 Wedding Practice
We usually think of wedding practice as something you do before the ceremony. But maybe we should think about marriages from the perspective that we are always seeking to improve. A physician or an attorney is said to be practicing their field, not before they enter the occupation, but while they are engaged in the work. In the same way, we, as fallen and sinful people, must be practicing at being better spouses and having better marriages. Maybe you are thinking, “How do we have better marriages?” Well, first let me tell you that affection alone is not enough. What we need is real love that causes us to do the hard things. In the world of real estate the answer is “location, location, location” in the realm of Biblical interpretation or reading comprehension the rule is “context, context, context” and after counseling many couples and a couple of decades of wedded bliss I can tell you that in marriage and relationships the issue is “communication, communication, communication.” Communication is built on two key components. The first key is that content must be expressed. If no message is being sent, then no genuine communication can happen. For us to have better communication, especially in our homes and marriages, we must focus on expressing ourselves clearly and coherently. The other necessary aspect of communication is receiving the message that has been sent. This means practicing good listening skills. If we desire to have more harmonious homes and deeper relationships, then we must listen with the attention and intention to know what was actually said. Sadly miscommunication is at the core of so much hardship and heart ache in many homes and marriages. Using our good communication skills we then must have the confidence and the vulnerability to talk about every portion of our lives. We must communicate to our spouse about our fears, our dreams, and our priorities. A marriage is not a joint venture or a mere partnership but a covenantal unity that cannot be undone or dissolved. In the first marriage in the garden of Eden, Adam said she is my bone and my flesh (Genesis 2:18-24). Also God Himself pronounced them one flesh and the Lord Jesus said that what God has joined let man not separate (Matthew 19:6). But why should we work so hard to have strong marriages? Let me give you three reasons. First, God has given you a precious gift in your relationship with your spouse. Imagine that you were given a delicious pie as a gift from your grandmother. You decide that you aren’t really hungry now so you will save it for later. But you end up simply leaving it in the fridge till it is spoiled and must be thrown out. You received the gift but you didn’t really enjoy the blessing. The Lord has given you a gift but you must enjoy it! Secondly, to not give effort and intention to your covenant relationship is to rob others. Certainly when we do not seek to have God honoring Biblical marriages we are robbing the people in our community, especially our in church, of the testimony that a godly marriage brings. Even more so we are depriving our extended family and especially our children of the blessing of a godly marriage. But most of all we are stealing the covenantal blessings that God gives in marriage from our spouse with whom we have unitied our lives. Finally, we should seek to have strong Biblical marriages for God’s glory. In Ephesians 5, Paul is clear that earthly marriages are a reflection of the relationship between Jesus and His bride, the church. Men we must love our wives sacrificially just as Christ does the church. Wives, you must respect and honor your husband, rightly reflecting the beauty of the church. Christ loves His bride! Jesus gave Himself up to save the church and to make the holy and pure. Let us not fall into the cheap frivolous view of marriage promoted by our culture but rather honor marriage as what it really is the greatest typological picture of the gospel. Let me urge you that if you are far from Christ, He is ready to welcome you when you come to Him with humble repentant faith. He will give you full salvation, sanctification, and ultimately glorification forever!
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 Valentine
I was looking back over the posts from previous years and it seems that I have not really written anything themed around the Valentine holiday. I must admit that I am not really all that well educated on the origins of the day that we set aside to celebrate romance and love. However, the true love story is a fundamental tale deep in the heart of all people and cultures. The reason it is so common and shared among all people is because the Lord has written it into His glorious redemption story. Wedding Bells Remember that the first human relationship fashioned and facilitated by God ever was a wedding between the man and the woman (Genesis 2:15-24). God brought the woman to the man as the father escorting his daughter to her groom. The Lord also presided over the establishment of the covenantal bonds. Here in the perfect environment of the Edenic garden, the Lord placed the perfect couple in perfect purity and innocence. In some sense, all our love stories are trying to recapture the reality of the gift of pure love that God had given to mankind when no hint or tint of sin had crept in to defile and deform His precious gift. Think about the way that even our modern western marriage traditions reflect this modeling. The purity of the bride dressed in white gown. The fruitful fertile garden is represented in the floral bouquet. Even naming is represented when the woman takes on the name of her husband. All of these practices may seem to many like old fashioned and meaningless traditions. Certainly they are old but they are not meaningless as they harken back to the beauty of God’s original masterpiece. Arranged Marriages We live in a very emotional and maybe sentimental age. Our concepts of personal autonomy and entitlement cause us to be very arrogant and selfish. This being the case, we tend to think that truest and purest relationships must be the ones with the most freedom. We see this illustrated in many ways in our society. A couple of examples would include that in most of our stories we see so much premarital promiscuity. This is so common in modern stories that most people, even Christians, don’t even notice it. A second example would be the prevalence of pornography in our society. I don’t want to dwell on this point, but much of this is about a person's desire for sexual options that they do not have in real life or physical attention that they are not receiving in real life. All of the above noted realities would make most recoil at the idea of arranged marriages. Now, I am not going to argue here for arranged marriages, but I do want to point out that the three most important marriages ever were arranged marriages. The first one is the one noted above from Genesis 2. Adam and Eve had an arranged marriage. God purposely formed Eve for the forming of this marriage and ultimately through them all other marriages. The second and most important arranged marriage ever is that of Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:22-33). Remember that Jesus said that everyone who comes to Him was given to Him by the Father (John 6:37). The doctrine of election is the arrangement of the marriage between Jesus and His bride, the church. The last marriage I would point to is yours. You see, if you are in a biblically legitimate marriage, then that is the marriage to which God’s providence has brought you. I am not minimizing nor excusing sin or suffering. But if God is in control, and He is, then He ordained your marriage. He arranged it. Why? He did it because He has a good intention for you in this marriage. I, of course, can’t tell you what that is. But it is. He also has brought you as a believer to this marriage for the display of love and sacrifice to His church, because all Christian marriages are meant to do that. Finally, your marriage exists for God’s ultimate glory!  Envy
So many of the problems that we face today in our world stem from greed and pride. We have expectations about how we deserve to be treated. I believe that this sense of justice comes from the fact that we know that we bear God’s image even in our fallen state, and that image bearers should be treated appropriately for the Lord’s sake. The problem is that, since we are fallen, we have abdicated and abandoned the state of righteousness that deserves favorable treatment. In our current sinful condition humanity deserves justice. But we envy those who are receiving something we want or who we think deserve less than us. This sinful attitude does great harm to our relationships with others as we feel mistreated and abused. Even worse, this has destroyed our relationship with God because, even if we would not say it this way, the only one who we could be blaming for our wrongful mistreatment is God Himself. Of course, God is not at fault, but that is what we are implying when our desire gives birth to sin (James 1:12-15). Brotherly Rivalry We see many occasions in the scripture that teach us about this kind of envious sin. One example is in the account of Joseph and his brothers in Genesis 37. My intention is not to exegete this entire passage here but only to make a couple of relevant points. First, the brothers are predisposed to envy by Jacob’s blatant favoritism. The Bible has much to say about the sin of partiality (Leviticus 19:15; James 2:1-13). It is not true that we owe everyone the same affection regardless of the state of the relationship. And Israel was within his rights as a father to give to one son and not give to all. But it is clear in the text that Jacob was favoring Joseph with a kind of implicit disregard for the other sons. I am not making an excuse for them, only desiring to deal fairly with the account. The brothers are next driven to great anger by Joseph’s disclosure of his prophetic dreams. I think that many of us assume something that the text doesn’t say. Often when I read this I think that I read Joseph as having a smug or arrogant tone. But I don’t think the text supports this analysis. Instead upon careful reading it seems that Joseph is simply reporting dreams that he believes are or could be from the Lord. But as we often do with news we don’t like, the brothers take out their displeasure on the messenger. The point is that the men who were destined to be the headwaters of the individual tribes of Israel succumbed to violent and heartless sinning against their own brother because of their pride and envy. Jacob was plunged into great grief and despair. Ultimately, they were not immediately served by their treacherous sin. If God had not sovereignly appointed Joseph to this saving ministry then they would have perished in the coming famine. Humble Homes Under the affliction of the severe famine that God brought on the world in those days the patriarchs were humbled into seeking relief in the wealth of Egypt. But in God’s glorious providence they not only found food but also that God delivered Joseph and established him as leader over the affairs of Egypt. It was Yahweh’s provision and not simply Egyptian wealth that saved the Hebrew people. As the brothers came in necessary humility to the feet of Joseph, just as he had dreamed, it was not Joseph who was exalted but Yahweh who was vindicated in fulfillment of His great and powerful promises (Genesis 42-45).  Extremes
Last week, we experienced what was for us here in north central Arkansas, extremely cold weather. But, this week the temperatures have risen and the rain has fallen. The combination of the thawing ground and the saturating rainfall have caused our soil to become a muddy mess. Of course some projects (construction, etc) are impossible with these circumstances. And some others (tending livestock) are made much more difficult. But, this is the natural consequence of this type of weather and the normal experience this time of year. As I wrote last week, we can find ourselves going from one set of complaints to another as our situation changes. What is amazing is just how quickly we can convince ourselves that we are doomed to our current circumstances. One constant that each of us should remember is that things will change. Temporal Engagement With all of the muddy conditions many folks have been dealing with vehicles and equipment getting stuck. Sometimes we can feel like we are stuck in a never ending loop or cycles of events, behaviors, or even decisions that we wish would change. But whether we are enduring a challenging season in our lives or enjoying a successful peak in our lives the best thing we can do is to not miss it. In these hard and difficult times, the Lord has blessings and lessons for us to learn that will allow us to be more useful for His glory and more blessed for our own good as well as others (2 Corinthians 1:3-11). In pleasant and fruitful seasons, our gracious God has provided for us and these blessings are best experienced through us purposefully engaging in these precious moments. However, one way to gain the proper perspective that will cause us to appreciate these fast and fleeting moments is our Biblical understanding of eternity. We are able to be fully present in both the pain and pleasure of this life because as believers we understand that eternity awaits us. The world, for the most part, is caught in one of two extremes. Either they are battling to preserve their youth and maximize their health because this is all there is. Or they are seeking to seize the day in a grand effort to not miss out on anything but without any real purpose or meaning. In either case, neither the present nor the future are served well. Everlasting Life Jesus told the disciples that He came to give us abundant life. And the Scripture continually points to the Christian hope of everlasting life (John 10:10). But this is not just more time but an ever increasing experience of our great God, who is life. We will always experience this fullness of life through the person of the Lord Jesus Christ who is life (John 14:6). Both our possession and experience of genuine life is in Christ (1 John 5:10-12). The promise of the new covenant gospel extending even from the Old Testament period was that God would take us up from the miry mud and place us on the solid rock of the Lord Jesus Christ (Psalm 40:2)! So let me encourage you to flee the sloppy, muddy muck of temporal, fleeting passions and enticing sinful pleasures and go to the rock of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4) in full faith and confidence in the power and promises of God that are for us in Jesus Christ our Lord!
 Winter
We are into the cold days and nights of winter. This coming weekend and through the next week or so local weather forecasts are calling for very cold conditions. Everybody has their own preferences when it comes to weather. In reality the weather is going to be what it is going to be regardless of what we want or wish for. However, our attitude can play a big role in how we deal with changing weather from the hot and humid dog days of summer to these bone chilling cold winter nights. Goldilocks When I was in High School I learned a poem from our ag teacher, Mr. Todd Prothro. It went like this: People may falter, but their bold; When it's hot, they want it cold; When it’s cold, they want it hot; Always wanting what is not! Through some quick searching on the internet I found that it has been published more often in another form: As a rule, man is a fool; When it’s hot, he wants it cool; When it’s cool, he wants it hot; Always wanting what is not! I personally prefer Mr. Prothro’s version, but that may just be nostalgia. The point of the silly little limerick is that people tend to not be content or satisfied regardless of the circumstances. This is maybe an even more prevalent problem in our day as we have become accustomed to so many comforts and conveniences. In some ways, we have become like the mythical character Goldilocks. We want everything just right. The problem is that everything is never just right. If we spend our lives seeking out the just right conditions we will miss out on all the wonderful moments that often are so great because they are not just right. We must be on guard against the tyranny of perfection. I don’t just mean in critiquing the weather but much more the people that we have been blessed with in our lives. You and I are not members of the perfect people friend group because we are not perfect people. I might also add that whoever you think is in the perfect people friend group they are not because they are not perfect people either. The people the Lord has placed in my life, especially in our local church, are not perfect but according to His purposes they are perfect for me. Enjoy So what should we do when things are not to our preferences, or honestly even when they are, we should rejoice in the Lord. Remember Paul told the Philippians from prison that they should rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4)! The Scripture also tells us that this is the day that the Lord has made and we should rejoice and be glad in this day (Psalm 118:24). There really are elements to be appreciated about all the seasons. I’ll also challenge you that many of your best days probably were not perfect days. Instead many of the days with the best stories and most meaning are the days when you overcame adversity to accomplish a goal or succeed in a task. In the classic film, “Ol’ Yeller,” Fess Parker playing the father character says to Travis, the coming of age young man, “You can’t waste the good time fretten about the bad. That makes it all bad.” So no matter what comes to us, may we rest in the Lord for His day is called “today” (Hebrews 4:1-13)!  New Things
One of the things that I have been trying to do to help my understanding and comprehension of the scriptures is to change up the translation that I use for my daily Bible reading from year to year. I am not prescribing this as a practice for you because the benefit of getting really comfortable with one translation is also very helpful. However, because I am regularly teaching and preaching from my preferred translation (ESV) this has been a refreshing practice. Sometimes the differing choices of the translators is helpful to cause me to think again about something that seems rather familiar. It is the new year and no doubt many pundits, prophets, and gurus will be proclaiming the year of advantage and favor available to those who believe it, claim it, or speak it. Of course what they mean by favor is probably a mix of carnal pleasures, casual employment, and comfortable requirements. But is this how the Bible uses the idea of being favored by God? Favorites Favorites are things that we love or enjoy the most. Of course, we assume that being fair and just requires that God does not have favorites. It is true that the scriptures are clear that God abhors the sin of partiality (James 2:1-13). This kind of favoritism is that which comes from preferring one over another based on the advantages or privileges that this one possesses. My point is that God commands us not to prefer one over another regarding things such as wealth or poverty, prominence or obscurity, beauty or disformity, ability or disability or a host of other distinctions we might make. The reason is that God, who has made men to differ, does not judge based on these external standards but rather based upon His own perfect choosing (1 Corinthians 4:6-7). The reality is that God does make distinctions between men, but not based on the differences between the men but rather based on His infinite and eternal purposes (Romans 9:6-29). So the basis for the election or choosing is found in God. This is not only dealing with eternal salvation but also with God’s providence over the unfolding circumstances of every life. God is in control of both the macro and micro levels of action and reaction within His creation. Grace But how is it that God can make distinctions between people without it being favoritism? The answer is found in the definition of grace. I mentioned at the beginning of this post that I was brought to this subject matter through reading a different translation of the Bible. I am most familiar with the ESV (English Standard Version) translation, however this year I am doing my Old Testament reading in the NKJV (New King James Version). In Genesis 6:8, the ESV states that “Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD” but in the NKJV it says that “Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” The Hebrew word translated here carries the idea of acceptance but that acceptance is based not on the object, in this case Noah, but on the One giving the acceptance. In this case it is the LORD. If we read the ESV translation of Noah finding favor, which is a good and acceptable translation, as God seeing that Noah was better than everyone else then we negate the point of this word “favor.” Genesis 6:9 goes on to describe Noah as a just man, perfect in his generations, who also walked with God. But did Noah find favor and grace with God based on these characteristics? I think it is more consistent with the use of this word “favor” or “grace” and the order and flow of the text in Genesis 3 to conclude that Noah has these traits because the LORD accepted him. Grace is best defined as unmerited favor. That’s really the key to understanding not only how God chose Noah but also how God could choose you and I. God’s choice is not based on some merit in us but on His unmerited favor. This means that everyone that God claims and redeems is a trophy to His divine grace and not to human effort or work or achievement. So If you have decided that you are too sinful or too stupid or too stained to be accepted by God, simply turn to Him in faith because His salvation is based entirely on gracious unmerited favor (Ephesians 2:1-10)!  Passage
Time is an interesting dimension of our reality. Time is of course relative to where we are located within the space of the universe, yet it is inescapable. Time is relentless in its passing. No matter what happens, time does not stop. The passage of time varies among the planets and galaxies, but it is always marching on. As immutable as our experience of time is, we still tend to think of time in abstract forms and assumptions conditioned by our cultural background. What I mean is that we view time from the perspective of our cosmological understanding. This means that a person with a secular, materialist mindset is going to view the passage of time differently than a spiritual person that believes in God and reality beyond the dimensions of matter, space, and time. Eastern Sphere The first way we can see this cultural or worldview influence on our understanding of time is by looking at the eastern view. The eastern worldview is the philosophical underpinning of systems such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and other views rising from India and the orient. Much of this type of thinking has been combined into what we would call today the New Age or Occult thinking. In the eastern mind, time is cyclical. This is why these groups tend to believe in things such as ancestor worship or reincarnation because they understand time as recurring. This leads to a kind of inevitable fatalism that perceives salvation or hope only in escaping this cycle in favor of nothingness or singularity. Western Line Western thought is generally more linear. This means that time is measured and accounted for in a series of moments. This tends to promote an expectation of progress or an expectation of disaster. Either way, the current state of things will have a conclusion. Western thought has been more heavily impacted by Biblical and Christian ideas even if not all of our concept of time is fully Biblical. Right Time A biblical view of time will recognize that there is a real progression of time from a definite beginning point in the creation to a definitive end point in the final consummation of all things (2 Peter 3:8-13). But within this continuum of time there is also a cycle seen in the days, months, seasons, and years (Genesis 1:14-19). So we must conclude that along the narrative of history there will be recurring themes evident in nations, cultures, families, and individuals. So as we come to the end of this year and rollover to the beginning of a new slate of months, let us recognize the change in dates and seasons while remembering the unshakable constant things (Hebrews 12:18-24). First, the LORD is gracious and He will extend His forgiveness and mercy to all who call on Him, so believe in Christ today (Romans 10:8-13)! Secondly, our God is thrice holy and He alone is worthy to be praised, so worship Him now (Revelation 22:9)! Finally, Christ is King and His reign will never end, so submit to Him always (Luke 1:31-33)! I wish you all a Happy New Year! And I pray that the Lord will bless your life in 2024 through the work of His Holy Spirit and the truth of His word!  Baby Jesus
Christmas is such a sweet season. I think this comes from so many factors contributing to this most wonderful season of feasting and fellowship. Most of us probably associate this celebration with the positive association of gifts, games, food, and family. Cozy clothes, comfort foods, and cute decorations set the scene for the holiday season. The sweetness of the season may also be that the whole celebration is centered around the birth of a baby. The infant Lord Jesus is an adorable concept to think about. But we must be careful that we do not accidentally separate the babe in the manger from the crucified Christ. The baby Jesus is the sovereign Lord. The little Lord Jesus who must learn to speak is still the one who upholds the universe by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:1-4). We could easily walk through many of these paradoxes of power and humility brought about through the greatness of Jesus’ incarnation. Humility We must remember that while Jesus was born in the humble circumstances of Bethlehem, it was His condescension to be born in human form at all that is most astounding (Philippians 2:5-8). The eternal God stepping into the temporal realm to save mortal men is an amazing act of humble love. Jesus was not ashamed to join us in our frailty. He was willing to suffer with us in our weakness. He was willing to identify with us as our atoning sacrifice. Our divine King was willing to share in our humanity. What is most astounding to think about is that Jesus volunteered to come and save us. This was Yahweh’s sovereign plan from all eternity. This means that this was Christ’s plan eternally. He was painted into a compromised position with no other options but rather was acting decisively and definitively to rescue His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). Honor This means that Jesus is worthy of honor and glory just because of who He is. He is Yahweh! Jesus is the I am that I am. So He rightly should be worshiped. Notice that even in His infancy the angels, shepherds, wise men, and people in the temple are worshiping Him. They did not wait for Him to complete His mission but rather they worshiped Him for who He is. But Jesus is also worthy of worship because of what He has accomplished (Revelation 5:11-14). Have you ever noticed how so many of our Christmas songs are about glory? This is not a coincidence but rather our proper imitation of what is expressed in the scripture. Over and over from Mary, to the angels, to the shepherds, we see that news of the birth of the Messiah was a catalyst for God glorifying praise. Hope The other thing that we must not forget about the baby Jesus is that He was fulfilling numerous prophecies. God had made many promises concerning the context and circumstances of the Messiah’s birth and these were given so that it would be unmistakable that Jesus was the long awaited King. The leaders knew who Jesus was and they rejected Him. But the promises were still proved true and God was vindicated in His faithfulness. Today, we know that our hope is well founded in the future and eternal promises of God because of His faithfulness in every past promise. So let me encourage you to enjoy these days of celebration with awe and wonder, with faith and hope because God has and will keep all His promises. I wish all of you a blessed and merry Christmas!  Reactions
What is the right way to react to an amazing gift? Or what about an amazing act of love or sacrifice? We sometimes see videos of people reacting wildly to some unexpected event. It could be a marriage proposal, the return of a loved one from a military deployment, or the meeting of a crucial need. The point I want to make is that these people do not need to be told how to react. They react instinctively. There is not necessarily a right way that they should react. They overflow with authentic emotion because of the genuine impact of the event. It would be strange if we chastised the mother who unceremoniously falls to the floor upon seeing her son return from a two year deployment. We also would not think it right to criticize the first time father brought to tears when he first learns of his wife being pregnant. These are examples of raw emotion, they are not wrong even if they may not be to the standards of cultural propriety. Precedents The scripture also gives us examples of these kinds of extraordinary responses. First consider King David in 2 Samuel 6:12-23, dancing with all his strength in celebration before Yahweh. David’s wife Michal confronts David for this shameful and contemptible even vulgar behavior but David defends himself because he was worshiping God authentically. David is not seeking to dishonor God but rather to express his joy and excitement because of the blessing of the Lord. Another example is that of the woman who tearfully washed Jesus’ feet (Luke 7:36-50). The Pharisee who had invited Jesus to dine in his home was scandalized that Jesus would allow Himself to be soiled by contact with such a sinner. However, Jesus contrasts the lack of even culturally appropriate hospitality that was shown by the Pharisee with the overwhelming display of love shown by this wretched sinner who has experienced real forgiveness. Instructions My point is that we must be careful not to define proper worship with such strict restrictions that genuine emotion is relegated as vulgar or common. The Lord desires for us to worship God with all our minds, souls, and hearts. I must admit that I have often recognized the danger of overly emotional and sentimental expressions that were not wedded to real truth. But it is also wrong for us to impose restrictions that the scriptures do not give. The Bible must be our standard for proper worship and obedient faithfulness. Faithfulness and not formality ought to govern by why and how we worship our God and King. Illustrations Imagine the heavenly hosts on that first advent evening constrained by some perfunctory formality. It’s unimaginable! They were precisely and perfectly praising God when they sang out, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Christmas is about worship! God is worshiped by Mary in her humble song in Luke 1. Again, God is praised after the birth of John the Baptist by his father Zechariah in Luke 1. Then, of course, the angels sing of God’s glory, peace, and sovereignty in Luke 2. Then, the shepherds respond to their evangelistic song by searching for and celebrating the infant Lord according to the divine message. Only days later when Jesus is presented in the temple, the righteous and devoted Simeon blessed God with his praised filled prophecy. Immediately after this, the elderly prophetess Anna gave thanks to God and spread the news that redemption has come. We also know from Matthew’s gospel that the wise men came later to find the newborn King and worship Him! So as we reflect on the fun and festivities of Christmas and enjoy food and family and take every opportunity to tell the good news of the gospel to needy sinners, let us also worship Him, just as the angels and everyone else did! |
