Grafted In 1

Ya had me going!!

2010-04-01T13:10:00.000-04:00

How do you Google April Fools? Ya had me going there!!!

Practical Atheism

2009-07-05T09:54:00.016-04:00

The man whose picture you see to the left is Stephen Charnock. He was a Puritan devine and an English Puritan Presbyterian clergyman. A Puritan of 16th and 17th century England advocated for more "purity" of worship and doctrine, as well as personal and group piety. Puritans felt that the English Reformation had not gone far enough, and that the Church of England was tolerant of practices which they associated with the Church of Rome.

Among his many works is a book called "The Existence and Attributes of God". In this book is a chapter called Practical Atheism, in which he describes our condition in relation to God as being that of a practical atheist. I have been interested to read this chapter at the behest of my pastor, and so I have begun. I plan to blog as various notions strike me as I make my way through it.

Today I want to start with a quote by Charnock, from the opening pages of this chapter that have hit me quite significantly as I have been thinking lately about what sin really is and how my struggle with my personal sin indeed reflects the principles he lays out in this chapter.

He description of practical atheism, in his opening paragraph is this, "Men have atheistical hearts without atheistical heads. Their reasons may defend the notion of a Deity, while their hearts are empty of affection to the Deity".

Now as this relates to my personal struggle with sin, I have come to understand lately that sinning is indicative of the fact that at the moment the choice is made to sin, I have chosen that sin over Christ. Indeed the sin at that point has become my practical savior and Christ is relegated to a place of , at best, indifference.

What gives me the greatest pleasure at any given moment? Is it Christ, or something else? If it is something else, I have set up an idol, and given myself to a practical savior that is not Christ, and stepped into practical atheism. My affections at that point are not toward the loveliness of Christ and his boundless grace to me. They are low, seeing that sin as having more value to me than the unimaginable worth that is Christ.

Let me take this one step further as I have been applying this idea to my every day struggles. I believe that it is also true that even in the act of avoiding, or not giving in to temptation and sinning, I may also be guilty of the same thing I have described above in a previous paragraph.

Here is what I mean. If, when I am tempted to sin, I don't sin because I just want to do what is right, or I want to exercise the muscle of my will power, or I don't because the Bible says I should not do this thing etc., but my chief motivation, my higher affection in that moment, is not seeing and savoring Christ as my highest joy and treasure, and as more valuable than the sin, I am no more than a legalist. I have made my "not sinning" an Idol that has captured my affection. I am, at that moment, a practical atheist.

The question I have been asking myself these days is, "At the moment of potential sin, do I not sin because I really value Christ more than the sin, or is there another motivation"? I am afraid I have been a practical atheist in these regards, more often that I would care to admit. May God in his grace transform my mind more to loving Christ, practically.

What About Caylee?

2009-01-15T20:16:00.005-05:00

I have decided to write briefly about the ongoing tragic events transpiring in Florida surrounding the alleged murder of Caylee Anthony. This is difficult at best to think about or imagine, however, something about these happenings occurs to me and I feel obligated to share it.

When events like these hit the media and reporter after reporter talks endlessly about what may or may not have happened, and news reel after news reel begin to paint a "picture" for us, two things happen spontaneously. First, one more notch gets carved into the gun stock of indifference, apathy and desensitizing, that grows as constant exposure the macabre increases.

I am horrified that I have to stop and really think about what this Little girl must have been going through in her last moments, if any of her mother's accuser's speculations are true, in order to even begin to feel for this situation at all. Ashamedly, in my 43 years, I have allowed myself to be exposed to a voluminous amount of offensive occurrences in movies, TV, conversation, books, magazines, video games, etc. that I have more wood shavings piled up on the floor of my brain than I care to enumerate. It seems there's not much left of the gun stock of my subconscious than a a few splinters.

The second thing that happens, in the split second it takes to apprehend a story like this, is that I immediately elevate myself above the gross sins being portrayed and fondly think of myself as one who could never do such a thing. I soothe my self-esteem with thoughts of, "I am not that bad". Then, I promptly worship at the alter of, "I have never sinned to that degree" and "Surely I am better than that". And just that quickly, I have comforted my aching conscience at the martyrdom of the accused, who has yet to have a trial by a jury of her peers.

This second point is the deep reason, I believe, stories like this make so much headway on the nightly news, around the water cooler at the office and at the supper table. It is true that these kinds of events may strike a personal chord with us. We may "feel "on some level for those involved. We may even shed a tear or two. Yet, on a more painful level, the truth is that we all need a scapegoat.

At the end of the day, none of us hits the pillow completely resolved. Jeremiah 17:9 puts it this way, "The heart is deceitful above all things,and desperately sick; who can understand it"? Another translation calls the heart, desperately wicked". 1 John 1:8 says, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us". These statements indict even the best folk who would claim to be sheep.

The situation is much more grave for those who are not numbered among those in the fold. Romans 8 indicates, "those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, ... For to set the mind on the flesh is death, ... For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God". The word hostile here is enmity, and is elsewhere translated hatred. Check out Romans 1: 19-32 for a more scathing accusation.

In light of these unsettling realities, we are more than ready, as a culture, to raise up a shelter made out such appalling circumstances. We rush headlong, jostle and squirm to hide ourselves under the illusive fantasy that the evil that is known about myself to me, can somehow be redeemed under the shadow of something even darker. I will be the first admit, I am guilty!

As ugly as it may be, let us contemplate these notions. Then, for those of us who believe, let us direct our attention to the only possible resolution, 2 Cor 5:21, which says, "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him ".

I grieve for Caylee Anthony and with her family. If need be, may they, Caylee's mother, Casey, and any who may stumble on this post who do not have this confidence, cry out to God, the only one who is able to grant it.

I am that Man

2008-12-13T08:26:00.006-05:00

If you have not seen this movie yet, I highly recommend seeing it. It is with, "Bella", and, "The visitor", one of my favorites of '08. My wife and I went last night and, after viewing the movie, were not surprised that the theater contained only one other couple and ourselves. American holiday revelers are not apt to be drawn to what turns out, on one level, to be such a stark expose of our self centered consumerism at this time of year. Frankly, I was surprised it made it into mainstream theaters at all, especially this time of year.

This movie is not for the philosophically faint of heart. It opens with the following quote by John Betjemen , "Childhood is measured out by sounds and smells and sights, before the dark hour of reason grows". This sentiment captures the movie in a sentence. The disturbing twist in the end is breathtaking.

As a believer in Jesus Christ, I bring a world view to this movie shaped by a regenerated mind that is being sanctified daily by the Holy Spirit through the Word. As such, I came away from this movie deeply moved, not only by the content of the story that played out before me but also by the introspection that took place as I watched myself in the mirror as the fathers character developed.

The father is a Nazi officer responsible in the end, for overseeing the extermination of Jews in a concentration camp during World War II. His justification for his actions are things like, "this is very important for our country", and as the grandfather emphatically states, "What your father is doing is history in the making".

What I am left with is that I am my own litttle kingdom, that I am so wrapped up in my own needs and wants, and I see myself as so chiefly important most of the time, that I blind my self to the law of Christ on a continual basis, despite the affect that has on others.

Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart soul and mind and your neighbor as yourself". Then Paul follows up with Romans 12, and following, by eloquently displaying what should be the result of our apprehending the grace and mercy of God laid out in chapters 1-11. He starts off in 12:3, by indicating the first result should be, "For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to thing, but to think with sober judgement...". In essence, the first and foremost evidence of experiencing the grace of God ought to be humility. Ouch!!

So I commend this movie (see trailer below) to you on all of the levels that it represents. It is a great story, and if you let, it will be much more. May the Grace of God abound to you more and more this Christmas season as you reflect on what Gods gift to us in Christ really is. Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift.

The "Haunting" of Dietrich Bonhoeffer!

2008-12-09T23:21:00.022-05:00

"...the unchristian environment is the place where we find out whether the Christian's meditation has led him into the unreal, from which he awakens in terror when he returns to the workaday world, or whether it has led him into a real contact with God, from which he emerges strengthened and purified. Has it transported him for a moment into a spiritual ecstasy that vanishes when everyday life returns, or has it lodged the Word of God so securely and deeply in his heart that it holds and fortifies him, impelling him to active love, to obedience, to good works? Only the day can decide".

This quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer haunts me. I have it taped to the inside flap of a small Bible I carry around day to day. It reminds me that my salvation is not a trite thing to be taken for granted. If it is a reality, it will produce a God glorifying result. It also remainds me that in the end, it can never be passive or else it is most likely not real.

It reminds me of Jame 2:14-26 which says, " What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, Go in peace, be warmed and filled, without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, You have faith and I have works. Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead".

Boenhoffers faith lead him to works that got him killed. Would my faith do that? God grant me the grace that it would.

A Brighter Christmas?

2008-11-27T17:26:00.035-05:00

Here is some "food" for thought on a Thanksgiving day filled with uncountable blessings that we in America (that includes me) take for granted most of the time. I am, of course, a sinner by nature. I shutter to think who I would be if not for Christ. Nonetheless, I find myself, during this time of year, face to face with my own shortcomings in the thankfulness department. I am not naturally a thankful person and I usually top that trait off with a nice heaping scoop of self centeredness, which is generally the precursor to un thankfulness. Hmm, the appetizer and the desert, how interesting.

Let me give an example. Today, I found myself in the WalMart parking lot miffed at the driver who pulled into the parking space in front of me which forced me to back out instead of pulling forward, then I then promptly exited the parking lot via a lane in which I was driving the wrong way.

So it was with some introspection that I bemused the cover of this year's Christmas catalogue from LL Bean. If you are unable to see the small print on the catalogue picture above, it says, "L.L. Bean Christmas 2008", then the interesting subtitle goes on to express, "Making Christmas Brighter". Generally I pass by these catalogues without much notice. However, this year I was struck with how "American", as described in the opening of this post, this simple message is. Now remember, I am speaking of myself as well here, I am American, so don't think I am being hypocritical, I am writing this because of the introspection I mentioned happens this time of year.

Leave it to us, in America, to demand that Christmas be brighter. I say demand because, after all, marketing campaigns cater to the prevailing winds of consumer banality. To me, this small subtitle is truly telling. We want more than what we have because we are never satisfied. We are all entitled to bigger and better, faster, more sleek and sexy, technological savvy stuff. It is our constitutional right by gosh! Give it to me and give it to me now!!

As a believer in Jesus Christ, I am appalled that these sentiments run rampant in my brain and flow out into how I treat people, including other believers. And yet, it happens. I run to the scriptures to passages like Romans 7, esp. vs. 14-25, for rescue.

As for the remedy to the dilemma posed by the afore mentioned L.L. Bean merchandising, I have to turn to passages like John 1:14 which says, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth". And verses 12 and 13 which say, "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God".

And then I race to Ephesians 2:1-10 that states, " And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ ”by grace you have been saved and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

So, I ask this question, in light of these truths, "Is there anything that could make Christmas brighter"?

The Visitor

2008-11-01T11:16:00.006-04:00

For those of you who have not seen this movie yet, get it and see it! My wonderful wife Anna rented it for us last night and though at first I , "the realist", thought it to have a depressing ending, after a night of sleep on it, it came to me that it is wonderful story with great music and, of course, lots of drum and djembe playing that will make you want to get up and dance. Beyond this, whether the producers of this movie intended it or not, it is a striking modern retelling of the good Samaritan from Luke 10. The more I think about the story, the more I want to see i t again. I have watched the trailer a few times this morning and have decided that along with Bella, this has got to be one of my favorites this year. Enjoy the trailer below.

Obama the "king"?

2008-10-22T07:44:00.001-04:00

It is certain from the scriptures in Prov. 21:1 that, " The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will. If we presuppose the God of the Bible, this is a rock and a strong tower of defense in these troubling political times. And, we can with the Psalmist confidently assert in 20:7 , "Some trust in chariots and some in horses,but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

These truths are especially relevant as we approach decisions to be made this Nov. 4th. Most the polls have Barack Obama leading John McCain . Polls are admittedly fickle. However, in light of Obama's views on substantively moral issues like Abortion, and religion in general, this is not good news. Consider the following actual statements he has made regarding these matters:

On the subject of abortion, he has famously stated that, "I've got two daughters. 9 years old and 6 years old. I am going to teach them first of all about values and morals. But if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby". Now, I could go on about the massive inconsistency inherent in this statement regarding the concept of morals and values being used in the same sentence in which babies are referred to as punishments. "Relatively" speaking, I suppose in some distorted way, this could be construed as rational and coherent. But, I have a sneaking suspicion that most believers who have read or heard that quote find it at least unsettling.

Then, in his famous speech on religion, referring to how we all need to lay aside our religious distinctives and become pluralistic for the common good, he states, "Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values. It requires that their proposals be subject to argument, and amenable to reason. I may be opposed to abortion for religious reasons, but if I seek to pass a law banning the practice, I cannot simply point to the teachings of my church or evoke God's will. I have to explain why abortion violates some principle that is accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all. Now this is going to be difficult for some who believe in the inerrancy of the Bible, as many evangelicals do. But in a pluralistic democracy, we have no choice. Politics depends on our ability to persuade each other of common aims based on a common reality. It involves the compromise, the art of what's possible. At some fundamental level, religion does not allow for compromise. It's the art of the impossible. If God has spoken, then followers are expected to live up to God's edicts, regardless of the consequences. To base one's life on such uncompromising commitments may be sublime, but to base our policy making on such commitments would be a dangerous thing". Wow! I do not have space or time to critique this barrage. Suffice it to say, in an Obama presidency, believers in Jesus Christ will undoubtedly be challenged to lay aside their "religious specific values", for a more, "common reality".

Here are a few more Obama isms for good measure. "I opposed the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996. It should be repealed and I will vote for its repeal on the Senate floor". "I will also oppose any proposal to amend the U.S. Constitution to ban gays and lesbians from marrying".

Pardon me, but are these not religious specific for Mr. Obama? Does not his ideas about a common reality indicate a fairly straight forward approach that would infringe on some whose religious specific values would come into conflict with his common reality. Pluralism is religious, only it does not include everyone.

And so I began this post the way I did because this Nov. things may take a dive for true believers in America. And yet, because by grace I presuppose the God of the bible, these passages cause hope to spring up in me, even so. Be encouraged brothers and sisters, this is also true, "Phil 4:4-7 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus".

Goerge Muller's Autobiography, A Must Read!

2008-10-19T21:18:00.000-04:00

I have been reading the autobiography of George Muller. (it can be found here http://www.amazon.com/Autobiography-George-Muller-Million-Answer/dp/0964755203/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224466909&sr=8-2) I highly recommend this book. It is a biggie, 700+ pages. However it is worth the time investment. Muller was a remarkable man and was used greatly by God to serve some 10,024 orphans in Bristol England. This he did without asking for a single donation, only trusting God to provide, spending much time in prayer in these regards. He is indeed a hero of the faith. I regard him as being included in the great cloud of witnesses that we are to see as those whose example we are to follow as we serve Christ. I have been encouraged to, and I now encourage you, to read the lives of our grandparents in the faith. I believe your faith will be strengthened.

Here is a remarkably modern insight from what I have been reading. Here are some of Mr. Muller's thoughts on reading the Bible. He recounts that in his early christian life he, "...fell into the snare, into which many young believers fall, the reading of religious books in preference to the Scriptures". "...I read tracts, missionary papers, sermons and biographies of godly persons...had any of them tended particularly to endure the Scriptures to me, they might have done me much good". "... I practically preferred... the works of uninspired men to the oracles of the living God. The consequence was that I remains babe both in knowledge and grace". ...If any believers read this, who practically prefer other books to the Holy Scriptures, and enjoy the writings of men more than the word of God, may they be warned by my loss".

He then goes on to advise, "If the reader understands very little of the word of God, he ought to read it much; for the spirit for the Spirit explains the Word by the Word. And, if he enjoys the reading of the Word little, that is just the reason why he should read it much; for the frequent reading of the Scriptures creates a delight in them, so that the more we read them, the more the more we desire to do so. And if the reader should be an unbeliever, I would likewise entreat him to read the Scriptures earnestly, but to ask God to previously give him a blessing. For in doing so, God may make him wise unto salvation...".

I am thankful that God has chosen to preserve this book as it was out of print for some time. By God's grace, I would like to share more of this in future posts.

Movie Fun

2008-10-14T08:05:00.000-04:00

OK! I am a Mary Poppins Geek. However, on the theme of laughter etc., which this blog seems to have taken on presently, I had to post this clip from the movie entitled, "I love to Laugh". Watch and enjoy a simple bit of fun!!

Resurection Letters

2008-10-13T20:46:00.001-04:00

I know others have posted this but I will as well. The more this is posted, the more people will be exposed to this music. If you have not listened to Andrew Peterson's new release, Resurrection Letters Volume II, then you must. Follow this link and enjoy. http://centricityplayer.com/mi_cp/jukebox/player.php?player_id=21&tcolor=FFFFFF&bgcolor=000000

Cupcake Anyone?

2008-10-11T10:35:00.000-04:00

Saturday morning, I passed by the T.V. as Good Morning America was on, and overheard a snippet of a story about cupcakes. I didn't listen to the full content, however, what caught my attention was the final few words the reporter included as the tag to close the piece out. As a final description of the confection, she described cupcakes as, "happiness without guilt".

Now, this may seem fairly innocuous as a statement about cupcakes. However, I believe this is a genuine expression of how our culture perceives the pursuit of happiness, that in order to be truly happy, there must be some guilt involved, that there is something intrinsically sinful about running after things that make us happy. Subtly, really enjoying food, cupcakes to be exact, must be inherently guilt producing since the outcome a. produces some selfish delight in me and b. that there may be potential negative side effects. The question is, can I be happy without a sin tinge?

I believe this sense has spilled over into the church. In particular we have accepted the lie that says serving Christ, therefore, must be legalistic and dutiful and somber since, if it were fun or happiness producing, there must be some self serving aspect to it and therefore laced with some sinful element. I grew up in churches that propagated this attitude and the Holy Spirit continues to chisel it out of my thick skull. This attitude is bondage producing while exactly the opposite is true. In fact, joy, happiness, gladness, in service to Christ is demanded of us. Consider the following passages from the scriptures:

Ps. 100:1-5 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness!Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God!It is he who made us, and we are his;we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good;his steadfast love endures forever,and his faithfulness to all generations.

and

Isa. 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news,who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,who publishes salvation,who says to Zion, Your God reigns.

John Piper, in his book, "The Dangerous Duty of Delight" (see a sample chaps. 1-3 , http://www.desiringgod.org/media/pdf/books_bd3/bd3.pdf ) says it this way, "...joy is an act of obedience. We are commanded to rejoice in God. If obedience is doing what God commands, then joy is not merely the spin-off of obedience, it is obedience". Put this together with what the Apostle Paul says in 1 Cor. 10:31, "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God". Joy in our in service to Christ brings glory to God.

So, the next time you find yourself serving Christ, even if it is eating a cupcake with a friend, be happy.

Laughter ha ha ha ha

2008-10-05T11:32:00.000-04:00

I love to laugh. From tiny twitters and giggles to all out guffaws, these are refreshing. Perhaps you never thought about it before but consider the following:

- A daily laughter workout of 15 minutes can burn 40 calories and melt away 4 pounds over the course of a year.

- Up to 80 muscles are used during a hearty laugh, the blood pressure rises, the heart beats faster and blood oxygen levels increase. In fact, a study released last year by German gelotologist Professor Gunther Sickl revealed that a one-minute guffaw has the same health benefits as a 45-minute gym workout. When the laughter stops, the blood pressure returns to normal and stress hormones are reduced - actually strengthening the immune system.

- Laughter can lower blood pressure, trigger a flood of endorphins - the brain chemicals that can bring on euphoria and decrease pain, and enhances our immune systems. Gamma-interferon, a disease-fighting protein, rises with laughter. So do B-cells, which produce disease-destroying antibodies, and T-cells, which orchestrate our body's immune response. Laughter lowers the flow of stress hormones, which suppress the immune system, raise blood pressure, and increase the number of platelets, which cause clots and potentially fatal coronary artery blockages."

- People with type 2 diabetes may be better able to process sugar from meals if they laugh, according to a small study. Researchers found that diabetics who watched a comedy show had a smaller rise in post-meal blood sugar than when they listed to a non-humorous lecture. The effect occurred in people without diabetes as well.

If you have never thought about this before, see Prov. 17:22. If you haven't and want to know more just type in the phrase, "Health benefits of Laughter" in your favorite Internet browser and see what you get. We human beings really have been fearfully and wonderfully made.

Something else to consider regarding humor and laughter is this. John 1:14 says, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth". This is one of many texts that teach the ides that Christ was fully human and at the same time fully God. My point here is that he was human, just like us, granted, without sin (Heb. 4:15). However, the fact that he was human lends itself to a myriad of concepts, not the least of which is that Jesus certainly had a sense of humor, and surely laughed. Consider the following story from Matthew 21:23-27:

"And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority? Jesus answered them, I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man? And they discussed it among themselves, saying, If we say, From heaven, he will say to us, Why then did you not believe him? But if we say, From man,we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet. So they answered Jesus, We do not know. And he said to them, Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

While this is telling of the condition of the Chief Priest's heart, it's funny! And this is not the only episode that demonstrates our Redeemers capacity for the humorous. Consider Luke 5: 17-26. In I Kings 18, surely the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal gives pause for a bit of the funny esp. vs. 27. Here God has granted that humor be used to make a very serious indictment.

The scriptures are rife with these kinds of examples and it is not a stretch to infer that Christ also took up this type of communication in his dealings with the religious zealots of his day, as is noted above. It is also noteworthy that Jesus was often invited to dine with folks that would have been considered by those religious types, to be untouchable. Could it be that he was an enjoyable house guest, enjoying many of the things God has created for us to enjoy, i.e. good food, drink, friends, a warm summer evening, and yes, laughter, as well as the individuals he chose to spend time with. It is not unnatural to think that this would be so.

The "picture" of Jesus posted above is one of my favorites. It hung on the wall of a friend of mine whom I loved dearly, several years ago. I have not forgotten it and, while my appreciation for it does not in any way diminish his glory by adding some earthly iconic magic to it, it does help me visually imagine what it may have been like to know him physically. It also helps me as I read about Christs office now, the great High Priest who ever lives and intercedes for me. He is still Christ, with a body, glorified of course, but the Christ who walked and talked with and laughed with the disciples. Perhaps Luke 15: 1-10, might help here, vs. 7 and 10 say respectively, " 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents." I cannot help but think that indeed, our Christos Victor, is right in the middle of all of that joy as he is the author and finisher of the faith that initiates this heavenly celebration.

I am thankful to Pastor John Gullett at Christ Community Church here in Johnson City who introduced me to Red Mountain music (reformed music of the most desirable sort, my opinion): http://www.redmountainchurch.org/rmm/alb/albums.html In several songs on both the "Help My Unbelief", and "Gadsby Project", albums, the recording captures musicians in unrehearsed moments talking, and yes laughing. This is wonderful especially at the end of "My Soul Rejoice and Sing" (track 15, Help My Unbelief), the lyrics go like this:

My soul rejoice and sing,
Thy Father’s glorious praise;
And let His precious love,
Employ thee all thy days;

To save my soul from hell,
Was His eternal will;
And bless His precious name,
His purpose to fulfill.
He took the Lord, the great I AM,
And as a nail He fastened Him.

When deep calls to deep,
And sins like mountains rise,
And the old prince of hell,
Says all the Bible’s lies,
This nail is fastened, in my heart,
Nor will it e’er, from me depart.

My wicked heart has said,
Again yea, and again,
That Christ my soul will leave,
To perish in my sin;
But though I feel as cold as clay,
He will not, cannot, go away.

At the end, an unrehearsed laugh erupts from the singer and it is fitting considering the content of this song. I love it, considering that we are admonished in Phil. 4:4, to rejoice in the Lord Always.

Laughter breeds laughter as well. As I was sitting in the airport recently, overheard to gentlemen talking and laughing together and this poem spilled out of my pen, please indulge me:

Laughter

Laughter

like the rat-a-tat

of a vintage machine gun

in a black

and white war movie

popped out

of the guy sitting

behind me

at the airport

food court

in response to humorous banter

of some sort

or other,

spraying his cohort

who responded in

kind.

I end as I began this post, I love to laugh, long and loud and strong! I believe we are made to do so and that it is glorifying to God. My grace defined presuppositions lead me to these conclusions. So, I will leave you with an opportunity to carry on with laughter. If you are so inclined, I would invite you to view the short clip below. Brian Regan makes me laugh. Soli Deo Gloria.

First of firsts

2008-10-04T19:24:00.000-04:00

This is my first post. I am new at this and so I will be brief now. I am beginning this process as a way to express my thoughts about to life and the implications of my presuppositions related to the reality that I, through Christ, "... though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root...", and have been "...cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature grafted into a cultivated olive tree..." (Rom. 11:17 and 24). If these verses are true, presupposing that the God of the Bible is the source of all meaning, my life should take on a flavor that reflects these truths. This is where I begin. I am looking forward to where this takes me.