Come to the Wilderness

Are you like me? Somewhere along the path of faith did you come to think of the wilderness as a place of spiritual dryness? a place to be avoided? a place of hunger and thirst? Through this morning’s service, I am coming to a new understanding of the wilderness.

The sermon this morning was from Mark 6:30-44, The Feeding of the 5000. The disciples have just returned from a time of ministry, and Jesus invites them to, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” [Mark 6:31] Jesus invites them into the wilderness to rest. Wait - the wilderness? How can the wilderness provide them with rest? But it is there in the wilderness that Jesus fills their minds and hearts with teaching for most of the day. He provides the spiritual food they need. He restores their souls.

Then Jesus provides the disciples, along with all the others who have come to hear Him, the physical food they need to sustain them. Jesus invites them to sit on the green grass and eat. He breaks bread with them and for them, a foreshadowing of a meal yet to come. The disciples and the 5000 men are fed. They eat until they are satisfied. And after they are satisfied, the baskets overflow.

So many lessons are revealed in this account. But the one that hit me so hard today is that it is Jesus Himself who calls us into the wilderness. The wilderness need not be feared but can be entered boldly because we do not go into the wilderness alone. Jesus is there with us. He invites into a place that is desolate so that we will know beyond all shadow of a doubt that it is He alone who provides for us. The wilderness cannot meet our needs. But Jesus can. In the wilderness, Jesus fills us. He fills us until we are satisfied. And He satisfies us with Himself. 

Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Christmas 2011 is now past. The hurry, the scurry, the busyness has come and gone. There settles over the house a contentment, a calm which contrasts to the last few weeks. I enjoy this week between Christmas and New Year’s – it is a time to slow down, to rest, to think and reflect.

During the holidays, I was drawn to this quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer. God kept dropping it in my path.

Advent is a time of waiting. Our whole life, however, is Advent--that is, a time of waiting for the ultimate, for the time when there will be a new heaven and a new earth, when all people are brothers and sisters and one rejoices in the words of the angels: “On earth peace to those on whom God's favor rests.” Learn to wait, because He has promised to come. "I stand at the door..." We however call to him: "Yes, come soon, Lord Jesus!"

When Christ does return, we shall finally live in the world that we dream about, that we hope for each Christmas season: one in which love reigns, hopes are realized, people treasure one another.

And God will once again dwell with us.

“He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, the God Himself shall be among them.”

Though Christmas is over, we can still sing “Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”

Easter Eve

As I reflect on Easter, my thoughts wander to what this weekend was like for Jesus' friends and family. They do not know that they are in the darkest hour of the universe's history. They do not know (as we now know) that death is about to be defeated. For now, for them, nothing is right.

They are living with the raw pain of grief. It was only yesterday that the Lord had died. Life has suddenly stopped. They cannot eat; they cannot sleep. They feel as if their hearts are breaking in two. At times it is hard to breathe. How can these things be? Exhaustion fills their souls.

Just as the pain seizes their hearts, questions flood their minds. Why did He have to die? Pilate said he could not find any guilt in Him. And then why did He have to die as a common criminal? And upon a cross? He did no wrong. Yet the crowd was so insistent: crucify Him, crucify Him. And now He is dead. He was the Messiah. But He lies dead.

It is hard to do anything. Nothing seems to matter anymore. The Master and Lord is gone. What now? Their days have been filled with following the Lord. What do they do now? Where do they go? And then another wave of grief sweeps over them. This day feels just as dark as those three hours of darkness when the Lord hung on the cross.

It is hard to leave the story here. I want to rush on to Easter morning. Yet for them, their Saturday was filled with the pain of the Lord's death.

Amazingly their pain was shared by another, by one who understood the depths of their heartache: their Heavenly Father. The Father had to turn His face away from His beloved Son - for He bore my sin as He hung upon the cross.

Following Jesus - part 2

After posting yesterday about my desire to follow Jesus, I, of course, receive a severe blow today. ...Breathe deeply; eyes stay fixed on Him... What takes me by surprise and knocks the breathe out of me comes as no surprise to Him. In fact, He had to grant permission for it even to cross my path. I will choose to follow my thoughts of yesterday: I am just going to keep following Him. I will not look to the cliff on the left; I will not look at the dragons on the right. I will keep my eyes on Him. I will allow Him to fight the battle. I will follow where He leads - even through this valley. His invitation still reads, "Follow Me."

Following Jesus

I want to live in a way that is best described by Jesus' statement to his disciples, "Follow Me." I want to follow Jesus throughout my day - in the ordinary aspects, in the surprises, in the curve balls. I want to follow Jesus in my relationships - with my family, with my friends, with my coworkers. I want to follow Jesus as I work, and rest, and play. If I am following Jesus, I don't have to worry about where I am headed; I just need to follow the One in front of me. If I am following Jesus, I don't have to determine the way out of difficulties; I just need to follow the One who guides me. If I am following Jesus, I don't have to know the future; I just have to follow the One who holds it. Following Jesus makes life simpler. It provides great security. It allows me to live each moment, treasure each relationship, knowing that He who is faithful is holding all things together. Thank you, Jesus.

Made for Another World

C. S. Lewis' well-known quote from Mere Christianity resonates within me:

If I find in myself a desire which no experience in the world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.

I find that I keep looking to this life for things that satisfy. I've tried before; I came up empty. But for some inexplicable reason I try again. But still the so-called pleasures of this world fail to quench the thirst deep within my soul. Thank Heaven they do not! For the dissatisfaction and the disappointment thrusts me to God. And there, as I breathe deep of His love, and of His grace, I find the promise of what is to come. I know that all will be well. And I strain forward, anxiously awaiting that world for which I was made.

Trusting in Him

In Paul Tripp's book Broken-Down House he has an insightful passage about God's sovereignty and our desire to understand what is going on in our lives. Though the following passage is lengthy, I believe it is worth quoting.

God's sovereignty will inevitably take you where you did not intend to go. He will bless you with things you could not possibly have earned or achieved. But God will also choose for you to go through things that are difficult, and to endure things that are painful. In those moments - some of which may stretch into quite lengthy seasons - you will be tempted to question his wisdom, or his love, or both...

To question the love of him who died for us is a testimony to our own frailty. To question the wisdom of the One in whom all things hold together is a testimony to our own foolishness...

It is not a sin to desire to understand. Your rationality is a gift of your Creator. Your ability to reason, analyze, interpret, organize, and explain is one of the things that sets you apart from the rest of creation. You should endeavor to know everything you can about God, his character, and his plan for the world and the people he has placed in it. Yet you cannot allow the analytical power of your mind to be the source of your hope, confidence, and continuance.

This is why real rest and peace is not found in knowing and understanding. It is only found in trust. Only when you have a quiet confidence in the Lord behind the plan and have come to know his love, wisdom, power, and grace, will you be able to rest in hope - even when you do not understand what God is doing in a particular moment in your life." p 57-58.

All too often I desire for God to explain to me why I am going through a difficulty. Tripp reminds me that I am not called to rest in understanding - but to rest in Him alone. No wonder Jesus calls us to childlike faith - to trust in our Heavenly Father who is at work, exercising His sovereign plan. God, grant me that childlike faith and trust in You.

One Eye on Heaven

I know of no other way to live this life except by keeping one eye on Heaven. Even in the best of times, deep inside I feel a dull ache for something more. Some days, life's frailty causes me to cast a longing eye toward Heaven. And then there are days when man's sin thunders so loud that I scream for Heaven NOW. I want an end to the misery of sin. I want God's kingdom to reign on earth NOW.

Yet God waits. He continues to work out His perfect will. The events of life that surprise me are no surprise to Him. God, who knows the beginning from the end, patiently listens to me and remains steadfast in accomplishing in purposes in my life as well as in the lives of those around me. I am glad that He takes counsel with Himself and not with me.

One day we shall see His visible Kingdom on earth. Meanwhile I pray "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven."

As with many of you, I have struggled these last two weeks to comprehend all that those in Haiti are enduring. So much heart ache...so much destruction...so much death. And I wonder - is there anything I can do? Is there any way to help? I wonder how will they rebuild their houses, their communities, their lives?

There is some good news - stories of those who have been rescued, stories of buildings that were not crushed, stories of volunteers who have gone to help.

But I am also waiting to hear the news of others. Two weeks is a long time in all that rubble. Is it even possible to survive? Yet even today someone was pulled out alive. So hope remains. Yet fears continue. And in the midst of the waiting, daily life goes on.

It seems that in times of tragedy we should somehow be exempt from daily life. I need to teach about antecedents right now? Really? What does it matter? What matters is that all that concrete is lifted off the people. What matters is that families receive back their loved ones.

But I am here, and today I must carry on with the responsibilities I have. But I must send my prayers there. I can pray for strength for the rescue workers, fortitude for those who are trapped, hope for the families who wait.

I will pray, I will watch, and I will wait.

Foundational Truths

I wanted to share my thoughts on my question "what is the most foundational truth for the Christian to know and believe after he/she believes the Gospel?" I am torn between two answers. My first thought is the fact that God loves us more than we can imagine and that all He does flows out of His deep, abiding love for us. We can deal with a lot of pain, a lot of injustice, a lot of suffering if we know that we are lovingly held in the palm of His hand.

But I've also been considering another truth - that God is fitting us for eternal life with Him. Nothing happens to us without that plan in mind. Nothing that happens is accidental. Nothing is inconsequential - all is happening with the goal to make us ready for Heaven. Can you imagine a better future? We can endure all things now because this life will soon be over, and we will forever be with our God.

I think the primary thing in our walk of faith is to keep our eyes on Jesus. If our eyes are on Him, then we will see His immense love as demonstrated on the cross of Calvary. If our eyes are on Him, then we will not be consumed by our circumstances, whether good or bad. If our eyes are on Him, then whether we are here on this earth, or in Heaven, we are with the Lord and can enjoy Him.

Foundation Blocks

I have been mulling over the essential truths of Christianity. I am interested to know what you think.

What is the most foundational truth for the Christian to know and believe after he/she believes the Gospel? What one thing do we need to understand as we walk by faith, waiting for the Lord's return?

I shall post my own thoughts in a few weeks. I welcome your thoughts.

He Is Risen Indeed!

I am still reflecting on Easter. The words of a hymn that we sang Sunday morning keep running through my mind:

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain.
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
sin's curse has lost its grip on me.
For I am His and He is mine,
bought with the precious blood of Christ.
from In Christ Alone

I find it interesting that the glorious moment when Christ was raised from the dead was not witnessed by any man. God was quite content for the resurrection to take place quietly as the sun also rose. Man, who is redeemed by this great event, lies sleeping - unaware of the cosmic victory that was won. God promised a redeemer when man fell in the Garden, and now, that redemption is made sure and certain.

Hallelujah, the victory is won. Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed!

Good Friday

We call it Good Friday. And since it is when Jesus died for our sins, it is a very Good Friday.

But it wasn't good for those who actually lived through the events. Can you imagine what this day was like for them?

As Jesus suffered, His mother Mary stood faithfully beside Him watching these events unfold. She witnessed the treatment He received from the Roman soldiers; she saw them nail the spikes into His hands and feet; she saw them raise the cross and slam it into its hole in the ground. She saw her son take His last earthly breath. On that Friday she experienced what Simeon the prophet had foretold many years before: "a sword will pierce your own soul." [Luke 2:35] That Good Friday her soul was pierced.

This day was not a Good Friday for the disciples either. One of their trusted friends, a comrade they had shared life with, turned into a betrayer. Consequently, Jesus was ripped from them. Fear gripped their hearts. Peter pledged to stand with Jesus no matter what happened. But within a few hours, he denied that he even knew the Lord. And the rest of the disciples? Most of them had already fled the scene by the time Peter denied Jesus.

And on that Good Friday, Jesus suffered. He suffered at the hands of the Jews; He suffered in the hands of the Romans. He prayed that if it be the will of the Father that this cup would pass from Him. But it was the will of the Father for Him to bear the shame, the mocking, the beatings, the desertions. And beyond all understanding it was the will of the Father to turn His back on His holy, beloved Son as the sin of the world was cast upon Him.

Therefore Jesus cried,
“My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”

I can still hear that cry echoing through the pages of time. The holy, beloved Son was alone, separated from His Abba, Father as He bore my sin.

..."why have you forsaken me?”




How can it be that you and I are the answer to that question?

"The Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen." [Galatians 1:4] Amen and amen!

It is Good Friday.

When (Since) Life is Hard

Reflections for my friend:

“Thou hast taken account of my wanderings;
Put my tears in Thy bottle;
Are they not in Thy book?
Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call;
This I know, that God is for me.” Psalm 56:8-11

He, the Creator of all worlds,
He, the Alpha and the Omega,
He, the Master of the universe…

…takes into account my wanderings?
…captures my tears and puts them in His bottle?
…He – is for me?

I am overwhelmed by these thoughts. God sees my wanderings through this life. I do not wander alone; nor do I wander out of His sight. Not only does He see my journeys, He takes them into account – He notes them, recognizes them, understands them. He remembers them as He interacts with me.

God also sees the pain that I struggle with. He doesn’t just observe my tears, He collects them. My tears do not flow unheeded or without response. God gathers them and stores them in His own bottle; they are valued by Him.

Why does God care about my wanderings and tears? Why does He take the time to relate to me on this level? It is hard to comprehend.

But David goes even further in this Psalm. David boldly declares, “God is for me.”

God is for me.

O, God, grant that I may know – deep within my soul – that You are for me!

In another passage, David is reflecting on similar truths: God knows when he sits down, when he rises up, what he is thinking, what he speaking. God knows it all.

The truth is that God knows all about me. God knows all of me, yet He still loves me. And He still is for me. I exclaim, as David did, when reflecting on these thoughts, “Such knowledge is to wonderful for me: It is too high, I cannot attain to it.” Psalm 139:6

Incredible.

More Musings on Heaven

I am still thinking about how meditating on Heaven enables us to live well now.

In Mere Christianity C.S. Lewis says,
If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did the most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. The apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English evangelicals who abolished the slave trade, all left their mark on earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. [p. 118]

A contemporary person who lived with Heaven in view was Nate Saint, one of the five missionaries who sought to befriend and evangelize a savage Ecuadorian tribe. The movie The End of the Spear (2006) tells the story of these missionaries and their families who reach out to this tribe.

There is a particularly poignant scene between Nate and his son Steve right before they go to meet the Waodanis. Steve is anxious about his father going to met them. Fearing that the Indians might try to kill the missionaries, he asks his dad, "Will you defend yourself? Will you use your guns?

Nate replied, "No. We can't shoot the Waodanis. They are not ready for Heaven. We are."

Nate and the other four missionaries meet their Lord that day. But through their efforts and the efforts of their families, the Waodanis did hear and respond to the gospel. Now, they, too, are ready for Heaven.

I regret that my internal dialogue when I was hearing the movie for the first time was, “of course, we will defend ourselves.” I was more concerned about my personal safety than the eternal souls of the Waodanis. It is good that it was Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, and Pete Fleming who went out to meet the Waodanis that day. May my own faith grow until my thoughts of Heaven make me of the same earthly good.

Eyes on Heaven

As I have been looking at verses on Heaven, I see that it is our orientation toward Heaven that enables us to live well now. When our eyes are fixed on earthly things, we become consumed by what we have, what we need, what we think will bring us pleasure.

Paul contrasts living with our eyes set upon earthly things with living with our eyes set upon Heaven:

Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us [living for the Kingdom].

For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.

[But] our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. [Phil. 3:17-20]

The writer of Hebrews lists for us the deeds of believing men and women that do not make sense if those deeds are measured against earthly wisdom.

But these men and women chose to live by faith – by the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. [Heb. 11:1] They confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth and that they desired a better country, that is a heavenly one. [Heb 11:13, 16]

Living with Heaven in view, they were able to live fearlessly upon earth. They could set aside the distractions of the world. They no longer lived for themselves or sought after their own personal interests. They could empty themselves and be poured out for the faith and welfare of others.

When we live with Heaven in view, the problems we have today are brought into focus.
- We can endure hardships - for with Heaven in view, we see they only last a short while.
- We can take courage in difficult situations - for with Heaven in view, we know they will eventually be resolved.
- We can set aside our own desires - for with Heaven in view, we find the grace needed to live for others rather than for ourselves.

May I keep my eyes on Heaven so that I may live well while on earth.

Made for Eternity

"To be made for eternity and forced to dwell in time is for mankind a tragedy of huge proportions. All within us cries for life and permanence, and everything around us reminds us of mortality and change. Yet that God has made us of the stuff of eternity is both a glory and a prophecy, a glory yet to be realized and a prophecy yet to be fulfilled." - A. W. Tozer

I was glad to find this quote. It reassured me that maybe I am not crazy. Sometimes I feel at odds with this world and all the busy activity going on around me. There are times I get this deep, unexplained, unbidden longing coming from some hidden place within me that cries for real life, true life. I grow weary of carrying the shackles of sin, of time, of place. I want to roam free. My spirit seems to know that I was created for something more. As Tozer says, we are created for eternity. And in that eternity dwells our God and Savior. Come quickly, Lord Jesus, that we might finally be all we were created to be and that we might see Him Who has always been and always will be. Maranatha.

Time Is Moving On

It is December - I cannot believe how quickly the calendar months fly by. I still wonder about God's perspective on time. He made the days, the months, and the seasons, and He determined their lengths. So why do I always feel that some time periods are much too short; others are much too long? Where/what do I misunderstand about God's timing? I pray that while I am still on this earth, I will begin to live in rhythm to the time and seasons that God gives to us. I want to enjoy each day on its own merit, to be glad for each new season, to embrace each coming year with eagerness and expectation. May God grant me His eyes to see my days from His perspective.

Seeing the Hand of God

I want to occupy my days watching for the hand of God. This isn't quite as lofty as it sounds, for God goes before me and behind me. He is in all I do. If I look, I can see His hand as I rise from my sleep. He gives me the nighttime to restore my mind and body; He also gives me the gift of a new day. If I stop to think as I sip my coffee, I can delight in the plants He created which provide my food and drink. As I dress, I am reminded of His abundant provision for me. The food I eat, the work I do, the conversations I have - all are from His hand.

When I stop and think of the small aspects of life that make up my day, I see His involvement in all of it. I want to be aware of Him as I carry on with my daily responsibilities. While God may reveal Himself and teach us through significant events, I don't want to miss Him in the ordinary, common moments of life.

The New Year

January 1 -

To me the beginning of a new year feels like waking up early in the morning to discover that it has snowed during the night. As of yet, there are no footprints through the snow. The surface is smooth and glistening. The white blanket of snow covers the imperfections in the landscape. It muffles the early morning noises. All is calm; all is quiet. What to do? make an angel in the snow...a snowman...a snow cave? or stay inside, sipping my first cup of coffee, watching the birds fly from treetop to treetop? The beauty inspires me. My mind begins to dream - a good way to begin a new year.