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.