Spoiler Alert!

Whore. 

The word offends our sensibilities. 

No matter your era, it just sounds filthy.

Sodom.  Gomorrah. 

Infamous cities. 

Debauchery untold.

Why such seedy terms when describing the people of God? 

Isaiah wastes little time setting his agenda: Judah was lost in her sin.  Amid layers of base indulgence, political jockeying, and competing ideologies she had repeatedly prostituted herself with surrounding deities and pagan practices (1:10-17, 21-31; 2:6-4:1; 5:1-30).

Against such betrayal the central tension of Isaiah emerges: had Israel blown it for everybody?  Would God’s plan for redemptive history be chucked because His chosen nation kept turning tricks?

Spoiler Alert.  I love spoilers.  I try to keep from reading below the bold, italicized lettering but I can't help myself.  A well-constructed story creates a tension far too much for me to bear.  Hunger Games.  Saw the movie.  Janna wanted to purchase the next book and slowly digest the plot.  I, on the other hand, went straight home and devoured spoilers.  

Till 1:30 am.     

Knowing how the story of redemption unfolds often keeps us from sensing the many facets of narrative tension in the OT.  Understanding God did uphold the covenant and redeem the nations through Christ far too often leads us to presume He would.  We then tend to read the OT without detecting the accumulative tension within redemption’s story. 

For sure, Israel had royally blown it.  Her unique heritage as a kingdom of priests had been marred by her repeated harlotry.  The very nation charged with bringing divine truth to the world had been charged with adultery.1  They’d stooped to an all time low.  Sodom and Gomorrah low.  Israel had now become the very enemy of God (1:24-26; 5:24-25).

Tension mounts.  How would God respond to the crisis?  Would He uphold His plan to redeem the world through Israel or would God choose to simply abandon mankind to their mess?  

Isaiah doesn’t resolve this conflict quickly, in fact with 66 chapters the prophet meanders towards a conclusion.  Still yet, the reader encounters unmistaken cues along the way.  Road marks that allow us to understand where Isaiah is taking us, reassurance that there is still hope for the nations.  Somehow, in spite of Israel, God will still work to make all things new.

As an outline nerd, I have to see the book in order to get a feel for it:

1. Hope in peril: will the covenant hold? (1:1-6:13)
2. Hope through the fire: God will both judge and restore David’s house (7:1-39:8)
3. Hope found in ransom: God will bring salvation to the nations (40:1-55:13)
4. Hope fulfilled in future glory: God will establish Mount Zion (56:1-66:24)

Certainly judgment would come upon Judah.  She was due.  Even so, God’s plan to shower His grace upon all peoples had not been thwarted.  Even in the opening chapters when Isaiah is announcing judgment, listen closely and you’ll catch encouraging cues.  Indeed, the prophet foretells of a day when God’s grace is experientially evident as the nations encounter the fullness of Zion (2:1-5):

It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be establish as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.”  For out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.  He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.  O house of Jacob, come, let us walk I the light of the Lord.

While all men of all places and times are repeatedly making a royal mess of things, there is still hope.  God has not abandoned us.  Put simply, God extends a call to come walk in the light of the Lord.  In heeding Him, we find immeasurable hope because God's love has been poured into our hearts and we know that in Christ our hope for eternity will not disappoint (Romans 5:1-5).  

Blessings!  

1. It is essential to note that at every major covenant God made with Israel, there was a focus upon outreach.  Israel was to stand as a beacon of divine truth and opportunity for all peoples and the covenants with her forefathers clearly stated as much.  Abraham was promised that through him all the nations of the world would be blessed (Gen 12:3).  At Mount Sinai the people understood that they were to be a kingdom of priests, mediating revelation to all peoples (Ex 19:6).  David saw the succession of his throne to be divine instruction for all mankind, for through his throne all the nations would find peace (2 Sam 7:19ff).  With each major covenant the nation of Israel understood her role as the divinely appointed dispenser of revelation.  The scope of which would reach the entire world.     

We Didn’t Start the Fire…

By the fall of 1989 Billy Joel captured airwaves with his third Billboard number 1, We Didn’t Start the Fire.  As the story goes, the lyrics were compiled soon after a young adult quipped that Joel’s youth was uncomplicated and that the musician simply could not relate with the sociopolitical uncertainty of the 80’s.  From the young man’s vantage point the 50’s and 60’s were perceived as the simpler, more stable era. 

We didn’t start the fire, it was always burning since the world’s been turning…

Against an incredibly cool backdrop of flames, Joel challenges the young man’s perception by marching through the more noteworthy events of his age.  With each passing line Joel highlights an unsettling truth: the world has always been in flux.  From atomic weapons to Ole’ Miss and Civil Rights, from Red China to Stalin and Fidel Castro, with every spin on its axis the world churns an uneasy measure of madness.

We didn't start the fire, no we didn't light it, but we tried to fight it.

Considering our current state, are things much different?  From government furloughs to chemical warfare, from apartheid to Ariel Castro, nagging global and domestic challenges demand honest evaluation – fight it we may, but the burning simply will not cease.  No matter the era, mankind has a habit of getting in its own way.

Against such an intense backdrop, where might the nations turn? 

Perhaps no other book in the OT answers this question more clearly than Isaiah.  In short, the book extends hope to the nations.  Writing within his unique historical setting the prophet Isaiah invites us to look beyond mere sociopolitical circumstances and see the scope of God's plan for mankind.  We're invited to peer into God's purposes not as sterile observers but as passionate participants, people of faith who are seeking to live honorably before our Creator and Sustainer.  

To a degree we’ve experienced the message of Isaiah, attend any church and the book of Isaiah will speak prominently on both Christmas and Easter.  Images of the virgin born Immanuel child and the Suffering Servant rightly inform our Holy Days, but how are we to consider the prophet in his entirety?  What exactly is God saying that took 66 chapters to spell out?  

Over the next several weeks I hope to share a few thoughts on the matter.  As the entries will likely be more devotional in nature, my prayer is that we come face to face with the Hope of all nations.  That our hearts find refreshment and our faith emboldened as we address a world ever churning for that peace which surpasses human understanding. 

Blessings!

Because you know its a cool video,  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFTLKWw542g

Stop and Think

"It sort of makes you stop and think doesn't it"

Recently I came across an article written by Robert Lupton entitled "Asking the Right Questions About Serving".  I highly recommend it to anyone considering local or global ministry initiatives.  Essentially it addresses and informs the "whys and hows" of our Christian service.

Should the principles within the article interest you, might I also suggest that you read the book "When Helping Hurts" by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert.  I'm using the aforementioned text in an elective for our church beginning July 22nd, great book concerning gospel centered social engagement.    

Below are some of the article's "take aways" :

A few suggestions to avoid mission toxicity.  Mission projects can be genuinely redemptive.  The best ones are joint ventures with mature, indigenous ministries that understand both the culture and healthy cross-cultural partnering.  A few reality-tested principles provide a “code of conduct” to guide invited volunteer guests toward sensitive, mutually transforming relationships:

•  Never do for others what they can do for themselves (teach a man to fish).

•  Limit one-way giving to emergencies (most needs are chronic, not crisis).

•  Employment, lending, investing are best (use grants sparingly as incentives).

•  Subordinate self-interests to the interests of the poor (is this for our good or theirs?).

•  Listen to what is not being said (many needs are not immediately voiced).

•  Above all, do no harm.

Grace and Peace


http://communitiesfirstassociation.org/2012/07/03/asking-the-right-questions-about-serving/

Another African American President, The Pulpit, and the Status Quo

Glad to see the Southern Baptist Convention voted in Fred Luter as its first black president. On many levels this would seem encouraging, if not monumental. I suppose to a certain extent I agree. 

Still yet, the answer to the ongoing fragmentation of the evangelical church will not be found in a man that serves a one year term - the answer rests in the much less glamourous position of the pastorate.

In the pulpit, specifically through the teaching of the Word, is where hope truly rests. Through captivating minds around the grand narrative of scripture the church will find both the rationale and motivation to break down the systematic, cooperate sin that she often unwittingly perpetuates.

I once heard a pastor say that racially homogenous churches are simply a cultural phenomena that leadership must simply deal with.

Reading between the lines: blacks will be with blacks and whites will be with whites, cultures gravitate toward on another and instead of sifting through the historical and varied motivations for such fragmentation - just deal with it. Lead existing churches to tow this line. Plant new churches that will preserve this line. After all the main mission is to see souls saved.

The preacher casually shrugged this perpetuation off as if it were not in fact a gospel issue, insinuating that he could continue to proclaim the gospel from the pulpit while allowing systematic racism and cultural elitism to persist in the pew.

While there is much that could be said to the ongoing diminishment of the good news - I couldn't say it any better than these guys so I won't try. This link doesn't cover the entire issue but it does a wonderful job of touching on the high notes.http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/conference-messages/race-and-the-christian#/watch/full

Men, lead well.

Celebrate Luter's momentary platform but realize that it is the platform of the pulpit that will actually see the gospel's power come to fruition throughout the church.

Grace and Peace

City Life

“Why The City Is A Good Place to Raise Children”    

Nice article.  The author, Kathy Keller, is a resident of New York City.  Her husband is Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian and popular Christian writer.  And while the ministry of the Keller family is well documented, Springfield is a far cry from the Big Apple. 

Many of the practical benefits referenced in her publication simply don’t translate.  In fact, I’d say 95% of the advantages Kathy listed wouldn’t be experienced in Springfield, OH.  We are after all, warranted or not, the saddest city in America two years running. 

Even so, the article does generate thought.  Keller contends that children benefit from being exposed to city life, specifically the stark contrast offered between light and darkness.  I tend to agree with her.  Cities of all sizes are wonderful tools of both education and spiritual formation in that they paint clear pictures of brokenness, grace, mercy, and redemption.  

This raises a question.  What does an urban context afford families who are seeking to intentionally raise kingdom-centered kids?  This isn't necessarily an issue of where God calls your family to reside.  Wherever He may place you, your residence at this point is secondary.  Consider the unique benefits of your family investing in an urban church:  

• How could the city actually be a spiritual asset your family?  Put another way, what lessons can your family learn from the city that can't be caught elsewhere?   

• What are some challenges of investing in an urban church?  How is my family prepared to be an agent of change?  

• How am I stewarding this resource for the development of my family? 

I’ve said it before.  Southgate Baptist Church reminds me of the Antique Roadshow.   You may be familiar with the program.  People have unique and priceless treasure buried in their attic.  They bring the items to the Roadshow only to discover that the pieces are worth thousands.  

I would contend that the physical location of Southgate is spiritually priceless but it has heretofore been treated much like a treasure in the attic.  We know its there but we’ve no idea of its value in the spiritual formation of our families.

Opportunities such as these can be unbelievably squandered.  The effects of racism and classism upon the church can be easily noted – it need not be this way.  There are deeper expressions of missional living that need both explored and championed. 

Whether you’re driving in from the burbs, the fields, or the city  – there is work to be done.  There are tangible opportunities for our families to both demonstration and declare the gospel of Hope and Peace in this present darkness.    

I’d love to hear back from you.  Call, email, or post a reply. 
Either way, I’d love to keep the dialogue moving. 

Grace and Peace

Link to Keller's article: 

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/02/15/why-the-city-is-a-wonderful-place-to-raise-children/

The Boys and Their Toys

I’m pretty sure the arms race is fueled from our attic.

The playroom contains an arsenal.  Ninja stars, light sabers, battle-axes, katana blades, Nerf sniper guns, crossbows, Transformer blasters, nunchucks, glocks, pirate swords, batarangs, tridents, reported nukes…

You need it – the boys have it. 

They have it and they’ve tested it. 

Our walls display daily reminders of these epic battles.  

Finally, enough was enough.  Over the weekend I set out to right the wrongs.  Armed with a single sponge brush I was determined to touch up EVERY ding and scuffmark. 

If only it were that easy. 

Better lighting afforded closer examination. 

The scuffmarks had scuffmarks, 

collateral damage in their ongoing skirmish.

Yet while painting I was reminded: with better Lighting comes the realization we bear the marks of warfare. 

We’ve still got scuffmarks.  The subtleties of our rebellion leave their mark and the further we draw into Christ the more unnerving this truth becomes.  No matter how faithfully we’ve walked with God - He is ever calling us into greater depths of communion.  He is still at work in our soul.  And the unbelievable news is that God’s grace not only saves, it sustains.  It transforms.

Know this.  Greater than the shame, guilt, and regret is this truth: God is faithful to complete the work He began (Philippians 1:6).  The very Spirit of Christ will empower us such that our interest in and capacity for righteous obedience will radically deepen.  Indeed, as we submit to our Father varying degrees of Christ’s glory will begin to shine through us as we seek to walk as Christ walked (2 Corinthians 3:17-18; I John 2:6). 

Whatever battle may have beset you, press on.  Whatever sin might be of particular challenge, persevere.  Get up and make the hard choice.  Choose to walk in the light as He is in the light.  It is certainly not with flesh and blood that we strive.  Nevertheless, be assured of our eternal Advocate.  His voice drowns our Enemy.  And as our Accuser has no heavenly audience, let us also turn a deaf ear for in Christ we have been forgiven (I John 2:1; Revelation 12:10). We are freed to follow.

Grace and Peace.

Along these lines, I recommend the current sermon series being preached by Bobby Hile - Walk in the Light.  It is an expositional study of I John and since he’s only three weeks in you’re not too late to follow! 

What Not to Wear: Reflections on I Corinthians 15

What are you wearing?

My sense of style is simply deficient.  I have never retained the rules of proper attire. I would wear white all year long. Or anything stained, ripped and mismatched.   I wear corduroy in July until my wife has to hide it from me.  If I am just running to the grocery, who cares?  And if I am just running out to the car – rules do not apply.  Ask my neighbors.  Picture Cousin Eddie greeting neighbors in his bathrobe, slippers, trooper hat, and boxers. 

I do draw a line at the boxers, but the rest of the picture is me.

I’ve been somewhat of a ten-year project for Janna.  What I now concede is that certain attire matches certain occasions.  There are casual, relaxed, and refined occasions.  And while attending said occasion, it is preferable that one’s attire does in fact relate to it.

Indeed, proper attire is required. 

Paul closes I Corinthians 15 with this fundamental idea (15:35-58).[1]  As Adam’s children, our natural bodies simply cannot withstand all God has purposed for us in His manifested kingdom (15:50; I Tim 6:16).  “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable put on the imperishable.” 

We await a fundamental wardrobe change.  We look forward to an epic makeover, one for the ages: “this perishable body must put on the imperishable and this mortal body must put on immortality.”  Our physical bodies, corrupted by sin, are incapable of housing the incorruptible. We are in desperate need of an altogether different kind of wardrobe, a glorious flesh that is quite different in its constitution and capacity. 

Paul resolves the material-spiritual tension not by dismissing bodily resurrection but by introducing a secret: Behold!  I tell you a mystery.  We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. The faithful will undergo a complete transformation.  The result will be perfection, a reveal more astounding than anything ever seen on TLC.

As the final trumpet sounds, the fullness of Christ’s victory over death will be evident as all the redeemed of all ages “put on” the imperishable.  No longer bound by the natural body but freed to experience the fullness of God’s intent: harmony of both spiritual and physical existence. 

As we put on our Easter best, let us reflect on our future attire. 

The grave couldn’t hold our Lord.  Evil has been vanquished.  God’s eternal intent secured through an empty tomb.  I Corinthians 15 bursts with hope.  Let us then be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord our labor is not in vain (58).

Grace and Peace

---

[1]  The idea of “proper attire” gives shape to I Corinthians 15:35-58.  Those influenced by Greek thought scoffed at the resurrection of the dead (35).  Driving an unnecessary hierarchy between the material and spiritual realms, the Greeks had little use for material existence.  Our bodies were thought to be a temporal necessity awaiting liberation.  Paul doesn’t entirely disagree with his opponents; he only challenges their conclusion.  Indeed, the tension they felt was accurate.  Paul himself affirmed that flesh and blood couldn’t entertain the magnitude of the spiritual realm.  Yet instead of abandoning the future resurrection Paul advances two thoughts:

1. Reflection on creation demonstrates noticeable difference (37-49):
• As there are in creation different types of flesh (humans, animals, birds, and fish), our resurrected body will be of a different type (39)
• As there are in creation different levels of glory (terrestrial and celestial), our resurrected body will be of a different level (40-41) 
• So it is with the resurrection of the dead: a different type of flesh with a different glory.  Paul assured that we would bare the image of Christ (42-49)
2. Introduction of a great mystery, we will all be changed (50-58)
• Affirming the problem – introducing the solution (50-53)
• Demonstrating the fullness of Christ’s victory (54-57)
• Exhorting continued faithfulness (58)