Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Hair

"For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ." ( 1 Cor. 12:12) The Holy Spirit goes on to write through Paul about different parts of the human body like feet, ears, eyes. One readily sees the importance of kidneys, lungs or the heart. But why did God create us with hair? What purpose does it serve? Beards may keep us warm in the winter but few people work outside any longer in cold climates and we can wear hats to cover our heads.
     Is it possible that we are given hair to illustrate the reality of being created male and female? In Genesis 1:26 God says, "Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness..." Verse 27 goes on to say "so God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them." (NKJV) These are the first Scriptural truths said about humanity.  Unlike angels, animals or any other part of the creation, we are made in the image of God. And both sexes are necessary to reflect His image rightly. Neither is sufficient on its own.
     1 Corinthians 11 uses hair to illustrate this. "Does not nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him? But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her, for her hair is given to her for a covering." (! Cor. 11:14-15 NKJV) There is no practical reason for a woman to have long hair. It is more difficult to take care of, and as I have heard so many women explain, there is a problem with split ends. ( Of course, no one can see them but you.) Yet God describes it as a "glory." The Song of Solomon says, "Your hair is like a flock of goats going down from Mt. Gilead (4:1, 6:5) - quite a vivid portrayal of the movement of long hair in the wind- and that "a king is held captive by your tresses." ( Song 7:5 NKJV)
     Is it possible that God is pleased when we reflect His image by embracing the masculinity or femininity with which He created us?

Monday, April 23, 2012

Experimenting

     God has graciously allowed me to enter into what I could call an experiment. Can a group of men whom God has taken out of a traditional church structure, and given shepherding responsibilities in a number of different home based churches, develop deep relational unity founded on their individual relationships with Christ so that they can work together in a practical way to advance the Kingdom of God? These brothers have varied backgrounds and many different theological perspectives and understandings. Most do not know each other very well. Some are older and some younger. Most have very strong convictions.
     Everything is voluntary and anyone could potentially withdraw from the "experiment"at any time. No one is receiving any remuneration to participate. Most of us don't live in close proximity to one another. While two of us are "facilitating," there is no authority figure and no one is obligated to submit to anyone else. Whatever we do is because we are persuaded by the Holy Spirit.
     This may not bear lasting fruit. I hope I am wrong. I am thankful to take part in the experiment and appreciate readers' prayers that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ will lead and sustain us. I believe that this is what He desires.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Fire

Recently I had the pleasure of attending a two church BBQ. One church was Brazilian. BBQ is their specialty so if you ever receive an invitation to one, take it. In addition, our host took me on a canoe ride where we saw a beaver dam. After dark he built a little fire and several of us gathered around it. Not satisfied with its size, he dumped a lot of wood on top. We had been sitting maybe four or five feet away. As the fire grew hotter, we kept backing up, doing this three or four times. This reminded me of the story in Daniel 3 where Daniel's three friends are thrown into the midst of the fiery furnace. Verse 22 says that the fire was so hot that the men of Nebuchadnezzar that threw in the Israelites were themselves consumed by the flames.
Fire is a common motif found in Scripture. Psalm 104.4 says that God "makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire." (ESV) Exodus relates the story of the burning bush that is not consumed, and the pillar of fire that guided the Israelites by night on their journey. Jeremiah compares the Word of God to fire in 23:29. John the Baptist says that One will come after him who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. ( Matt. 3:11)
Finally Jesus refers to "hell, the unquenchable fire." (Mark 9:43 ESV) "And if anyone's name was not found in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:15 ESV) This is what we, in the church, no longer talk about. "For our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:29 ESV)

Friday, April 13, 2012

The God of History

Many years ago, a brother who was preaching described history as His Story. As one of that strange group of people that actually enjoys reading history, aka a history "nut", I find it fascinating and instructive to understand that all the vicissitudes of kings and kingdoms are controlled by the King of Kings. Consider the language used by the Holy Spirit through Paul the apostle as he addressed the Athenians in Acts 17:26. "And he (God) made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place." God determines the rise and fall of nations.
The OT book of Daniel illustrates this. In chapter 2:20ff Daniel says, "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings." Daniel says of Nebuchadnezzar, one of the most powerful rulers of the ancient Middle East, that "You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man...making you rule over them all..." ( Dan. 2:37ff ESV)
Nebuchadnezzar is told that "The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever he will and sets over it the lowliest of men." ( Dan. 4:17 ESV) Nebuchadnezzar is a pagan king, yet God allows him to rule for a season. May we remember that the same God who set up and took down kings in the OT still does this today with government leaders.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Monday, April 9

Received a call this morning from an old friend named Doug, who provided hospitality for me in North Carolina during my travels. The timing was providential as i was discouraged over the state of the house churches with whom i have relationship in New England. Doug knew nothing of this but his admonition to walk by faith and not by sight, and to persevere hit home. As he spoke God showed me that i had much to thank Him for. Thanks, Bro.
Yesterday I was asked by the fifth different person in the last month about my understanding of predestination & Reformed theology in general. Prior to that I don't think anyone had asked me in the last five years. For my first twenty-five years in the Lord I was in a "free will" environment, and was unfamiliar with any other view. Through reading Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology, questions that my daughter posed, and some other books became familiarized with the general concepts. At one point I did try to resolve the question for myself but did not come to any final conclusion. For years I have danced around the subject, and, in contrast to many other topics, haven't taught on it. The debate seemed to center around our understanding of the process of salvation, rather than people actually getting saved. Now I am convicted that i need to study and ask God for revelation so that i can respond from a Scriptural standpoint rather than offer my opinion. May God help me in this endeavor.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Tom

TOM


Romans 12:10b (ESV) says to “Outdo one another in showing honor.” The following is a tribute to a brother named Tom, whom I have had the privilege to know for the past fifteen years. Tom is about fourteen years older than I, grew up in rural Pennsylvania ( U.S.), and graduated from the West Point military college in time to go to Vietnam. He trained as a Army Ranger, learned to fly helicopters, and served two combat tours. He was severely wounded, came out on a stretcher twice, and attained the rank of major in thirteen years of service prior to going to Dallas Seminary. After graduation he and his wife Carolyn served as missionaries for decades, with the Navigators ministry. They worked primarily with Chinese people in Taiwan and Hong Kong, but also went into Russia when it opened up in the 90's.
When I met Tom, he had returned to the States, working with international students. We had the opportunity to go on several retreats together, and met up periodically at other times. Although in deteriorating health due to heart and kidney issues, Tom continued to minister to whomever was willing. He is probably the best equipped disciplemaker that I have ever known. Certainly he was patient with my foibles and eruptions. As he approached his seventies, one of his greatest sorrows was that neither of his sons had given him a grandchild. Recently his older son's wife gave birth to a daughter. As a result Tom & Carolyn have decided to move out west to live near them. I don't know if I will see Tom again in this life but have assurance that we will meet up again in the next. Tom, you may never read this, but it has been an honor to know you, and to witness your life for Christ.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Grandpa

Psalm 128 is a song of ascents, very family oriented, that concludes in verse six with the prayer, "May you see your children's children." For quite awhile I have wondered whether this was a blessing that I would ever receive. God has blessed me with one child, who married over four years ago, and yet who seemed in no hurry to reproduce. In this post I am delighted to report that she is three months pregnant, and God willing, will give birth around the beginning of October. May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ form the child's "inward parts, and knit them together in her mother's womb," so that in the fullness of time the child "praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." ( Psalm 139:13-14 ESV) I rejoice in the glory of God!
"Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out." (Prov. 20:5) As i reflect on the three brothers whom i mentor most closely, one of the common characteristics is that all three ask good questions. Like someone pulling up a wooden bucket on a rope from an old time well, they draw out of me what God has planted there over the decades. Sometimes they ask me things that I have forgotten that God has taught me until they are used to bring it forth. Thank you, Father for the trust they repose in Jesus in me. May I always be ready to point them to You & the Scripture rather than my own human reasoning.