It is the negligence of the crew who did not properly secure the ship that would cause it to drift away.  When we drift from God, and seeing our need for God's further intrusion into our daily lives cry, "I need more of you, God!" we know for certain He has not been slack in our care:  we have been lax in seeking Him; we have drifted because of our negligence; we have lost the wonder through familiarity; we have stopped regarding Him as LORD and only imagined Him as a casual acquaintance.  Our reading of the Bible becomes stale, our times of prayer lacks passion, vision, and closeness, and our life has been caught up in cares rather than the Creator.

Do you recognize your need for more of God in your life?  This only means we need to give more of ourselves to Him.  Yesterday's manna will not sustain you today, nor will yesterday's victories aid us in the battles we face today.  We need Jesus, and we have the Holy Spirit without measure.  Let us freely give all of us that we might receive and walk in all of Him.

Not for Profit

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is unlike anything that world has ever seen.  When the Gospel was presented by Jesus, it was not accompanied by an advertising campaign.  Unlike many other pagan religions of the time, it was not sexually driven or marked by drug use.  It was not forwarded by political influence, nor advanced through military prowess by Christ's disciples.  The Gospel did not hold promises for financial gain, nor boasted promises of fame, acceptance, and power.  It was quite the opposite:  Jesus said that all who repented and trusted in Him would be forgiven of their sins and inherit eternal life - with the understanding they were choosing a life of humility, servitude, rejection, being hated, misunderstood, persecuted, tortured, imprisoned, and even murdered.  The world must marvel that Jesus had any followers at all.  But those who have left all to follow Christ understand that a relationship with Him is the most real thing they have ever experienced in this life and know we will be perfected in the life to come.  A true follower of Jesus can't imagine not following Him.  When we become one with Christ, to separate ourselves from Him is unthinkable.

What drives business, politics, science, medicine, prostitution, fashion, professional sports, music, entertainment, technology, and every other industry imaginable?  Money!  It was never intended by God that the Gospel become industrialized and institutionalized as well.  The Gospel must never be a vehicle for financial profit.  There is a difference between earning a living and making a profit.  It is right that pastors, preachers, and other staff members at churches are paid for their time so they can be dedicated to laboring in the Word, prayer, and doctrine.  But it would never do for preachers to become rich by preaching for this is not according to the model of Christ.  This sends the wrong message to the world when pastors live in million-dollar mansions, have private jets, drive Rolls-Royces, buy a single toilet for $23,000 and claim tax-exempt status.

Jesus never told His disciples they could not have nice things, even expensive things.  But one thing Jesus never did - though all things are made by Him and for Him in heaven and earth - was make a vulgar display of His wealth.  He could have used riches to "further" the Gospel, but He didn't.  Riches appeal to the flesh.  Our flesh must be crucified with Christ so we can spiritually live with Him.  Jesus says in Matthew 6:19-21, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; [20] but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. [21] For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  If the great desire of our heart is to build an empire of this world, to leave an earthly legacy, than our hearts are not under the authority of Christ.

The fact remains we Christians are called to deny ourselves, take up our crosses daily, and follow Jesus.  I must care for God and others more than myself.  To go even further, in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus says I ought to take no thought for my life because He is able to provide for all that I need.  Instead of trusting a portfolio or retirement investments which can evaporate in an instant, He wants me to trust Him.  This does not mean that I can be a poor steward of my resources, to the contrary:  I ought to be a good steward of all that I have that it might bring glory to His name.  I should be careful that my lifestyle not make a bad reflection upon my Savior.  Pastors with great wealth who flaunt it have the potential to stumble people both inside and out of the church.  That is why we must be Holy-Spirit led in our personal lifestyles.  The other day I found a watch I really liked and even received a great discount.  But after thinking it over I did not have a peace about buying that watch because people might get the wrong impression about me.  Is it o.k. for a Christian to have a luxury watch?  Of course!  But I'm sure God told me that though I wanted that watch, He didn't want me to have it.  In that position we are left with a choice:  honor God with obedience and deny ourselves, or push ahead with what we want, risk offending people, and be disciplined by God for my disobedience.  Why drive a wedge between someone and Christ because of a watch I wear on my wrist?  It's too great a risk to take.

It is good to examine our lifestyles and see if we fully honor God.  We know that drinking alcohol can be a stumbling block, and money poses even a greater threat.  Jesus says in Luke 16:13, "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."  The word "mammon" means "wealth."  It is interesting that God and wealth can be opposed to one another.  We ought to serve God with our wealth, for it is all from Him and for His glory.  Money, wealth, and things ought never be our master.  Funny how we think we are in control when it can be money which masters us!  Instead of being caught up in thinking of dollars and cents, it only makes sense to seek Christ in our financial decisions.  When we deny ourselves we fulfill our calling as Christ's followers.  We will not be without a reward!

Systems and Significance

On every jobsite I work, many systems comprise every project.  The electricians run wires and connect circuits; iron workers build the steel structure, pipe fitters weld steam, chilled water, and heating pipes; plumbers connect condensate drains and domestic hot and cold water; roofers install flashing, insulation, and drainage; sheet metals workers hang air-conditioning ducts.  On and on it goes, from the architects to geologists, structural engineers to the inspectors, beyond the range and scope any one person can fully grasp.  I insulate mechanical equipment and very few people in the entire construction industry outside our profession have any concept of how to perform the work.  Yet for all this complexity, manpower, training, and experience, a state-of-the art building which costs a billion dollars and takes years to complete is NOTHING compared to the complexity of the systems which make up a living human body.

Take a chiller system, for instance.  A chiller cools water which flows through pumps which force the water through the supply pipe and circulates the water back to the chiller through the return line.  Branch lines take the water to fan coils through which the water continually circulates and cools the air.  This cool air is blown through ducts which supplies conditioned air balanced to a particular space.  I am oversimplifying this, of course, but the fact remains that this system of cooling water to cool air is beyond crude when compared to the circulatory system which enables blood to be pumped through the body.  Ducts are not alive, nor are chillers able to support themselves with energy and nutrients.  The circulatory system operates at a microscopic level, delivering oxygenated blood to every cell and remove carbon dioxide in addition to amino acids, nutrients, and many other necessities to support life.  Did you know that the heart of a human being beats and the flow of blood begins four to five weeks after conception?  Unthinkable!

No system is without a design.  No design can occur without thought, intelligence, planning, and purpose.  We see these incredibly complex designs at work in the human body, animals, and the ecosystems in nature.  Laws do not randomly occur:  they are designed and enacted.  When I see an air conditioning duct I realize it the product of engineering by men because air conditioning is desired.  The metal serves the purpose of a conduit to move the air from one place to another with the size of pipe pre-determined by an engineer.  I insulate the duct to keep it cool or warm as it moves from one place to another.  Only a fool would suggest that the fan coil just happened to create itself or the air became cool through random chance.  Yet even after people live in a body for years and appreciate the ability to see, feel, smell, speak, hear, think, touch, and laugh, they have the audacity to suggest that the systems of their body must have just occurred over time.  In doing so they deny their Creator of praise and reject the purpose for which they were created:  to glorify God with their lives.

Paul noticed this tendency to deny God even in his day:  Romans 1:18-21 says, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, [19] because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. [20] For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, [21] because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened."  Man can make an artificial hip or heart but they cannot compare to the original.  They will always be artificial, without the longevity or perfection of the original.  God created the standard.  Man is amazed by the clarity of High Definition television, but the only reason people can tell the difference is because God created an eye which can discern even the smallest improvements in clarity.  The eye God created remains the standard.  No lens created by man in the last thousand years is as good as the lens God made back in 4000BC to this day!

Because we and all things have been created by God for God, we exist for His pleasure and His glory.  Since our finite minds cannot comprehend the awesome infinity of love, power, glory, and might that is God, He has revealed Himself in the creation of systems found human bodies, animals, plants, and nature.  No system of government spontaneously becomes ordered by an explosion, and no system of earth became functional through the combustion of gas and abundance of energy.  God has a purpose for us, and we find our purpose in Him!

Access Untold

A discussion with a friend today reminded me of a truth in a way I've never before considered.  Recently having been married to an officer in the Navy, he showed me his identification which allows him access to military bases, medical care, the commissary, and other areas restricted to military personnel.  He told me about what it's like to drive through the gate with the decal of an officer on the windshield.  "The guards really snap to attention," he said.  I had seen this before when I golf with my father-in-law, who retired from naval service as a chief warrant officer.  Like my friend, I was afforded privileges and access because of my affiliation with a man who earned those benefits through years of service.  The treatment of the driver of my father-in-law's vehicle and my truck without a decal is very different!

As great as it is to receive benefits on earth due to birth or marital status, how much greater are the blessings we receive when we join with Christ in faith.  When we repent and trust in Jesus as Savior and LORD, we are given something far more valuable than a military identification card, a sticker on the windshield, a salute, respect, or access to a golf course:  we obtain a glorious entrance into eternal rest where we will rule and reign with Jesus Christ.  My granddad on my dad's side died several years ago and was laid to rest in the military cemetery in Pt. Loma.  A Pearl Harbor survivor and salty sailor to the end, the playing of taps was accompanied with a three volley salute over his casket.  It was a very moving, sober, and filled with respect.  Yet as honorable as the military treated my granddad in death, I assure you a far greater blessing is an eternity of life in God's presence!  The honor afforded my granddad is hardly worth mentioning over the glory he was ushered into by God's grace in the heavenlies.

It is good to consider who Jesus is and what He has granted us by His mercy, grace, love, and faithfulness.  How we can easily say, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace."  What a wonder it is that we can be partakers of Christ's heavenly glory though we are undeserving of any favor or benefit.  While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Another beautiful aspect is we need not wait for heaven to enter into His holy presence, for He has granted the Holy Spirit to all who are born again through faith.  We have access into His throne room of grace and He intercedes on our behalf continually before the Father.  What a Savior!  What a KING!  Have you considered His goodness today?  Access to heaven and God!  What can compare with that?

Praise God for His faithfulness!

I have been working at Farwest Insulation for almost 10 months while waiting for a door to open for ministry in Australia on a full-time basis with my family.  In addition to saving money for moving expenses, working in the construction field has given me opportunities to share my faith with others.  I am very excited to report that one of my co-workers I have shared with prayed with my brother to receive Christ last week!  It is nothing that I have done, but God has answered the prayers of His people to save the lost.  Since I have started working at this shop our superintendent has made a decision for Christ and the LORD has begun a great work in him and his family.

God is amazing, doing more than we can imagine at all times.  He has redeemed and made fruitful the sowing of seed for His glory here when I would have chosen to be elsewhere.  This again proves the wisdom and providential hand of God.  God's care for the salvation of souls on every continent is great, and He allows us by His grace to make a difference wherever we are.  You need not travel a mile before you pass great needs in your own family and neighborhood.  Wherever you are and whatever you do, do all for the glory of God.  God's desire is that all would be saved.  May our lives be a force for God as His plan for our lives unfolds.  Instead of longing for the future to come, a loose quotation from "Kung Fu Panda" is appropriate to set our perspective right:  "Today is a gift from God - that is why it is called the present."  May every day be lived to the full for God's honor, glory, and praise for He is worthy.

Hung on Nothing

"There is no wisdom or understanding or counsel against the Lord."

Proverbs 21:30

The Bible says "He who glories, let Him glory in the LORD" (1 Cor. 1:31).  It is no fault for a man to boast in the Living God.  We are shamed when we do not do so.  For a moment, consider the inestimable wisdom and knowledge of God.  Job says in Job 26:7, "He stretches out the north over empty space; He hangs the earth on nothing."  How God suspends the earth in the vacuum of space with a unique atmosphere which supports humans, animals, plant life, gasses, minerals, and elements all working together...it is too much for the mind to take in.  A man comes home from work and hangs his jacket on a hook - a jacket he could likely not sew together even if all the fabric was already woven for him and he had a month to practice!  A metal hook is employed which he could not cast, shape, or beat into a useful form even if all the tools were provided.  The jacket hangs because of gravity, a means devised by God to illustrate His perfection and unchanging glory in natural law.  Gravity itself screams, "Fall down before your Creator, mortal man!"

Man, though finite in wisdom, is seemingly infinite in foolishness.  He explains away the glory of God in nature and the testimony of our conscience through "natural process."  The worldwide secular erosion of belief in God, much less the Biblical view of Him, is more pronounced every day.  There is no "nature" without God and no absolute law; there is nothing solid, stable, or constant without Him.  Men wish to be their own god, yet they cannot hang their store-bought coats on nothing.  They may implement countless atheistic, hedonistic, and worldly philosophies of men and women in schools and universities.  People may rage against God with marches, editorials, speeches, and rallies.  But no matter how the world may rebel against God, He remains the same.  He wisdom is infinite, and His ways and thoughts past finding out.

God is real and His Word is true.  Even if  every copy of the Bible was burned it will not change the unalterable truth which it contains.  Rage against God if you dare, o man - but know you only add to your guilt.  Is not His wisdom beyond human understanding?  He gives man a choice:  salvation or damnation, faith or denial, submission or rebellion.  Man is allowed to take the path he chooses.  I have heard it said the road to hell is paved with good intentions, but it would be better said that it is paved with wicked intentions which seem good to a man.  Proverbs 14:12 says, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death."  Man cannot travel to the moon unassisted, nor can he dive to the bottom of the ocean - so what would possess him to think he can get to heaven on his own merit?  May we come to our senses!  There is no wisdom, understanding, or counsel against the LORD.  Repent and follow Jesus Christ, for He speaks the words of life.  His love, mercy, and goodness are from everlasting to everlasting.  The One who hung the earth on nothing can also walk on water.  Let's follow Him!

Where's my truck?

I've been working late the last couple nights.  Laura walked into the den this morning and said, "Where's your truck?"  I'm thinking it should be right where I left it.  It did not take me long to realize that my truck was indeed NOT where I left it.  Instead of my truck there were trash cans waiting to be picked up.  I called the police and reported my truck stolen.  While I was contacting the police department, I asked Laura to drive around our neighborhood to see if she could find it.  I just filled up with a full tank of gas and the odds were against us finding it.

With God, there are no such thing as odds.  Within five minutes Laura was calling me to say she had found the truck three blocks away.  The tool box looked intact (my chief concern!) and it looked like the interior had been rifled through.  After a policeman arrived to file a report and looked things over, nothing appears to have been stolen.  The thieves jammed something in the ignition but the doors look fine.  Amazingly, within three hours of reporting the truck stolen, it had been towed to a mechanic for repairs.  God willing I shall have my wheels and tools back for work tomorrow!  The policeman said I was very lucky, but I give God the credit.  He does things not for our convenience, but that He might receive the glory.

I suppose what I draw from this experience is God remains in control whether thieves break in and steal or if we dwell in relative safety.  Would God be a bad God if my truck had been cut stripped of parts, every tool stolen, and found two months from now in Mexico?  No.  God would still be the great, awesome, all-powerful, gracious, and loving God He has always been.  Though I don't know why, God has chosen to knit this experience in the fabric of my life on earth.  It's an opportunity to be tested and for God to prove Himself faithful again.  We can lose everything of monetary value on this earth but God still remains.  His love fails not, and His mercies are new every morning.  "Though He slay me, yet I will trust in Him."

Questions

"For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake. [6] For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. [7] But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. [8] We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; [9] persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed-- [10] always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. [11] For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh."
2 Cor. 4:5-11

I planned on writing on this yesterday but I pulled a double shift (6am-2pm and 4pm-12am).  Hope it's right on time!  I suppose there are several parts of the passage which I've been mulling over.  Though we would likely never admit we think the Christian walk of faith in Christ will be easy, we sometimes wish it to was easier!  We read of men and women of faith in scripture doing valiant things for God's glory.  There are successes, failures, moments of doubt and boldness alike.

As I read this passage over and over, I noticed all the things which Paul claims marked his life as a believer.  We are hard pressed on every said, Paul says.  We are perplexed, persecuted, struck down, and ultimately delivered to death for Christ's sake.  There was one of these experiences which we might think was due to a lack of faith:  being perplexed.  I freely confess I am very familiar with being perplexed.  But as Paul says, we are perplexed but not in despair.  It is faith in Christ and His sovereign plan which keeps us from despair.  It is not a sin to be perplexed any more than being hard pressed on every side.

There is a tendency for us Christians to think that we must have all the answers, we must have knowledge to combat every doubt of the world.  We feel foolish when we are ignorant - "I should have known that," we think.  Yet isn't it true that ignorance marks mankind more than knowledge?  For all a man might know there is much more he recognizes he does not know.  A perplexed mind is a working mind.  If you are walking with Jesus and are not at times perplexed, I wonder how that could be.  The disciples were always asking Jesus to explain things because they did not understand.  It's crazy with all the time I have spent teaching adults and youth how few questions I have fielded over that time.  God made our minds to think.  The more we think the more questions we will have.  We should ask questions of God, not question Him.

I am comforted by the fact Jesus never upbraided his disciples for asking a question because they saw themselves ignorant.  People sometimes ask questions to test others, not because they are seeking wisdom.  But I believe scripture reveals how God honors the questions of those who ask in faith seeking God's wisdom in a situation.  We often are looking for clear-cut answers.  Sometimes the answers never seem to come.  But in His grace and mercy God leads us away from despair and doubt.  We need not wallow in despair.  He wants to turn our thoughts from obstacles or struggles and onto Him.  We might not have answers and perhaps we never will.  But let us pray that whatever we face causes the life of Christ to be manifested through us.

Particularized Trust

I read an interesting article in Time by James Poniewozik today called "The Myth of Fact."  "Technology now enables rumors to spread at the speed of the Forward E-Mail button," he writes.  "But the common explanation - that new media let us self-select into groups and never hear news that contradicts our beliefs - may be too simple.  We do hear contradictory news.  But we have better ways to invalidate it...Farhead Manjoo writes that the rise of self-selecting media tribes has led to a decrease in "generalized trust" but an increase in "particularized trust"...People now live in self-buttressing fortresses of myth, where debunking a belief only confirms it."

The internet and media have brought an abundance of information unparalleled in history.  With an abundance of information has ushered in an incredible amount of mis-information.   It is so easy to pick and choose which version of the truth we are comfortable with or suits our pre-conceived bias.  For instance, there is currently a debate raging concerning the establishment of a mosque near where the Twin Towers fell in New York on 9/11.  NBC claims President Obama "endorsed" the building of a mosque near Ground Zero.  Another local new agency starts an article with this statement:  "After skirting the controversy for weeks, President Barack Obama is weighing in forcefully on the mosque near ground zero, saying a nation built on religious freedom must allow it."  NPR states something different:  "...President Barack Obama said Saturday that Muslims have the right to build a mosque near New York's ground zero, but he did not say whether he believes it is a good idea to do so."  So does President Obama "support" the establishment of a mosque or just the right of muslims to build one?  It is likely only he knows.

With all of this rhetoric, what more do we really learn?  All we have done is confirm our previous beliefs of President Obama.  The same thing can happen between church fellowships and their interpretation of scripture.  People bounce from group to group, looking more for style than substance.  The very real danger is we would bring a worldly perspective to the Bible instead of allowing scripture to confront our bias.  The Bible is living and powerful, able to speak to any situation or person.  One verse may have many different applications but the truth remains unchanged forever.  Scripture is multi-faceted, not limited to a single idea or theme.  But the overall theme of scripture is God Himself.  We learn of His character, attributes, holiness, and purity.  It is in learning of Him that we see ourselves in our proper light:  we are sinners, without hope of salvation through us.

When was the last time you read the Bible and learned something completely new?  It should happen all the time.  God says things that can be downright shocking to our flesh, totally different than we would expect.  But God must be trusted, and His Word remain our sure foundation.  One thing God will NEVER do is contradict Himself.  If there is an apparent contradiction, it is our failure to understand.  As Paul says in Romans 3:4, "...Let God be true but every man a liar."  Our beliefs evolve over time as we gain more information.  Often when we are young in Christ we are very rigid in our views and think everyone should see things the way we do.  But as we mature and grow we realize we weren't as right as we once thought we were about everything.  God does not evolve and neither does His character.

We should not treat the books of the Bible like the hordes of news agencies which vie for our viewership.  One book should not be discounted because of another, neither should we ignore the Old Testament for the New or vice-versa.  The same God can be seen throughout both, for He is the same God yesterday, today, and forever.  The New Covenant has replaced the Old, but His Word will endure forever no matter when it was spoken.  Let's give God an invitation to debunk every false myth we might cherish about Him above His Word.  He remains the authority no matter what we think of Him!  Thank God for the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth and quickens our understanding to receive of it.  May we grow in "particularized trust" in our God and His Word.

Take the Stand

"If any man cometh unto me, and hateth not his own father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple."

Luke 14:26

Through the call of Jesus men become individuals.  Willy-nilly, they are compelled to decide, and that decision can only be made by themselves.  It is no choice of their own that makes them individuals:  it is Christ who makes them individuals by calling them.  Every man is called separately, and must follow alone.  But men are frightened of solitude, and they try to protect themselves from it by merging themselves in the society of their fellow-men and in their material environment.  They become suddenly aware of their responsibilities and duties, and are loath to part with them.  but all this is only a cloak to protect them from having to make a decision.  They are unwilling to stand alone before Jesus and to be compelled to decide with their eyes fixed on him alone.  Yet neither father nor mother, neither wife nor child, neither nationality nor tradition, can protect a man at the moment of his call.  It is Christ's will that he should be thus isolated and that he should fix his eyes solely upon him."

- Beginning of Chapter 5 titled "Discipleship and the Individual," page 94 of Dietrich Bonhoffer's book "The Cost of Discipleship"

How hard are the sayings of Christ!  How devastating to hear from the mouth of Christ, "You cannot be my disciple."  It is true that He will accept whosoever will respond to His call, but if we refuse to abandon our life for His sake we have not actually responded to His call.  We live in a day when some think we are disciples because we want to be.  But if I will not become Christ's disciple, I cannot become His disciple.  Christ is not to be blamed for His exacting standards.  He supplies the righteousness and we offer a willingness to trust and yield only He can enable.

Christ and the world are opposed to one another.  The world accepts you on account of your race, wealth, education, career, sexuality, family, or political and religious views.  You can be accepted by the world if you will be like the world:  think the same way, do the same things, have the same passions and hobbies.  To be accepted by Christ we must leave all these things behind, not only acknowledging our sins but counting ourselves without any merit or reason for acceptance.  Then we can be partakers of God's grace through faith.  When we fill out an application for a college or employment, we are forced to "sing our own praises" and explain why we are the best candidate for the position so a judgment can be made.  There is no paperwork to be filled out to be a Christian.  We simply forfeit our own lives for God's glory so that He might live through us.

Our love for Christ must far outweigh our love for anything of this world - even people so close to us as father, mother, wife, and child - that our love for them seems like hate compared to our degree of adoration for Jesus Christ.  I would never have said or even thought such a thing.  But Jesus said it!  And if we want to be His disciple then we must follow His pattern of love, sacrifice, and obedience to God.  Jesus did not hate his mother or brothers.  But He loved His heavenly Father with a love which outshone them all.  This is not a "feeling" kind of love, but the active agapao love which pursues God's will passionately.  God does force us to become individuals, but not individualistic.  We cannot be a disciple alone.  We must first have Christ and then remain in fellowship with like-minded Christians.  This does not believe we must agree on all things but we must believe and trust in the LORDship of one Person, Jesus Christ.  This belief will affect everything we do because it will no longer us be living but Christ through us.

Are you willing to stand alone for God and say with Job, "Though He slay me, I will trust in Him?"  This is a decision we make alone, not to make our dad or mom happy.  Praise the LORD we never need be alone for Christ has said, "I will never leave you or forsake you."  Bonhoeffer's conclusion is right:  let us look to Jesus alone.  Jesus must be our all-in-all or He will be reduced to an imaginary companion no greater than ourselves.

An Encouraging Word

Hardly a day passes when I am not directly asked about my plans to minister in Australia.  "So, what's going on with Australia?" or "Have you heard anything from Australia?" and my personal favorite:  "When are you leaving?"  If I had a dollar every time I was asked a question along these lines I would be a wealthy man, and if I earned a dollar for every time I thought about my friends in Australia or prayed about it, I would be richer still!

As I press on working with my hands to put money away to pay for moving and future living expenses, I see God's grace, love, and wisdom at work.  During my time as a mechanical insulator with Local 5, I have worked at three shops.  At every shop I had time to share my faith with many people.  I have maintained contact with people from all three.  Witnessing at random is great, but there is something special when you have earned the trust of other people so they will freely share their personal beliefs and solicit your own.  Everyone I work with know I am a pastor and they know I want to serve God in Australia.  But why Australia?  When I say that God has placed the people of that country on my heart and called me to go, I receive some strange looks.

I started thinking of all the profitable conversations I have had in the last 9 plus months since starting work at Farwest.  Seeds have been sown, and hearts have been engaged.  God will bring the increase, for His Word never returns void.  While my efforts have been largely on preparing to go away, God has been gracious to allow me to impact people here in the meantime - and be personally impacted by the relationships I have been able to make.  The need for Jesus is so great it boggles the mind.  It seems like I am learning more all the time about my own faults and how precious Jesus truly is to me.

I have not always held such a positive view concerning obstacles/opportunities.  Though I recognized God's hand at work, I had a tendency to focus on what I'll call "obstacles" rather than seeing those same things as "opportunities."  Is the hand of God shortened so He cannot save?  He helps us to redeem the time and work while it is day, for night is coming when no one can work.  The longing of my soul is that every place I go I would bring the fragrance of Christ that will linger on in saved souls long after I am living in Australia.  I want to say with Christ in John 9:5:  "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."  Only God could make the words we say affect the lives of others for eternity.  Every day is an opportunity to let our lights shine!  Whatever you do and wherever you are, do all for the glory of God!

Questions and Answers

From time to time people have questions concerning particular posts.  Instead of trying to answer the questions by commenting back and forth in the comments section, feel free to send me an e-mail address in your comment.  I will not publicly post your comments or my response.  Though far from the ideal of speaking, e-mail seems to be much more profitable than discussion threads which are easily derailed!  Again, thanks for reading!

Borrowers

Have you ever read a great book which impacted your life?  After speaking excitedly with friends or family, you offer the book on loan to someone who seems very interested.  Months pass.  We've probably been on both sides of this equation many times and so we know what happens.  After a ridiculous amount of time has elapsed the book is returned - unread.  This is as annoying as disappointing, because the book would have been likely loaned to others who might have actually read the book during that time and been greatly blessed.

I'm sure many excuses or reasons could be given why the book was never read, but it is undeniable that the book was not as great a priority or as important to the borrower as the loaner.  I suppose if the borrower really wanted to read the book he would buy it, check it out from the library, or buy an e-book himself.  When people invest nothing and are loaned a book rather than purchasing it sometimes they lack motivation to follow through.  Sadly, we can even buy books ourselves and never get around to reading them!  It is likely the borrower was interested to read the book because of the excitement of their friend.  Man, I want to read something exciting.  I want to hear something new.  I desire to be affected by anything to the degree as this person I admire and respect has been inspired.  Yet the book just sits there gathering dust, a testimony to our lack of motivation, forgetfulness, and procrastination.  A procrastinator is better than said borrower because though it may take awhile, he will complete the task!

While pondering this phenomenon, I couldn't help thinking about how this "borrower" mentality is prevalent in the lives of many Christians today, even my own at times.  All have been born into sin on this earth.  In His great love God has granted us a new life through repentance and faith in Jesus.  Perhaps we were won to Christ by a person filled with enthusiasm for God and we thought to ourselves, I want that excitement.  I would love to have purpose for my life and to be free from sin.  I want to go to heaven too!  True to His Word, God gives us a life which we are stewards of on earth, a life of righteousness, purity, victory, and power.  We are not our own because we have been bought with a price.  But instead of focusing on bringing God glory with our lives, we neglect our walk with God.  The life on earth we are borrowing from God - the life according to His will and plan - is undisturbed in a drawer while the life we live every day is pretty much the same as when we weren't born again.

There is nothing more exciting than living a life for God.  It will also be the hardest thing you have ever done.  We have forfeited our lives for the life God intends for us.  If we never wanted to really read a book we shouldn't have borrowed it, and if we don't want to follow Jesus we should have never claimed to be a Christian!  I am asking myself today, what do I have to show for the new life Jesus has given me through His own sacrifice?  Is my "Christianity" reserved for Sundays when I'm around people who can be playing at it too?  Our life on earth is a generous loan from God.  I want to make sure when my Savior settles accounts with me I am not one of those borrowers who sheepishly returns his life covered in dirt like the servant who buried his talent in the ground.  If I think I will receive any blessing for such ill use of such an unfathomably great gift I would be mistaken!

If I am disappointed when someone returns a book unread after six months, what devastation must God endure when we let our new life paid with the blood of His own Son be neglected with other pursuits.  I thank God for His grace and the fact that He knows our frame.  We are dust moistened with blood, earthen vessels God has graciously allowed His light to shine into.  Thank God for His patience, generosity, faithfulness, and love.  Just like we don't "unfriend" someone who been a lousy borrower, God will never disown His children for their faults because Christ has cleansed them from all sin.  Let's be sure to thank Him by pressing on in a deeper walk with Jesus.  May we use all God's gracious gifts with zeal and a sense of purpose.  Teach me to number my days, O God, that I might apply my heart unto wisdom.

Real Discipleship

"Discipleship" is almost a catch-phrase these days in church circles.  We lament the fact that we need more of it, that church fellowships are too impersonal, and people young in faith in Christ have difficulty connecting with experienced followers of Christ.  For most people, when speaking of discipleship it is usually to reference a course on biblical doctrine, a one-to-one fellowship meeting, or an opportunity to study through a book or part of the Bible.  It's amusing and also sad that what passes for discipleship quite often is not discipleship at all!

Part of the role of being a Christian is making disciples (followers) of Jesus Christ.  Jesus made disciples of people by calling them to follow Him.  That was all.  Following Jesus made a man a disciple.  The only decision which remained was to forsake all for Christ in obedience, or choose to abandon Christ.  There was no curriculum, books to read, questions to answer, or tests to take.  All was summed up in a lifestyle of faith and absolute surrender of a life to Jesus Christ.  That is discipleship.  Today we think discipleship lies in facts, knowledge, and experience.  This is simply not the case.  Instead of making disciples of Christ, most often our attempts at discipleship make followers of men and women other than Christ.  Instead of Christ becoming the only one relied upon, we can fall into the trap making ourselves crutches which make lame those we attempt to instruct.

Perhaps this is why discipleship is so difficult to cultivate in a church fellowship.  Most of us aren't quite sure what it is and why we need it!  It is very easy to start new believer's courses, have men and women's Bible studies, and read through a book together on "The Life You've Always Wanted."  But to be frank it is much harder to fulfill perfectly one command of Christ:  "Deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow me."    This is not the life we always wanted!  But it is Christ who we want:  therefore we obey joyfully and follow Him along the narrow path goaded on by faith empowered by the Holy Spirit.  If we had a church filled with such people in complete submission to Jesus He would have more disciples than all the programs in the world can generate.  "Love your enemies.  Do good to those who hate you.  Pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you."  Jesus is the only one who can make disciples.  We shouldn't be surprised when fellowship with other believers isn't enough to live a life of victory over sin.  Following Jesus is the critical, necessary, and all-important aspect of the Christian life.

Forgiveness is easy to talk about, but forgiving someone is completely different because it is personal.  We can have all the facts, define forgiveness biblically, cite examples, and explain the Christian's obligation to forgive others, but this does not guarantee we have forgiven all who have wronged us.  Our relationship with Christ is deeply personal and requires faith.  When Jesus told the disciples to forgive not only seven times but seventy times seven they begged, "Increase our faith."  Being a disciple of Jesus requires faith, and demands constant action based upon trust in Christ alone.  Discipleship is a lifestyle of "followship" with Jesus.  It is a life not built upon knowledge but upon active reliance upon the person of Jesus Christ.  Those who follow Christ are examples to others and the good that others see is simply the sacrificial love and life of Christ being lived out through us.

Waiting On God

"I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  [14] Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!"  

Psalm 27:13-14

Waiting on someone is very different than waiting for someone.  We are only too familiar with waiting for things or people:  waiting for your turn in line, waiting for your birthday to arrive, or waiting for traffic to start moving again.  I remember as a kid waiting for my friends to arrive at my house.  Half an hour before the set time I would occasionally peek out the window at the sound of any car.  I was completely preoccupied with waiting.  All my hope rested upon my friend's mom bringing him at the prescribed hour.  Sometimes friends were early, late, or they did not show at all.  I am only too familiar with the truth of Proverbs 13:12:  "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life."  I am familiar with it because I've been on the heartsick side of it more times than I'd like to remember!

As I wait for opportunities to minister in Australia on a full-time basis, God has taught me a lot through waiting.  For years it seems - especially the last eighteen months - there has been a temptation for me to wait for God, rather than wait on Him.  When I become impatient God has revealed to me it is due to a lack of faith.  Impatience occurs when we are reluctant to wait upon God's timing.  If I trusted God perfectly, knew His plan was ideal, and looked to Him continually, why should I be impatient for anything?  It is when we focus on circumstances and others that we become dissatisfied and frustrated.  Frustration occurs when our will is being hindered.  Something so simple as waiting can be used by God as a divine tutor which strips us of our false impressions concerning our own faith.

We are all filled with strong faith, no doubt (wink, wink).  Just like we all think we are great drivers and the other guy need to figure out the difference between the accelerator and the break, we often see ourselves in too favorable a light when it comes to spiritual matters.  In the words of Job 12:2 "No doubt you are the people, and wisdom will die with you!"  Spurgeon said, "The best men see themselves in the worst light."  Only a humble man will grow in wisdom, understanding, and faith.  He sees his enormous need and is willing to submit himself to God without strings attached.  Waiting has been a challenge to me because it has forced me to honor God above my calling, and regard His timing as infinitely superior to my own.  My futile plans must be scrapped and I must press on in faith, waiting on the One who has called, redeemed, and anointed me for His glory.

Waiting for God can cause us to lose hope, while waiting on the LORD causes us to grow in strength.  Waiting for God blinds us to our purpose because we block our own view to God with our agenda.  But when we wait on the LORD for His plan to unfold, we are able to be used by Him when the time comes.  Bitterness, disillusionment, disappointment, and confusion attend those who wait for others or even themselves.  I remember a Daily Bread devotional (from 1994!) which emphasizes the point of struggle in our lives, even in something as seemingly trivial as waiting.  An excerpt from Joanie Yoder's devotional contains an example which is profitable to consider:  "... I was reminded of the story of a man who took home a cocoon so he could watch the emperor moth emerge. As the moth struggled to get through the tiny opening, the man enlarged it with the snip of his scissors. The moth emerged easily—but its wings were shriveled. The struggle through the narrow opening is God’s way to force fluid from its body into its wings."

In our foolish ambition we would always shorten the process.  But in God's wisdom, He has allowed just enough time for us to be refined and perfected so we can be usable for His purposes when the time comes.  He does not make it so hard for the emperor moth to emerge that it kills the moth, but makes it a struggle for a purpose:  the struggle makes the moth capable of flight.  God wants us to soar on the wings of eagles while we are content to run with the dogs.  Wait on the LORD, my friends.  Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

God's Definition Counts

While driving home yesterday, I heard on the radio that a federal judge in San Francisco overturned Prop 8 which was made law in California by a majority vote in 2008, citing it was "unconstitutional."  As exuberant homosexuals were interviewed concerning their "victory" in court, one common theme was repeated over and over:  equality.  Apparently a common belief among many in California is people should have equal rights to marry whomever they wish, no matter the sex.  Even though California recognizes civil unions, gays want the ability to buy a marriage certificate and have a wedding recognized by God and the government as legitimate.

To make gay marriage an equality issue is completely incorrect.  Over and over the same strawman arguments are repeated and prove a complete lack of understanding of who created and instituted marriage.  "But shouldn't  equality extend to gays as well as straight?  That's what this country was founded on.  Should we be punished because God made us this way?"  All of these comments miss the mark.  Couched in false, twisted logic, these statements seek to make villains of any person who upholds the biblical, historical, traditional, and true definition of marriage.

Let me preface this by saying that everyone who walks this earth has the God-given right to believe and do whatever you want to do.  It is because I regard God as my heavenly Father that I love those who differ greatly in their lifestyle and beliefs from my own and intend to treat all people with respect and grace.  I do not feel threatened or uncomfortable with the fact I am in the minority.  I also realize that I will likely not be given the same grace from others, but I am reminded that Jesus forgave and loved those who wronged Him.

Here are my beliefs founded upon the truths of scripture:  God created the heavens and the earth.  He made all that exists, for "without Him nothing was made that is made."  He created man in his own image.  God saw that man did not have a suitable companion among the animals and took a rib from Adam and created Eve.  Adam said of Eve that she was "bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh."  Genesis 2:24 says clearly, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."  Marriage defined by God is between one man and one woman.  God says in Malachi 3:6, "I the LORD do not change."  God's character or laws do not alter over time.  He is the same yesterday, tomorrow, and forever.  Two men therefore CANNOT be married, nor can two women.  That is not marriage, nor could it ever be.  Marriage was not created by government or popular opinion of the masses, but by a God who created man, woman, and marriage.

A prime part of marriage is "be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it."  A gay union cannot produce children, being incompatible with the design God intended.  Because of man's rebellion against God, sin entered into the world and death through sin.  God made people exactly how He wanted to, but to blame a lifestyle upon God is wrong.  Because of the sin nature passed down through Adam's line, we all struggle with various temptations.  For some it is stealing, for others lustful thoughts.  We have all lied, coveted, and been envious of others.  Homosexuality is a perversion of God's intended plan for sex, as well as bestiality, incest, adultery, and fornication even among straight people.  Having sex outside of marriage is defined as sin in God's own words, and you must be a man and a woman to be married.

The fact is God will judge the entire world and all the people individually for their own sin.  I have lied, cheated, hated, and sinned in more ways than I could quantify.  I do not stand in judgment of any person because of their sins, for I have an abundance of my own!  You may not believe that homosexuality is a sin.  You may believe whatever you want.  But if you believe the Bible is God's Word and is true without error, than you should believe what is written therein.  When our lives are over we will be brought to judgment for all sins, even for our thoughts and intentions.  The wages of sin is death.  We cannot stand before God on our own merits, and we will be doomed to damnation for every evil word, deed, or thought.

I deserve to burn in hell for eternity for my sins, and when compared to the goodness and righteousness of God even that is too good for me.  But praise be to God!  In the Bible I learn not only of God's Law and harsh wrath towards sin, but also the mercy, love, grace, and forgiveness afforded all sinners by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.  His resurrection from the dead proves His power over sin and death, and He calls to sinners everywhere to repent.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  When we place our faith in Jesus and submit to His rule, the Holy Spirit takes up residence within us.  We are thus made alive unto God and dead unto sin by His grace.  He changes our hearts and takes away the power of sin which once ruled over all our desires.  God has the power to deliver us from lying, hatred, pride, homosexuality, drunkenness, one-night-stands, cutting, fear, every other sin, and ultimately death.  The sad part is many refuse to be delivered and give themselves completely over to their lusts for they know nothing else.  But peace and contentment cannot be found in sin no matter how devoted you are to it.

"Gay" marriage cannot exist, because God has already defined what marriage is:  a man (husband) and woman (wife) making a commitment to each other for the remainder of their lives.  Though we often fall short of God's ideal, it gives us no right to twist what He has made straight.  As for me, I will stick with God's definition.  The prevailing winds of our godless culture roar against God and His people, but we will remain firm.  1 Cor. 15:58 reads, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."   

Freedom in Obedience

Here is a great maxim from Dietrich Bonhoffer in his book The Cost of Discipleship:  "Only those who obey can believe, and only those who believe can obey."  Jesus calls everyone to discipleship.  We cannot blame our disobedience on Him.  On page 73 he says concerning the rich young ruler who approached Jesus, "Only the devil has an answer for our moral difficulties, and he says:  "Keep on posing problems, and you will escape the necessity of obedience"...There is one thing only which Jesus takes seriously, and that is that it is high time the young man began to hear the commandment and obey it.  Where moral difficulties are taken so seriously, where they torment and enslave man, because they do not leave him open to the freeing activity of obedience, it is there that his total godlessness is revealed.  All his difficulties are shown to be ungodly, frivolous, and the proof of sheer disobedience.  The one thing that matters is practical obedience.  That will solve his difficulties and make him (and all of us) free to become the child of God."

Into the Furnace!

How often are God's ways different than ours!  We are always looking and praying to avoid difficulties while God intends we endure them!  I don't see things the way God sees them from the onset.  The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego has taught me much.  These Hebrew men stood resolutely in the face of certain death believing God could deliver them out of King Nebuchadnezzar's hands.  When the music played they refused to bow before the image he set up, and he commanded the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual so their death would be certain.

If I had been in their shoes, I suppose I would have prayed the wrong things from the start.  I would have prayed something like, "God, help us not to be caught when we refuse to bow down."  Well, they were caught.  Then, "LORD, please keep us out of that fiery furnace."  They were thrown into the furnace.  Only THEN would I have thought to pray as clothes caught fire, "God, please use this situation for your glory."  It was only once inside the furnace that God's glory could be revealed.  God used that furnace to refine the faith of the Hebrew men and all the children of God since.  When I would have been dodging that furnace, God wanted to meet His children INSIDE of it!

Inside the fiery trial is not only where we will have the closest, sweetest fellowship with Jesus, but that is where the eyes of others will be opened to His reality.  It was amazing that the Hebrew men walked around unharmed in the fire, and a fourth man appeared with them likened unto the Son of God!  It was then that King Nebuchadnezzar called them out of the furnace as servants of the Most High God!  Even in the middle of that raging furnace the men were completely unharmed and had to be invited out.  But I can assure you they were as profoundly affected as Nebuchadnezzar - perhaps not with shock and amazement, but a deep strengthening of their faith.

God does not refine His children in a vacuum, but out in the open (even in the furnace!) so others may see.  The furnace is not a wonderful place, but God makes wonderful use of it.  Though we may squirm at the thought of trials and difficulties, it is in that place where God has us right where He wants us.  This way we trust in Him alone, and all the world will know there IS a God who is real, mighty, and good.  It is in the furnace His Word is proven and our faith strengthened.  Our God is able to deliver us from the hottest furnace and willing to meet us in the most severe trial.  Will we trust Him?

What does it mean?

I saw a viral video the other day which caught my attention.  I actually read about the video "Double Rainbow" before I saw it because people were curious about the man who shot the footage.  What was the story of the man behind the camera who was so excited about a double rainbow?  Was he on drugs?  A follow-up interview on youtube was very insightful into the mind and life of the man overcome by emotion at seeing the glory of God's creation.

As Paul Vasquez responds in ecstasy to the beautiful rainbow, he asks a question a couple of times:  "What does it mean?"  Humans are distinct from all creation in that we appreciate beauty.  Beauty is linked with significance.  Whether we see a gorgeous painting, a masterful sculpture in a gallery, catch the scent of a gently perfumed rose, or drink in a majestic sunset, we are naturally filled with appreciation and delight.  Works of art do not randomly occur, and the beauty of nature is no accident.  Good books and movies always have a reason they were made, a particular point the director or author desires to artistically bring forth.  In a similar way, God has created the earth and all living things for a singular purpose:  His glory!  Psalm 19:1-3 teaches us, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. [2] Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. [3] There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard."

Rainbows can be explained as a "natural phenomenon," but never forget that it is God who has perfectly tuned and sustains nature for life to exist.  The beauty alone of a rainbow or the science which attempts to explain it cannot touch the significance.  Thankfully God explains the meaning of the rainbow in the Bible!  After the destruction of the great flood Genesis 9:13-16 reads, "I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. [14] It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; [15] and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. [16] The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth."

I was delighted to hear the emotion of Mr. Vasquez  and I have no doubt God relished it as well.  It was so natural, so genuine.  I do not know of his personal beliefs concerning God, and no doubt some would cringe at the repetition of "Oh my G-d!" as blasphemous.  Interestingly enough, that particular phrase is used some 20 times in scripture during occasions of prayer or worship.  That phrase has become flippant, common, and when used without reverence would indeed be blasphemous.  But how can I judge a man overcome with tears while witnessing the beauty of God's creation on account of his verbiage?  People assume someone so excited about a double-rainbow must be on drugs.  I only wish us Christians had that kind of excitement about the God who made those rainbows!

Every rainbow in the sky is placed there by God.  He takes ownership of every one.  When "I set My rainbow in the cloud...I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh."  That curved band of color is a sign of God's promise to all who live that He will never destroy all flesh with a flood again.  The significance has not changed since the beginning.  As God creates every rainbow and looks upon it, I cannot help but consider He looks upon all people He has made to see if they glory in His handiwork.  If we will shout for a sport team, how much more should we cheer on the Creator of all things!  In this God is pleased.   

Glory in Jesus

Job 9:2-3 reads, "Truly I know it is so, but how can a man be righteous before God?  [3] If one wished to contend with Him, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand."  When we read this verse tonight during our family Bible reading, my mind instantly thought of the game show "Jeopardy!".  I haven't watched the show in years, but during my teen years I enjoyed trying to answer the questions before the contestants.  Occasionally I would know the correct answer, and rarely I would give the right answer twice in a row!  I can't say that I have ever correctly answered a final Jeopardy! question, and I certainly never could have qualified to appear on the show.

In 2004, Ken Jennings appeared on 75 consecutive shows, winning 74 times in a row.  He amassed over 2.5 million dollars during these games.  Even though he was absolutely dominant, even he did not answer every question correctly.  It's amazing to consider that even someone as smart as Jennings concerning trivia could not answer God one time of a thousand concerning his righteousness.  No man or woman who walks the earth can justify themselves before God either by their works, intentions, possessions, or by any means.  No one has the power or ability to contend with God or "shut Him down."  God will not "talk to the hand:"  He created the hand, and has the power and right to incinerate every one of them with the fires of hell. 

Romans 3:19 says, "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."  All mankind is condemned under God's perfect law, and He has offered atonement and salvation through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.  This is how God's great love for us has been manifested:  while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!  If our salvation from sin could be obtained through knowledge alone, Ken Jennings and many Pharisees would have fared quite well.  But the fact remains that repentance and faith in Jesus is the narrow gate through we must stoop to enter eternal rest in Heaven.  We are qualified not through information but the blood of Jesus Christ shed for the remission of sins and His imputed righteousness toward us.  1 Cor. 1:30-31 affirms:  "But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption--that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord."  Young men boast in their strength, and the learned might glory in their knowledge, but may we live to glorify Christ alone.

Reading Aright

I read a tremendous passage ( on pages 187-188) in a book called "Between Two Worlds" by John R. W. Stott too good not to share:

"...We have to open our minds wide enough to risk hearing what we do not want to hear.  For we have been taught to come to the Bible for solace.  Does not Paul himself write of 'the encouragement of the Scriptures' (Rom. 15:4)?  So naturally we cherish the hope that through our Bible reading we shall be comforted; we have no wish to be disturbed.  Hence we tend to come to it with our minds made up, anxious to hear only the reassuring echoes of our own prejudice.  Moreover, it is not difficult to insulate ourselves against the challenges of God's Word, or to barricade ourselves against his unwelcome incursions.  The very two cultures we have been thinking about - of Bible authors and Bible readers - can act like two layers of thick cushioning to protect us against the impact, sometimes the shock, of the Word he wants to speak to us.  The first step towards opening ourselves up to his Word, is to be aware of the protective padding which has to be removed.  We have to be willing for God himself to lay down the ground rules, and to decide what he wants to say to us, however uncongenial we may find it.  We have no liberty to circumscribe him, or to suggest lines of demarcation within which we are prepared to negotiate.  No, we have to break down the cultural barriers and struggle to open our hearts and minds to listen to whatever he has to say.

...If we read through the whole Bible annually, then after a few years we feel we know it fairly well. The temptation is to become blase' and to come to our daily reading with no very lively expectation the God is going to speak to us through it.  Instead, we should be confident, in the famous words of John Robinson, pastor of the separatists' church in Holland from which the Pilgrim Fathers sailed in the Mayflower of 1620, that God has 'more truth and light yet to break forth out of his holy Word'.  We need therefore to 'present ourselves before the Lord' each day like the angels (Job 1:6; 2:1), to ask for an 'awakened ear' like the servant (Isa. 50:4), and to request him as Samuel did to speak, because his servant is listening (1 Sam. 3:10).  We need to 'cry out for insight and raise our voice for understanding, to 'seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures', for then we shall understand and 'find the knowledge of God' (Prov. 2:3-5).  Such seeking perseveres even in the face of an apparent rebuff.  It lays hold of God like Jacob and refuses to let him go until and unless he blesses us (Gen. 32:26).  It is this spirit of eager and determined expectation which God honours.  He promises to fill the hungry with good things; it is only the complacent whom he sends away empty-handed (Luke 1:53).  Sow we must not give in to spiritual staleness as if it were normal or even tolerable, but must pray for the refreshment of the Holy Spirit so that, if our appetite is blunt he will sharpen it, and if our heart is cold he will rekindle within us the fires of expectancy."

Build your way to greatness?

I've been working out of town lately and with all the extra drive time I haven't been able to set aside much time to contribute to the blog.  When I normally would be working on the blog I'm either spending time with the family or trying to catch up on sleep!  Thankfully no one needs to rely on a person to receive from God.  He's willing to use anything to speak to our hearts:  animals, nature, signs, or even things sent in the mail.

Case in point:  Zed hasn't played baseball for a year and is about to turn 11.  Because of this it was strange to receive a brochure in the mail seeking serious baseball players aged 13 to 18 for a national tryout to be discovered by college scouts!  It was a catch-phrase at the bottom of the page which caught my attention which read, "Build your way to greatness."  I rarely can take things at face value even when reading a brochure!  It is almost a natural habit for me to look at things from a biblical, spiritual perspective.  Can a man spiritually build himself to greatness?  Is that even desirable?

Jesus said that if a man wants to be great in the kingdom of God, he must be the servant of all.  In baseball or sports, natural talent goes a long way.  Some do not have the natural dexterity, skills, or body-style to be great at baseball.  No amount of training can overcome some of the obstacles many face to become a professional athlete.  But it is true that very few if any become great in their field without dedication, hard work, and good training.  A man cannot become a good Christian by trying hard because all men are wicked by nature.  We must first "build" upon the foundation of Jesus Christ and take heed how we build.  Whatever materials we choose will have a great impact on the strength and integrity of the structure.  A man cannot possibly build his way to greatness.  We don't have the tools or materials to build anything of eternal value.  Those who humble themselves who will be exalted by God.  It is He who cleanses us of sin, makes us righteous, fills us with His Spirit, empowers us to perform His will, and will usher us into eternal glory.

It is God who makes a man great.  The way the world gauges greatness is completely opposed to God's view.  A man might be well-known and famous on earth but Jesus might say to such a man, "Depart from me!  I never knew you, you who practice lawlessness!"  There may be a man or woman hardly anyone knew in life or remembered in death to whom Christ says, "Well done, good and faithful servant!  Enter into the joy of the LORD."  Nothing is as rewarding as serving the great God and Creator of heaven and earth.  He is great, and He makes great all who follow Him. 

Park Outreach

This Saturday past our church put on a "Children's Festival" at a neighborhood park for a couple of hours.  It was wonderful to see many people from our church fellowship ministering Christ's love to the community.  There were crafts, balloon animals, interactive games, face painting, Gospel bracelets, caricatures, and snacks.  Opportunities abounded for handing out Gospel tracts or simply having a talk.

It was a beautiful reminder of how the Body of Christ is intended to work.  All of us have different gifts, talents, and passions, and the Holy Spirit brings them to life through unique personalities.  God has given us various abilities for a single purpose:  the glory of God.  By the grace of God we are who we are.  Not all are evangelists, teachers, administrators, or able to physically carry trash cans full of water balloons.  But every Christian is filled with the love of Jesus and an ability to share that love with others.

As neat as it was to see the Body of Christ in overt operation, it was amazing to see kids and families from different ethnic backgrounds join in the fun.  There is a world of people right down the street who may not have ever experienced the love of Jesus through an Otter Pop, a balloon sword, or turtle.

It will take more than one afternoon to prove our intentions were greater than just a humanitarian exercise.  People are motivated by all kinds of reasons to help others.  Even in the church people have various purposes in their service.  Our prime focus is not in simply helping people but saving them through the power of the Gospel.  Feeding a man's stomach will only prolong his eventual death:  if his soul feasts upon the Bread of Life Jesus Christ he will live forever in heavenly glory!

I want to be the kind of Christian who is in it for the long haul.  The Christian walk is a 24-7 lifestyle, not just for a couple of hours on Saturdays or Sundays.  I remember a missionary talking about what the locals call "hallelujah Christians."  They show up with things to give away, songs to sing, and a message to give, say "Hallelujah!" and never come back!  God, help me never to forget that I am a representative of my Savior and King, Jesus Christ.  Even when you are my only witness, may I stay true to you!