Life seems extraordinarily busy these days, which often times for me means a very busy mind. A mind divided by work and family, projects and events, from what seems like morning to sundown. This month I have several side projects I’ve committed to doing in the web design front along with the full time job, a one year old son to run around with, and we’re in the midst of trying to purchase a small townhouse as an investment property in the local neighborhood which has meant paperwork and more time. Also dealing with some medical tests and trying to get a fun little flag football team together in the midst of it all…(Gotta have fun too right?)

Yet as the crazy cloud swirls about me I feel a deepening need to get back to the basics. I’ve come to realize there is no great nobility within busyness, activity, and the like. Though this culture would demand such from you or expect such from you, you can slow down. You have that ability. Jeremiah 10:23 has always been one of the passages of scripture that has gripped me. It reads “I know, O LORD, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.” This world is determined to facilitate a self-indulgent-self-centric-self-interested person in us, one that does not “settle” for anything but accomplishment and a driven nature to succeed by it’s own standards. At what point can we step back? At what point can we slow down? One has to pursue silence to find it, and within such focus upon the basics every once in awhile, to realize that the steps before you were placed there before you walked them. That God is in control and it is his causes, purposes, and glory that is to be pursued with the driven nature that cannot be satisfied in anything else, no matter how hard we try.

Life has become something of a new adventure since Caleb arrived. I’m not sure if it’s what I expected or not, but it’s certainly a Caleb-centric existance and has been for the better part of 8 months. We try to get everything peripheral done during naptimes, go to events as long as we’re home in time for his bedtime, and we rise at the crack of “Waaaaaaaaaaa” every morning. Caleb runs the show!

It is through marriage first, and then fatherhood that I have come to understand the temptations and tribulations that come within these bonds. The apostle Paul speaks of the fact that within marriage, one’s interests are divided. At once, you are committed to the Lord’s affairs, and yet in another moment committed about how one might please his wife. The core principles within these verses is not to restrict or bring a bitter taste to marriage. It is written so that we might live a life in undivided devotion to the Lord, whether we are alone or together.

It is not mere coincidence that the verses prior to the ones about marriage speak of the truth that this world in it’s present form is indeed passing away. I cannot fathom or properly comprehend this, though I know that it is true, and I know that my passionate love and bonds with Bri and Caleb will change when this world does pass away, and that God shall be glorified in the redemption of his own.

It is easy to consume my mind with the passing world, living each and every day in order to please Bri or Caleb and losing site of an undivided devotion to the Lord, as a family. Rather than looking inward as though our family was huddled, looking only into each others faces, we must turn and hold hands and walk together in devotion to the Lord.

This is not very easy in waterfalls of spitup or hills of blocks and toys. Yet I know the greatest love and devotion I can show to my wife and my son is by lifting them up in the things that are not temporary, but the things that last when our time here has gone.

Yesterday, Easter Sunday, I posted the first post on why Christ suffered and died: To Absorb the Wrath of God. So today is day #2 focusing on the greatest event in human history. (Keep in mind I’m “ordering” these for the sake of organization, not importance) Also Bri will be posting a four month Caleb update (so fast eh?!?!) tomorrow after his doc appt.

#2 - Christ Suffered and Died to Please His Heavenly Father

Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;
he has put him to grief – Isaiah 53:10

Christ loved us and gave himself up for us,
a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. – Ephesians 5:2

Jesus did not wrestle his angry Father to the floor of heaven and
take the whip out of his hand. He did not force him to be merciful
to humanity. His death was not the begrudging consent of
God to be lenient to sinners. No, what Jesus did when he suffered
and died was the Father’s idea. It was a breathtaking strategy,
conceived even before creation, as God saw and planned the history
of the world. That is why the Bible speaks of God’s “purpose
and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began”
(2 Timothy 1:9).

Already in the Jewish Scriptures the plan was unfolding. The
prophet Isaiah foretold the sufferings of the Messiah, who was to
take the place of sinners. He said that the Christ would be “smitten
by God” in our place.

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we
esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he
was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our
iniquities. . . . All we like sheep have gone astray; we have
turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on
him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:4-6)

But what is most astonishing about this substitution of Christ
for sinners is that it was God’s idea. Christ did not intrude on
God’s plan to punish sinners. God planned for him to be there.
One Old Testament prophet says, “It was the will of the LORD to
crush him; he has put him to grief” (Isaiah 53:10).

This explains the paradox of the New Testament. On the one
hand, the suffering of Christ is an outpouring of God’s wrath
because of sin. But on the other hand, Christ’s suffering is a beautiful
act of submission and obedience to the will of the Father. So
Christ cried from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken
me?” (Matthew 27:46). And yet the Bible says that the suffering
of Christ was a fragrance to God. “Christ loved us and gave
himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God”
(Ephesians 5:2).

Oh, that we might worship the terrible wonder of the love of
God! It is not sentimental. It is not simple. For our sake God did
the impossible: He poured out his wrath on his own Son—the one
whose submission made him infinitely unworthy to receive it. Yet
the Son’s very willingness to receive it was precious in God’s sight.
The wrath-bearer was infinitely loved.

The above is an excerpt from John Piper’s “The Passion of Jesus Christ” - Download the entire book free of charge here.

Happy Easter!  What an awesome day this has been.  A time to reflect upon the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ, a time spent with family and friends in celebration.  We had a fun time with Caleb, as he got the opportunity to spend some quality time with the Grandparents and the Great-Grandparents, as well as his uncle and aunt.

Reflecting upon today, we might ask what was the purpose of the death of Christ?

I thought it might be edifying to go through John Piper’s “The Passion of Jesus Christ” (50 Reasons Why He Came To Die) - one post per reason, one at a time.  Perhaps this 50 days might be a time to grow in understanding of the greatest event in human history - the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Why did he suffer and die?

Appropriatly, post #1 is on Easter Sunday:

#1 - Christ Suffered and Died to Absorb the Wrath of God

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a
curse for us—for it is written,

“Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.” - Galatians 3:13

“God put [Christ] forward as a propitiation by his blood,
to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness,
because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.” - Romans 3:25

“In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us
and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” - 1 John 4:10

If God were not just, there would be no demand for his Son to
suffer and die. And if God were not loving, there would be no willingness
for his Son to suffer and die. But God is both just and loving.
Therefore his love is willing to meet the demands of his justice.
God’s law demanded, “You shall love the LORD your God with
all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might”
(Deuteronomy 6:5). But we have all loved other things more.

This is what sin is—dishonoring God by preferring other things over
him, and acting on those preferences. Therefore, the Bible says,
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans
3:23). We glorify what we enjoy most. And it isn’t God.

Therefore sin is not small, because it is not against a small
Sovereign. The seriousness of an insult rises with the dignity of the
one insulted. The Creator of the universe is infinitely worthy of
respect and admiration and loyalty. Therefore, failure to love him
is not trivial—it is treason. It defames God and destroys human
happiness.

Since God is just, he does not sweep these crimes under the rug
of the universe. He feels a holy wrath against them. They deserve to
be punished, and he has made this clear: “For the wages of sin is
death” (Romans 6:23). “The soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4).
There is a holy curse hanging over all sin. Not to punish would
be unjust. The demeaning of God would be endorsed. A lie would
reign at the core of reality. Therefore, God says, “Cursed be everyone
who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the
Law, and do them” (Galatians 3:10; Deuteronomy 27:26).

But the love of God does not rest with the curse that hangs over
all sinful humanity. He is not content to show wrath, no matter how
holy it is. Therefore God sends his own Son to absorb his wrath and
bear the curse for all who trust him. “Christ redeemed us from the
curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13).
This is the meaning of the word “propitiation” in the text
quoted above (Romans 3:25). It refers to the removal of God’s
wrath by providing a substitute. The substitute is provided by God
himself. The substitute, Jesus Christ, does not just cancel the
wrath; he absorbs it and diverts it from us to himself. God’s wrath
is just, and it was spent, not withdrawn.

Let us not trifle with God or trivialize his love. We will never
stand in awe of being loved by God until we reckon with the seriousness
of our sin and the justice of his wrath against us. But
when, by grace, we waken to our unworthiness, then we may look
at the suffering and death of Christ and say, “In this is love, not
that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to
be the [wrath-absorbing] propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

The above is an excerpt from John Piper’s “The Passion of Jesus Christ” - Download the entire book free of charge here.

I haven’t posted in forever!  (So please indulge the girth of this post…it’s been sitting in my drafts for a while)

I’ve been talking to a lot of different people lately with different, opposing, or struggling views of God.  Those who have no belief, apathetic belief, conditional belief, confused belief, emotional belief, and the like.  I thought I might go through some of the tripping points that I’ve encountered from these conversations.  My hope would be the ability to explain a “true” Christian perspective on these tripping points, debunking some “modern Christianity” lies that may have proliferated minds due to social inconsistancy or confusion.

What is the Bible?  Is it unfair to use it to defend Christianity?

A problem some people have with Christianity is the arguement that God proves the Bible and the Bible proves God.  This seems (and is) circular in nature.  The Christian perspective is that the Bible is the true, inspired word of God.  It consists of 66 books, written by over 40 authors over a span of thousands of years.  Despite the differences in author situations, time periods, or cultural differences, these books are congruent and free of contradiction.  This does not mean the Bible is free of difficulties.  As a Christian who accepts the Bible as truth and as the book given to expound about God to mankind, it is the natural and appropriate response to use that accepted truth to explain God, because that is what the Bible “is.”

As a non believer you may choose to not accept the Bible as truth, but the Christian cannot make the same choice.  Historically speaking the Bible has more “proof” of it’s accuracy than any ancient work.  More manuscripts than any writings of Ceasar, Aristotle, Socrates, Homer, Plato (Combined).  Before the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest Hebrew manuscripts of the Bible were Masoretic texts dating to 9th century. The biblical manuscripts found among the Dead Sea Scrolls push that date back to the 2nd century B.C.  Doubters hoped they would see proof that our translations have changed and withered over time.  Instead they found that the Bible’s accuracy has held up over time as the earlier copies were essentially identical despite the huge time gap.  I would never expect someone to believe in God entirely on proofs or historicity, but I mention these things becuase the real question for a non believer to answer is “Is what the Bible says true?” and not “Is the Bible accurately translated.”

Why believe the Bible over other texts?  (Book of Mormon, etc)

The Bible was written, as I said before, by over 40 different authors over thousands of years.   It contains poems, narratives, accounts, biographies, prophesies, songs, prayers, and all of it works together in one congruent narrative.  It contains hundreds of prophesies, hundreds of years apart by various authors that have been fulfilled.  Other works do not hold up to textual criticism the way the Bible does.  The Bible is not a collection of philosophies about what authors “claim” was real, but instead it is accounts of what “happened.”  I believe that if someone chooses to read the Bible the truth found in scripture is evident.  One of the saddest things to me is that people choose to live their entire lives with no consideration of God and the Bible.  The book is there, pick it up and read it for yourself!  ”IF” there really is a God, then you’ve taken a few moments on this earth to consider Him, to read what his followers claim is His inspired word.  Isn’t eternity worth some earthly consideration?  Christianity is not a sell, or a brainwashing, or a trick, even if some try to make it out to be.  It’s followers of Christ, whose life, death, and ressurection is recounted in the New Testament of The Bible.  If God does exist, then he exists whether or not you believe in him.  This is why I implore people to not live 75 years of distracted life and not spend at least some honest time considering the claims of Christ.  

What do hyppocrites prove about Christianity?

Christians who live hyppocritical lives (say one thing, live or do another) show that people are fallable and choose to follow their own desires while bearing the name of Christianity.  The same way I can claim to be a mathmatician and yet insist that 2+2=10.  It makes me a horrible mathmatician but that doesn’t make math “false” - it makes me “false.”  Truth is truth regardless of those who claim to follow and fail at it.  Those who bomb abortion clinics in the name of God abandon the real truth of Scripture and Christianity.  Those who hold hate messages for homosexual people make the same error.  These people do not truly follow Christ, they simply destroy His name on behalf of their self-driven causes.  They’re terrible testimonies to Christ, but they do not prove or disprove truth.

Christians and tolerance

Christians are sometimes labeled intolerant because they claim that some things are right and some things are wrong.  This is based upon absolute truth.  I believe that some things are always true.  (And so do you!).  Even if you believe that everything is relative, you’ve already made an absolute claim that all things are relative. Honestly, I’m okay being labeled intolerant as long as people can understand what that really means.  For instance a hot-button issue is homosexuality in today’s culture.  God’s word makes clear the damage of sexual perversion, promiscuity, debauchery.  Heterosexual or homosexual people lost in sexual perversion sin against God, because God designed sexuality within the framework of heterosexual marriage.  Homosexuality is a sin the same way a heterosexual sexual sin is, the same way jealousy or lust or lying or idolotry are.  Sin is a rebellion against God.  Sin seperates us from God, and God designed us to have fellowship with Him and not to to live in any type of sin.  He wants us to have felowship through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.  As a Christian I am intolerant of all sin, not just “hotbutton sin” that rises and falls in society.  I accept God’s word as truth, and his word contains precepts for living that we should follow. Not simply because God says so (though that is enough) but with the knowledge that such precepts are meant for better living here on earth because God knows what’s best for us.  It doesn’t take a genius to see the damaging “real-life” consequences of sexual perversion (adultury, disease, divorce, depression) or lying (broken relationships/trust) or theft (consequences of breaking the law, jealousy, envy).

I actually have a few other ones I wanted to get into, but this post is long enough.  I realize that people have different and opposing viewpoints, but hopefully this helped at least in a small way to build an understanding of true Christianity vs. your perceptions or mis-conceptions.  I guess I will close simply with the personal testimony that a relationship with the living God is the best thing you could pour yourselves into.  All the money, posessions, or temporary pleasures of this world end up fleeting and empty, and ultimately left behind in death.  Christ, through his sacrifice on the cross, redeemed mankind and accounted for the sin we all know we are guilty of (lying, stealing, lust, selfishness, jealousy, greed, etc..).   Before your life is over, consider giving it to him.  He gave his up for you.  

Want to browse the Bible online?  http://www.biblegateway.com

Comments, questions, confusion?  Feel free to post a comment…

I was talking with Bri this morning about how it seems that since the new guy came along, it’s been so much harder to focus on the disciplines of our faith right now, like spending time in God’s word as well as prayer.  We’ve had the floods of praise and giving glory to God for all the amazing miracles that have happened along this journey, but the overwhelming time-crunch that is having a newborn has rattled my disciplines quite a bit.  It kind of reminded me of a truth I’ve always known and try to remind those that are trying to live for God.  Discipline is not opportunistic.  When we say in our heads things like “when I get a chance” or “when the right time comes up” then more often then not our disciplines fall by the wayside.  This is true in life, and even more true in the spiritual realm.  Our adversary will constantly try to flood us with justifications, busy-ness, fatigue, discouragement, distraction and the like.  Discipline lives up to it’s definition.  It takes some to have some.  It’s easy to believe the lie that “well in a few weeks Caleb will be a little older so then it’ll be easier.”  I’ve talked to enough parents and am enough of a realist to know that there will always be challenges that bend our normal plans and life.  I hope to be disciplined within the joys and storms and set a good example for my son one day.

I have a new found respect for all parents. I never knew newborns take so much work. Our days have been filled with diapers, feedings, laundry, soothings, cleaning, and sleeping (mostly on Caleb’s part). We often have to squeeze in meals and potty breaks in between baby-related chores:

I’m so so so grateful that Andy has had these past two weeks off of work to help out. I dont know what I would have done without him here. Between the two of us (and a lot of help from Andy’s family) we’ve been able to get through each day.

Our nights have been touch and go. After a few days home, Caleb seemed to be sleeping pretty well at night. Unfortunately, he was circumcised a few days later and that seemed to mix his days and nights up. Yesterday, we tried to keep him awake as much as possible during the day so he’d sleep through the night. I think it worked because he would wake up, get changed eat and fall back to sleep within a half an hour.

Yesterday, we went on our first family outing to the shoe store and Target. Since Caleb slept through the whole trip, it was considered a success. This morning we went out for a second time to church. I wouldn’t consider it a complete success because as soon as the sermon started he decided to wake up and start crying. I took him out to the lobby where he began to scream. So I took him to the nursing room where he pooped through his outfit, screamed more than ate and spit up just about his whole meal. By the time I finally got him cleaned, soothed and somewhat fed, service was over. He did enjoy all the attention from our friends however.

Tomorrow Andy goes back to work and I get to take Caleb for his two week appointment… by myself. Yes, I’m terrified to do this without Andy there. But there’s got to be a first time for everything. Last time we were there, He had gained all his birth weight back so he’s eating well.

Here are some more pictures from his first two weeks:

Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art… It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival. - CS Lewis

I have been telling Bri that I was going to post a blog about friendship for a few weeks, but finally got around to doing it.  For some reason friendship has been at the forefront of my mind of late, really the past year or so.  As I’ve grown up and grown older, the dynamics of my friendships have changed.  Marriage, jobs, impending parenthood, etc can do that.  Ultimately the adjustment comes as priorities are altered with our “growing up” or evolution as individuals.  

Lewis once wrote “Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: “What! You, too? Thought I was the only one,” and ultimately he is right.  Friendships are built most often around common passions, common interests, and common goals.  He likens the different between friends and lovers with their differing postures.  Lovers facing each other, eyes are on each others, while friends are side by side and focused on some common goal.  

It’s hard to preserve friendships as priorities change, despite how much all parties involve would love to, despite how much they wish things could stay the same forever or revert to some time when both parties prioritized things the same and the friendship was as strong as ever.  I’ve struggled with these difficulties as my own life has changed over the years.  It’s hard to adjust, to make everyone happy.  

Yet there needs to remain the Christian perspective that we must remember even though the “everyday” situations and perspectives change with marriages, moving, jobs, etc.  As believers in Christ, God has always had a purpose for our fellowship and our brotherhood that is beyond a mere friendship or common bond.  Christians are united through Jesus Christ.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer gives some perspective on our Christian brotherhood and fellowship that I found insightful, here is an excerpt from Life Together:  

“…God has put (the) Word into the mouth of others in order that it may be communicated to us.  When one person is struck by the Word, he speaks it to others.  God has willed that we should seek and find his living Word in the witness of a brother, in the mouth of a man.  Therefore, the Christian needs another Christian who speaks God’s Word to him.  He needs him again and again when he becomes uncertain and discouraged….He needs his brother as a bearer and proclaimer of the divine word of salvation.  He needs his brother solely because of Jesus Christ.  The Christ in his own heart is weaker than the Christ in the word of his brother; his own heart is uncertain, his brother’s is sure.

And that also clarifieds the goal of all Christian community: they meet one another as bringers of the message of salvation.  As such, God permits them to meet together and gives them community.  Their fellowship is founded solely upon Jesus Christ…the community of Christians springs solely from the Biblical and Reformation message of the justification of man through grace alone; this alone is the basis of the longing of Christians for one another.”

It is through God’s mercy that we’ve learned to be merciful to each other, God’s forgiveness that we learn to forgive, God’s kindness that teaches us how to be kind, his faithfulness that guides us in our efforts to be faithful to our friends and brothers.  

Friendships change and evolve, people get new priorities or move away, but the bond of fellowship found within Jesus Christ is not reliant upon the needs of a common friendship.  

Some verses on friendship/fellowship:  1 Thess 4:9, Romans 15:7, Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, John 15:12-15, Prov 17:17, Rom 12:15, Philippians 2:3

This past week I had the privilege of sitting down with some high schoolers and discussing the “Prosperity Gospel” in modern America and it’s contrast with scripture.  For those unfamiliar,  the “Prosperity Gospel” is a term used to refer to the preaching that focuses on God “blessing” his people with material things, health, etc.

Here is a quote from a “popular” American preacher who regularly preaches the health, wealth, and prosperity gospel.  I’m omitting names as the point of this post is not to vilify anyone but rather open eyes to what’s going on…

“It’s God’s will for you to live in prosperity instead of poverty.  It’s God’s will for you to live in health and not in sickness all the days of your life”

The message that God wants you to have material things, wealth, cars, money, and to simply “be happy” is the message being pushed all across the globe by “prosperity gospel” preachers.  People find it ever so attractive (as you might expect) as preachers exclaim over and over again God’s plan for your life, and how it involves financial prosperity and good things.  As one preacher said, “Make church relevant… I find today people are not looking for theology.”

As believers, as people searching for truth, we must first hear these things and react like the Bereans do in Acts 17:11.  We must examine God’s word and see if what’s being said and taught is true.  With these prosperity teachings becoming more and more prevelant in modern preaching, television, and literature - it’s key to examine and refute false teaching.

A quick glance at Romans 5:3-4,  James 1:2-3, and 2 Corinthians 8:1-2 give us some quick Biblical perspective that flies in the face of this modern popularity.  The biblical perspective of suffering, poverty, trial and hardship is not one where these things are to be “absent” from our lives, but rather embraced with JOY as an opportunity for persevearane, character, and hope.  The Macedonians had great affliction and poverty yet had an overwhelming joy in the midst of it.

Their joy was in God, not circumstances, and certainly not material things.  It comes down to what your treasure is.  Is it money, health, prosperity?  Or is it God?  In fact, Christ himself said in Luke 14:33 that anyone who does not renounce all he has cannot be his disciple.  Seems quite the contrast to the popular prosperity teaching.  Not to mention countless warnings about riches, including the likes of 1 Timothy 6:9 that warns us that the desire for riches is a trap and a temptation.

Across the globe there is so much more “cost” to the faith of believers.  They’re lives are filled with persecution, hardship and death.  Where is their prosperity gospel?  I wonder how America would look, how Christianity would look if there was great cost associated with faith.  If people didn’t have the luxury of simply showing up to church once every couple weeks or arbitrarily calling on and abandoning the name of Christ in American leisure.

The prosperity Gospel is dangerous because it teaches us to treasure things above Christ.  God’s word doesn’t teach that.  It teaches that we may suffer, we may be broke or lack many things the world has, and yet that is our opportunity to take joy, our opportunity to hold Christ higher than all else, to shine our light before men, and to treasure the only true Treasure that exists.

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.”  - Matthew 13:44-45

Here’s an audio clip from a sermon by John Piper, a pastor in Minnesota whom I greatly respect and admire. His website is www.desiringgod.org, also available in our “friends and links” section.

Today we visited Baby’s-R-Us once more, and at Briana’s urging finally picked out a crib and dresser and ordered them;  very nice, dark cherry wood, and we’ll have them within 7-14 days.  Bri insisted we order them early due to the fear that they wouldn’t be in stock or available soon.  I told her they would surely be available immediately and sure enough they were.  I was right! (I get to be right once every 7-14 days….)  I’m glad we ordered them though…every little purchase like this, every preparation, makes it all the more real.  Here are some pics of the purchases…

Now we have to get the room ready and paint it (I’ll be doing that to prevent pregnant-paint-mommy-syndrome…very scary).  The crib is convertible, meaning it will be able to become a regular bed once that day comes.  Because of this, we also had to order the rails for it as well as a guardrail, because if we wait it might be out of stock by then.

I completely remember having a guardrail as a kid.  My dad made me one.  I was terrified of falling out of bed at night. One time, in the middle of the night, I somehow fell off and got all wrapped up in my sheets, and was left screaming for help from the floor of my room.  Luckily my pops saved me from under the covers.  Phew.  Remembering that guardrail had me thinking of a common Christian misconception though.

A lot of the time people on the outside of Christianity look at things like God’s precepts/commands as rules and regulations that those inside must “follow” in order to be seen as righteous in God’s eyes.  They don’t realize that God’s commands and precepts are truly just like guardrails on a bed.  They’re there for a purpose, and the purpose is not to make people jump through hoops, but to protect us.  Christ alone is our righteousness, not our obedience to rules.

God gives us his word and the wisdom and truth within it as a “guardrail” for our lives.  He knows the things that will make us fall out of our beds and get twisted up in the sheets that would destroy us.  It may seem like a silly metaphor but it’s an appropriate one.  God knows what’s ultimately best for us, and a Christian’s obedience is a reflection of their faith in Christ and comes through an understanding of God’s ultimate control and sovereignty.  That his “guardrails,” his Biblical precepts and commands, keep us from self-destructive lives in which we fail to glorify Him.  What’s amazing is that those times we still manage to jump over them and fall out of bed (which I all too often do), He’s there to comfort us and rescue us in the middle of the night, just like my Father did when I was a little dude…twisted up in my dinosaur sheets.

Briana and I are reading through Jeremiah, so I thought I might throw a few reflections on here.  Jeremiah was a prophet about 30 years after Isaiah was, and his role was to speak God’s words to Judah on the brink of their Babylonian captivity.  We’ve quoted Jeremiah 1:5 on here before.  It speaks of God’s plan for Jeremiah, that he knew him before he was born.  But if you read on, you’ll see Jeremiah’s response in Jeremiah 1:6.  Jeremiah is almost unsure of God’s calling for him.  He seems to be taken back, or frightened, or most likely simply feels unequipped.  He knows God has called him to speak to the nations, but his first response is hesitancy.

God responds then in Jeremiah 1:7-8.  He could have simply repeated his command to Jeremiah.  He also could have condemned Jeremiah for a lack of faith, or for his hesitancy.   Instead, He reassures him, letting him know he doesn’t have to be afraid.  He promises Jeremiah that he is with him.  That he will rescue him.  It is wonderful to know that the infinitely all-powerful God is not absent of mercy or compassion, but rather infinitely merciful and compassionate.  He knows what we feel, he knows that we are weak and afraid sometimes.  He truly is our Father and not simply some dictator.  He doesn’t send us out alone, but gives us the assurance that he is always with us, no matter how scary the situation.

I find myself intimidated and sometimes anxious about my impending parenthood.  How do I hold the baby right, take care of the baby right, do the right things so it doesn’t get sick or take care of it or keep it well.  Is it sleeping too much?  Too little?  Is he supposed to look that way?  These are all the questions, and many more, that I figure I’ll be asking and anxious about when we finally get to take Caleb home with us.  Scary!!!  And then there’s the countless advice (welcomed advice!) from so many sources all around us!  I suppose you might call it a whirlwind of learning, growing, changing, maturing, all the while being terrified and excited all at once.  I’ve blogged before about how much of a comfort a reliance on God is in times like these, because He is ultimately the one in control.  But how does God see parenthood?  What does God view as important in regards to parental duty?  After looking at scripture, I can summarize some of what God has in mind for parents:

God’s word tells me that we are to love our children, to bring them up in Christ, train them up for God, instruct them in God’s word, tell them of God’s judgments and miraculous works, to command them to obey God, to bless them, to provide for them, to correct them yet not provoke them.  To always be in prayer for their spiritual welfare, their temptations and their times of sickness.  Also to always remember that we receive our children from God.

Seems like a heavy load!  And yet I know that when I am weak, He is strong!  And that his commands are not burdensome.  That we can rely upon Him when we struggle and know that His ultimate plan for Caleb will be carried out.

I am still a scared, foolish, anxious soon-to-be Daddy, but I know my heavenly father will build me through this, build Bri and I through this, and teach us so much in spite of our often goofy and anxious selves.  I can’t wait!

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Scripture on Parents/Children :: Tit 2:4, Mt. 19:13,14, Pr 22:6, Eph 6:4, De 4:9; 11:19, Isa 38.19. Ex 10:2, Ps 78:4, De 32:46; 1 Ch 28:9, Job 42:15, 2 Co 12:14; 1 Ti 5:8, Pr 13:24, 19:18; 23:13, 29:18, Heb 12:7, Eph 6:4, Col 3:21

“I know, O LORD, that a man’s life is not his own;
it is not for man to direct his steps.”
- Jeremiah 10:23

Some call it a “leap”, but there is a foundation established in the word of God that grants assurance instead of doubt or fear when it comes to faith. God’s word testifies to his everlasting and never-failing faithfulness.  He has and will always deliver on his promises.  They’re not ambiguous or abstract. They’re real and alive and openly displayed within his Word.  What a great joy this foundation is, - especially on the brink of fatherhood.

So many things rattle through your brain at a time of change, but the largest and most ever-present realities are those of my entire lack of control - of Bri’s health, Caleb’s health, and Caleb’s ultimate salvation.  I want to be able to cradle and protect and nurture each of those desperate cares.  And yet, it is such a time that forces such a wild and complete reliance upon the God of all.  The verse at the top of this post has been one of the defining verses of my life.  It was the hand-holding comfort on my trip to Israel.  It was my assurance on the path of courting and moving and marrying Briana.  It has been my desperate hope in the times of deafening pain.

A man’s life - a little new baby’s life - is not his own.  It is fully and completely within the hands of the praise-worthy, faithful, wise, passionately loving God.  What an amazing hope.

As the day of our ultrasound approaches, I’ve begun putting a lot of thought into whether I want a boy or a girl.

Honestly, I’m still inconclusive.

I will be so happy whatever the gender and I think that’s how I want to stay. I’ve seen a few people who hope desperately for their baby to be one sex, getting their hopes up and daydreaming about partaking in gender-specific activities. When they discover it’s the other, they are disappointed. I’m glad I don’t have a preference. But during these few weeks of anticipation concerning the ultrasound, I’ve discovered both advantages and disadvantages to each gender.

I’ve always loved boys. I find them generally easy going and more willing to try new things. For some reason, I am less intimidated by them. Perhaps because they are simple creatures who are easy to please They are, however, quite stubborn, more violent and seem to get into more trouble when they’re older. I guess as long as boys grow up in with strong conviction and steady discipline, they could turn out alright. On the downside, shopping for little boy clothes is just not as fun.

On the other hand, every time I see how girls are portrayed in the media, I freak out and pray that I am having a boy. It seems that girls have so much more opposition surrounding them both internally (self image, inferiority) and externally (peer pressure, boys without strong conviction and steady discipline). I would feel that I would have to protect a girl much more and worry about her wellbeing. Girls tend to be manipulative and difficult to understand, which I think I could handle at a young age, but once she becomes a teenager, that complexity will turn into a whole new ballgame. However, they are so delicate and sweet when little and the thought of Andy having a “daddy’s girl” just makes me smile.

Whatever this child is, God planned it before its existence:

“your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.”

- Psalm 139:14

I can only be assured that this child is not truly ours; it is God’s. He is it’s ultimate protector and parent. And I get the incredible and humbling privilege of nurturing it and raising it to the best of my abilities. Hopefully Andy and I will get to see it one day become a true child of God with true conviction. Until then, We will have to deal with the hurdles that come with having a boy or a girl, and celebrate the joys as well.

Have you ever really sat down for a few moments and contemplated eternity? One thing is for certain, we are all part of the ultimate statistic. Ten out of every ten people die. Reflecting on that truth should drive us to contemplate eternity and the afterlife.

Many times we tend to approach this topic with various preconceptions, whether they be childhood experiences, television and movies, or works of literature; each working to alter and skew our view to cultural stereotypes of God, religion, and eternity.

You may believe there is no God. You may believe there is no eternity. What if you’re wrong? If God is real, he exists whether you believe in him or not. His existance is not determinate upon your belief in him any more than the fact I have to pay taxes exists despite my best efforts to believe they don’t exist! Truth is truth! And if God does exist, the Bible tells us that there will come a day when you and I will have to face him on judgment day. You will have to whether you choose to believe in him or not.

The question then, as posed originally, is where will you spend eternity?

Will you go to heaven or hell? Have you ever thought about that question?

It’s easy to look around at the world today, see the bad people on the news or in the papers and conclude that we’re “pretty good” and headed for heaven. In comparison to some of the evil done in this world, we sure seem alright. In fact, we’re pretty good people. Are we?

Let’s a take a moment at test that conclusion. The easiest way would be to go through the ten commandements, and see how we do. Ready for the quick and easy ten commandment test? Let’s give it a shot.

• Have you ever stolen anything, at any point in your life? If you answered yes, as I did, then you and I are thieves
• Have you ever lied before? It would seem we all have at some time or another, and so we must admit that we are liars.
• Have you ever used God’s name in vain? If so, you are guilty of blasphemy, which is using the holy name of God as a filth word.
• Have you ever looked at a man / woman with lust? The Bible tells us that those who look with lust are guilty of adultery, which makes you an adulterer.

Now we’ve only gone through only FOUR of the ten commandments. If we answered yes to the questions above then by our own admittance we are lying, adulterous, blasphemous thieves, and we have to stand before God on the day of judgment.

Will you be found innocent or guilty? Just looking above it’s clear we would be found guilty. So where will you spend eternity? Heaven or Hell? Take a moment and answer this question to yourself. It’s worth taking a moment and thinking about.

But isn’t God loving? Doesn’t he forgive? Won’t he see that I’m pretty good most of the time?

It is true that God is a loving, merciful God; but he is also a just, holy, and sinless God. Just as you and I would expect guilty murderers, rapists, and child molestors to be punished in accordance to their crime, we too are guilty and worthy of punishment. The Bible says that we are all guilty, and that there is no one righteous, not even one.

So I’m destined for hell?!

It is necessary that we pay for our sins. We are guilty and deserve punishment. We walk into the courtroom of the living God with a fine to pay, and yet we cannot pay it.

Do you know what God did for you and I? God sent his one and only son, Jesus Christ, who lived a sinless life on earth, to die for our sins. Christ stepped into the courtroom of God 2000 years ago and paid our fine for us, with his blood. Those who put there faith and trust in Christ Jesus as their savior have their fine payed, and justice has been served through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. God remains perfectly just and holy, and we are cleansed! Pretty amazing isn’t it! What we could not do ourselves God did for us by his love and mercy, wishing none would perish.

Salvation is a gift from God. We have done nothing to deserve it, only that which deserves punishment, and instead God has granted eternal life to those who place their trust in Christ Jesus as their Lord and Savior!

I pray that you take some time to contemplate eternity, and you’re place with God. It’s not enough to simply live a good life, or be a good person. Without the penalty paid for our sins we have no hope and are destined for hell.

If you ever want to chat please feel free to contact me. There is no more important choice you can make then the one you could make today about eternity and Jesus Christ.

“Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” - C. S. Lewis