Life Here and There

In this decade, conservative Christianity has lost some great giants of the faith. I was reflecting on the passing of Jack Hyles, long time Pastor of First Baptist Church in Hammond, Indiana. He was an interesting character with a unique leadership style. Far too many young Pastors went to their ministerial deaths trying to imitate his every move. Nonetheless, his impact on the independent Baptist movement and on the kingdom of God in general are immeasurable.

Then I think of W. A. Criswell. He pastored one of the most influential churches in the world, First Baptist Church in Dallas. He once spent almost eighteen years preaching through the entire Bible. His defense of the faith, his exposition of the Scriptures, and his charismatic style made a lasting mark on Baptist life and thought.

Another giant among men who has passed away this decade was Adrian Rogers, Pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, often called the flagship church of the Southern Baptist Convention. Like Criswell, Rogers’ impact upon the nation’s largest non-Catholic denomination was immense, serving as president of the Southern Baptist Convention three terms. His preaching was practical and poignant, but his wisdom in leadership was what elevated him above the average preacher.

On Sunday, May 6, two other leaders were taken on to heaven. Dr. Lee Roberson, Pastor of the Highland Park Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee and founder of Tennessee Temple University, went home to be with the Lord. Within an hour of his passing, Dr. Viola Walden also slipped into her eternal home. She had been personal secretary to Dr. John R. Rice since he began The Sword of the Lord. At age 91, she was at her desk at work on the Friday before she died.

God’s timing, sovereignty, and wisdom are all unquestionable attributes. I know that His intention was to take them home, to give them a final rest with the saints. But from our perspective, they seem like missing links in modern Christianity. My great question would be, who will replace them? Who will be the anchors of the church in the next half century? Have we reached the end of an era of Christianity that will never be revived again?

Some would say that the face of Christianity must change. I’ve listened to far too many upstarts criticize the elder leaders among us as “behind the times.” I have a different perspective. Though we’re moving swiftly through the information age with little clue what lies next, we can still rely on twenty centuries of a very faithful pattern. Namely, God has always raised up men who have challenged their generation to think biblically.

Consider Paul, Peter, and Polycarp who faced Rome without trepidation. Think of Athanasius, who stood virtually alone to combat Arianism. Dwell upon the reformers who, with all of their shortcomings theologically, stood against the established church leadership of their times to call Christianity back to sincere and emboldened faithfulness to God’s Word. And think of the evangelistic-missionary age with the Spurgeon’s, Torrey’s, and Moody’s.

Until Jesus comes again, He’ll be building His church out of the stock of saved humanity. He’ll be calling forth leaders to stand in the gap for the land. And they will respond, for Jesus promised it would be so. With all the “missing links” the real question that remains for us is, are we willing to continue the tradition? Will we be surrendered to a life of holiness and passionate, Spirit-filled zeal? To say that the survival of God’s kingdom depends in any way on our abilities would be negligent of the self-sufficiency of God. But to recognize that the future of God’s Kingdom depends upon our availability simply serves to remind us that God has chosen to use people in the redemption of this lost and sinful planet. Will you stand in the gap?

It has taken me several days to sit and write my conclusions about the Discovery Channel documentary on The Lost Tomb of Jesus. I find it ironic how dramatic the title seems when the tomb is neither lost (they’ve found it), nor does it contain Jesus (“He is not here; He is risen…”). Kind of like those “lost books of the Bible” which are also not lost, nor are they in the Bible. Overall, this film is intriguing drama at best. It’s very entertaining and gives a glimpse into the world of modern biblical archaeology.

The makers of the film, particularly the Director Simcha Jacobovici, seem to begin with some very unfounded assumptions. In the first few minutes, the entire debate is framed by the rather strong suggestion that the disciples must have stolen the body of Jesus and relocated it to a family tomb. Not only does Matthew, an eyewitness of the risen Christ, deny this charge in his gospel, but it seems rather hard to accept in light of the military protection of the tomb during the days following Christ’s crucifixion.

Names are slowly collected from the various ossuaries excavated from the tomb in 1980. A mathemetician then determines the statistical probability of these names not belonging to the family of Jesus. He eliminates one name because of a lack of connection to Jesus’ family, rather than allowing the unexplained name to contradict the theory. He then divides his odds by four (a randomly and arbitrarily chosen number) to account for possible bias (in the “facts”??). He concludes that there is only a one in six hundred chance that the tomb does not belong to Jesus.

A genetics labratory in Canada examines DNA from the dusty remains of “Jesus” and some from the remains of “Mariamne” and determines that they were not brother and sister. Jacobovici then brazenly asserts that they must have been husband and wife. The geneticist later explained that there could have been many other possible relationships such as being paternal cousins. Jacobovici adds to the assumptions that Mariamne must have been Mary Magdalene, who must have been an early apostolic missionary. Further, they must have had a son, referenced by John as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” This tall tale is given no credible evidence whatsoever.

Needless to say, the film proved nothing. It was well-presented, but what it presented was loosely pieced together conspiracy and cover-up theories concerning the resurrection, supposed marriage, lineage, and burial site of Jesus. In the end, Jacobovici, with little understanding of biblical Christianity, asserts that his findings pose no threat to the theology of Easter at all. Rather, he asserts, we simply need to see the ascension as a spiritual one as opposed to a bodily one.

The bodily resurrection of Jesus has been attacked before. Thus far, no credible evidence has ever been offered that has contradicted this central tenet of Christianity. Nonetheless, what bothers me most about films such as these is that they present romanticized pictures of the obscure possibilities of “what might have been.” Armchair theologians everywhere will utilize the information in negative ways, often questioning whether there are any important issues at stake or not.

The film? Well done. The theories supported by the film? Hogwash. The effects of the film? Unpredictable given our current biblically illiterate, culturally desensitized Christianity. We are well past the time to “study up” and prepare for the lies that will be circulated more and more concerning the Lord Jesus Christ as we approach the soon coming of Jesus.

God is the great Creator of the entire universe and all that is in it. He created time and He creates every life that enters into the world. In short, God is extremely creative, so He loves creativity.

I agree with many modern church leaders that creativity, in and of itself, is glorifying to God, so long as what we create does not represent any form of idolatry or contradiction to the revealed truth and standards of God’s Word. I have two tables in my home made by my late grandfather. He made them to the glory of God, with excellence. That’s a kind of worship. I have three quilts my grandmother made. They too, represent a form of worship. Creativity is good, so long as its God-honoring (no huge astrological towers allowed – e.g. Babel in Genesis 11).

In recent days, I’ve felt my own creative energy stirred by the Holy Spirit, partly due to observing the methodology of such guys as Andy Stanley and Ed Young. Last Sunday, I took a Dremel into the pulpit to illustrate that faith is not a magic formula that does anything, rather it’s a tool that we must put into action. This Wednesday, I’m taking a fish net with me to illustrate how God caught Jonah in the net of chastisement and Jonah caught God in the net of prayer. To some, I’m sure these symbols may seem trite, but to me, they merely present a way of communicating a truth in a meaningful, visible, and memorable way.

I’m afraid that we often have a tendency to squelch creativity in Christianity. We frown on new methods, new technologies, and that which may distract us from a plain-spoken message. I’m all for the plain-spoken message for that is God’s chosen method of communicating the gospel to all the world – preaching. I’m a believer in the primacy of preaching, but I’m also a believer in getting life-changing truth into people’s lives in whatever way we find beneficial.

I’ve been challenged to think beyond the borders of what is “normal” for me, and I hope that you are challenged to do the same. No matter who you are, no matter where you work, no matter what you do, ask yourself, “what can I create for God today?”

“But (God) hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Savior.” -Titus 1:3

When preachers preach, they do so as frail and fallible human beings, holding forth the precious words of eternal life. There is, however, a sense in which the preacher communicates on God’s behalf. Only when his words match the content or the intent of Scripture do they carry any heavenly authority, but when he faithfully pronounces God’s truth to the masses, he is God’s spokesman, God’s chosen means of carrying His perfect message to the world.

The prophets of old set the standard with their “thus saith the Lord.” Jesus stated emphatically on God’s behalf, “Verily, verily I say unto you…” The apostles marched boldy into the temple to preach to the people “all the words of this life.” America needs preaching! Our thirsty souls need preaching just as our parched tongues need water. Preaching is being diminised today, relegated to the back burner of ministry. Oratory is almost all but lost in exchange for professional speaking. But God still chooses spokesmen and He still speaks volumes through them Sunday after Sunday in pulpits across America.

Let us as the church today return preaching to its rightful position at the forefront of worship. Let God’s Word remain the centerpiece of our services. Let the pulpit be a place of freedom where God’s men may stand and boldy proclaim God’s will for the world.

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” -Romans 10:17

What do you think of preaching? For some, the word “boring” instantly popped into your mind. You’d rather be watching grass grow. Ask yourself, why did the Puritans sit in church services for three to four hours hearing a twenty-seven point message and demand more when it was over? I’ll tell you my opinion – they didn’t have TV!

Today, we have our choice of entertainment from an array of captivating nothingness. From soap operas which make the drama of our own lives seem dull, to “reality shows” which really just capture the most controversial forty-five minutes of the previous week for a group of people, detective shows which portray to us the most degrading side of humanity, citcoms that trivialize life’s most serious issues, and even adolescent programming that heightens every pre-teen’s social sensitivity a few notches. Preaching simply can’t compete… or can it?

For the Christian, hearing the preaching of the word of God is like an oxygen line to a firefighter in a burning building. It is the steady diet of meaty substance which carries us through difficult weeks. Without preaching, life becomes trivial. Without preaching, we live on spiritual cotton candy, but we need meat, we need substance. That’s simple one reason why hearing the Word of God expounded is a significant need for every human being. But consider something else…

Preaching is God’s chosen central feature of Christian worship. It is through hearing the Word of God that our faith is increased. When we hear the Word of God expounded, real worship happens. W. A. Criswell explains:

This is worship at its highest; all the faculties of the mind and all the power of the soul are raised to their highest use. It becomes an offering up to God of the truth proclaimed in his name. Ritual is no substitute for reality; ceremony cannot displace consecration… Faith cometh by purification? by candlelighting? by incense burning? by liturgy repeating? No, but by hearing the word of the Lord.

The next time you’re tempted to skip out on the preaching of God’s Word and opt instead for watching football, heading to the lake, or simply sleeping in, realize that the God of the universe wants to speak directly to you. The Bible is His “thus saith the Lord” for every area of your life. He’s given you a message that contains all you need to survive and thrive spiritually, but you must open it, read it, study it, soak it in, and hear it preached. God has chosen the foolishness of preaching to counfound all the wisdom of the world. Jesus Christ is our object of worship and the Bible is our manual of worship. Let’s return to hearing the Word of God, loving it, “Amen”-ing it, and living it out loud.

“Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.” – Hosea 3:5

Afterward… in the latter days. God’s promise concerning Isreal is yet to be completely fulfilled, but certainly will be someday. When? Afterward. After their purchase with the blood of Jesus on the cross. After He ascends to heaven and empowers the church, through the Holy Spirit, to carry out the great commission. After the Gentiles have been told the good news and have had opportunity to respond. After the age of grace and of the church. Then… in the latter days.

Amazingly, Hosea predicts that the Isrealites will seek the Lord and David, their king. David was dead and in the grave when Hosea wrote his prophecy, but David’s throne would live forever through His “son” (descendent according to the flesh) Jesus Christ. Someday, Israel will seek Christ as Lord and will live under His rule and His reign. Is God finished with the Jews? Absolutely not. He has only begun and thankfully, He has allowed time to graft Gentile believers into His forever family as well.

Our God is in charge of time and eternity. He will see to it that Jesus comes at the right moment of human history to set all things right. Afterward… in the latter days… all will be well. Are you ready?

“These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.” -Revelation 17:14

When I was a kid, I remember getting mad at my older brother from time to time (okay, almost daily). He always had the advantage though, for while I was kicking and hitting, he would simply hold out his hand against my forehead and I would flail away to no avail. As a matter of fact, my brother would usually just laugh at me. That’s the picture I have in my head of all the nations of the world following Satan and the antichrist to war against Jesus Christ at Armageddon.

He is King of kings, and Lord of lords, so He will win with no contest. He will have the last laugh. The precious part of this verse to us is that we are included in the picture. When Jesus comes again to establish His Kingdom visibly on earth, the saints of God will be right behind Him. We come to fight the war with Him but obviously our presence is a mere token. He wins with the Word of His mouth. He simply speaks a word of truth and judgment, and all men fall.

I love what John says about those of us who will follow Him. We are “called, chosen, and faithful.” None of these attributes are explainable apart from the grace of God. He has chosen us in His ultimate wisdom. We who are saved have been foreknown by God Almighty. This choosing describes the aspect of our salvation that takes place in eternity past. He has called us in His time. Every saint has a moment of salvation. None of us simply grow into it, we are saved in an instant when we finally repent and turn to Christ. And we who will follow Him in His train will be counted faithful, not because of any goodness inherent to us, but because of our willingness to participate in an eternal partnership of growth with God.

Our salvation is all of God and the privilege is unspeakable. We shall serve as His accompanying dignitaries some day. My how we should long for that time, for the establishment of His reign on earth and for the putting down of all rebellion and wickedness. That day shall come and the Lamb shall be triumphant!