The battle

There are a lot of things I want to do.

I want to visit Africa.

I want to read/understand/refute Kant, Hegel, and Sartre.

I want to write a novel. Not just any novel, but a novel that changes the way people think about the world they live in and the people they meet every day.

I want to understand the finer points of theology.

I want to be respected by my peers.

I want to feel awake and alive throughout the day instead of feeling like I am drudging through work and relationships.

But what do I need to do? What can I do?

Besides what I want to do, my life has mounting responsibilities. Like it or not, the responsibilities of manhood in this world are beginning to demand action. Yet I already have Increasing regrets and mistakes piling up in the back of my mind. I do not have good records of maintaining long friendships or commitments, and that scares me because I fear losing the ones I do have now. Or I fear losing myself amidst those commitments. Sometimes my life feels like a web full of inordinate hopes, ever whispering failures, and demanding responsibilities. The end result is I just feel tangled. Sometimes I feel totally inept at doing life.

There are an innumerable amount of ways to criticize and deconstruct myself from what I have just said. But I'm not sure looking at myself anymore is even helpful

One of the few great Kings of the Old Testament, Jehoshaphat, has a story that vastly surpasses my given story but may be of some great help.

Jehoshaphat was a king of Judah. I'm sure he and all of Judah had hopes. I'm sure they wanted to see their land to bring forth great food so they could feast! They probably wanted to own the respect of all the great nations surrounding them. But Judah also had a bad history, Jehoshaphat was one in a line of kings who were mostly wicked. Judah and Israel had failed to follow God and failed to do the right thing over and over again. Amidst all of their hopes and failures the responsibilities were mounting. In 2 Chronicles 20 we see that "A great multitude" of enemies was coming to destroy Judah. Everything was about to be taken away. This was a time that demanded action. Yet Jehoshaphat was afraid. I can understand this.

Do you ever feel like this is you? Do you ever feel like everything you hope for is about to crumble away forever? Does your past history ever come back to accuse you? Do the demands of society ever feel like more than you can handle? I know I feel like that sometimes.

But what does Jehoshaphat do? He could try to pull Judah up by its bootsraps. He could give them the pre-game huddle. He could tell Judah this was it's moment to really prove its mettle to all the nations. In pop self-help language, he could make the most of this opportunity. But that's not what Jehoshaphat does.

He goes and he stands before all of Judah and Jerusalem, before everyone who expects something from him, before everyone who has been let down by him, before everyone who hopes in him. He stands there and he prays "O our God, will you not execute judgement on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you."

Think about that prayer. Think about how broken that prayer is. Think about the fact that Jehoshaphat probably feels pressure from every possible angle to perform and make Judah succeed. But he comes broken, he comes honest, and he comes before God.

Then God raised up the prophet Jahaziel, who sends this message to Judah: "Do not be afraid, and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's... You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf."

The next day the Lord saved Judah.

We stand before the Lord with all of our hopes, failures, fears, and responsibilities, and God says "this battle is not yours but mine. I am more than all your hopes, bigger than your fears, more powerful than the voice of you failures, and will act on your behalf."

Around 900 years after Jehoshaphat, Jesus the Son of God hung on a cross, fighting the battle for us. Three days later he was resurrected, having secured a new name, hope, and life for his people.

"The battle is not yours but God's"

A letter of encouragement in circumstances of trial.

John Newton wrote the following letter to encourage his friend. Captain Scott, to whom the letter is written, is apparently about to be reprimanded or fired from his position in the army. Newtons heartfelt words encourage him to see how great his audience with God is, rather than dwelling on the proud and vain condemnations of men. This letter meant a lot to me.

To Captain Scott, August 8, 1766

My dear friend,- I am very willing to meet with you with a letter at York, though I have no particular advice to offer. It seems probable, as you say, that your expected interview with the general will afford you some further light into your path. I am in no pain about the event. Man is a proud creature, and prone to release himself with the imagination of influence and power; but in reality he has none any further than as it is given him from above. The general, or whoever else are displeased with you, have their commission, and limits assigned by them by one whom they little think of; and when they seem to think they can do most, they shall in effect do nothing but as instruments of his will. I trust the Lord will stand by you, put his love into your heart, and suitable words into your mouth, and overrule the minds of them with whom you have to do. And if He has further service for you in that situation, you will find that his hook and bridle will hold them in, so that they will not be able to hurt you. As you know whom you have believed, and where to apply for strength suited to your day, according to his promise, I am so far from trembling for the event, that I congratulate you on the honorable opportunity that is before you of witnessing a good confession in such a presence, which I trust the Lord will own, and bless you in.

Fear them not. Remember Jesus stood before the high priest, Herod, and Pilate, for you. But, how different are the cases! You may perhaps meet some expressions of dislike, but the laws of the land will protect you from the full effects of their resentment; and even the laws of politeness will in some degree restrain them. You are not going to be buffeted, blinded, and spit upon. Look at your regimentals, and let them remind you of him who wore a scarlet robe for you, not as a mark of honorable service, but as a badge of infamy. You are a soldier: if you were appointed to march against a battery, though it is a service not agreeable to flesh and blood, yet a sense of honor, and what you owe to your king, your country, and yourself, would prompt you to reject any rising thought of fear, that might betray you to act a part unsuitable to your character, with disdain. But oh, how much stronger and more animating are the motives which should influence us as Christian soldiers! I trust you will fully feel their influence. There is but a veil of flesh and blood between you and that unseen world where Jesus reigns in all his glory. Perhaps you will be attended with such companies of the heavenly host, as made themselves visible to the shepherds. How they will rejoice to see you fervent and faithful in your Master’s cause! Nay, Himself will be there; and though you cannot see him, He will be looking upon you, as He did on his servant Stephen. Then think of the day when He, in his turn, will own and confess you before an assembled world. Yea, perhaps upon the spot, He may witness his approbation; and if you can hear him whispering in your heart, “Well done, good and faithful servant, “ you will little regard what is said to you. As to consequences, leave them in his hand: they shall be all good and glorious to them that fear him. He may suffer a cloud to appear, but He can blow it away in a moment. He may permit this or that course to be stopped up; but He can open twenty in the room of it. He can show you how little dependence there is to be placed on the friendships and favor of men, when once we are enabled to be active and hearty for him; but these failures shall only give occasion of showing you likewise how all-sufficient He is in wisdom, love, and power, to give more and better than creatures can possibly deprive us of. Fear not, be strong, yea I say unto you be strong: the Lord of hosts is with you.

God is Not Your Bitch

Pardon my french

The title is taken from Mark Morford's provocative article in the San Francisco Chronicle found here- http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2009/07/24/notes072409.DTL

Read the article, please do it. It embodies a major complaint against all sorts of organized religion (even the kind "that's a relationship, not a religion"). Morford is very thought provoking, and I even agreed with him at a couple spots.

I had seen this video right before I read Morfords article, which happened to be a very personal, precise, and minute grace.

Tim Keller also has these incredible words on what it means to be a Christian, which provides a very fitting reply to Morford's complaint.

http://www.monergism.com/acidtest.html

All three of these pieces helped me understand the infinite yet personal glory of God that works in the heavens, in the earth, and in our lives. It is time to worship

no business

God has no business being human. He has no business getting dirty, being humble, serving people, getting toilet trained, living homeless, and spending three years with people who would deny him and betray him.

But he did.

Winning Races

The sun is rising on football season. For me this is an exciting time, though there are admittetly mixed opinions on the value of sports in America. While human nature will always find ways to twist and debase sports into an idol and obsession, there is a lot to learn and love from the fields of competition. For example, if anyone needs help understanding total depravity- examine the Washington Huskies 2008 football season. More positively, I have been tremendously helped by the perseverance and courage experienced in sports. Paul commonly uses racing imagery in his letters, and it ought to be commonly remembered.

In Pauls letter to the Philippians

"But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way"

In Pauls letter to timothy

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith"

A succesful running lifestyle involves two things- good work and good rest. In the long run you must have those two components. Both are found in Jesus Christ. Most often people think life is all about one or the other. But nobody wants the "most often" results in life do they?

My old cross country coach showed this to our team prior to one of our state meets. It's one of my favorite videos ever.

5 stars for the gospel

If someone told me to buy a 133 page book on the parable of the prodigal son by a pastor from New York City, my reply would be something like this...

"Does the parable of the prodigal son really need more press? Don't I have enough pages to read already? There are pastors in New York City?"

Thankfully, I am mistaken at every level of thought. The Prodigal God by Tim Keller is one of the most valuable books I have seen in a very long time.

Why? It gives the good news, and you will probably read it in one day. I could write a very long list of more sophisticated reasons, but I don't feel like being long winded- Buy this book.

The fool or the fool who attacks him?

A man who is a brother in Christ was recently called the "Howard Stern of Christianity"

This is just one of the flaming arrows that I recently thought only the devil would be throwing at Christians. I was largely unaware of this problem in Christianity because I was a huge partaker of it. This quote from A.W. Tozer was very convicting about "Christian" maliciousness that is so prevalent today, from the least to the greatest of us.

"Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander,
as well as all types of malicious behavior." Ephesians 4:31-32

Dispositional sins are fully as injurious to the Christian cause
as the more overt acts of wickedness. These sins are as many
as the various facets of human nature. Just so there may be
no misunderstanding, let us list a few of them: sensitiveness,
irritability, churlishness, faultfinding, peevishness, temper,
resentfulness, cruelty, uncharitable attitudes; and of course
there are many more. These kill the spirit of the church and
mar the witness of the church in the community. Many unsaved
people have been turned away and embittered by manifestations
of ugly dispositional flaws in the lives of the very people who
were trying to win them.

Unsaintly Saints are the tragedy of Christianity!

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