Joni Eareckson-Tada: Strength in Suffering
March 26, 2009 | Leave a Comment
This morning I had the privilege of sharing a biographical message with some of the home-schooled children in our church on one of my heroes of the faith, Joni Eareckson-Tada. It has been more than 40 years since she was paralyzed from the neck down because of a diving accident, yet she speaks of God’s goodness, sovereignty and love with a joy and vitality that far surpass most of us who have never suffered like her.
If you’ve never heard Joni speak, you can watch this video below from a recent talk she did at Dallas Theological Seminary (if you can’t see or view the video, click here). Also, you can listen to or watch her talk from the 2005 Desiring God National Conference, which was outstanding.
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RSS Reminder
March 26, 2009 | Leave a Comment
RSS Reminder
My recent blogging lull over the weekend and into the beginning of this week reminded me of the value of RSS feed readers. I know this blog does not receive a ton of traffic, but for the faithful few, an RSS reader will make your blog surfing a lot easier. Instead of checking one blog at a time, RSS allows you to keep track of all the blogs you visit, and automatically notifies you when the blogs you’ve subscribed to are updated. That way you don’t have to keep going back to them only to find nothing has been updated.
It has been a big time-saver for me. If you’ve never understood what that funky orange thing was and want to get the RSS reader set up, this tutorial from Abraham Piper will get you going in minutes.
The Redemption of Culture, #2
March 3, 2009 | Leave a Comment
The Redemption of Culture, #2
A few weeks ago I started looking at the theme of the redemption of culture, but never came back to it. For those who would like to read more about this, I would recommend Richard Mouw’s When the Kings Come Marching In, and Chapter 10 of Andy Crouch’s Culture Making. What follows is basically a very short summary of material found there.
A comparison of Revelation 21-22 with Isaiah 60 will show that John’s vision of the New Jerusalem seems to be shaped by his understanding of Isaiah’s vision. And Isaiah depicts a holy city teeming with cultural goods not only from Israel’s culture, but from the surrounding nations: domesticated animals, ships, precious minerals, jewels and timber. So as John echoes Isaiah’s vision, it does not seem like he is picturing only ‘Christian’ cultural artifacts when he says that ‘the glory and honor of the nations’ are brought into the city.
Take the ships of Tarshish, for instance. Isaiah mentions these ships will be a part of the New Jerusalem (60:9). This is odd, because earlier in Isaiah (2:16) we are told that in the coming day of God’s judgment, the ships of Tarshish will be among those things that the Lord is against. Yet in chapter 60 they are a part of the redeemed Holy City, being put to good use for God’s glory.
How can this be? It seems that the judgment in chapter 2 is not a condemnation of the intrinsic value of these ships, but of the idolatrous function that these vessels are playing in the life of pagan societies. The judgment seems to be a purifying one, not a destruction. When the ships are stripped of the haughtiness and rebellion with which they are presently associated, they are freed for service to God and His people. That is how Isaiah can speak a word of judgment over the ships of Tarshish, yet chapters later speak of their use in the New Jerusalem.
Mouw writes, ‘When the Kings come marching in, then, they bring the best of their nations — even the cultural goods that had been deployed against God and his people. The final vision of the City is one filled, not just with God’s glory and presence…but with redeemed human culture too.’
While this initially seemed far-fetched to me, reflection on the reference to the ships of Tarshish leads me to agree with Mouw. Just as our bodies will be redeemed and transformed yet still be our bodies and recognizable to those who knew us, so also cultural goods will be redeemed and transformed, while bearing some resemblance to what they were in the old creation.
This has caused me to ponder which of my favorite cultural artifacts might be cleansed and transformed on the New Earth. If the ships of Tarshish can be stripped of their idolatrous function and put to good use in the New Jerusalem, why not the best of music, film, sport, food, theater and architecture? For these are the things that our nation glories in, aren’t they? So here are a few cultural artifacts I’d be delighted to see in the redeemed city of God:
Faithful readers of the blog know that Dave Matthews Band is one of my favorite culture-makers, and their CD Before These Crowded Streets is one of the most musically beautiful recordings I own. Yet I am often grieved that some of the songs contain lyrics that reveal ignorance of and/or hostility toward the God of Scripture. It would be sweet to see Jesus transform this cultural product and put it to use for His glory and honor.
I imagine we’ll still love good stories on the New Earth, and this movie is one of my favorite parables of redemption. Cleansed and purified of course, but recognizable nevertheless.
Imagine the thrill of victory and the excellence of athletic greatness, purified from the egos, the greed and the idolatry of so many fans. Perhaps there will be some kind of World Series on the New Earth.
I prefer regular rye as opposed to marble, but a corned beef special would be a nice treat. Of course, as Andy Crouch points out, for the cow’s sake I suppose that transformed meals will be vegetarian, but surely they will be a lot better than tofurkey!
Please remember, that my goal on this blog is to share my musings. I am not saying that I know Dave Matthews’ music and the Philadelphia Phillies are definitely going to be a part of our experience in the New Jerusalem. All of us see through a mirror dimly when it comes to these matters. But I believe that God is honored when we use our Bible-grounded, sanctified imagination in pondering the wonders of His new creation, so long as we are looking to Him as our ultimate hope and the supreme joy and treasure of all our other joys.
So now it’s your turn: what artifacts of culture would you like to see brought into the New Jerusalem?
The Redemption of Culture, #1
February 12, 2009 | Leave a Comment
The Redemption of Culture, #1
Last week in writing about Miles Davis’ classic jazz recording Kind of Blue, I hinted at something I want to explore in a couple of more posts. I said that a cultural artifact like Kind of Blue can and does bring delight to the heart of God and may well be enjoyed on the New Earth which will be our eternal home.
What is the basis of my saying such a thing? I’m going to take a few posts to try to explain what I mean. First up is a quote from Anthony Hoekema in his book, The Bible and the Future. I’m only a quarter of the way into this book, but I am enjoying it. In a chapter on the tension between the ‘already’ and the ‘not yet’ of the Kingdom of God (that is, that the Kingdom has already been inaugurated by Christ’s death and resurrection, but has not yet been consummated, which will happen at His second coming), Hoekema writes,
“What about the cultural products of non-Christians? Do we simply write off such products as valueless because they have not been produced by believers and have not been consciously dedicated to the glory of God? Christians who take this attitude fail to appreciate the working of God’s common grace in this present world, whereby even unregenerate men are enabled to make valuable contributions ot the world’s culture.”
Hoekema then quotes John Calvin, who recognized that through the working of the Holy Spirit, non-Christians can and do say things that are true. Hoekema then writes,
“With respect to non-Christian culture, therefore, we must remember that Christ’s sovereign power is so great that He can rule in the midst of His enemies, and cause those who do not know Him to make contributions in art and science which serve His cause. The powers awakened by the resurrection of Jesus Christ are active in the world today! The sovereign rule of Christ over history is so marvelous that He can make even His enemies praise Him, though they do so involuntarily. And when we read in the book of Revelation that the kings and nations of the earth shall bring their glory into the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:24, 26), we conclude that there will be some continuity even between the culture of the present world and that of the world to come.”
What, specifically, does this mean for Kind of Blue? Well, I can’t say for certain, but I do think it points us in the direction that such cultural artifacts may be part of the redeemed culture that will fill the New Earth. The most compelling place in the Bible which leads me in that direction is Isaiah 60.
But this post is getting a little lengthy already. I’ll save that for another time soon!
Education on Vocation
February 10, 2009 | 5 Comments
Last week Halle asked me to read her a book called When I Grow Up, by P.K. Hallinan. I read a lot of books to her, but I hadn’t seen this one before. After one read, I’d have to say it’s one of my favorites. It is not a Christian book, but it deals with a very Christian subject: the doctrine of vocation.
Of course the book doesn’t use those fancy words, but as I read to Halle, I couldn’t help but see the very God-centered theme of vocation running throughout it. Essentially the book’s intent seems to be to help kids learn the alphabet, as it begins, ‘When I grow up, I know I can be whatever I dream of, from A down to Z.’
In the pages that follow the book covers a wide range of possible jobs, one beginning with each letter of the alphabet. An actor, baker, carpenter, dancer, engineer, etc. While I certainly plan to read many theologically-oriented books in hopes of stirring in her a passion for the supremacy of Christ, I am also eager to read her a book such as this. Because I think the lesson of this book seems to be a lesson lost on many Christians.
We’re told that after God made the world and Adam,
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”
Part of Adam and Eve’s privilege and responsibility as God’s image-bearers was to take the raw materials of God’s good creation and mold, fashion and cultivate them to bring out its latent potential. This responsibility was tragically impacted by the Fall, but it was not abandoned. Right after the Fall, we’re told in Genesis 3,
“Therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.”
Even after being removed from the Garden, Adam is still called to care for and cultivate the creation. And we see in Genesis 4 that the offspring of Cain are responsible for the formation of cultural products, like musical instruments of bronze and iron.
The point is this: all vocational tracks (excepting, of course, those which promote and glorify sin, like pornography for example) have the potential to glorify God as we exercise our image-bearing responsibilities in bringing order and peace out of the chaos of God’s creation. A homemaker (the ‘H’ vocation in When I Grow Up) who looks at the disaster area which the kids have made of the house, and cleans it thoroughly, is imaging forth the glory of God by creating order out of chaos, the very thing God did in fashioning the creation into something beautiful out of what was without form and void.
As the book comes to a close, Hallinan sums things up by writing, ‘Whatever I do, from A down to Z, I’m bound to succeed if I stay true to me.’ While this could be a humanistic attitude (I am my own sovereign, all-authoritative god), Christian parents can use these words to show their children that God has made us with certain abilities, talents and desires, and ’staying to true to me’ means staying true to what God created us to be.
Whether Halle wants to be a librarian, a musician, a nurse, a scientist a waiter or a veterinarian, I hope to teach her that each (non-sinful) possibility for her career has the capacity to bring God great pleasure and delight as she reflects the image of her Creator. I want her to know that being a good, God-glorifying Christian does not mean that she has to be a missionary to a foreign country or a biblical counselor or director of women’s ministry in a church.
Alright, I’ve gone on long enough! The bottom line: if you have small children, pick up this book and use it to teach your little ones that all work — not only Christian ministry — can bring glory to God.
Get Outta My Face!
February 10, 2009 | Leave a Comment
That’s the title of a new book written by Rick Horne. The book’s subtitle clarifies its purpose: How to reach angry, unmotivated teens.
I received a copy of this book yesterday, and from looking through it’s contents, it looks like a valuable resource for parents of teens and youth workers. If you have non-believing, hard-hearted teenagers in your life — of if you have friends that do — I’d say this book is well worth ordering.
Running the Race
December 30, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Joe,
I’ve not yet watched the video you posted on the female basketball player, but I think I know the story well. While you missed this past Sunday’s sermon (being in another country is a good excuse!), I spoke about this same exact thing in exhorting our flock to run the race set before them in 2009.
Instead of using your illustration, I used the illustration of the movie Chariots of Fire. As you know, it is a story of two men who very talented runners, running for two entirely different motivations.
Harold Abrahams (pictured) tells us why he runs: ‘I have ten lonely seconds to justify my existence.’ For him, running was the way of feeling like he was someone. As a result, when he failed he was inconsolable, and when even when he succeeded he could not find happiness. ‘I’m forever in pursuit, and I don’t even know what I am chasing,’ he says.
On the other hand is Eric Ledell, a man who knew Christ and was secure in His love. He says, ‘God made me fast, and when I run, I feel His pleasure.’
What an incredibly different dynamic was motivating the running of these two men! One was running to prove he was someone, and the other was running for the sheer joy of honoring God with the gifts that he had been given.
Embracing the Gospel makes all the difference between running (or playing hoops) with an oppressive burden on your shoulders, and running for joy and pleasure.
I highly recommend the movie Chariots of Fire, to see a vivid depiction of the difference between a religious motivation and a Gospel motivation.
Larry
World Vision Experience
December 5, 2008 | Leave a Comment
You may have seen this elsewhere, but I just viewed a program from World Vision called ‘World Vision Experience: AIDS.’ It was well worth my time and, I trust, will prove to be the same for you.
Together for the Gospel Live
November 14, 2008 | 1 Comment
Joe,
Hopefully you;’ll have time today to write something in response to the question I posed you yesterday regarding a practical example of the Gospel’s power to help us change.
For now, I wanted to pass on word to you about a CD soon to be released that I am pretty sure you will want to get. I know how much you enjoy congregational singing, and for that reason I think you will enjoy this CD that Sovereign Grace is putting out next month. It is a complation of songs that were played at the Together for the Gospel conference last April. At this link you can listen to samples of all the songs and download three songs for free. I am eager to pick this one up!
Larry
Re: Gospel Growth
November 13, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Joe,
Thanks for pointing us to that quote and to Keller’s book. As you know, God has used Tim Keller in my life in a big way over the past year or so, and that idea of gospel growth has been one of the foundational lessons I have learned from him. I also thought Prodigal God was an outstanding book, though I would like a definition from you that explains what qualifies a book as ‘must-read’. You seem to say that about every book you read!
Maybe in your next post you could give an example or two of how the idea of gospel growth works itself out practially in your life. In other words, give us an example from your life of a situation where a fresh encounter with the gospel actually changed your response to that situation.
I will try to give an example of my own tomorrow, but for now I wanted to point readers to a recent sermon series that Keller just finished up on the parable of the Prodigal Sons. Keller spent seven weeks looking at the parable, and showing how God’s grace forms a unique community of believers.
If you have not listened to Keller, there are plenty of free resources out there. But this series is only available for purchase ($17.50 for MP3’s of the seven messages). Though it does cost some money, I recommend it.
Larry
Family-Driven Faith
October 10, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Lar,
You may have seen that I was reading this book by Voddie Baucham a few weeks ago. I would like to write more at some point, but for now I wanted to point out that this should be required reading for every single husband and father in the Church. And that is not an exaggeration. If you haven’t read it, I would encourage you to do so and to spread the word.
Baucham’s heart flows from the pages. He has a clarity of vision for the home and is willing to say the difficult things necessary to stir up men to their God-given call.
Check it out brother…
Joe
Lost in a Good Book
September 11, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Lar,
I hope to write a bit more in response to the link you directed us to yesterday. For now, I will say that I love that quote and am motivated to get and read the book. Great stuff….
Anyhow, as you can see in the right-hand column, I am currently reading The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. I really enjoyed the movie, but the book (as to be expected) is much better. Whoever said that a picture is worth a thousand words must not have been a good reader or writer. As I am on a road trip, I have had the pleasure of getting ‘lost’ in this classic story. And it has certainly been a pleasure.
I say all that to make yet another recommendation (it’s recommendation week, I suppose). Pick 1-3 classic books to read each year (depending upon your reading schedule). And choose to read them at a time when you can really engage in the story (vacation maybe…). It is a God-given pleasure.
Thankful for good books,
Joe
More Great Music from Sovereign Grace
August 7, 2008 | Leave a Comment
While I was at the Worship God ‘08 conference last week I bought Come Weary Saints, one of Sovereign Grace’s newest CD’s. I am really enjoying it, and particularly enjoy this song written by Mark Altrogge, called As Long as You are Glorified:
Shall I take from Your hand Your blessings
Yet not welcome any pain
Shall I thank You for days of sunshine
Yet grumble in days of rain
Shall I love You in times of plenty
Then leave You in days of drought
Shall I trust when I reap a harvest
But when winter winds blow, then doubt
Refrain:
Oh let Your will be done in me
In Your love I will abide
Oh I long for nothing else as long
As You are glorified
Are You good only when I prosper
And true only when I’m filled
Are You King only when I’m carefree
And God only when I’m well
You are good when I’m poor and needy
You are true when I’m parched and dry
You still reign in the deepest valley
You’re still God in the darkest night
What a wonderful expression of love for and trust in God’s good purposes in all things. Every time I listen to it, I find myself praying that God would make my heart really embrace what I am confessing.
You can listen to an audio clip of the song here.
Longing (and longing to long) for His will to be done in me,
Larry
A Sermon on Singing
July 12, 2008 | 2 Comments
Joe,
Wow! Three posts from you in one day! I guess you must be bored out in L.A. today or something?
Well, I have appreciated the way you’ve kept things rolling. I do have some thoughts especially about your most recent post on singing, but I think I will save that for next week. You may not be shocked to hear that it again has something to do with Dave Matthews.
For now though, I wanted to simply point our readers to a sermon preached a couple of months ago by Tim Keller on the subject of singing. The sermon is not online for free, but it’s only $2.50 for an mp3 download. While I would not say that this is one of Keller’s best sermons, I think it is an interesting perspective for any Christian lover of music (and that means all of us, doesn’t it?).
If you have the chance, check it out. And I suppose it wouldn’t be illegal to borrow my copy, as long you don’t load it onto your computer or make copies of it.
Larry
PS — In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been trying to add some color to the blog by posting pictures with a lot of my recent posts. I’ve noticed that we can be a bit boring with all the text, so I thought some photos would be a nice change of pace. What do you think?
Smart Cars and SUVs
July 11, 2008 | 1 Comment
Lar,
I would like to join you for a few episodes of Quantum Leap, brother. For I used to enjoy that show as well (along w/ too many others!). Your post also made me think of a book. (Imagine that.) It’s called Hollywood Worldviews and it looks like a good one. I look forward to reading it at some point.
Anyhow, I just wanted to mention one thing that came to mind today as I saw a Smart Car drive by here in LA. If you don’t know what a Smart Car is, click here. And if you don’t want to click, essentially, it is the smallest car you can find on the market today.
The thing that hit me as I saw it drive by today was that the Smart Car stood out not simply because you don’t see many of them in the United States (they are popular in Europe), but, from my vantage point, more so because everything in America is so big.
In Europe, it doesn’t stand out as much because most of the cars are much smaller than the ones we drive here in the States. Not to mention most of the European roads are much smaller (especially in the cities). So when you see a Smart Car there, it doesn’t seem like a very big deal. However, when you see the Smart car driving in the midst of a bunch of American SUVs on a 6 lane road where the speed limit is only 40 mph, it stands out. It really stands out.
All this made me think about the vantage point of Heaven. I have to think that from the Lord’s vantage point, the smaller things stand out because He and His kingdom are so big. His vantage point so vast. Jesus promised us that we would be rewarded for giving even a cup of cold water to one of His disciples. Also, my memory verse this week concerns greatness in the kingdom. A greatness found by pursuing the path of service. A greatness found by pursuing last place. A greatness embraced by embracing the little things.
My tendency Lar, is to despise the little things in pursuit of the great. But in my heart of hearts, I would much rather be a faithful Smart Car than just another big SUV. I would appreciate your prayers in this regard, for my mind is in need of continual renewal.
Seeking first place by pursuing last place with you,
Joe
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