I Lift Up My Eyes To The Mountains

God's timing is impeccable. This morning in my reading of the Psalms I came to Psalm 121--"I lift up my eyes to the mountains, from where does my help come, my help comes from the Lord maker of heaven and earth..." How fitting for my last day in the mountains to be reminded that the It is the one who made the heaven and the earth (including the gorgeous mountains) who watches over me, who never slumbers or sleeps, who keeps the sun from destroying me by day and the moon by night. God is actively watching over me and for that I am extremely grateful.

I returned to the same hiking trail that I went to yesterday afternoon since the views were absolutely breathtaking--a view to the west of an entire mountain range with snow covered peaks--yet in the afternoon sun the pictures didn't seem to do the view justice. Therefore, I was out on the trail early this morning with the temp was 50 degrees--I was in shorts and a long sleeve shirt over a t-shirt. I was sweating in about 5 minutes on the trail (sorry for the details).

Had a good easy hike and took lots of pictures on my last time in the woods for a while.

Enjoyed the rest of the day back at my cabin spending some unhurried time with the Lord and working on my sermon for this Sunday.

I'm going to pack, eat supper, read a little and go to bed early as I get ready to leave tomorrow. I plan to stop at Rapid City again on the way home. Not real keen on a 15 hour car trip by myself so I'll stop half way and hope to arrive home Thursday.

All for now.

Beautiful Day In Montana

I woke up this morning to an absolutely gorgeous day--crystal clear blue skies and mid 70's for temps. God has truly been so good to me this week with such great weather. Before I arrived I was told that it had been cool and rainy. It's hard for me to grasp but they are in late spring here--like what we experience (usually around mid to late May).

I've been struck by the Psalmist in Psalm 119 who is being afflicted by enemies and yet keeps affirming the value and importance of God's word. He states, "I am small and despised, yet I do not forget Your precepts...Trouble and anguish have come upon me; yet Your commandments are my delight" (vss. 141, 143).In the face of his extreme difficulty he lived by faith in God's promises and in God's power. He was committed to believe God's Word and to live according to it. His resolve of faith is convicting. Our natural reaction in adversity is to question God, to doubt God, to get angry with God. He kept reminding Himself of God's truth, kept asking God for courage to be obedient, kept asking God to revive Him through the promises in the Word. He was totally sold out to God. I think it was John MacArthur who quoted someone that said, "For some Christ is present, For some Christ is prominent, and for some Christ is preeminent." For the Psalmist God was preeminent. He sought God's power to deliver and clung to God's promises. Oh, that I might do the same whether in adversity or not.

I headed south towards Yellowstone to embark on a rather steep climb to a gorgeous mountain lake (Lava Lake). The climb was steep but the view was breathtaking. I hiked along "Cascade Creek" aptly named as it contained one cascade after another (small drops in elevation spaced out almost like stair steps for the water). The water was moving rapidly and the roar of the water drowned out most of the singing birds. The trail was rocky and so it was difficult to gaze about without stumbling so I took and occasional picture and used the descent to drink in the beauty more fully. The lake is 40 acres of deep, cold, clear mountain water surrounded by pristine pines and granite rock slides with snow capped peaks in the background.

I spent some time at the lake and then descended only to watch some folks putting their Kayaks into the Gallatin river--the major river running through the canyon that makes it's way to Yellowstone (about 90 miles south of where I am). I stopped at a turnout and took a couple of pictures of these "crazy" people making their way down the raging river.

Time to do some reading, thinking and praying before bed.

God's Handiwork in full display

I spent time this morning with the Lord and then working on some things prompted by one of the books I've read. I was contemplating Psalm 119 where the Psalmist declares of God that "you made me" and then he says, "Give me understanding to know your word." I found that to be a fitting prayer--the creature asking the creator to help with understanding what He has written to him. I certainly need God to help me understand His word as well.

I spent four hours hiking today and as I was walking out of the dense timber I was thinking--"The sight of blue sky dotted with cotton white clouds, the roar of the river, and occasional thundering of waterfalls, the smell of pine trees, and the sound of song birds in full chorus--what a testimony to the "eternal power and divine nature" of God (See Romans 1:18-ff)." Through what He has made His eternal power and divine nature are clearly seen so that they are without excuse. When I'm surrounded by such grandeur, such splendor, such raw power, such towering trees, such huge boulders, and such an unforgiving wilderness it puts me in my place and points me to the magnificence of God. I feel so puny, so vulnerable, so weak, so exposed, so fragile. Fact is, I'm all of those things, but it takes being in a place like this to remind me in a fresh way.

How anyone can spend much time here and not be struck by the eternal power and divine nature of God must be the work of the deceiver.

God reminded me of what I read yesterday in Colossians 1:16 (I think)--All things were created by Christ and for Christ. This majestic beauty and every creature and living thing is His.

Just Call Me Grizzly Adams

I woke up early to another somewhat overcast sky that later gave way to some wonderful sunshine and comfortable temperature (70 degrees).

Psalm 119 challenged me this morning with whether I really long to hear God's Word, to spend time in it so that I will actually follow what He says. The Psalmist provides me with a great deal to pray about concerning the Word of God--to treasure it, to long for it, to desire to know it so that I can obey the Lord, keep my way pure,and know His goodness. I'm still chewing on Colossians 1 with Paul's eloquent declarations of the Supremacy of Christ. Among so many things I've been mulling over verses 16 and 18 where Paul declares that All things were created "by Him (Christ) and for Him" and "that in all things He might have the preeminence." We were created "for Him" for relationship with Him, for loving, knowing, and serving Him. That is a powerful thought--that Christ is absolutely preeminent and that we are created for Him. We are therefore out of sorts, off balance, out of sync unless we are in vital relationship with the one we were created for. If I was created for Him then my life should reflect dependence upon and growing intimacy with Him. The last phrase of verse 18 punctuates His preeminence--He is to have preeminence in all things. I think especially in the lives of those He has created for Himself. So I ask myself, "Where does Christ not have preeminence in my life?" "Is He preeminent in my relationships with my wife, my children, my co-workers, my friends, with others?" "Is Christ preeminent in my work, how I conduct myself, how I do my job?" "Is Christ preeminent in the use of my time, money, leisure pursuits, expenditures of energy, etc. As I think about my life it seems that Christ is less preeminent than He deserves to be.

I finished reading "Leading from the Sandbox" by Tim Addington. Lots to ponder there and I'm going to be working on application of the principles and truths when I return. Tonight I'm going to think, pray, and work on how to implement some of what I've read in this book.

I went out for another hike in the great Montana mountains. I decided on a trail that lead up to a waterfall. Getting to the trail head (where I actually started walking)was an experience in itself. I drove through Ted Turner's "Flying D Ranch". For 7.5 miles on either side of the road for just about as far as you could see was Ted Turner's ranch--unbelievable in it's scope. A major water source runs right through it and from the ranch the snow capped peaks of several mountains are in clear view. But that isn't all. I drove through the largest herd of Buffalo I have ever seen--I'm guessing 1500 animals. It was spectacular. On this same road I was able to see a Grizzly far in the distance. Two vehicles ahead of me had spotted him first and their looking caused me to look and I saw him there just out in the open near some pine trees. An answer to prayer as I've asked the Lord to grant me some wildlife sightings. He is good to give beyond what is needed. And speaking of His goodness, I had another gorgeous day for hiking.

I started on the trail and was soon greeted by two women, a young boy and two dogs. They said, "We just saw a bear on the trail ahead. It climbed a tree and then we started shouting and it ran away." As I proceeded down the trail I was rather calm, asking the Lord to protect me and also to give me a chance to see a real bear, close enough and yet far enough away to be safe. It wasn't 10 minutes until I noticed a bobbing head of a bear about 40 yards to my right. There he was--an actual Grizzly bear-- sitting behind a bush and eating something. I had my camera so I took a couple of side shots (they didn't save to my camera :(. But I didn't know that at the time. I took a couple of "head only" shots and those turned out, but he was far enough away that you can't make it out that clearly. Amazingly I felt pretty safe and I did have my can of bear pepper spray--potent enough to handle Grizzlies. I didn't linger, but kept moving up the trail to the wonderful waterfall and even for a while beyond it. I came back down the trail and only saw the evidence of bears--droppings--that were old. No sign of my Grizzly Guy or Gal. WOW, I can hardly believe it but God gave me the chance to see one of the premiere predators in these forests in the wild and I lived to tell about it--God is so good.

Blessed in Boseman

Well I didn't think that I would have internet access BUT I was wrong so I'm going to post to the blog and keep the faithful few up to date on how things are going on Sabbatical.

God is soooo good and I'm feeling very blessed.

Marla and I arrived safely home from Orlando on Monday evening and I left for Montana Tuesday at noon.I had a long drive to Rapid City, SD where I ate supper with Everett and Sandy Nordine. It was so good to see this dear couple--they are missed in our congregation. I spent the evening with the Nordines and joined Everett for an early morning Bible Study on Wednesday. A good challenge from Ephesians 3 was given reminding us that in the midst of our trials we have the strength of Christ. Paul's prayer beginning in verse 14 is a great encouragement as he prayed for the spiritual well-being of the Ephesians. There we are reminded that it is the power of Christ in us and not our power in which we live and bring glory to God. It is very good to realize that we aren't working "for" the Lord, but working "with" the Lord.

I left Rapid City at about 8:00 a.m. Mountain time and the Lord gave me such a wonderful day for traveling--blue sky and comfortable temps. As the terrain changed from the hills of Rapid City to the upper plateau of Eastern Wyoming I saw a vast expanse of open land dotted with cattle and pronghorns. As I neared Buffalo, Wyoming I could see the front range of the Rockies--I think they are technically called the Big Horn Mountains. These majestic snow covered peaks rose above the landscape claiming everyone's attention and testifying to the majesty of our Creator. What a study in contrasts to see those rugged mountains on one side and the grassy high plains on the other. I've never been through this region in late June but I was impressed with how green everything was. Creeks and Rivers that are normally dry beds all had water running through them.
As I crossed into Montana I entered the Crow Indian Reservation and from the interstate the poverty and chaos of life was visible. One shocking thing about traveling in the west for me is to see everything. What I mean is that there are so few trees that you see everything around people's homes--trash cans, old vehicles, toys in the yard. Generally the average home is modest in size, cluttered with stuff, and not well kept. Oh, there are palatial and magnificent homes nestled in the foothills and around major cities, but the average home is a testimony to the rugged and unforgiving land of the West. My memory had escaped me with regard to what sort of land Montana was west of Billings. The interstate follows the Yellowstone river so it is in a valley with farms and ranches with mountain ranges off in the distance to the north and south. The river was swollen and the mountain tops covered with snow. At Laurel the river heads south towards Yellowstone (I'm not sure whether that is the origin or destination of the river). As I headed west I went up but not immediately into the mountains. I arrived late afternoon, got supplies (Pepper spray to fend off the bears and food for me), fueled up the car and headed south out of Boseman about 12 miles to Mountain Top Retreat Center in the foothills of the Galatin Mountain Range.

I took a hike down the road and briefly on a mountain trail and despite the fact that I've been working out I was visibly winded--that thin air you know.

Today I read Psalm 118 where the Psalmist records, "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." I spent some time reading the Word and in prayer. As I'm nearing the end of my Sabbatical time I find myself struggling with wanting to "do some more things" (i.e. read some more books, get stuff ready for the mission trip, organize my thoughts, etc.). I had to stop and say, "wait a minute." Let me slow down and ask the Lord just what He wants me to do here. Honestly, God is stirring in me a lot of things related to personal life and ministry and I feel like I need a day or two just to sort out what am I suppose to do with all that is going through my mind. So I'm praying that what God wants will be the focus of my remaining days. I want to rest and be refreshed and I want to return with some direction for myself and the ministry. In my heart I know I want to work "with" God on this.

After my time in the word and doing some other reading I headed out to the mountain trails and I found a great trail up to a mountain lake and then along a mountain stream. I decided to stop when the snow on the trail got deep enough that I was getting snow in my shoes with every step. Then I took another shorter trail to a wonderful cascading waterfall. As I was walking in the warm afternoon sun among the towering pine trees listening to the birds it was very peaceful, restful, and renewing. I thought--the God who made all of this and cares for all of his creatures indwells me, empowers me, has a plan for me--His Grace is truly Amazing.

I'm pretty tired (physically) so I'm headed off to do a bit of reading and then to bed.

Heavens declaring the Glory of God

I got up early this morning--early for being on vacation that is. Had an invigorating work out--that means it was tough for me. I'm thinking that Scott Lovin is a running machine.

Anyway, I was captivated by the clear blue sky and the early morning sun shining on the green grass, palm trees, flowering shrubs, and the pond. After the workout it was time to hit the pool. As I sat and read Scripture and prayed the sun's intensity penetrated my being. It was a relaxing and rich time of enjoying God and His creation. An occasional Gecko added variety to the visually stimulating scenery.

Met a man from Indiana staying here waiting for his daughter to play in some national AAU volleyball tourney. After I left I regretted that I had not tried to turn the conversation to Spiritual things.

Today is Father's day and it's a bit odd not to be around my children--though I'm realistic enough to know that if I was home they would all be scattered in different directions so I'll try to catch up with them when we get home.

Chewing over several truths I read from the Scripture this morning--"the mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps" (Prov.16:9), "pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a great fall" (Prov.16:18), "death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Prov.18:21), "do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit..." (Phil.2:3). "Lord, expose my pride so I can repent, guard my heart so that I speak what brings life to others and not death, and work in me to crucify the "self-life" that perpetually seeks to consider my needs, wants, and desires first.

For those following along on my Sabbatical I return home tomorrow and leave on Tuesday so there will probably be no blog postings for the next week as I will be out of internet range.

Why does the universe look old?

After a good workout I attended the next session of the conference where Dr. Albert Mohler (President of Southern Seminary) addressed the question, "Why does the universe look old?"

Basically Dr. Mohler read Genesis 1:1-2:3 and stated that a straightforward reading and understanding of the text argues convincingly for 6 literal 24 hour days in which God created things and 1 literal 24 hour day of divine rest.

He spent the rest of the time presenting alternative explanations that accommodate extended periods of time for the creation--such views as the "Day-Age" theory which say that the Hebrew word for "day" used in Genesis one doesn't refer to a literal 24 hour day, but an indeterminate length of time (usually millions of years)that overlapped. I thought Mohler did a good job of showing the pressure of our culture to abandon the long accepted view of Genesis (literal 24 hour days in Genesis). There is pressure among both intellectuals and theologians to marginalize as a cult anyone who rejects Darwinian Evolution.

Mohler showed how the Historicity of Adam and Eve is called into serious question by those theories advocating an "old earth" view. The belief is that as evolution took place pre-humans existed (homonoids). It was from among these "homonoids" that God chose Adam and Eve and imparted His image to them. The problem with this view is that it contradicts the Biblical text and must necessarily mean that there were humans that were not created in the image of God (those who lived before God chose Adam and Eve). It also contradicts the explicit statement of Scripture that Adam and Eve were the first humans. The second serious problem with the "old earth" views is that they deny the Historicity of the Fall. If evolution took place over billions of years (Scientists claim the earth is 4.5 billion and the universe is 13.5 billion years old)then there was death before Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden. The Scripture explicitly states that the death is the consequence of sin--see Genesis 3 and Romans 5.

Mohler concluded that the universe looks old 1) because God made it to look old. God created things with the appearance of age. Adam wasn't created as an infant, but fully grown, The garden had fruit bearing trees and 2) because "age" is part of the results of the fall--the whole creation is groaning.

After the conference Marla and I spent some time at the outlet mall with our friends the Lovins. We then went to one of our favorite restaurants "Sweet Tomatoes" and back to our place to sit in the sun by the pool.We are enjoying the very warm weather.

Right now it is pouring down rain. The rain comes on quickly and comes in buckets.

Tough Questions Christians Ask

The theme of the conference is dealing with tough questions that Christians either ask or have to deal with. You might want to read this blog in sections as it is rather long.

Last night there was a special activity here where we are staying. They had a group of Polynesian dancers come in and put on a show. It was a very interesting experience. What a neat glimpse of God's creativity as expressed through their music and expression. I'm fascinated by these folks and their music was joyful and their expressions artistic.

This morning R.C. Sproul dealt with two questions--"What is evil and where did it come from? Sproul opened with a shocking statement--"Evil is Nothing." He went on to state that Evil is not an independent substance, force, or power. Evil is not some self-existent reality with a life of it's own. Evil is an ACTION--something a person does to another. Evil is defined in terms of how it relates to what is good. Evil is the negative of the positive. We talk of unrighteousness, injustice, etc., which are actually the opposite of righteousness and justice. Evil is also defined in terms of lack or deficiency--sin is the lack of conformity to or a transgression of the law of God. I haven't the time or the patience to reconstruct all of what Sproul said, but he spent a great deal of time dealing with the difficult issue of the presence of evil in a world where Christians say God is good and loving as well as all powerful. The struggle is that we observe evil in the world so if God is good and loving then does the presence of evil mean that God is not powerful enough to eliminate it's presence? If God is all-powerful and able to create a universe without evil then He must not be good and loving since evil and suffering are present. Numerous theologians have sought to explain this difficult issue.

Sproul's conclusion is that "God ordained for evil to come into the world for purposes we do not yet fully understand. We see this in the story of Joseph in Genesis 45-50 and the events of 'Good Friday.'

R.C. Sproul Jr. dealt with the question--"Why do Christians Still Sin?" He believes that somehow the ongoing struggle that Christians engage in to overcome sin in their daily lives is used for God's purposes for our good and His glory. I appreciated a related question that Jr. brought up. Why do Christians seemingly not care about sin in their lives--the fact that we still sin? We tend to treat our sins way too lightly in view of God's Holiness. What should encourage us as believers is that even though as we grow in grace, in Christlikeness we become more aware of our sinfulness, yet the end (heaven) is coming when we will enjoy rest and freedom from sin.

This afternoon Alistair Begg answered the question--"Is the exclusivity of Christ Unjust?" I appreciated Begg's cogent presentation whereby he revealed the Biblical Content regarding the issue. He mentioned John 3:14-21; 7:37-ff; Acts 4:8-13. In each of these verses the exclusivity of Christ is mentioned. The Bible is clear--no way to be reconciled to the Father; to be forgiven apart from faith in Christ. Begg mentioned Jn.14:6--One Way; 1Tim.2:5--One Mediator; Acts 4:12--One Name. If we look at the Context in which Peter (Acts 4:12) made his statement it is not that foreign to the context of today--hostility towards any claim of exclusivity. In Peter's day people would have recoiled against any claim of exclusivity. Rather they would have welcomed Jesus as one of many options in the Roman pantheon (many gods). Even Judaism opposed the unique claim that Jesus was God's son. Today we are awash in moral relativism--no absolute right or wrong, everyone does what is right in his/her eyes. There is no value in our culture for seeking out objective truth, but a push towards everyone embracing his/her own subjective reality, what each person feels. That is an environment hostile to the unique truth claims of Christianity. Begg made a humorous and yet sobering observation. We live in a society enamored with things like the movie AVATAR where weird creatures plug their tails into trees and get actualized (Begg's observations and not mine as I haven't seen the movie). People accept this as something they would like, they long for a garden experience as represented in the movie. Yet these same people find it absurd to believe in Jesus of Nazareth. Finally, Begg discussed the Contact the gospel message, the uniqueness of Jesus makes with humans and our responsibility to carry that message to them. According to Begg we tend to resist proclaiming the truth of Christ's exclusivity because we fear being considered Arrogant. We should remember that the truth is not arrogant, but the truth can be presented in an arrogant way. We don't back down from the truth, but we don't present it arrogantly. Secondly, we fear being intolerant. Caution here is that we should never embrace "intellectual tolerance" whereby we abandon our beliefs to embrace another religious claims. Rather we deal graciously and respectfully with those whom we disagree. Finally, we fear that Christ is irrelevant to the needs of people. Nothing could be further from the truth. Christ is the answer. The uniqueness of Christ sets itself apart from every other religion--Incarnation, Atonement, Resurrection, are all unique to Christianity and provide the answers to the real needs. Message of the Gospel is absolutely relevant--People need the Lord.

Why did Jesus Die?

I attended the first session of the conference where John MacArthur addressed the question, "Why did Jesus Die?" Preaching from 2Corinthians 5:18-21 he showed us that Reconciliation is from God--he initiates and accomplishes it. We must understand that what we deserve is judgment, but God has made a way for humans to be at peace with God through the substitutionary (in our place) death of Christ. God placed upon Christ our sin--viewed Christ as sinful even though He is not. God treated Christ as if He were sinful so that Christ took the weight of sin upon Himself. God is just in punishing the unjust only in that Christ took on Himself the punishment sinners deserved. And God has given us the ministry of reconciliation. We are here to share with others the great and glorious news--they can be forgiven and at peace with God through the cross-work of Christ. Not only did Christ pay the price, but for every believer the righteousness of Christ has been imputed to us. As a believer I can say that when God looked at Christ on the cross he saw me. When God looks at me as a believer now he sees Christ.

The next session on "Is inerrancy defensible?" was, well, not that good actually.

Came back to the place we are staying and learned to "trifold" bath towels. I'm picking up new skills on my sabbatical. Marla likes them folded this way.

Fondu for Supper

The conference that I'm here to attend starts tomorrow so today was the last "free" day to just relax and enjoy life and God's glorious creation and fellowship with good friends.

Good workout at the fitness center and then a relaxing dip in the pool. A quick breakfast and then we were off to Clearwater Beach. It was beautiful. A gentle surf, a nice breeze and a hot sun. Didn't get roasted, just lightly toasted. The water had to be over 80 degrees. Not even a shock to the system when you walked in.

Ate at a Fondu place tonight and the cheese appetizer and chocolate desert were really good.

Read Proverbs 4:23--guard your heart with all diligence for from it are the issues of life. Good reminder to guard my heart. Needed to guard my eyes at the beach as well. I found that if I was looking up I was pretty safe :).

Conference starts tomorrow with John MacArthur Speaking twice. I will also hear R.C. Sproul and Alister Begg.

Treasure His Commands

Reading through Proverbs as part of my daily Bible reading and was impressed this morning with the emphasis in both Proverbs 2 and 3 on the significance of "Treasuring and Obeying" God's Word. Solomon declares that a focus on receiving and walking in the commands of the Lord is a key to wisdom and God's blessings. A challenge for us all to ask ourselves, " Do I truly enjoy/treasure the commands of the Lord?" Do I not only want the Lord, but walk in obedience to it. Most of us struggle to maintain consistent reading of the Word, let alone "treasuring it." Then what will it mean for us to move from reading to treasuring and from treasuring to truly obeying? I like Proverbs 2 and the emphasis in the early verses is upon longing for wisdom, desiring, crying out for it, seeking if as for treasure. I'm asking myself what it means for me to truly pursue wisdom so that I can "discern the fear of the Lord" (Proverbs 2:5).

Enjoyed a long walk around the grounds here in the heat and then cooling off in the swimming in the pool.

Relaxing this afternoon.

We have a day excursion planned for tomorrow.

Greetings from the Sunshine State

Surprise--I have internet access.

We Arrived at the Hotel about 9:30 p.m. last night in Omaha. Grabbed a bite to eat with some good friends who are traveling with us. Lights out at midnight. Wake up call at 4:00 a.m. to make the 4:30 a.m. shuttle to the airport. Flight out at 5:30 a.m. They were boarding our connecting flight in Milwaukee when we landed. By God's Grace we made our connection and arrived in Orlando as scheduled.

Good time of reading--Job is put in His place and says--"Therefore, I have declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know" (Job 42:3), praying, and more reading on the flights. Zoli's father was buried today and I was praying for that dear family. I was also remembering our Haiti team from church that was suppose to leave today. I was About to doze off when the pilot alerted us that we were making our final descent into Orlando. As we landed and deboarded the plane I couldn't help but think about how unpleasant of an experience so many adults and children were about to experience as they would make their way off to the "World Class Attractions around Orlando." The thought of wrestling young children for hours in the searing heat(97 degrees today--I'm loving it :); Marla loves it even more), gives me a sick feeling. And to think that many of those children will not remember a thing--or very little. Sorry, I'm about to cross over from reporting to editorializing.

We found our accommodations--Some generous friends are letting us stay with them. We grabbed a bite to eat, got some groceries, and it was off to the fitness center where I have just been "run into the ground" by an exercise guru whose place we are sharing. He was running fast as the wind and--now hold on to your hats"--for as long as it takes me to preach a sermon.

Tomorrow--if I can get out of bed after my running escapade--will be some R & R before the conference starts. praying this time will be refreshing to the body, mind, and soul.
Praise the Lord for good flights and good company.

Time at Home

Just wanted to say that I've been enjoying some time with the family this week. Nothing really special, but good to just be around when they are here, visit when they feel like it, and eat a few meals together with my children during the summer when two teenagers are losing the concept of "family time." The down side to all of this is the crazy hours. Why is it that teenagers only decide to talk after midnight? I use to get up early in the morning, but lately I've been going to bed early in the morning. But I realize that I need to be flexible to visit with my children whenever they are ready and not just when I'm ready.

My reading in Job has reminded me of the Lord's greatness, His sovereignty, His transcendence, His omniscience, and omnipotence. Here is something to ponder--"Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him..." (Job 36:26). There is a very real sense in which God is totally other than we are--Transcendence and Holiness are two attributes which communicate this fact. But how often do we really ponder how "totally beyond us" the Almighty is. We tend to be rather flippant, rather cavalier in our approach to God. We believe we have a right to ask God "Why?" or to try and figure out what He is up to. Job experienced great tragedy in his life and his friends took the standard position that he was being punished by God. Job defended his innocence, but in doing so he crossed the line to question the Almighty's prerogative to do as He pleases. It's really difficult for us to accept that we are not in charge.

I'm off to a conference this week to hear R.C. Sproul, Alister Begg, and a host of other godly and gifted speakers. I'm not sure what sort of internet access I'll have so I don't know when the next blog will appear. Immediately after I return I'm off and will be out of internet range for some time. This may be my last blog for about two weeks.

I'm so grateful for the prayers and support of the Congregation. I'm excited about all that our short-term mission teams are experiencing--Abide, Melanie in Zambia, Brad, the gang headed to Haiti. Some really neat things to praise God for. I'm praying for them and our team to Hungary and Ukraine and for Joel as he heads off to Poland.

I'll write more when I get a chance.

Psalm 105:3-4.

Gone Shopping...A day wasted???

No deep theological truths gripped me today, just the enjoyment of being in a relationship with the God of the Universe and trying to drink in the beauty and blessing of each and every moment.

Aside from letting my disgust at a marketing gimmick take the form of a verbal complaint, the day has been rather enjoyable. While updating her phone she we found out that she would either have to buy an accessory or pay money to have her contact information transferred to her new phone. I regret that I didn't handle my disappointment with greater tact. I didn't say any words that were inappropriate, but the tone of my voice wasn't very nice. One life lesson about the inability of man to be just in the eyes of Almighty God (Job 25:3). Yet this was only a visible manifestation of the remnants of my fallen nature that still seem to run away from living a righteous life. These glimpses of how selfish and sinful I can be move me to seek the Lord's forgiveness and cause me to rejoice greatly in His vast mercy that has been lavished upon me as one of His children.If not for the grace of God demonstrated through the shed blood of Christ we would all be toast. In fact, we deserve to experience His wrath, but Christ's pardon applied by faith frees us from getting what we deserve--Hallelujah.

Spent most of the afternoon running errands and doing a bit of shopping with my wife and youngest daughter. Those who know me appreciate the fact that shopping is not my thing--hunting, yes, shopping--NO. Some might even think that I would look at the afternoon and say--"An afternoon wasted." NOT SO! I enjoyed spending the time with my wife and youngest daughter. Typically I'm prone to endure these activities so that we can get on to the "important stuff of life." God is teaching me (I'm learning slowly which is all my fault and not God's) to treasure these moments, to enjoy Him in them and to learn to make the most of them. May the Lord work in each of us to never take moments for granted, but to enjoy them and to worship Him in every situation.

God is In Control

In that age old conflict between Job and his friends they go back and forth--the friends accusing Job of wickedness and Job maintaining his innocence. In Chapter 23 Job makes one of many profound statements in the book--"For He performs what is appointed for me. And many such decrees are with Him. Therefore, I would be dismayed at His presence; When I consider, I am terrified of Him" (vss.14-15). After he has lost everything, suffered immeasurably, endured the biting criticism of his friends, and been prone to demand an audience with God to defend himself we find Job articulating some profound theology. God is in Control, absolutely sovereign over everything that happens in our lives. This is not too difficult to say (though we are prone to forget it) when things are going well--good commodity prices, our job is going well, no major conflicts in the family, our children are staying out of trouble, we are in good health, the stock market is strong, and life is generally good. But throw in some adversity (in Job's case some serious adversity) and our commitment to the truth that "He performs what is appointed for me..." may waiver. Are we seriously able to truthfully proclaim that even the most difficult adversity is from the hand of God?

We have some dear ministry partners--nationals from another country--doing church planting in a difficult ministry. At the funeral of the wife's father, which was taking place yesterday, the husband's father fell over short of breath and died. Sorrow upon Sorrow. Excruciating pain compounded, multiplied, increased seemingly beyond hope. Yet faith calls us to be sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. It calls us to trust that God is indeed Good and Great. He really does know what He is doing--"When we don't understand and we can't trace His hand, trust His heart." Those words sound nice and even right when life is not so tough, but only by God's Amazing Grace will they not sound hollow and empty when we face tragedy. God really is working for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

I just pray that I will draw upon His grace and strength to bring Him glory in the face of difficulty, tragedy, and adversity. I think of Paul's words in Philippians 1:20--"...according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I may not be put to shame in anything; but Christ may now, even as always, be exalted in my body whether in life or in death."

Some thoughts on Prayer

The Lord has been showing me in a fresh way the importance of prayer motivated primarily by His magnificence--He is worthy to be sought. He has also been revealing to me in a fresh way that I am needy and that is another very good reason to pray. This morning as I was ready Psalm 5 I was encouraged by verse 3--"In the morning O Lord, You will hear my voice. In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch." The Psalmist was feeling the press of his enemies--he was acutely aware of his neediness and so he turned to the Lord who is worthy to be sought and able to save. Not that the Lord only hears prayers offered in the morning, but it seems that prayer was one of the first things the Psalmist did as he got up in the morning. A wonderful picture of dependence. I wonder what it is like for most of us in the morning. If we are not being pressed in by enemies do we arise with an acute awareness that we are NEEDY? Do we rise up with a gripping sense that God is WORTHY? The amazing thing is that whether or not we realize our Need and His Worth both are absolutely true. I'm absolutely unable in my own power to lead the congregation I serve, to love my wife as God calls me to, to parent our children with grace and wisdom, to make wise decisions, to impact others for the kingdom, to be conformed to His image, or to do anything of consequence for the Lord apart from His powerful and gracious work in my life. Paul reminds us, "Not that we are adequate in and of ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is in Christ" (Col.3:5). How utterly arrogant for any of us to begin the day except with prayer, with a humbling of ourselves seeking God's grace and power to live each day for Him. Then there is the fact that God is worthy--whether any of us is conscious of that fact or not. Whenever we are given a glimpse of God in His Heavenly Glory (Ezekiel 1, 10; Revelation 4,5)the posture and proclamation of the angelic beings in His presence is instructive--They are hiding their faces and declaring His praises. Pondering all of these things makes Psalm 5:3 come alive to me, it becomes my desire to come to the Lord in the morning and pray and then "eagerly watch" for Him to work. One of the prayers that the Psalmist offered early in the morning is recorded in verse 8--"O Lord, lead me in Your righteousness because of my foes; Make Your way straight before me." Now there is a powerful prayer for any believer to bring to the throne of Grace. I want to be lead in His righteousness. As opposition mounts I want to walk in His ways because it is so easy to default into wickedness. I want the Lord to "make His way straight before me." It seems reasonable to me that every Child of God wants to know clearly the direction God is steering us--How to respond to those in opposition, what ministries to be involved with, how to discipline the children, what business decisions will honor Him. Let us order our prayers to Him in the morning and "eagerly watch."

Have a Blessed Day

So What does a guy do on Sabbatical Anyway?

I'm back--back to a place where I can connect to the internet that is. It's been a while since I last made an entry, but that has been intentional. For those who may be interested I was in Chicago May 17-21st at a Pastor's conference at Moody Bible Institute. A few of my previous blogs were written while I was there. Since returning I've been to the state track meet in Des Moines, attended graduation parties for several graduates May 23 and then spent the week of May 24-28th "hold up" at "The Ranch"--an undisclosed location owned by a gracious couple in the church where I was able to get far enough away to be unplugged from responsibilities so that I could get "plugged in" to the Lord. It was a great week of reading, praying, thinking. I spent most of the week working through a book that compared ministry to flying a plane--"Defying Gravity." The author discussed nine instrument "gauges" in ministry that need to be carefully watched if pastors/church leaders are to keep from crashing. For me the issues of Spiritual Intimacy--importance of keeping my walk with God fresh and growing--Biblical Identity--basing my true identity on what never changes (i.e. who I truly am in Christ), and Eternal Significance--living to please God and not men spoke deeply to my heart.

Memorial day weekend was spent with my parents on the farm near Earlham. One of the difficult realities of ministry is that you just never get a weekend with your family unless you are on vacation. So it was a real treat for us to pack up on Saturday and not return until Monday night(rather late I might add). I was able to play more golf in this weekend than I've played in the last two years. Indeed, a test of my "spiritual intimacy" as lack of practice was very evident. I played one of the worst rounds of golf in my entire life. This was not only humbling, but a time of soul searching as I realized afresh just how desperately I tend to look for significance in what I can do, in how I perform. It was a time to cling to Colossians 2:9--"In Him dwells all the fulness of the God head in bodily form and you are complete in Him." That same afternoon our threesome--My dad, myself, and my son Tyler--headed back to the course. Amazing thing happened. I nearly beat my father (which is a feat worth writing home about). All I know is that I was "putting for par" on more than a few holes. Unfortunately I missed most of the putts. But I was thrilled just to play at peace and to actually do well. The weather was absolutely gorgeous--God is soooo good.

I just returned from four days at a pastoral retreat cabin south of Webster City. My mind is boiling and my spirit is at peace. I've been reading a book about the importance of corporate prayer that has me praying about what the next step is. For a few years now I've been wrestling with the belief that ministry in America and in the church I serve in particular is too routine, too calculated, too controlled by us. The author likens our approach to ministry to driving a friends car around back and parking it--no big deal. We can handle it. But what if that friend asked us to fly his 747 from Des Moines to Dallas for him. We'd realize we were in over our head. Yet ministry, even life is actually way beyond our ability. We truly need the Lord in Everything. We give lip service to the truth of John 15:5 "...apart from Me you can do nothing." But we operate as if we don't need the Lord for anything. Our lack of prayer is actually our declaration of independence. We all know we are suppose to pray in private, but we've done a poor job of discipling people in the area of prayer. We tend to forget that most of the New Testament was written to groups of believers who were gathered together to hear it read out loud. Many of the instructions on prayer were given to the group. We need both group and individual prayer. I'm realizing afresh that we go to God in prayer to express our dependence, to enjoy His presence, and to ponder His magnificence.

I've enjoyed reading R.C. Sproul's "The Holiness of God." Sproul is a heady guy with keen insight, but despite his occasional side bars into intellectual obtuseness this work has really challenged me to think again about the awesome Holiness of God, about His absolute perfection, His utter transcendence, and My abject wickedness in light of His Holiness. It is a meaningful, interesting treatise on a subject of grand importance for every believer. He wonderfully describes God's justice and how that alone is what we deserve and yet we find ourselves offended/shocked when we read in the O.T. that God struck Uzzah dead for touching the ark of God or that Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead in Acts 5. What's amazing is not that God executes His justice in the Bible but that he does so sparingly. In fact, He is soooo merciful that when we encounter justice we come to believe that we deserve grace--think about that one for a moment. If it is true, and I think that it is, that what one thinks about God is the most important thing about him/her, then this book certainly helps us think rightly about the Almighty. What a glorious thought that in spite of our absolute depravity God in His infinite mercy placed upon His perfect Son our guilt, sin, shame, and therefore was bound to pour out wrath we deserved upon the one who stood in our place. Because God's wrath fell upon Christ those who trust Him are not only forgiven but actually clothed with His righteousness. A glimpse at God's Holiness is essential if we are to grasp fully the marvel of our own salvation.

I'm also finishing a practical ministry book called "Simple Church" that argues for simplicity and continuity in our ministry programming. Some very thought provoking ideas about making ministry more simple, more understandable. It's really all about making disciples, about providing opportunities to help people become "conformed to the image of Christ", to be "transformed by the renewing of our minds". So what is our process of making disciples? What are we all about as a church? What are we doing to help move people along in their quest for transformation? Is that process simple? Is it understandable? Is it easy to communicate? Does everyone know where we are trying to go? Do people understand what the next step is in the process? I recoil a bit as it makes transformation so "linear" and rational. Making disciples is not quite that simple, but I think there are some insightful ideas here to make the process more simple and fruitful.

Other than that I've been walking everyday or riding my bicycle (finding muscles and tendons I forgot that I had).

Psalm 2--"Worship the Lord in Reverence, rejoice with trembling.

Blessings