Prop 8 and Rev 19

Wednesday was an historic day in America, as the Supreme Court ruled that the state of California could not discriminate against those who wanted a same sex marriage. The court majority ruled that the DOMA, signed into law by Clinton in September 1996, was unconstitutional because it was written to define marriage as between one man and one woman, and therefore discriminated morally against homosexuals.

It's worth pausing, just for a second, to reflect on how quickly the world changes. Not just the truism that what is taboo, illegal even, in the first generation will be celebrated in the third, but that as recently as 1996, a Democrat government (!) led by Clinton (!) could legislate against same sex marriage. These are extraordinary days we live in.

The Church, as i see it, has a number of options. We can throw out the Bible and jump into the hand basket, because that eerie glow in the distance must be the dawn of a new day. That's obviously exactly the wrong thing to do. Or we can shout and scream and mourn the death of the god of American civil government, and lament the fact that the founding fathers would be turning in their graves, which is also far from the best course of action. We can point out the elephant in the room, the logical fallacy of allowing a man who wants to marry another man equality, but not a man who wants to marry several women. Or indeed an elephant. And the time will come for that. Bad laws take two or three generations to wreak their havoc. You're relegated at the end of the season, not on transfer deadline day.

Or we can do the best thing, the sensible thing. We can wonder to ourselves, why do they nations rage, humming along with Jesus as He walked out of the tomb. We can remember that since the Fall, men's feet have rushed to shed blood. We can remember that the Bible promises us these days, and that God always keeps His promises.

Those aren't the only promises in the Bible though. God promises Adam a serpent crusher. He promises Abraham a country. He promises Moses rescue. He promises David a son. He promises Jeremiah return. He promises us that He'll never leave us. The root, the ground, and the goal of all these promises is found in Revelation 19:11-21. In these verses we find Jesus, not cowed by the Supreme Court, not silence by secularism, riding a white horse. Jesus' robes are dipped in the blood of His enemies, and His victory is sure. He comes, and throws the beast and the false prophet in the lake of fire, he destroys those who follow the unholy trinity. Soon He'll bind the devil too. He doesn't looked perturbed, he doesn't look weak, he doesn't look like a legend or a fairy tale. He looks terrifying. He is. And victory belongs to Him.

No matter what happens between then and now, we have to remember this. Not because we want to destruction of sinners, we long for their God glorifying salvation. That they would see, as Christians do, the irresistible loveliness of Jesus, and come to Him. We need to remember that all God's promises are, quite literally Yes in Jesus, because all too often the Church feels like an overlooked seventh son, headed towards a giant just five stones and a sling shot.

And we all know how that turned out.

Pleasure belongs to Jesus (Max Mclean)

What a freeing truth. Do you want to be happy? Happy forever? Then forsake lesser pleasures, all the pleasures that the world know, and cling to Christ. Lean on Him as a bride does on her beloved. We so easily believe the lies of the devil, the lies touched on in this video, that if we want pleasure, if we want to be happy we have to leave Christ. We don't! Pleasure belongs to Jesus, it is His ground. All the devils in the world have failed to produced even a drop, even a moment, of original pleasure. The devil sell us less and less pleasure for more and more of our soul. Instead of drinking from a sieve let's run towards, and bathe in the ocean.

Being Jacob

...it seems to me that Ambrose has beautifully stated an example of this righteousness in the blessing of Jacob: noting that, as he did not deserve the blessing of the first-born, concealed in his brothers clothing and wearing his brothers coat, which gave an agreeable odour (Gen 27:27) he ingratiated himself with his father so that to his own benefit he received the blessing while impersonating another. And we, in like manner, hide under the precious purity of our first-born brother Christ, so that we might be attested righteous in God's sight. Here are the words of Ambrose, 'that Isaac smelled the odour of the garments perhaps means that we are justified by faith and not by works, since the weakness of the flesh is a weakness to works, but the brightness of faith, which merits the pardon of sin overshadows the error of the deeds.

Calvin, Institutes, 3.11.23

How safe was Jacob's blessing? It was as safe as Isaac's love for Esau. How safe is our blessing, our righteousness? It's as safe as the Father's love for His Son. That's what our salvation depends upon, God's love for His firstborn. And we're clothed in His righteousness, our faith is a pleasing odour to God.

What a freeing truth! No wonder Bunyan said his chains fell off when he grasped it, no wonder Machen's knew there was no hope without it.

Mark 16: Resurrection Repentance

In verse 7 the angels give the women the specifics of the message. Read that with me. First of all we have to notice that they were to meet in Galilee not Jerusalem, because Jesus Kingdom is spiritual, not political. Why ‘and Peter,’ why is that detail important? Why does Jesus single Peter out above all the rest in this message? When was the last time Jesus and Peter saw each other? In the High Priest’s courtyard, as Peter was denying Him. When the trial was over, Peter had gone outside to weep. He was broken hearted over his betrayal, over the arrest of his teacher and best friend, he wept because everything he had trusted in for the last three years seemed to be in tatters. And he felt like it was his fault. Compare this with Judas. When Judas realized what he had done when he betrayed Jesus he went out and killed himself. There was no repentance.

So why ‘and Peter?’ Because Jesus wants to make sure that Peter knows he is still loved, he’s still part of the Kingdom. The Kingdom belongs to the repentant, the Kingdom belongs to those who know they mess up and whose only hope is in the mercy of Christ. Jesus wants Peter to know that He died for him, He died for those sins, He died to win Peter back. The Kingdom of God doesn’t belong to those who think they are perfect, but to those who know they are sinners. The resurrection changed Peter, it gave him another chance. Peter stands out at the end of Mark’s Gospel, just like he has all the way through. Peter never looks good in Mark, but Jesus always does, and at the end, Peter stands out to help us see what an amazing savior Jesus is.

Peter was given a second chance because of the  resurrection. Just like the women show us that the Kingdom belongs to the humble and obedient, Peter shows us that the Kingdom belongs to the repentant.
So does the Kingdom belong to you? That’s the way Mark finishes his Gospel. It’s funny that the story just stops isn’t it? Almost like Mark turns and faces us, forcing us to make or minds up. Remember Jesus message at the start of this Gospel was ‘repent and believe in the Gospel.’ Mark wants to know, have we done that, have we repented? Do we believe? Are we being changed by the resurrection?
That’s why the story ends here, because Mark wants us to think about the empty tomb. He wants us to realize that our sins have been paid in full by Jesus death on the cross, and that we can have new life, today, because Jesus walked out of the tomb. This new life is supposed to be marked by faithful obedience, like the women, and by repentance like Peter. And because Jesus is alive, anything is possible. Because Jesus is alive, we can have the power to repent, to turn away from any sin, no matter how much power we feel like it has over us. Because Jesus is alive, we can have the power to obey, even when we feel like it’s impossible. Because Jesus is alive, we are free to give up our tiny dreams and follow God’s will four our lives, knowing that whatever it is, it will be richer, deeper and better.

Mark leaves us with a stunning truth that changes the world, and changes our lives. Jesus is alive, anything is possible.

On Bible Reading

Halfway through 2013, i guess that those of us who like to read the Bible according to a set-out plan currently fall into three categories. Maybe four.

Up to date (or near as makes no difference) It's June 19th, and you've just read the set passages for that day, or maybe you're just a couple of days behind. Within striking distance at least. Your boxes are all ticked.

Behind but chasing You may only be halfway through May, but you know you're going to catch up. You've got a week's vacation coming up, or you've decided to double up until you catch up. Maybe you're going to blitz December, but either way, you're still going.

Given up You grabbed your reading plan with great excitement around Christmas, this was going to be the year. And then, reality hit. Or Leviticus hit. Either one. And now you've stopped and you're not quite sure how to start again. You want to read the Bible, but you feel bad for just jumping in halfway though now.

So there were only three, but my point is this. If your Bible reading plan makes you feel proud or guilty, throw it away. If you've started to live for the moment in the morning when you tick the box on your plan, if you're glazing or rushing through the sweetest of treasure given to man, throw your plan away. Burn it. Have a ceremony. Just get rid of it. And go read Galatians.

And if your Bible reading plan makes you feel guilty, if you feel like a third rate Christian because it seems like the rest of the church is rejoicing in the fall of Sennacherib,  and you're still marching around Jericho, throw it away. With great joy and faith, throw it in the trash. And go read Galatians.

Bible reading plans are great because they stop you just reading your favourite book six times a year, they give us all of the Bible, in manageable chunks, but, because you and I are deeply sinful people, they're also so dangerous. We shouldn't read the Bible, in fact we mustn't read the Bible to water the seeds of pride on our hearts. We read to meet Jesus, to have our hearts enlarged, to fall further for our Beloved. We read to be humbled, to be excited.

And if your (lack of) Bible reading makes you feel guilty, can i encourage you to just pick up the book and read? Start with your favourite book, aim at 10 minutes a day, then 15, then 20, you'll soon find that you can't do without it. Ask for help, and keep going.

However you read, do it to beholds the glory of God in the face of Christ, and nothing else.

Mark 16: From Mourners to Messengers

Mark's Gospel is a story of eucutastrophe, and tonight, in the last 8 verses of Mark’s Gospel, we see the biggest eucutastrophe of them all, we see the most important moment in human history, and the most important moment of your life and my life, that happened two thousand years before we were born. Tonight we see with two women, the empty tomb.

One man is notably absent from Mark’s account. Jesus! We hear Jesus message from the angels, but we don’t actually hear of see Jesus. Why not? Because Mark’s point is that He is not there. Mark’s point is that the tomb is empty. Jesus has risen! The women came expecting to find a dead body, what they found changed them, and changed the world forever. Tonight’s question, and the question that Mark leaves us with is, ‘how does the resurrection change you?’ What’s different about you because of the resurrection.

Let’s read the first seven verses together, and see who these women were, and why it’s important. Three times in nine verses, in 15:40, 15:47 and 16:1 Mark is careful to identify who these women are. Why? Well these women were eyewitnesses of Jesus death and burial. They stood by the cross watching Him die and they followed Joseph of Arimathea to the tomb. And they’re back as soon as they can be on Sunday morning after the Sabbath. They are the only faithful ones left, they are the remnant of Jesus’ ministry. Right now, they are the Kingdom of God.

These women didn't come because they expected Jesus to have risen. Look at verse 1, they bought spices so that they might anoint Him. That was what you did to a dead body before burial, but they didn't have time on Friday, so as soon as they could they came to wash and cover Jesus’ body with spices. It’s amazing isn't it, how none of Jesus followers came to the tomb expecting to see Jesus rise. Mark tells us that Jesus taught about His resurrection three times, which, given how selective Mark is in what he tells us, probably means that Jesus told them about it again and again. But none of them came. I hope that encourages you, when you struggle to trust or understand Jesus, so did His disciples!

Look at verse 4, Mark tells us the stone has been rolled away. Matthew tells us in his Gospel that there had been an earthquake on Saturday that moved the stone. They look inside, and all the see is a young man, an angel. No Jesus. No wonder they were alarmed! The angel tells them what is going on, he tells them three words that will change the world. He has risen! That changes everything. The resurrection changes everything! These women are amazed, scared, and trembling. They literally can not believe what their eyes and ears are telling them. The angel tells them to pass on their message, and to gather the disciples in Galilee. Right now the fate of the whole world hangs on their shoulders.

Mark tells us they said nothing to anyone, but that can’t have lasted long. We know  from Luke that  eventually this news came bursting out of their mouths to Peter and John, and that they ran to the tomb. These women humbly and obediently spread the message about Jesus resurrection, and you and I have to do the same. These women were changed by the resurrection from mourners into messengers, and the resurrection must change us in the same way. Before we were saved, we had nothing to live for, now we have the greatest message in the world to share.

These woman were amazed by the resurrection and changed by the resurrection. Is the same true for us? Are we humble, obedient messengers? Calvin said that if our hearts are turned to the power of the resurrection, then, in our hearts, the cross of Christ will triumph over every evil. The resurrection changed these women externally. Their world had ended that first Good Friday, but now they have hope again. And as we think about Christ's victory over the grave, as we look at the empty tomb, we won't be able to stop this truth changing us as well. We'll be encouraged, because we'll know that the Father has accepted Christ's sacrifice. We'll be encouraged because we'll know that one day we'll never be tempted again, raised from our earthly bodies into His glorious body, and we'll be changed, because the very power to change us was unleashed by the resurrection. 

Keller and Tolkien on Happy Endings

I came across this while studying Mark 16 for Teen Church tonight.

Perhaps (our lack of appreciation for stories with happy endings) is the reason that Steven Spielberg was refused any Oscars until he stopped making movies with only happy endings, yet his fairy tale movies are his most popular by far. Critics observe this and scowl that, of course, 'escapist' stories will always be popular. 

But no less authority than Professor JRR Tolkien explains the adiding popularity of the stories that the critics disdain. He insist that people sense that happy endings are not escapist but somehow true to reality. In his famous essay 'on fairy stories' Tolkien expounds his view that the mark of the most satisfying stories is eucatastrophe. Katastrophe is the Greek word for a dramatic, world changing event, but what does Tolkien mean by eucatastrophe?

'The joy of a happy ending is not essentially escapist of fugitive...it does not deny the existence of a dycatastrophe of sorrow and failure: the possibility of these is necessary to the joy of deliverance (eucatastrophe); it denies, in the face of mkuch evidence, if you will, universal final defeat, and in so far is evangelium, giving a fleeting glimpse of Joy, Joy beyond the walls of this world, poingnant as grief...when the sudden turn comes we get a piercing glimpse of joy and hearts desire, that for a moment passes outside the frame, rends indeed the very web of the story, and lets a gleam come through.'

Tolkien argues that people sense such stories point to some underlying Reality. As we read of watch them, we are being told that the world certainly is filled with sorrow, pain and tragedy, but nonetheless, there is meaning to things, there is a difference between good and evil., and above all there will be a final defeat of evil and even an escape from death, which Tolkien says is the quintessential happy ending. 

The Reason For God, Tim Keller, Pp226-227.

Update: I'd written about this before, as has my friend Cat Caird.

On Biography

Hebrews 11 is the divine mandate for Christians to reading biography. We should look to the heroes of the past and learn from them, and to do this, we are blessed with an abundance of good books we can read to learn from people who have lived an died, and now, because of their faith, live again.

Reading biography does have this impact on me, as i saw again reading a biography of John Macarthur by Iain Murray, and of CS Lewis by Alister McGrath. Two very different men, who lived very different lives in very different contexts, but loving and serving the same God.

These two men inspired me in different ways, Macarthur by illustrating that God will take care of the width of a ministry as long as you take care of the depth. Macarthur never would have guessed when he started as Pastor of Grace Church that decades later he'd have travelled the globe, preached through the new Testament, founded a college among much else. But his one desire, his one resolution was to preach the Gospel, and that's it. And that's what he did. In an area, and through a time when the Gospel waxed and waned in it's fashion, his devotion to it never waned. He stood in front of his people week after week and preached the Gospel. God took care, and takes care of the rest. The pressure to use quick growth gimmicks is something that will never go away, but Macarthur is a great example of how God's work does God's work.

If Macarthur's story is fairly straight forward, Lewis's is anything but. What are we to make of this enigma? The great strength of this book is that the author never knew the subject. CS Lewis is 'Lewis' all the way through, never 'Jack.' McGrath is also great at interacting with primary sources, leading him to re-date Lewis's conversion from theism to Christianity from early 1929 to mid 1930. Despite the unorthodox choices that Lewis made there is no doubt there he was a Christian. But Lewis's relationship with Mrs Moore, his clandestine marriage to Joy Davidman, and his sympathies with Catholicism do raise some flags. Lewis is not someone we should read for doctrinal clarity. His strength is in anything but, his strength is in his use of imagination and emotion to provide depth and clarity to truth. For that reason we should read Lewis, and his use of the mind in this area inspires me as much as Macarthur does in his preaching.

The great thing about biography is that it makes us think and it helps us to think. We can't be the major player when we're reading about other people. We are forced to see the world through another set of eyes, and this is necessary to our health as a Christian. It helps us to think about the world, to see the world differently and see our faith, to see our saviour from a different perspective.

We are not our own

We are not our own, let not our will or reason, therefore, sway our plans and deeds. 

We are not our own: let us therefore not see it as our goal to seek what is expedient for us according to our flesh.

We are not our own: in so far as we can, let us therefore forget ourselves and all that it ours.

Conversely, we are God's. Let us therefore live for Him and die for Him. 

We are God's let His wisdom and rule therefore rule all our decisions.

We are God's. Let all the parts of our lives strive towards Him as our lawful goal.

Oh how much has that man profited who, having been taught that he is not his own has taken away reason and rule from his dominion and given it to God! For, as consulting our self-interest is the pestilence that leads to our destruction, so the sole haven of salvation is to be wise in nothing through ourselves but to follow the leading of the Lord alone. 

Calvin's Institutes, 3.7.2

And what a gift of God that we have this leading. When the Bible is open, God speaks. God speaks in, from and through the Bible and shows us the way to go, the way of wisdom, the way that results from the fear of Him, that is the beginning of wisdom.

Sure, the Bible doesn't give us answers for every single question of life, it doesn't tell us who to marry, or what job to work, but, as the drops fill the bucket, we grow in wisdom, and we learn to walk in it's paths, in His paths.