But nevertheless, something does resonate within me when I think about my place on the national/world stage. I feel like I’m being tailored by God for big, visible things out there in the world. I don’t know for sure what this means, and I’m fine with it not coming to pass, but I feel like I’m being prepared for a weight I could not bear apart from prior work by God.

But that’s not the point of this post. Now, like I said, I was grabbing coffee with that friend of mine - a friend who is quite visible on the national and international stage. But he’s been struggling with something recently that really struck me. He pointed out that no person ever used by God for really big things ever did it apart from great levels and displays of suffering. His problem was that he shirks from suffering while seeking comfort - the very thing that is antithetical to what he’s called to. I have a similar problem.

I’m only 22 and I feel like I haven’t suffered much. Some really dark family stuff, spiritual dark months of the soul, and severe emotional pains (loneliness and heartache, mainly), but really no classic forms of real suffering. Yet, in spite of this, God has given me a very developed theology of suffering and God’s Sovereignty within it. This terrifies me. I can not get away from this haunting sense deep in the recesses of my mind that severe trials lie ahead of me. So severe that God needs to prepare me now to survive the pains to come.

In one sense this reaffirms my desire to be well-known, influential, and in front of many people. On the other it sobers me, realizing (perhaps for the first time) what it means to “count the cost.” So perhaps all those that have been praising and building me up for big things in the future have actually been painting a target on my soul for the refining pains and trials of God.

So for those of you out there seeking renown, fame, and exposure. Know that if you really are doing it to God’s Glory, then no servant is greater than his Master, and you should expect nothing less than fulfilling in the body the sufferings of Christ, that His life might be seen through your death for your good and God’s Glory.

A good friend of mine, though, is voting the opposite- and after hearing his heart I understand exactly why he is voting that way- and I believe it is quite biblical. My internal struggle is over whether or not it is clear in scripture that we should vote the Law over those who do not believe it. For the most part it seems that even the early Christians experienced some autonomy under the Romans- and I don’t think (and I could be completely wrong) you see them forcing those who believe otherwise to follow the Law.  We could argue morality and justice and how God’s Law is written on the hearts of everyone- but I just don’t think its that black and white.

Regardless, I hope I provided some real fodder for you to chew on this election- and ultimately I pray that the Holy Spirit would guide your vote- however that looks like.

I had the privilege of attending a rally here at VCU where former President Bill Clinton made a speech endorsing Obama. Maybe its the nature of rallies in general (and I’m almost positive that McCain/Palin rallies are no different), but it bothers me how people react at them.  Literally, ear-shattering-orgasmic-sounds were coming from an elderly woman right next to me, and it was obvious from observing her during the whole event that her whole faith and trust were put into a sinful human being (we are all sinful, by the way).

Let me be the bearer of good news, there is a man who has come and died on our behalf and is calling each and everyone of us to put our faith in trust in Him, and he was sinless! He is our hope, and it is in Him we find salvation- and Him alone- not Barack Obama or John McCain. Neither Obama nor McCain can save our nation (and the irony is that I’ve heard this phrase used often!) only Christ Jesus can.

I think Paul Henderson said it best in his post, “My Beef with Barack:”

I have been asked am I a Democrat or Republican. “Who are you voting for Paul? Obama or McCain?” Yes, obviously I am a black man…but that is not the first thing that defines me…nor am I defined by some political party. You know, I found out a while ago that my identity is in Christ alone. What disgusts me is the pedestal on which some Christians will place Obama. “Change we can believe in” is one of the slogans I have seen…and I am actually starting to believe that people are actually believing in this man more than they believe in Jesus Christ. Last time I checked, Jesus Christ is the one who changed me and my situation. He is the one who washed my mind and changed my heart. When I think of change I can believe in, I think of my savior. Jesus Christ is the one who came down to this Earth and was persecuted and whipped and ultimately died so that I can live. I don’t know about you, but that is what I call change that you can believe in. Jesus Christ has never failed me…even though I have failed him time and time again (and I’m sure some of you have seen me fail…but I thank Jesus for His blood that has washed away all my sins). I cannot put any man on a pedestal…because just like he is put up…he can also fall down. It bothers me when people are so quick to ask you or even lecture or preach to you about Obama…when there are souls in the world that need to be saved. Last I checked, Matthew 28:18-20 tells us “Christians” this: “Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” I do not see anywhere in that passage where this is saying that this is His commission to just pastors or evangelists. This is His commission to all who believe and as a community, I am seeing more “Christians” standing up for Barack Obama than standing up for Jesus Christ? What is our world coming to? Is Barack Obama just a fresh face and is all this Jesus stuff just getting old and boring? My main thing is people…please remember the one who died for you. Remember the one who loves you…even when you choke or mess up. Remember the one who has never and will never fail you. Man will always fail you, but Jesus Christ never has and will never fail you.

Jesus for President 08′:

Alright, so I know it seems like I’m endorsing Jesus and the reality is he’s not running. But, I think this post is necessary because there are many who don’t view the love and adoration they have towards a candidate as being borderline idol worship.  When as brothers and sisters in Christ we cannot love one another but end up arguing who the other person is voting for I think that says something about the nature to which we view our own candidate.  To put into perspective the reality of these candidates sinfulness and ultimately their depravity I think gives a legitimate view of the fact that they are creatures who were created by the Creator- and that anything less than Him is insufficient- this is the reality of a fallen world.

Additionally, I think its a bit arrogant to have anyone tell you they are going to “pray for you” or be “disappointed” regarding your political decisions.  I’m one of many Christians (I know of) who have been told that if they even consider voting for Obama they are pretty much endorsing the enemy. Let me exhort you, I have faith in the Holy Spirit in each and everyone of you- and I know (or at least hope) that Christ’s ideals inform many of your decisions (political and the other). As long as we recognize that we will eventually give an account for everything we’ve done on earth (including how we vote), I’m almost positive as a Christian your vote will be based on an aspect (or aspects) of God’s ideals. There is no need for me to feel disappointed in you - whether you vote for McCain, Obama, Nader, Barr, McKinney- because I know that most of you are voting based on what you think God’s heart is concerned about.

I have no idea where this came from and to be honest with you I’d like to spend the following post showing how unbiblical this view is. Romans 13:1b clearly states, “For there is NO authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, yes even Hitler were put into power by God himself. The implications of what Paul wrote are that God’s will is inevitable regardless of the outcome of this election. In fact, the outcome of this election is God’s will.  It is silly to think that suddenly in this point in history our votes should be based on the “Christian-ness” of our president. God has, throughout the centuries, put many a non-Christian into power- and all have brought about the outworking of His will.

Who is your Nebuchadnezzar or Cyrus of Persia?

“This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon” [Jeremiah 43:10]

“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ” ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.” [Ezra 1:2]

I don’t know who you consider a more godless candidate this election, and to be honest with you I don’t see much of a life surrendered to Christ in either of them. Regardless, Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus of Persia were both pagan leaders of two of the biggest empires in the Ancient Near East who God used to bring about His will.  Whether that was the brutal massacre inflicted on the Israelites by Nebuchadnezzar or the blessed decree by God for Cyrus to rebuild the temple- God’s will involves all of these things- and I’d like to think that God’s sovereignty can even be preeminent over Obama and McCain’s leadership.  I know that these two examples took place before Christ, but God does not change (Malachi 3:6), so why should His means?

I think when we believe that we must vote for a “Christian” president we have in mind that he is somehow incapable of sin or wrongdoing (as President Bush has clearly proven false)- in fact, we might think that God is on “his side”- and not the other candidate’s. Brothers and sisters, let me exhort you, let us be mindful whether or not we are on God’s side.  I don’t believe that Obama or McCain has God’s whole heart in mind with regards to their political platforms. I think both of them are lacking in different areas and I DO not think that EITHER party has a monopoly on morality. Abortion and gay marriage are not the only moral issues- and neither are stewardship of the earth and social justice.  And this is why I’m often left dumbfounded at how some Christians are so adamant about preaching that God’s will is for or towards one candidate and not the other.

So why vote if God’s will happens regardless?

That’s like asking why pray. I don’t have time to get into the depths as to why God wants us to pray aside from saying because He wants us to, and Jesus did- alot.  Without taking Jeremiah 29 too out of context, I’d like to exhort to you, as a citizen of heaven, to understand why it is important to vote.

“This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” [Jeremiah 29:4-7]

Here we see Jeremiah preaching a very unpopular message. The Israelites needed to face the reality that God was sending them into exile, and that this would not be for a short time. Here we see God exhorting them to be concerned with the city where they’ve been placed- to not stay isolated, but instead “seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which” they were carried.  Likewise, since our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20), we too are in exile (to some degree). We too should seek the peace and prosperity of this nation, and what a blessing we have that we are given the opportunity to vote for our ideals and beliefs.

In prayerfully considering the election this year my heart is left with feeling nothing more than the above verse.  I know that most people’s sentiments regarding this election started just a few months ago when Barack Obama and John McCain were given their party’s nominations- but for myself this election started almost a year and a half ago. After watching ALL the debates (primaries included), listening to countless NPR talk shows, and being tagged in half a dozen facebook posts by both Barack Obama supporters and John McCain supporters (all Christians, mind you) I’m still left with a blank as to who I’m going to pull the lever for this Tuesday.

If I am to be quite honest, my political sentiments were completely muddled in some religious-political ideology during the last election. I had only been a Christian for a few months at that time, and my zealousness coupled with being a puppet of the propaganda by the Religious Right left me with really bad theology and scripture being quoted out of context to back up why George W. Bush should be voted into office.

I’m not going to do that in this post.

If you are like me, you have repented from your sinfulness regarding the last election. No political ideology, gender, race, or political affiliation should be placed above your primary identity, being a follower of Christ.  This is one of the biggest traps I’ve seen my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ fall into this election and it leaves my heart grieved.

I want to address issues that have been circulating amongst Christians and non-Christians alike during this election. Both Barack Obama and John McCain are vying for our vote (why else would they have sat down with Rick Warren?)- and our vote matters (obviously, as the last election has shown). I will not endorse any candidate (these posts are not geared towards persuasion), instead I just hope to give you something to prayerfully consider before going into the voting booth this November 4th.

In my head I had grand visions of overseas missions and preaching the Gospel in the midst of third-world poverty. I began to think of missions and evangelism as a trip or event that should be mostly left to vocational ministers or “missionaries.” (My apologies if you are cringing right now) But then I read the Bible:

II Corinthians 5:18-20 : “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.”

John 17:15-18 : “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one…As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.”

I Corinthians 9:22 : “I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.”

The first verse here transformed the way I viewed my faith and how it affects my entire life. What Paul is saying here is that God is making his appeal to others through us and that He has entrusted us with both the message and the ministry of reconciliation. Broken people though we may be, we are God’s chosen agents of reconciliation and redemption! Thus, evangelism is not at its heart an event, but rather God working through lives and relationships and our every day living to make his appeal to the lost and reconcile them to Himself. If you are a Christian, you are called by God to be a missionary wherever it is that God places you and to declare and demonstrate the Gospel to those around you. This may not come as a surprise to some, but to other it may.

Is there a call to the church to work collectively to share the Gospel through events and missions trips? Yes. But ultimately God calls us as individuals to be ambassadors for Him in every facet of our daily lives. Our entire lifestyle should be colored by a yearning desire to share the Good News about Jesus with others, both through our actions and our words. We must stop compartmentalizing our faith down to events and allow Christ to truly be Lord of every part of our lives and hearts so that He can change us in such a way that we display his beauty in both our words and deeds to those around us!

So whom has God placed in your path? What connections do you have to certain people that others don’t? Whom has God entrusted you with in terms of the message and ministry of reconciliation? What about that neighbor you wave at on the way out the door? Or the relative of yours who lives alone and doesn’t know Christ? Maybe the barista at your local Starbucks that you see every morning? Or the homeless man you walk by every day? Or maybe the classmates you study with for tests? Or perhaps it’s one of your best friends whom you’ve known for years?

We all know about these different people God has placed in our lives, so here’s my exhortation for you:

Stop thinking of evangelism and missions in terms of events or dates and times. While only some of you will be called to ministry as a vocation, if you are a follower of Christ then you are called to be a full-time minister of the Gospel. Get rid of the compartments in your mind and instead begin to think intentionally about your life, the way you live it, and all the people that you cross paths with every day. How are you displaying and sharing the Gospel to them and with them? How can you allow God to use you as an agent of redemption in their lives?

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; … always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

…So do not lose heart, while the outer self is wasting away, the inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light, momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.
–2 Cor 4.7-9, 11, 12, 16, 17

So, here I sit, in the fifth apartment I’ve lived in in the past 20 months, where Spruce meets Pine in the West End of Lancaster City, skipping church (and the coffee shop) because I simply don’t feel physically up to it (this weekend has been rather difficult). If, a year ago, I thought the early part of 2007 was a tough year, it was only preparation (mere child’s play, perhaps) for 2008. I frequently am left second-guessing the decisions I made at the end of last year and “what if…” pops up daily in my confused thought process. But when grounded with the reality of the Truth revealed to me in the Scriptures, and when confronted with that Truth by friends, I realize such sentiments are only selfish pursuits aimed at the questioning of God’s providence and sovereignty — why me? why now? Instead of such questions, I think, perhaps, the best posture to assume would be that of Job: Naked I came from my mother’s womb and naked I shall return. The Lord has given and the Lord has taken away — Blessed be the name of the Lord (Job 1.21). In fact, the better question, in the midst of trying times, should be “Why not me? Why not now? If those of us who claim Christ are to magnify Him in all things, should we not accept our present condition, whatever it may be, to make His name more glorious? If there are those who will not magnify Him in times of great duress (and curse Him instead, or ask the natural, but near ridiculous, question “where was God”?), will not we, his faithful people, be willing to make his name great in our similarly difficult scenarios?

As each year passes, the more I realize that life is brutal and that the reality of the curse remains evident. This reality could so easily lead us into those dark nights of despair where everything is hopeless and where we are lead to believe that nothing will ever get better or change. And they might not. At least in this life (Psalm 30.4-5). But, as I learn, year by year and day by day, there is much to hope for. We are granted all that we need in this life which leads us into godliness; participation in the Divine Nature (2 Peter 1). Daily, thru the difficulties and trials this present, physical age brings upon us, we are made more like Him. The change we oh-so-long-for is happening and is coming. In this life and in the next. We can second guess our decisions and lament this present age, but the power to see real transformation and real change is at hand, and while we tarry for the night, our joy will come in the morning (Ps. 30.5). Paul pleads with us to see thru this lens; it is our only hope of remaining faithful when life collapses on us. When we hold onto His promises, the bleakness of this existence is worth pushing through and on til the end. Creation groans. Restoration will come.

Expectations will remain unmet. This is a reality we have to accept and not become disappointed and angry with God when the reality of this hits. We need to see this as an opportunity to draw near to Him and let him change us in our disappointment — which often reveals to us that we’ve let good things become ultimate things [idolatry]. When I left Pittsburgh for Richmond on Saturday January 5th of this year, there was a lot that I expected to happen. Some did and some did not. Other difficulties seemingly came out of nowhere, and because of the many disappointments I faced while there (and am still dealing with - most of you know of my ongoing medical confusions that I frequently blame on happening only because of my time in Virginia), I fall into regret and into lament. But, as reminded by one of my closest friends the other night, there was purpose in it. Had I not ventured into the Confederate Capital, I would not have had the privilege of meeting three of the godliest Christian men I know (and attended the Vintage21 Men’s Conf, which I can’t describe with words how valuable it was). I learned so much from them in my brief time there that it is near impossible to say that it was a mistake to go (though I often do).

We undervalue the importance of Community (and in that Accountability and Confession). We cannot continue to be Lone Christian Rangers. It will not work. And it was not meant to be that way (Acts 4.32-37, among others). This may have been the greatest lesson that I learned in Pgh and Rva. After visiting and/or attending at least 13 churches in just under two years, I’ve come to learn that it is impeccably foolish of us to think we can go on without community, fellowship and accountability (some of the very factors that ignited the early church and its exponential growth upon growth). We’ve become so individualistic in the West that we think we’re exempt from the commands in Hebrews and elsewhere and that if we show up on Sunday, slip out the backdoor and never come together the rest of the week that this is somehow okay. I think to some degree I am speaking more of Lancaster here than of Pgh and Rva, because these were the great and grand lessons I learned during my time away, and to come back and realize what a gap there was/is here is to some degree frightening. It is all well and fine to come together and spend time hanging out with each other — but are we ready, willing and able to get beyond surface conversations and interactions with each other? Are we serving each other (the local body) and are we serving others (our community) with the hopes of reaching them too with the gospel? I hope and pray that we can begin to foster more and more of this here and throughout our (small) but great city! Doing life deep together builds strength, encouragement and transformation not otherwise known. We absolutely must get beyond keeping each other at arm’s length. The body of Christ cannot fulfill its mission in such a way.

I’ll end with this:

And I heard a loud voice from the Throne saying “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with men, He will dwell with them and they will be His people…and death shall be no more; neither shall there be any more mourning, nor crying, nor pain, for the former things have passed away…And He said, write these things down, for these words are faithful and true.
–Rev 21.3-5

Ah, to live!

And give glory to the One who gives glory
To the meek
Of which
I am
Not

Yet . . .

Being thrust to moment to moment
In my life-long “awkward stage”
Into lives I don’t want to
But must,
and will,
for my will
Has been seized
And captured
By another.

Another so beautiful
All-wonderful
Satisfaction of satisfactions
Pleasure of pleasures
Joy of joys
Pain of pains.

Then one lost is now one found

Like the pink head
Of a plastic hippo
Whose heart is blue,
Whose unrenewed mind lies lonely at the bottom
Of a dirty garbage heap.

And the Renewed stands in silent reflection
Amidst the sounds of little children-
The sounds of an innocence they have not.
While dancing in circles swirling in safe adoration
Of a will they have not either

But may.  At some appointed time.

As I sit.
In this park.
On this day.
With these thoughts.
On this heart.
And this mind.

Contemplating the eccentricities of a life
Lived with purpose
in the Already But Not Yet.

even among your heart’s great durress, you want to scream, shout and dance (huh?!) in your joy. this all-consuming joy that only shows its face in those dark hours. it’s those days when you are brought so low that there is only one to be reached out to, and in that great distress, that horrible despair, even, is the one who ordained that misery - those weaknesses - to fight for perfect glory. and in that is the great comfort.

five months ago in this very coffee shop, you scribbled down those words about all things being made new - from Death comes Life, right? right. and in these tragedies (or so we see them) lie our daily-mini-deaths. and borne out of those deaths are new mini-lives. and in the redemption from that death, to this life - what joy!

in deepest despair one cries out - and in that cry, there is sustinance - that greatest joy.

what foolishness: to look to the grandest times of sorrow + suffering with the strongest sentiment of nostalgia + yearning. don’t you taste redemption? it is near. and in fact, it is here. suffer again; there is no fear.

death begets life. sorrow begets only the purest of all joys.

and here you are, young + naieve. what grand tragedy have you endured? you are a fool to write such ugly words. you cannot fathom the heart-break of the most awful tragedies. how can you so boldly proclaim that you yearn for them? in those most tragic of kingdoms that you have found yourself (though they know nothing of the depths of some - or most, for that matter!) always sustained by the power borne of such weaknesses.

if you must boast and delight in anything, delight in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and difficulties. when you are weak, then you are strong.

In love,
Your favorite.

That hasty decision still haunts me. That hasty decision still brings tears.

If I’m being honest, if I could take it all back, I would. I never would have moved, despite all the riches that moving there provided. If not moving would have spared my this physical and psychological pain, I’d take it back without thinking. I lay here facing mounting medical bills and am generally in pain all of the time. It’s almost impossible not to think about. It’s most-of-the-time overwhelming and the first question that comes to mind is “why”?

Why did I have to meet So and So and move to Richmond?

Why didn’t I see a doctor sooner?

Why can’t life return to normal, you know, like it was in the fall, when everything finally smoothed out?

Everything was designed for my losing. Even my comfort.

A few weeks ago, two of my dearest friends in the world were visiting from Illinois. The morning before they left we had coffee at Prince Street and talked about the “problem” of pain. Why does pain, in many cases, point one to Christ and in others, drive some from him? Why am I given the grace to see the joy in this misery, when I’ve seen others choose against that joy and rail against God? A few nights later, in Pittsburgh, I met a girl named Charis (Greek meaning Grace) who’d recently come to the States to have hip replacement surgery. She is younger than me. Not only had she just had a hip replaced, but she’d previously had two organ transplants and just by looking at her it was obvious she was ill. I don’t know all of the details of her situation, but she is presumably in more difficult circumstances than I, but there she was, playing Dutch Blitz with the girls from her Bible study. Smiling.

Jesus moves on us to change us. He really will show us that everything was designed for our losing. My comfort’s been ripped out from under me and in nearly constant misery, I have to fight for joy. I have to lean on the grace of God to show that my joy is in Him and not in my comfort or any other temporal thing; this is hard and usually not evident from my exterior behavior. And, to be honest, I hate the reality of this. Why can’t it be different? But that’s the wrong question. If, as part of its mission, the church is to serve, and if I am part of the church, it is most certainly my job to serve, and if, in this pain, I develop perseverance and hope and joy, then down the road, it is my job to help someone else find those very things in the midst of pain and suffering as well.

The better, real question is: Why NOT me?

For there he lies with outstretched span, stricken by a car;
afflicted by our fallenness, and smitten by our thorns.
He struggles with the weight of pain, not getting very far.
To stop, release his spirit’s breath - give way to Death’s dark door.

I prayed a prayer, and thought some thoughts, and something in me burned.
Oh I see my Savior, the pains he took!  For me: protect,
for prone to wander, weak I am, to that which I once yearned.
Until you did in me and Him- my soul: You resurrect.

Now to show He heard my prayer and strengthen my weak frame,
up pops the bird, into the air.  My soul shall do the same.

I love that the necessity of humility was brought forth so early here at Reform and Revive.  If the gospel is to intersect with our lives and our culture, humility is a necessary ingredient in that process.  Why?  Because God’s ways are not our ways and to walk in His ways requires that we surrender our drive to live “reasonable” lives.  (Perhaps Paul B’s comments on our “subnatural” state will help us with this…)

The first step toward walking in God’s ways is acknowledging Him as the eternal Sovereign Lord, which requires more humility than most of us possess (as was pointed out by Whit via Tozer in a previous post).  It requires that we admit to being creatures—and subservient creatures at that.  As Michael Casey puts it in his book on humility, you will often notice those of our race having trouble forgiving ourselves for any slowness of mind or ineffectiveness of will—essentially, for being human.  We refuse to see ourselves as the created subjects we are; we forget that we are not gods. We need to accept the fact that we are humus; our origins are in the earth and not the heavens.

But when we do come to terms with our creaturehood, we find ourselves in a stance to accept God as He is.   A wholly Other, uncreated, divine, eternal being … And to recognize our position relative to Him.  Mainly, as our Creator, He is the best authority on how we are meant to live.

There are many aspects to the life God calls us to, but in this article I choose to highlight what our Lord described as “the one thing that is needed” in Luke 10:38-42.  In this passage, Jesus tells Martha that her sister, Mary, has chosen the one thing that is needed, the thing that will not be taken away from her.  What is that One Thing?  Mary “sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.”

So how do we choose the one thing that is needed?

As always, I think it is a matter of faith—believing that God is right when He tells us that the most important thing we can do in this life is to sit in His presence, to listen to His words, to gaze on Him, to know Him.  This is the one thing that will bring the freedom, acceptance, and significance we are all seeking.  This is the One Thing that will fulfill the deepest desires of our hearts and transform us into the image of our Savior and King.  I don’t know about you, but too often, I just have a hard time really believing this.  My faith is weak.  I think, surely I must need to be productive and successful in some things and have the love and approval of some men and have my own way in a few matters at least to experience all that I desire of life.  But no, we cannot believe it, beloved.  Only when the Perfect, Holy, True God is our heart’s pursuit and desire are we free.

Can you believe this?  Will you choose to believe?  If so, I’d like you to consider all the different ways your life could look when only this One Thing really matters—sitting at the feet of Jesus, meditating on His word, seeking His presence, beholding His beauty and wisdom, listening for His voice, obeying His loving direction.  If you choose to believe the words of your Lord, what would this mean for your life?  Where could you live?  What job would you need?  What people would you need around you?  What would demand your time?

When considering the possibilities, on the one hand, having only one need is incredibly freeing, but on the other, it wounds our pride and offends our reason.  But this is the price we pay, this is the cost we count when we choose to follow God’s ways and not our own, when we submit our lives to the lordship of Another.  But be assured, child of God, that He rewards those who diligently search for Him (Hebrews 11:6) and that He is greatly pleased and honored by your faith in His wisdom in spite of how strange it may sound to your creature ears.

I know that I have listened so long to the ways of the world that I have failed to recognize that things such as professional success or personal dreams or the respect of men are expendable in God’s Kingdom. These are the lessons I have been learning lately, and so I ask you what the Spirit has been asking me:

What reasonable things in your life are keeping you from knowing intimacy with God as the one thing that is needed?

And will you humble yourself enough to let Him show you?

It’s worth it, my friends.  How do I know?  In part because I have tasted the sweet fruits of forgoing what I thought was reasonable, right, and good for more of Him, but more so, I know simply because He says it is so.

Will you believe Him?

So, it is that which does not exist in accordance to God’s Nature (the defining, upholding, creating, outside of creation thing it is) that is considered sin.  That’s why all sin is described by the Bible in “realtive” terms that all imply missing, falling short, or perverting a pre-existent standard.  Words like “perverse”, “de-praved”, “fallen”, and “sin” (an archery term meaning to miss the bulls-eye) all show this.

This means that what exists in line with His Nature is the truly natural.  This makes the present fallen reality of the world - all things not in line with His Nature - not what’s “natural” but indeed “subnatural,” making the things of God not “supernatural” but the truly “natural.”  Everything God does then to break into this world is a matter of justice, restoration, and redemption - a matter of purchasing from darkness to bring to where all was meant to live.

What does this have to do with life as we know and experience it?  Simply put, it means freedom.  The idea of “supernaturality” creates this sense in us of impossibility, and we proceed to live life out of that notion that God is so “unattainable” for our little wills to obtain.  But the truth is more wonderful and terrifying all at once.  It’s not that he’s so far above, but it’s the fact that we’ve sunk so low that causes this gap.  But though we are trapped in this valley, Christ still descended and did the work required to make us truly natural humans again.  This means that in Christ we are more ourselves than we ever were apart from him.  We don’t lose our humanity, we gain it.  So the fight of this life is to live as you were naturally meant to live.

We must fight the subnaturality of this world to attain that which is truly natural, and in that find the rhythm of life that resonates in the most ancient and basest part of our souls that hearkens to a time in a garden long ago, and in a city that is yet to come.

I do not apologize for the length, bear with me. :]

(slightly edited:)

(pps: I think what gives my heart the most joy about this paper is that I was able to dedicate the first page to explaining the gospel)

To me personally, an implication of the gospel is that the history of humankind which God put into motion is redemptive. Humankind chose to reject God’s will for their lives, and because of this decision now live separated from God. God, who is both merciful and just, sent Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins by dying on the cross.  It is through belief in Christ that we are made right with God, and nothing more. Redemption and the processes of right action should never be based in self-righteousness. This means that as Christians we should never aim to do right action to be seen as righteous in God’s eyes. Christ has forever put us in right standing with the Father, and to go back to a mode of righteousness based on our own merit is a shallow understanding of what it means for Christ to have died for our sins- once and for all. Redemption is not a static event. The gospel should permeate all aspects of a Christian’s life. This redemption should be seen in the life long process of transformation.

            Frankl’s use of the phenomenological method allows for a Christian understanding of a meaningful life with the existence of God and His intentions for our lives. Frankl goes on to say that “of central importance is no longer what originates and operates behind our back within the mind but what has an authority and integrity of its own beyond the mind” (Fuller 226). I would argue that this authority beyond the mind is God who has demanded much from our lives, but recognizes that we have failed.

            Frankl describes the three major concepts encompassing his theory as: freedom of the will, the will to meaning, and the meaningfulness of life. Freedom of the Will is the understanding that despite a person’s circumstances, they are ultimately in charge of their own right action. Frankl believes that conditions are not causes (227). Much like the concept of Freedom of the Will, the process of transformation involves a Christian’s understanding that you cannot blame your right or wrong action on your circumstances (or “heat”) you find yourself in. In the article “How Christ Changes Us by His Grace” by Timothy Lane and Paul Tripp, Jeremiah 17:5-10 acts as a model of revealing the process of transformation.¹  Heat is said to describe “a person’s current situation with all of its difficulties, temptations, and blessings” (Lane and Tripp 18). If we are made right with God through Christ what is the purpose of right action? In a letter to the Romans Paul wrote, “Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!”² Similarly, Frankl writes about the Freedom of the Will saying “freedom is taken by some to mean freedom to do as they please…but freedom without responsibleness [is] arbitrariness” (Fuller 228). Freedom from the Christian perspective is seen as freedom from sin. Again, Paul wrote “it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”³   If our “life task is grounded in intentional self-transcendence” as Frankl would argue, why do we continue to ensnare ourselves in sin? I would argue this is because of our limited understanding of the gospel.

            The Will to Meaning lies outward (228). According to Frankl, right action only takes place when we have come to actualize “value-potentialities” (228). Frankl goes on to say that human beings are motivated “to actualize as many positive values as circumstances allow” (229). These values are what give us meaning to life. Under this theory, a Christian’s need for sanctification would be to understand and actualize in as many areas of their life the importance of right action with regards to their faith in Christ. To a Christian, the values that give us meaning to life should be centered on those which Christ exhibited. I would argue that a great example of values Christians should strive to grasp is contained in the fruit of the Spirit.⁴

              Despite the actualization of some value-potentialities, Christians are faced with what is and what ought to be (229). Most Christians that can be seen throughout history, media outlets, and their own literature are poor examples of what Christ required/requires of them. Martin Luther, for example, in his main work On The Jews and Their Lies clearly did not grasp the value of gentleness, patience, or love. Instead of speaking the truth in love, Luther trusted in himself to be the savior of the Jews.⁵  It is obvious here that Luther lost sight of the reality of his need for humility, because even his own righteousness rests in something Christ had done for him- a thing he himself cannot take credit for. Luther is an unmistakable example of what is instead of what ought to be.

Frankl says that there is a “tension between human existence as a will to meaning and meaning fulfillment, between what is and what ought to be… the real and the ideal- human being” (229).  For a Christian, this tension should have us express dissatisfaction (Lane and Tripp 16). The equivalent of what Frankl deems “what is and what ought to be” is, for the Christian, explained as joyful discontentment (20). This discontentment should be in the areas we have yet to grasp the value-potentialities of. Our joyfulness should come because of “the many things in our lives that would not be there without His grace” (Tripp, 20). At the same time “the life of self-examination and joyful discontent should not be confused with a life of paralyzing self-condemnation” (20). Frankl gives a very biblical perspective to failure and guilt by saying that “it is the recognition of the fact that we have missed the mark and gone astray that makes us want to do better” (Fuller 232). How fitting that sin literally means “missing the mark.” Instead of self-condemnation the Christian should find a balance between recognizing where they’ve sinned and proceed to repent, always relying on the grace of Christ to transform them. Despite our new found lives in Christ, “we always have the freedom to accept or refuse the value we are invited to actualize in a given situation” (229). We always have the ability to choose to sin instead of choosing right action.

Frankl’s phenomenological view allows for the perspective that our actions ultimately lie beyond ourselves. Frankl argues exactly what Christians would argue, that “we are not responsible to ourselves alone…responsibleness instead depends on a being higher than ourselves for the validity of the demands made upon our lives” (241).  So, with this in mind, it would be accurate to say that the demands made upon a Christian’s life depends directly on a being higher than itself (i.e.: God). Additionally, the demands made for our lives lie in the commands within the Old and New Testament. In order to seek validity within our faith we must be responsible to God and the life He’s given us. The religion of Christianity should not just be a set of rules and regulations we must follow to enter eternal paradise (obviously there are various wrongful motivations in this statement). Instead, a Christian’s conversion is described as entering into a marriage with Christ. This marriage describes just how intimate and personal God becomes with us, it describes commitment and longstanding devotion. Frankl’s view that our responsibleness is not a means to an end but a means to a “superpersonal agent” should ultimately be a call for all Christians to strive for sanctification through the grace of Christ.

            Overall, Frankl would argue that the belief in Jesus is a way to bring meaning to a person’s life.  For Christians this meaning to life is surrounded by Christ’s crucifixion on the cross. Frankl sees that in all humanity there is this understanding of what is and what ought to be. That people understand where they fail, and the way in which they wish to be. With this concept, it would be easy to understand why within Christianity there is a struggle between what is and what ought to be. If Christians are considered new creations, why are they constantly missing the various meanings of fulfillment? This is the process of sanctification, and it involves much of what Frankl describes as, “a call, first to listen, and then to respond” (228). What Frankl considers self-actualization, I consider sanctification. Frankl believes that “self actualization is thus seen as the by-product of a certain style of acting, the unintended concomitant of a life dedicated to meaning fulfillment” (228). If this “meaning fulfillment” is a person’s dedication to Christ, then we say that sanctification is the process by which right action occurs because of a life dedicated to Jesus. Again, we can change the term self actualize to sanctified when Frankl wrote, “one becomes self-actualized [sanctified]…not by seeking to actualize [sanctify] oneself, but by forgetting about oneself and directing oneself outward toward value [Jesus]. For Christian this ultimate value should be Jesus Christ.

¹ Jeremiah 17:5-10:        This is what the LORD says:
“Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
who depends on flesh for his strength
and whose heart turns away from the LORD.    He will be like a bush in the wastelands;
he will not see prosperity when it comes.
He will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
in a salt land where no one lives.    “But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.    He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.”    The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?     ”I the LORD search the heart
and examine the mind,
to reward a man according to his conduct,
according to what his deeds deserve.”

² Corinthians 5:17: “therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

³ Galatians 5:1: ^“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

⁴ Galatians 5:22: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control.”

⁵ Ephesians 4:15: “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.”

Works Cited Fuller, Andrew R. Psychology and Religion. 4th ed. New York: Rowman & Littlefield Publisher, 2008. 225-247.  Lane, Timothy S., and Paul D. Tripp. “How Christ Changes Us by His Grace.” The Journal of Biblical Counciling (2005): 15-21.

“We need to ask ourselves: What is my ultimate aim and object in occupying my mind with these things? What do I intend to do with my knowledge about God, once I have it?…If we pursue theological knowledge for its own sake, it is bound to go bad on us. It will make us proud and conceited. The very greatness of the subject matter will intoxicate us, and we shall come to think of ourselves as a cut above other Christians because of our interest in it and grasp of it; and we shall look down on those whose theological ideas seem to us crude and inadequate…To be preoccupied with getting theological knowledge as an end in itself, to approach Bible study with no higher motive than a desire to know all the answers, is the direct route to a state of self-satisfied self-deception. We need to guard our hearts against such an attitude, and pray to be kept from it.” - Page 21-22

Packer then acknowledges a common question he has come across in discussing the study of theology:

“Do not all children of God long, with the psalmist, to know just as much about our heavenly Father as we can learn?…Yes, of course…But if you look back to Psalm 119 again, you will see that the psalmist’s concern to get knowledge about God was not a theoretical but a practical concern. His supreme desire was to know and enjoy God Himself, and he valued knowledge about God simply as a means to this end.” - Page 22

“I once knew a good woman who was the subject of many doubts, and when I got to the bottom of her doubt, it was this: she knew she loved Christ, but she was afraid he did not love her. ‘Oh!’ I said, ‘that is a doubt that will never trouble me; never, by any possibility, because I am sure of this, that the heart is so corrupt, naturally, that love to God never did get there without God putting it there.’ You may rest quite certain, that if you love God, it is a fruit, and not a root. It is the fruit of God’s love to you, and did not get there by the force of any goodness in you. You may conclude, with absolute certainty, that God loves you if you love God.” - Charles Spurgeon

     Attempting to offer input for how Wright may be mistaken about the doctrine of justification (for example, Wright claims that imputation of God’s (Christ’s) righteousness to sinners is a “category mistake” and “makes no sense at all”), Piper explains how Wright makes his chief mistake in this area by misunderstanding the definition of God’s righteousness. Wright says that God’s righteousness should be understood as “keeping covenants, judging impartially, dealing with sin properly, and advocating for the helpless.”

     Piper points out that none of these actions are what righteousness is, rather he states that these are merely what righteousness does. From here, Piper continues to offer a proper understanding of God’s righteousness. This is where I was absolutely fascinated and enlightened.

     In his book The Justification of God, Piper notes that the simple way of defining God’s righteousness consists in his “unwavering commitment to do what is right.” However, even this definition is lacking as Piper says “we don’t feel like we have gained much in defining ‘righteousness’ if we use the word ‘right’ to define it.” Thus, he shows through several Old Testament texts that “God defines right in terms of Himself.”

     Therefore, Piper shows that “what is right, most ultimately, is what upholds the value and honor of God - what esteems God’s glory.” Moreover, he points out that the highest value that God gives in accounting for His actions is “the glory of God, or sacred and infinite value of His holiness, or sometimes simply His name.”

     Taking this further, Piper adeptly explains how God demonstrated His righteousness through putting forth Christ as a sacrifice for sins. Here is Piper’s excellent explanation:

“But now we find God ‘passing over sin’ - that is, treating sin in a way that makes it look less outrageous than it is. This makes God look as though He does not properly esteem his own glory that sin belittles…In passing over countless belittlings of his glory (sins), he looks as though he counts his glory a small thing. This would be unrighteousness in God - the very essence of unrighteousness. Therefore, he puts Christ forward to vindicate his righteousness…When he justifies the ‘ungodly’…he is not unrighteous, because the death of Christ exhibits God’s wrath against God-belittling sin.” - Page 67

     This leads me to my main point, namely that every single person reading this, in fact, every person on earth, has experienced the loving grace of God. Not everyone will receive it eternally, but every single time we value or love something more than God and His glory (sin), we deserve the full and complete wrath of a just and Holy God. We have loved and cherished other things and people more and the God who is worthy of our love and honor, we have dishonored through our daily sin and turning away from Him.

     Have you ever stopped to consider that apart from God’s love revealed in Christ, we should and would all be in the face of God’s unimaginable wrath for sin at this very moment? And justly so at that.

     In a world where many cry, “Why do bad things happen to ‘good’ people?”, shouldn’t we instead be asking why more bad things don’t happen to us?

I park under the trees. Not a fun place to park this time of year. A layer of sap, a layer of pollen, the morning dew, and repeat. Some birds contributed a few decorative elements to the yellow-green blanket.

My favorite time to drive is at sunset. In my opinion, the sunset is one of the most obvious displays of God’s glory and common grace.

I drove at sunset quite a bit this week. I noticed only one sunset.

I’m sure they were there. I’m sure they were beautiful. The pollen and sap and bird crap impaired my ability to see the eight-o’clock-glory-of-God. I was too busy being disgusted at the yellow-green film that covered my windows and was spurting through my air vents.

That is gross. I need to clean it off.
I’ll wait till it rains.
Or till the pollen stops dropping.
Or at least till after school is over.

So I missed sunset
after sunset.

Sin builds up like pollen.
(in my life)
I hate it. It disgusts me. but I’m so busy. And so the film of sin grows until I can no longer see the beauty and love of the Savior.

I’ll deal with that attitude later tonight. Or after finals.
I’m just reacting to the pressure I feel right now. It’s only a phase.

The fight of sin is a fight to see His glory, to experience the joy of experiencing His beauty. Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.” (Matt 5:8)

Maybe my heart is extra wicked, but when I am overwhelmed by my sin, “Honor God” provides weak incentive to change. I want some benefit.

and there is a benefit! There is a promise, a motivation to strive for holiness:

The sight of His beauty. (Matt 5:8)

The treasure of His friendship. (Ps 27:4)

Fullness of joy in His presence. (Ps 16:11)

Although total righteousness is achieved only through faith in Christ and the fullness of salvation from sin has not yet arrived (the “already but not yet”..?), let us, with the apostle Paul (in Phil 3), clean our windshields of the pollen and press on towards the prize: the sight of His glorious face. (Rev 22:4)

The Ice Cream is dedicated to John Lennon and his song “Imagine” (duh). Other than the twenty-something idealists that plan on saving the world, most people scoff at the notions in Lennon’s song of no borders, no religion, and “world peace.” I typically fall in this scoffing camp, but why do we? What doesn’t resonate with us when people start talking like this?

This reminded me of my old roommate. A non-practicing Jew who would say he is practicing, just in the way he deems appropriate right now in his life. So, like I said, non-practicing. But I digress. I had a talk with him once about why Jews don’t believe Jesus was the Messiah. I pointed out all the different prophecies and such and he responded by telling me that there was one prophecy - the most important one - that Jesus never fulfilled. The Messiah would bring about world peace. As long as there was still warring and killing and death and disease, the Messiah had not come.

I gave the typical response you would expect us Christians to give - a non response that really didn’t help him, it just told him (as we were nearing where I was dropping him off at) how there was this “already but not yet” dimension to what Christ accomplished and the “peace” Jesus ushered in that we can experience now was primarily spiritual, not temporal. Feeling I had won the discussion, I dropped him off and slept soundly that night. I only realized this morning, over two years later, staring at an ice cream lid in the trash, how incomplete and unhelpful my response was.

Instead of showing him how his presuppositions may have actually been wrong, I simply offered my opinion and said it was right. This is tantamount to Paul walking up to Athenian leaders on Mars Hill in Acts 17, pointing to the statue to the unnamed god, and saying “that’s wrong. Jesus is right. Repent.” No, he meets them on their philosophical worldview turf and shows how what they believe actually points to Christ ultimately. So what would I say to Julian now?

I realized this morning that the problem here is (as I’m seeing more and more in America) humanism. That “man is the measure of all things.” We all have this dream and desire for that which we call “world peace,” but our arrogance comes in our insistence that this “peace” come from within ourselves - from within humanity. Actually, it’s not an outright insistence as much as it is an unquestioned assumption. What if “world peace” would not come from within humanity, but from without? What if Jesus did accomplish achieving perfect spiritual and temporal peace with God, man, and creation? What if this peace were sitting there, within our grasp - within our reach - if we would but take one moment to look outside of ourselves? What if the perseverance of all that is antithetical to peace comes not from outside of us (bio-socio-cultural-econom

ic-historical-political systems and trends), but rather from within (the total depravity and sinfulness of man that infects us all). So, Peace has come. Peace has been accomplished and purchased by the only One not infected by that which takes away all our peace. We must simply accept this peace and live freely in it. Cease to “look in ourselves” to find the cure to all ills.

To non-Christians: you are like one who has mud on their face and hands and keeps trying to wipe away the mud, but you only make it worse as you strive and try. Christ has taken all the uncleanness you bear on Himself that you might not. Repent from your love of this filth and believe Christ has the righteousness you seek.

To Christians: peace is yours! Trample not the blood of Christ underfoot as you release the cross from your gaze under the fear of unaccomplished peace. Trust that peace has come to the world, and it is not a political, economical, or philosophical system. It is a man named Jesus. Repent for your seeming need for some part of your peace to come from within yourself and believe that it has come from without. It is done. It is finished. Enter your master’s rest.

Thank God for Whirled Peace.

Intelligent Design theory suggests that the biological aspects of life are too complex to have evolved randomly, but must have been produced by an unidentified (supernatural) intelligence. Contemporary Intelligent Design is an extension of the teleological argument for the existence of God, asserted by William Paley’ in his “watchmaker analogy” found in Natural Theology (1802).

The controversy–this potential “intellectual mccarthyism” (this is not my “official” stance on the situation, but an interesting statement that I have read recently)–does not merely stem from Dr. Gonzalez pro-ID stance, but also his expertise in his field of study, Astronomy. This would not be such an issue if Dr. Gonzalez was not so learned in the discipline. Dr. Gonzalez has the highest ranking among the entire I.S.U. faculty, according to the Smithsonian/NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS), which calculates the scientific impact of scientists in astronomy. The ranking system is devised on how much a scientist impacts other colleagues’ research. The more times a person’s papers are cited in other scientific articles or research, the more weight that person receives. The citation index is normalized so there is a greater weight placed on papers that have a single author as opposed to several. Based on 2001-2007 publications, Dr. Gonzalez received a 143 on the normalized index. The next closest I.S.U. professor staff has a score of 103, and the next best tenured astronomer scored 68.

The Discovery Institutes website quotes Dr. John West, associate director of the Center for Science and Culture (CSC) saying, “In other words, Iowa State denied tenure to a scientist whose impact on his field during the past six years outstripped all of the university’s existing tenured astronomers according to a prestigious Smithsonian/NASA database.”

Gonzalez, who has written 68 peer-reviewed journals (53 more than the 15 required by his department to meet its standard of excellence in research) does not teach ID in class, however, and that it is purely outside research.

Well, I previously mentioned that I would not come down on a particular side, but it seems that I have–with substantial empirical evidence of his contribution to astronomy.

On June 1, 2007, Gregory Geoffroy, President of Iowa State University, rejected Gonzalez’s appeal and upheld the denial of tenure. In making this decision, Geoffroy states that he “specifically considered refereed publications, [Gonzalez’s] level of success in attracting research funding and grants, the amount of telescope observing time he had been granted, the number of graduate students he had supervised, and most importantly, the overall evidence of future career promise in the field of astronomy” and that Gonzalez “simply did not show the trajectory of excellence that we expect in a candidate seeking tenure in physics and astronomy — one of our strongest academic programs.” Geoffroy noted, “Over the past 10 years, four of the 12 candidates who came up for review in the physics and astronomy department were not granted tenure.”Gonzalez appealed to the Iowa Board of Regents and the board affirmed the decision on February 7, 2008.

This should be an interesting situation to research…maybe I’ll post my final paper (due this Friday!!!).

Why is this such a big deal? I don’t want to and won’t be one of those Christians who is obsessed with the Doctrine of Hell yet at the same time I believe it is a vital Doctrine, one that must be examined (and even questioned), but not deviated from the reality of. What bothers me (here bothers is synonymous with “makes furious”) is that we, now, have many of our own (or so-called own) throwing out the doctrine because they claim that just as no human father would inflict such unbearable punishment on his child, neither would God. The problems with that analogy are many, but the most glaring is that when your theology moves in such a way that it is overtly and uncompromisingly anthro-centric there is little concern left for the justice that God himself deserves. In saying that it’s not loving or just for God to deem the unrepentant to eternal torment (as Revelation and other Scriptures describe) the focus has been placed on mankind and what should be done to them rather than the importance that God in his holiness deserves justice more than any of his disobedient-peon-creatures. Also (and I am going on the offensive against the Emergent-types), there is this mega-theme that runs throughout the Bible called wrath of God, which by sheer tonnage of verses (over 600) far outnumbers those which speak of God’s love, grace and mercy combined (I just stole the last sentence from Mark Driscoll and now that I’ve cited him, it’s no longer stealing). This is not something that can simply be maneuvered around to make us all feel warm and fuzzy in our state of blatant disobedience. To ignore this is to ignore what God wants us to know about himself and sadly, that includes a real Hell and a real eternity.

Jesus spoke about Hell more than anyone in the Bible (eleven times, if I count correctly) and it wasn’t simply a rhetorical tool - it was a severe and loving warning: Don’t go there.

(All this and we’ve not even talked about a verse — so much more to come).

Bygones.

‘ “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything.’

- I Cor. 6.12, ESV

Despite the fact that Paul here is addressing sexual immorality, the lesson he is teaching can be provided and applied for a larger context. Nothing material (or even immaterial in this world) will enslave us if we are to lose ourselves for Christ and the Gospel. In the freedom of the Gospel, we are given responsibility to use and enjoy the blessings of God while at the same time not allowing ourselves to become slaves to them. This sounds right and good, and it is, but as with all-things-sanctifying, application becomes the difficult part.

Previously, I talked about the fictional-messiahs that we create to be our fictional-saviors from our fictional-hell (oh, there’s a fun topic — soon to be addressed, by the way). Fictional-messiahs present themselves in all forms and in the end, they are nothing more than idols that enslave us. They enslave us because they promise salvation from whatever fictional-hell we’ve deemed ourselves needing salvation from.

What is it that you cannot, will not, and must not live without?

You’ve just named your fictional-messiah.

Let’s be honest. Well, how about I’ll be honest? I’ll be twenty-eight in just under two months and for as long as I can remember there’s nothing I’ve wanted more than to find a girl, get married and settle down (and as I inch towards thirty, it seems as though the pressure to find those things is ever-increasing). I’m looking for salvation in a relationship and a career. Not only will those two things not save me, they make terrible gods (messiahs). One will fail me, sin against me, hurt me, etc and etc (and vice versa); the other will ultimately end when my physical or mental capabilities are no longer what they once were. Not only will both leave me utterly frustrated and disappointed at times; they will also at some future point cease to exist. Where is my salvation then? What will I cling to when the spouse dies or when the career ends or when the house or apartment is too much for me to keep up with? Who will save me then? Who will save me when my messiah has failed me? (Do I/we not see the foolishness in this?).

Everything was designed for my losing.

I love cigarettes, coffee and chocolate. On many days I am enslaved by the latter two, and on others by the former-first. Last night, I was thoroughly restless and in that state between semi-consciousness and deep sleep, I had this terrifying dream that I was diagnosed with lung-cancer despite the fact that I almost never smoke anymore. That put to rest my desire to smoke from this point forward, but on that day when I am bored, and nicotine kisses my toes, will I abuse my freedom (and more-likely my health) or will I realize that they are just one more thing that are designed for my losing? (Much of the same can be said for coffee and chocolate abusing my health and my wallet and this begs the question: Am I a good steward; a faithful servant, or have I enslaved myself to something else, something other than the Authentic Messiah who offers life (and salvation) to the full).

Everything was designed for my losing. Will I lose it?

Ask yourself the same.

- Matthew 10.39, ESV

Just under a month ago I was driving to a photoshoot in Pittsburgh; near where the Blue and Green Belts meet just north of the Allegheny River and just west of my old neighborhood, Lawrenceville, when one of those subtly-almost-profound moments (almost) happened. The shoot was in Oakmont, the tiny suburb that hosted last year’s U.S. Open where twenty-seven-year-old Pittsburgh-Mayor Luke Ravenstahl made semi-national news by sneaking into the country club wearing an un-authorized American Express Polo-shirt to get Tiger Woods’ autograph. It was a typical almost-spring-day in Western Pennsylvania: cold, foggy, overcast and rainy and as I made my way along Allegheny River Boulevard while these lyrics (”everything was designed for my losing, i am the loser, i am a loser…”) nestled out of my crackly speakers (or head-unit) the above Scripture began to make a little sense.

In our sin-saturated physical (and temporary) domain the material presents itself as our daily and functional savior. Every new savior we acquire leaves us hanging and as the excitement of the new wears off the need for a new salvation appears in the next material object that we’ve deemed will save us; a functional and fictional messiah. Jesus in his claim of authentic-Messiahship tells us that we must lose everything and be willing to lose everything, for his sake and the Gospel (Mark 8.35). Everything was designed for my (and your) losing. Our Creator, in His sovereignty, has placed before us the material world and in that we can choose to be rescued by a material-messiah or an authentic one.

Everything was designed for my losing.

The things we encounter on a daily basis seem like such a huge deal. Do you ever notice how the smallest things make the youngest children cry for seemingly no good reason? Much can be made from this illustration as we too, even as adults make much of nothing. And as C.S. Lewis famously said “We are far too easily pleased”.

This reality was made even a little more clear for me in the past few weeks. Desires I so longingly want to see fulfilled felt compromised a few days before my doctor’s visit last week. Maybe this was designed for my losing, but was I willing to lose it? And in the potential possibility of losing it, the bigger question emerges - “Will I remain faithful” or will I “Curse God (and die)” as Job’s wife so lovingly encouraged him to do.

Daily, the physical realm preaches to us that it can offer us salvation. Time and time again salvation comes and goes and the next iPod (No matter how much those Apple freaks love Steve Jobs, he, by no means, is any messiah) or the next relationship or the next job will really save us. Functional (fictional) Messiahs are all around, but will we come to the realization that everything really is designed for our losing? Jesus told us this must be so - when will we take him at his word?

Only then can we sing with joy “i am the loser, i am a loser” (oh, the irony).