Don't Waste Your Life Sentence

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”

And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

-Luke 4:16-20

Reality and Hope

I never battle against melancholy; I embrace it.

The world is a real place with real people with real problems. Why are we sometimes quick to keep that hidden? I mean, it can be cliché, but do we know it?

When my thoughts dwell on sad things, my heart goes to God. Reality is hard, but brushing off hard things doesn't keep us going. Hope in God does.

More Than Raking Leaves

Raking leaves (social action) does not constitute a Gospel presentation; the physical needs of humanity pale in comparison to the depravity of the human heart and its need to be quickened. In Mark 2 Jesus recognizes this and goes right for the jugular; he proclaims that he is the Christ, the God-man, he has the power to forgive sins, and that humanity, no matter what its physical state, needs forgiveness of sins first and foremost.

And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

-Mark 2:1-12

Tulip

Rebekah and I have a favorite flower. The tulip.


Here are the reasons why I love tulips:

1. Tulips are a symbol of new life. When I was young my mother would plant tulips. In the springtime they would pop out of the ground telling everyone that Spring had arrived. New life arises in the Spring just like in our spiritual lives: God calls us from wintery death to spring-like life through Jesus Christ.
2. Tulips spring from the ground like Christ sprung from the grave. And both are celebrated in the Spring.
3. Tulips--as already noted--come in the Spring. Spring is my favorite season.
4. The "Doctrines of Grace" are easily remembered by the acronym TULIP.
5. Bonus reason: Resident Thorns Poet, Jordan, just made this up,

One lip,

Tulips,

Three lips,

Four lips.

I hope you love tulips too.

Don't Equate Faith And Family

Often times when people are asked what they value most, they answer "faith and family." That's a cute cliche, but should we really put faith and family on the same level?

Don't get me wrong here. I think family is very important. I love my wife, someday kids (Lord willing), my parents, and my sister. That's not to mention my in-laws and my extended family. However, the reason I think that family is important is because it is a means to an end.

So, don't equate faith and family.

Faith represents a connecting agent; the God-granted allotment that allows us to be right with God. When we are justified by faith we are adopted as sons and daughters into a much larger, much more important family.

Take Jesus' words in Matthew 12:

While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

And in Mark 10:

Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Maybe when people say that "faith and family" are the most important things to them, they actually mean that faith is a far superior number one and family is a distant second. Maybe. But somehow the proximity seems unwarrented.

Faith is such an amazing gift. It is an awakening to the knowledge that we can be completely satisfied with all God is for us through Jesus. And when we have faith, we are sure of what we hope for, that is, that God is faithful to all the promises that He has made. We hope in God.

Family, while not on the same plain, is also a gift. But take note: the spouses, children, parents, and siblings God has put into our lives, good or bad, are only means to reach an end. The end is the belief that we can be completely satisfied with all God is for us through Jesus connecting us to a right standing with God, or in fewer words: justified by faith.

Praise God for each of these gifts, but don't equate faith and family.

Five Reasons Why Today Was A Good Day

1. This morning's sermon was about hope. Hope is the desired end, not absence of trouble. Good reminder.
   
2. I had a wonderful meal with my almost in-laws.
3. It was absolutely beautiful outside. Nice days mean a lot in Fargo because often the wind blows 40 mph and the last of the snow just melted.
   
4. I disc golfed.
5. I know that tomorrow God's mercies are new. His faithfulness is great.