Our Visit at the Pensacola NAS

As you can see from the date of my last posting, I haven't blogged for awhile.  The reason is that I was on vacation with my family.  Over the course of ten days we traveled nearly 3500 miles to visit family (on both sides) in Pensacola, Florida, and Memphis, Tennessee.

We had a lot of fun.  While in Pensacola, we took a tour of the Naval Air Station.  The kids had a blast sitting in various Blue Angels' planes, watching videos, walking through the fuselage of an aircraft (set up with the original military equipment, bedding, supplies, etc.), and looking at the many black-and-white pictures of a bygone era.

During our visit, we saw individuals and families of all ages.  The ones we really noticed were the elderly veterans wearing their uniforms.  At one point, my wife Ruthie turned to me and said something like, "Nobody can appreciate these things like these war veterans who fought in these wars and flew these planes."  That is so true.  They seemed to take their tour a little more seriously.  They watched the films a little more intently.  As they walked around, they said little, if anything.  No doubt they were reliving many a moment in their memories.

Our kids pretended to fly the planes; these men did fly the planes.  They lived through events caught on film before we were even born.  Their service to our country, coupled with the sacrifice of so many of their comrades, garnered our respect.

I think the same principle applies - or should apply - in the spiritual arena.  I recall Paul's words in his letter to Philemon:  "Yet for love's sake I rather appeal to you - since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus" (vs. 9).   Paul was old and had suffered much as a devoted follower of Jesus Christ.  That meant something, and it no doubt elicited respect on the part of Philemon, considering that Paul used it as a basis for his appeal.

I pray that we will always show a proper respect for our elderly brothers and sisters in Christ, particularly those who have "fought the good fight" and have been "a good soldier of Jesus Christ."

In one of his most famous speeches, often referred to as The Man in the Arena, Teddy Roosevelt said some important things that we should take to heart not only as Americans, but even more so as Christians, as we seek to serve the purposes of God in our generation:

It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better.  The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.

Ruminations on Heaven and Hell

Lately I've thought more about heaven than I usually do.  Not just the idea of heaven in general, but the eternal implications of the truth, "Love never fails" (1 Cor. 13:8).  Love never fails, but only flourishes, in heaven.  The great and godly theologian Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) wrote the following description of heaven in his sermon entitled Heaven, A World of Love:

And from God, love flows out toward all the inhabitants of heaven.  It flows out, in the first place, necessarily and infinitely, toward his only-begotten Son. . . . And the Son of God is not only the infinite object of love, but he is also an infinite subject of it.  He is not only the beloved of the Father, but he infinitely loves him.    The infinite essential love of God, is, as it were, an infinite and eternal, mutual, holy energy between the Father and the Son: a pure and holy act, whereby the Deity becomes, as it were, one infinite and unchangeable emotion of love proceeding from both the Father and the Son. . . .

But this love [also] flows out in innumerable streams toward all the created inhabitants of heaven, to all the saints and angels there.  The love of God the Father flows out toward Christ the head, and to all the members through him, in whom they were beloved before the foundation of the world, and in whom the Father's love was expressed toward them in time, by his death and suffering, as it now is fully manifested in heaven.  And the saints and angels are secondarily the subjects of holy love, not as those in whom it is as in the original seat, as light is in the sun, but as it is in the planets, that shine only by reflected light.  And the light of their love is reflected, in the first place, and chiefly, back to its great source.  As God has given the saints and angels love, so their love is chiefly exercised towards God its fountain, as is most reasonable.  They all love God with a supreme love.  There is no enemy of God in heaven; but all, as his children, love him as their Father.  They are all united, with one mind, to breathe forth their whole souls in love to God their eternal Father, and to Jesus Christ their common Redeemer, and head, and friend.

Edwards goes on to describe in more detail this divine love that so permeates heaven, and he also drives home the practical implications of that love in the here and now.  Basically, the more we love, the more of a "taste of heaven" we get on earth.  The less we love, the farther removed we are from heaven in the framework of our mind and in the disposition of our souls.

In reading these lofty thoughts of love in heaven and the pursuit of heavenly love here on earth, I was taken aback by Edwards' sudden shift to the subject of hell toward the tail end of his sermon.  Not that Edwards' ever shrunk back from preaching about hell, but that I was so consumed with thoughts of heaven throughout this sermon, hell never once crossed my mind until Edwards raised the matter.  But this only served to arrest my attention (and that of Edwards' original audience, I'm sure!).

Here's the basic thought:  If heaven is a world of love, then hell is a world of hate.  "That makes sense," you might say.  But Edwards is not content to let the matter go with a passing, superficial thought.  He wants us to really consider the implications of this.  So he writes,

Everything in hell is hateful.  There is not one solitary object there that is not odious and detestable, horrid and hateful.  There is no person or thing to be seen there, that is amiable or lovely, nothing that is pure, or holy, or pleasant, but everything abominable and odious. There are not beings there but devils, and damned spirits that are like devils.  Hell is, as it were, a vast den of poisonous hissing serpents; the old serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and with him all his hateful brood.

In that dark world there are none but those whom God hates with a perfect and everlasting hatred.  He exercises no love and extends no mercy to any one object there, but pours out upon them horrors without mixture.  All things in the wide universe that are hateful shall be gathered together in hell, as in a vast receptacle provided on purpose, that the universe which God has made may be cleansed of its filthiness, by casting it all into this great sink of wickedness and woe.  It is a world prepared on purpose for the expression of God's wrath. . . .  It is a world overflowed with a deluge of wrath, as it were, with a deluge of liquid fire, so as to be called a lake of fire and brimstone, and the second death.

There are none in hell but what have been haters of God, and so have procured his wrath and hatred on themselves; and there they shall continue to hate him forever.   No love of God will ever be felt in hell; but everyone there perfectly hates him, and so will continue to hate him, and without any restraint will express their hatred to him, blaspheming and raging against him, while they gnaw their tongues for pain.  And though they all join together in their enmity and opposition to God, yet there is no union or friendliness among themselves - they agree in nothing but hatred, and the expression of hatred.  They hate God, and Christ, and angels, and saints in heaven; and not only so, but they hate one another, like a company of serpents or vipers, not only spitting out venom against God, but at one another, biting and stinging and tormenting one another.  

What a world of difference there is between heaven and hell! And indeed, we presently live in that world of difference!  Earth hangs between heaven and hell, and on earth we see the expression of both love and hate.  Only now hate is restrained by the presence of love, just as love is hindered by hate. But in eternity, both hate and love will run rampant, each in its own unrestricted environment.

To which of these worlds will you go?  The answer is, it's up to you.  Though an ardent defender of God's sovereignty in salvation, Edwards takes great pains to press home the issue of personal responsibility, saying,

God gives us our choice.  We may have our inheritance wherever we choose it, and may obtain heaven if we will but seek it by patient continuance in well-doing. . . . If we heartily choose heaven, and set our hearts entirely on ... that land of love, and if we choose and love the path that leads to it, we may walk in that path; and if we continue to walk in it, it will lead us to heaven at last. 

If you're not sure whether you're on your way to heaven or hell but would like to know for sure that you are on your way to heaven, click here.  And for those of you who do know that you're on your way to heaven, then "conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, ... standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel" (Phil. 1:27).

Humble Theology

One of our church members, Amanda Losee, is a student at Baptist Bible College (Clarks Summit, PA).  Recently, Amanda posted a note on facebook, and she has granted me permission to post it here at TruthWalk.  

Lately I have been thinking a lot about theology. On a college campus it is not unlikely to run across people who have different views than the ones that you personally hold. It is easy to find people with whom you agree and those with whom you disagree. As I study the Scriptures for myself and seek counsel from the spiritual mentors in my life it is encouraging to see that I am being pushed to look first to the Word of God and to remember that my theology does not save me. While having Biblical theology is highly important, I have discovered that having a "humble theology" is equally important. It is so easy to dismiss our common ground as brothers and sisters in Christ and to argue over what may be minor differences. We tend to try to put God in a box and believe that we have Him all figured out. Our minds are such finite things. While we were created to know God, I believe it is extremely dangerous to claim to have the "perfect theology." We serve a God who is infinitely greater than we are, who is sovereign over all creation and over all events, and whose divine plan is far greater than any scheme of man. Yes, we do need to seek truth, but we need to be humble enough to admit that our theology may be incorrect and that perhaps we do not have God all figured out. In a 2006 blog posting Mark Dever stated, 

Anyway, I think that such reading encourages the right kind of humility. How can we as Christians be humbled without hearing the Word to which we should submit? How can we be humbled apart from hearing and heeding the Word of God? How will our churches ever be the truly humble assemblies we want them to be if they do not hear and submit themselves to God's Word? What we need is humble theology--theology which submits itself to the truth of God's Word. "Liberal" theology--theology which does not view Scripture as finally trustworthy and authoritative--is not humble before the Word. Churches which are tentative and decry dogmatism may sound humble, but it is not truly humble to do anything other than to submit to God's Word. Christian humility is to simply accept whatever God has revealed in His Word. Humility is following God's Word wherever it goes, as far as it goes, not either going beyond it or stopping short of it.

As I listened to these words on my ride home I could not get over how true they are. Dogmatism is a dangerous road to travel. Yet, it is an easy trap to fall into. We must examine ourselves and ask, "Are we being dogmatic?"

My Bulletin Board

Like most people, I have a bulletin board mounted on the wall near my desk.  Actually, I have two:  one in my office at church and another one here in my study at home (which is where I am now).  My bulletin board consists of an eclectic assortment of items representing various facets of my life.  Here's what I have posted, starting in the upper left corner and moving clockwise:

Voice Mail Instructions:  These tell me how I can call in to the church phone system remotely to manage my mailbox, listen to my messages, change the answering system, and perform other tasks as needed - especially in the event of a snowstorm.

A Preacher's Decalogue:  This is a list of "ten commandments" (really exhortations) by Sinclair Ferguson to fellow preachers.  Here they are, in summation:

1. Get to know your Bible better.
2. Be a man of prayer.
3. Don't lose sight of Christ.
4. Be more deeply Trinitarian (i.e. give proper attention to and appreciation for all three Persons of the Godhead).
5. Use you imagination.
6. Speak much of sin and grace.
7. Use "the plain style" (i.e. speak with simplicity, not sophistication).
8. Find your own voice.
9. Learn how to transition.
10. Love your people.

Missionary artifact and photograph:  The artifact is from Turkey, and the photograph is a picture of Sean and Lisa L. and their children, dearly loved members of our church whom we have commissioned to share the Gospel in that beautiful, historic, and yet spiritually-impoverished land.  Whenever I see their picture, I am reminded to pray for them.

Ten Accountability Questions:  These are questions that a Christian can ask of him/herself or that close Christian friends can ask of one another.  It's simply one means of accountability, provided that these questions take place in the context of sincere love and humility, with a desire to build one another up in the Lord.  Here are the questions:

1. How often have you spent time in the Bible and prayer this week?
2. What have you done this week to spend quality, relational time with your family?
3. What did you do this week to maintain your joy in spite of life's daily circumstances?
4. What did you do this week to take care of your body (exercise, diet, and rest)?
5. What steps have you taken this week to guard yourself against lustful thoughts, actions, and/or materials?
6. How have you shaded the truth this week to make yourself look better to others?
7. How did you give your best this week (at work, school, etc.)?
8. In what ways have you been above reproach in financial matters this week?
9. Who have you shared your faith (the Gospel) with this past week?
10. Have you answered these questions truthfully?

A Pyromaniacs Decal:  Don't worry, I'm not some sort of crazy fire-starter!  This decal is from a website (blogspot) that features a lot of good reading material on theology, church life, and more.

Vision 2020 Card:  This lists all our ministry goals as a church for the coming year(s).  It includes all of our short-, mid-, and long-term objectives, as well as those we have already attained by God's grace.  For the sake of space, I'l just list our Immediate Goals for this year:

• Promote authentic worship
• Increase corporate prayer
• Strengthen local evangelism
• Institute annual conference
• Upgrade church website
• Revamp missions ministry
• Attend to property/facility needs

A Note from My Son:  This is without question my favorite item on the board.  It's a note that one of my children wrote to me more than two years ago.  It reads:

Dear Dad,

You are kind to me.  You teach me about basketball, church, and paying attention to my teachers.  I like when you let me drive the lawn-mower tractor around.  You are a good dad!

Love,

Ethan

What's on your bulletin board?

Baby Talk

Recently I visited some family members in Florida after having attended a Bible conference. One of my cousins brought over a box of books that were free for the taking. Among them was a prayer journal with insights from Billy Graham. One in particular really made an impression on me.  The aged evangelist wrote,

Think back to your own childhood for a moment. When you were young, did you talk with your father in a series of carefully memorized sentences? No, of course not. You talked with him freely and openly about everything – and he delighted in that. The same is true with God, your heavenly Father. He delights in the prayers of His people! Don’t worry whether you’re eloquent enough; your father didn’t turn you away when you spoke baby talk – and neither does God.

Though I’ve been a Christian for nearly four decades, I still feel as if I’m given to “baby talk” in my prayers. The more I know of God’s holiness, majesty, sovereignty and glory, the more inadequate my prayers seem. How good it is to be reminded that God is not only the High and Holy One, but He is also my heavenly “Daddy.” As such, He longs for me simply to come and share my heart with Him.

The apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 8 that “those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” (vv. 14-16 NIV).

We hope that you’ll keep this in mind as you pray, too. Most likely you have struggled with the same sense of inadequacy at one time or another. Perhaps this is one reason that Jesus taught us to begin our prayers with “Our Father....” What a great reminder. What a great and loving God!