A Trade Has Been Made

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Lassie, Books, and Mud Pies

On Monday August 16 Dr. Frank Ryan, a celebrity plastic surgeon, was killed as he drove off a cliff in California because he was too busy updating his Twitter account with 140 characters or less about his pet border collie. Dr. Ryan is survived by his dog, Jill, who somehow managed to survive the fatal accident.

Sorry Lassie, you're not worth driving over a cliff!

People love their dogs, and they love to talk about them and take pictures of them even more. But unless Jill the border collie was in the passenger seat playing the cello and smoking a Cuban cigar while sticking her head out the window like all dogs like to do, I don't believe there is anything a dog could do that would be worth losing your life. Whatever the situation, Dr. Ryan obviously had a greater desire to tell his followers on Twitter about his great dog than he desired to drive safely and miss out on an opportune time for a memorable tweet.

This may seem to be a harsh stance to take only a few days after someone has passed away. So to be fair, I must point out that all of us, including myself, do the same thing as Dr. Ryan everyday. And I'm not talking about updating our Twitter or Facebook about our lovable pet while we are driving. I'm not talking about the recent obsession surrounding internet updates that reveal the most mundane details of life to countless acquaintances and strangers. I'm talking about the way we desire.

We are hardwired to desire. We always desire something. In every decision we make and in every thought we think, we are fueled by some kind of desire. We were created to desire.

The issue is not desire. The issue is the object of our desire.

The world is full of good things. Creation is brimming with things that are made for our enjoyment and satisfaction. But they are not ends in and of themselves. They are the means to which we should be pointed to the Creator.

For example, I love books. Reading has become a tremendous hobby of mine. I love learning about new things, and I love to escape into a different world. Man's creative ability to write and organize thoughts into beautiful, coherent works of art is a great gift from God. It is good to enjoy this gift. The problem is my tendency to elevate the gift over the Giver. My desire for books and literature overshadows and often times destroys my desire for the One who has given the gift in the first place.

The issue is not my desire for reading books. The issue is the fact that the object of my desire is not God.

Although we are hardwired to desire and there are endless good things for us to desire and enjoy, sin has infected us and driven us to give our supreme desire to finite creations instead of the infinite Creator of all things.

Fun? Yes. Better than a day at the beach? I think not!

The great writer C.S. Lewis once discussed this tendency in The Weight of Glory. He wrote, "We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."

Dr. Frank Ryan desired to post a Twitter update about his pet more than he desired to drive attentively and live. I desire reading a literary classic and being swept by magnificent usage of the English language more than I desire basking in the glory of the Word who gives human authors the creativity and capability to write such wonderful works. All of us tend to enjoy mud pies more than we do vacations at the beach. We desire creation more than the Creator.

The Christian life is not a series of rules that begin with "Do not". We are to taste and see that the Lord is good for he has come to give life that is abundant (Ps 34:8, Jn 10:10). We do not reject all of the good things God has put in our lives. Instead we use the good things as a means to turn to the Creator and Giver of all good things to fulfill and satisfy our deepest desires.

"Everyday Gospel" - The Most Important Meal of the Day

In school, there is hardly anything more dramatic and grave as a standardized test. Acronyms such as ITBS, TCAP, ACT, SAT, GRE haunt the minds of awaiting students of all ages across the country. When the fateful day arrives and the teacher begins the litany of instructions that must be followed, the tension is such that it is easy for a student to think that he might be assassinated in the event that he fills in the wrong bubble or breaks the last remaining No. 2 pencil. Standardized tests are serious business.

In order to help students prepare and to be in the best position to succeed on these standardized tests, teachers give plenty of advice and tips. Students need plenty of rest. They need to have the right amount of the right kind of pencils easily available. Read every possible answer before selecting the best one. Depending on the test, do not skip any questions at all or skip any that you do not know. But regardless of the test, students need to have a well-balanced breakfast before taking the test. Before you even bubble in your name or any other information, you better not forget that oatmeal or french toast! Remember, standardized tests are serious business, and your life depends on it!

And believe me, when I was a student, I listened. I never eat breakfast. I'd rather sleep the extra 15 minutes. But on the day of a standardized test, I would eat my pancakes because I knew if I didn't I would be assassinated or maybe even end up homeless and on drugs.

This habit has carried on through graduate school. Sleep through breakfast on a normal day, but cram Raisin Bran or Honey Nut Cheerios right before a major exam.

The obvious question I should ask myself: "If eating breakfast before a major test is so important, why is it not just as crucial to be mentally and physically prepared for every other day of my life?"

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As satisfying as a perfect breakfast is, and as important as it is to eat a balanced meal to start our day, physical food is not the only thing we need to be sustained through the day. Along with our bodies' cravings for physical food, our hearts and souls long to be filled each day. We are spiritually famished.

Throughout both the Old Testament and the New Testament writers compared the need for the Word of God to the daily need for food. Just as we wake up needing a meal to not only satisfy us but to also prepare us and sustain us for each day, we need a daily intake of Scripture.

Eating a nice breakfast is wonderful, but it will not be sufficient for very long. We need a consistent supply of food to meet our needs. You can eat a breakfast at the biggest and best buffet in the world, but within a few hours, you are going to be making lunch plans. Likewise we need a constant source of spiritual nutrition and satisfaction. Just as we eat morning, noon, and night, we can find satisfaction and sustaining power through continual meditation on God's word. "I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words. My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise," (Ps 119:147-148).

For some of us, eating breakfast may not be a normal part of our everyday schedule. We don't have time.  We'd rather sleep. But when we discipline ourselves and sit down to a bowl of cereal in the morning, we are more prepared for the day. In the same manner, many of us are in such a hurry in the morning that we give little thought to spending a few minutes reading the Bible. But if we make it a point to start the day with a moment of reflection and meditation on Scripture, we will see "How sweet are [His] words to [our] taste, sweeter than honey to [our] mouth[s]!" (Ps 119:103). God's Word will satisfy our deepest longings and help us think rightly as we begin our day.

It is easy to take a few minutes to read the Bible during a crisis. When we have a monumental decision to make or anxiously awaiting important news, we are much more prone to seek for wisdom or guidance from God's Word. We often treat Scripture like I handle breakfast. On a normal day, we can make it on our own. But when we know we are facing a serious test, we will do everything we can to prepare. Much like my haphazard eating habits in the morning, an inconsistent intake of Scripture in the morning begs the question: "If this is so important for my preparation and ultimate well-being, why is this not a part of my preparation for everyday life?"

I do not take a standardized test everyday, but I still need to eat breakfast every morning. I also do not have to make a life-altering decision everyday, but I still need to absorb God's message everyday.

When you sit down at the kitchen table and pour some milk to go with those sausage biscuits with gravy and prepare for another monotonous day of work or school, you may not know it, but you are preaching. Each morning we arise in need of nourishment to be prepared for and sustained throughout the day. And when we start our days off with a granola bar or the "Breakfast of Champions", we point to the simple truth that we daily need to be spiritually nourished and satisfied through the reading of the inspired Word of God.

"Give us this day our daily bread..."  Amen.

"Everyday Gospel" - The Good News Behind Your Cavities and Gingivitis

When you woke up this morning, your breath was nasty. Trust me. Pieces of food have been stuck between your teeth, and plaque has been slowly destroying enamel and wreaking havoc on your gums all night long. And let's be honest, you were a little too busy and forgot to brush your teeth last night. So you head to the bathroom to spend a few seconds to fix your mutant breath and hope that these few minutes will do enough protection and prevention that you won't be missing all of your teeth in twenty years. And in these short, routine moments, you are preaching.

Have you ever sat in the chair at the dentist office with all of those tools crammed down your throat and thought, "Why do we even have to worry about plaque and cavities? Couldn't God just have given us teeth that didn't rot in the first place? Isn't life hard enough without having to worry about my flossing technique?"

I have been asking these questions a lot lately. A few weeks ago, the dentist told me that I had two cavities. This was a big deal. I have never had a cavity in 25 years. I didn't want to try it out now.

The big problem is that it is not just your teeth. Your hair falls out or you start dealing with arthritic pain. Your eyesight and hearing abilities diminish. You deal with memory loss. Growing old in a lot of ways isn't growing.

But when we struggle with these things and deal with them through various means such as brushing our teeth, there is an underlying message of hope and redemption waiting to be heard.

It is important to note that this struggle and slow process of decay wasn't always the case. Decay entered the world, along with death, through the introduction of human sin. "Sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin," (Rom 5:12). Since that time, man and all of creation has had to deal with futility and decay. "And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for the adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved," (Rom 8:23-25).

Sin not only brought death into the world, but it also brought the painful degradation of all created things. Because of sin, your teeth rot, your breath smells like garbage, and one day you will get to rock a set of dentures. And those dentures are proof that our sin does not and will not go unpunished.

But this reality of atrophy brought by sin is not the end. There is a final hope, and it is not your toothbrush and mouthwash!

God has promised to make all things new. The first evidence of this promise of renewal being fulfilled was given when Jesus was raised from the dead.

"But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man [Adam] came death, by a man [Christ] has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ."      1 Corinthians 15:20-23 

The hope we face against cavities, gingivitis, and ultimately death is in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. As he was raised three days after his crucifixion, he will raise us up as well. But we are not just raised up in spirit. We are promised to be given new bodies. "For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality," (1 Cor 15:53).

What that means for us is we do not have to fight the everyday battles against cavities and hair-loss the same way. Those who have put their faith in the resurrected Jesus have hope. Our breath will stink for now. We will still get to rock those dentures. But we eagerly await the day our hopes are fulfilled and we are given new, immortal bodies.

Every morning, you fight an ongoing battle against decay and disease by brushing your teeth. On the surface, it seems to be an event of no real significance. But this everyday routine points to the fact that all of creation is in a process of depreciation due to human sin. This process will ultimately lead to death; however, we have not been left without an option for hope. We must look beyond the toothpaste on our brushes, look to the empty grave of Christ, and cling to the hope that he will faithfully fulfill his promise of restoration and renewal to all of those who placed their trust in him.

"Everyday Gospel" - Dude, Put Some Clothes On

If you're like me at all, you probably don't do your deepest thinking as you drag yourself out of bed in the morning and put on some clothes. But whether you realize it or not, when you throw something on while trying to break out of the morning haze, you are preaching. Before you can even make it out of the bedroom, you are declaring an incredible truth that deserves serious attention.

When you are getting dressed, there are several factors influence your decision on what to wear. One of the major determinants in choosing what to wear is what you're planning on doing. Where you are going and what you will be doing drastically impact the clothes you choose for the day. A trip to the mall or movie theatre calls for a different attire than an interview for a job or a wedding. What you plan to do matters when putting on clothes.

Along with the plans for the day, who you will see or, even more importantly, who will see you throughout the day greatly influences what you decide to wear when putting on your clothes in the morning. Image and reputation are established and maintained in part by what we wear. You are unlikely to choose the same clothes when heading to lunch with your best friend as you would when accepting a dinner invitation from a distinguished figure in the community. You are sharing a meal with each person; however, who you are meeting influences what you would wear.

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Clothes have come a long way since fig leaves, but they continue to serve the same purpose. According to the book of Genesis, after Adam and Eve sinned, they realized they were naked. This realization brought shame. To deal with the newfound shame, Adam and Eve sewed some leaves together for covering. Sin had stained them and distorted their relationship, and in response, Adam and Even tried to deal with the consequence of their sin on their own by covering it up with a plant.

When you put your foot into that first pant leg and when you pick out a t-shirt for the day, you are preaching. That t-shirt and jean combo points to the truth that just like Adam we have been stained with sin and we need something to cover it up. Walking around butt-naked doesn't just produce shame, but it preaches a false message that you do not have sin and are in no need of cover.

But just like the leaves used by Adam and Eve, cotton and polyester are not going to deal with the deeper problem in sin.

After God had pronounced curses upon Adam and Eve, He did not leave them on their own to survive with their fig leaves. "And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skin and clothed them," (Gen 3:21).

This verse reveals two very important truths. First, the clothes Adam and Eve had made for themselves were not sufficient. God, himself, made clothes for Adam and Eve in order to deal with the consequences of their sin. Second, it took death for God to provide the necessary clothes. Adam and Eve had made clothes out of plants. God, however, made clothes out of skin. A sacrifice of some kind was made in order for Adam and Eve to have sufficient clothing.

Likewise, the name-brand jeans and thrift store shirt you're rocking are not sufficient to deal the problem of sin.

In fact, nothing we can devise - no system we develop, no method we follow, no good deeds we perform - can sew a garment pure enough to cover the disgusting stain left by sin. And without a perfectly pure garment, we have no hope of dwelling with God. Like Adam and Eve, we need God, himself, to make a garment for us.

In order to make garments sufficient for Adam and Eve, a sacrifice was made. In a similar manner, God made the ultimate sacrifice by sending his son to die in order to provide the necessary clothing for us to be reunited with him.

When Jesus died on the cross, God offered us a trade. If we put our faith in the work of his son, He will take our sin-stained garments and exchange them for his perfect cloak of righteousness. Adam and Eve sewed together their own fig leaves but were given new garments God made of animal skin. We have built our own garments made of good deeds to cover up our shame, but God has offered to replace them with the perfect garment made up of the righteousness of his son Jesus Christ.

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When you get dressed in the morning, what you are planning on doing, where you are planning on going, and who you are planning on meeting influence your decision on what to wear. It is the same way when we consider our spiritual clothing. We must make a decision on whether we will depend on the clothes we have made for ourselves out of good deeds and hard work or exchange our insufficient clothes for the righteous garments Jesus offers to us. Just as the plans of the day affect our choice in clothing, the choice we make regarding spiritual clothes will have eternal ramifications. If we are planning on going to heaven, living with God forever, and meeting Him face to face, then we are expected to have the clothes to match the occasion.

Before you even make it out of the bedroom in the morning, you preach good news. Just as we all need to put on some clothes to cover up the physical shame of nakedness, we need something to cover up the spiritual shame of sin against God. Tommy Hilfiger and Nike won't deal with the deeper shame. In fact nothing we try will deal with it. Our only option to cover the spiritual shame from sin is to put our faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and to be dressed in his garment of righteousness.

So, please, put some clothes on. Just don't depend on the ones we have made for ourselves. Your fig leaves won't do the trick.

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[Note: Next Thursday: "The Good News Behind Your Cavities and Gingivitis" -  A look at what you're preaching each morning when you brush your teeth.]

"Everyday Gospel" - Introducing a New Series

From the moment you slam the alarm clock for the last time, drag yourself out of bed, and put your feet on the cold, hardwood floor to the moment you flip off the lights and retreat under your covers to grab as much rest as you can before the next day of monotony, whether you know it or not, you are preaching.

In the midst of every single chaotic (or dreadfully boring) day lie countless events that speak an eternal message of separation, hope, love, life, death, redemption, and glory. But this message goes mostly unnoticed. Drowned out by the cares and concerns of everyday life and blurred by the habitual nature of these events, the message speaks to deaf ears.

Not only are your days filled with events that speak this message, but the world around you is heralding the same revelation. Immersed in nature are myriad examples of events that intimate the same word of hope.

For the next few weeks, I am planning to reflect on how some of these everyday events narrate a singular message. From brushing your teeth and putting on your clothes in the morning to spending time with the kids and going to bed at night, numerous everyday occurrences preach to us.

For each blog entry in the series, I will consider how a single, routine event speaks to us. It is my hope that this series will enable us to think more deeply about how even the habitual, mundane happenings of our lives are significant and share with us a message of good news worth hearing. I plan to post a new entry each Thursday, so subscribe to the blog or bookmark the page and follow along as we consider how everyday life offers a crucial word to us.

Everyday moments are declaring a message to us. The question is, will we listen?

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[Note: Coming this Thursday, July 15: "Dude, Put Some Clothes On" - a look at what you're preaching every morning when you get dressed.]

Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven... But Nobody Wants to Sit Next to a Nazi

Last week I discussed how the gathering of many nations at the World Cup points to a longing for unity. What inspires us when we witness people from various nations and ethnicities coming together should remind us of the promise God has made to bring people from every tribe and every nation together under the reign of his son, Jesus Christ. While we rightly embrace moments that display such diversity like the World Cup and many of us cling to the idea that God is forming a people made up of individuals from every nation, I question if we genuinely believe and long for there to be such diversity in heaven.

When we are asked to think about what heaven will be like as we join alongside people from every people group, its easy to think about what it will be like to live alongside sweet, loving people from Kenya and China and Brazil. But what will be your reaction when you find yourself singing alongside a former member of the Nazi regime? Would you embrace worshipping God for eternity next to someone from the Hutu tribe in Rwanda that committed genocide in the mid-90's? What about someone who at one point had ties to the Taliban?

Our view of a united humanity is too romanticized. It will not just include people from peaceful tribes. The people of God is not limited to the people groups that fought on our side for every war. This united group will not be missing representation from any people group. It is declared of Jesus, "You ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on earth," (Rev 5:10-11).

But this truth that our own enemies will join us should not surprise us. Throughout the ministry of Jesus and from the early days of the Christian church, one of the hallmark principles of the Christian faith has been the duty to love our enemies.

In his most famous message, Jesus told his disciples, "I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven," (Mt 5:44-45). Pointing out what should be the identifying characteristics of those who follow him, Jesus made it clear that we should love those we would normally hate. But why?

Jesus answers this question with the second phrase, "so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven." When we love our enemies, we look like and mirror God. While we were still enemies with God because of our sin, God sent his son to die for us (Rom 5:8-10). We follow in his footsteps when we love those who stand against us.

This principle of loving your enemies is displayed in countless other places in the New Testament. Jews and Samaritans, Jews and Greeks, Pharisees and tax collectors. Time and time again, Jesus and the apostles of the early church taught us to love our enemies.

Just as we are expected to love our enemies here on earth, we can expect to one day find ourselves united in heaven with those who were once standing on the opposite side of the battle lines. We are to love our enemies now in order to act as a preview for the day when people from every nation will live together as God's chosen people. We should be reminded of this each time we pray, "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven," (Mt 6:10).

Sure, you want to go to heaven. But do you want to be there if your stuck next to your worst enemy? We must embrace our call to love our enemies and prepare for the day when God unites all things through his son. Until then, we continue to look forward to that day by following Jesus' last command. We must "make disciples of all nations," and to get ready to join hand in hand with the worst of our enemies.