BK Edition Christmas Letter 2012

   

Family and Friends,

2011 has truly been a whirlwind for Katy and me.  We’ve hopped from Tennessee to Texas, with some interesting stops along the way, and are so thrilled to now have a new city and church to call home. 

While we were still in Memphis deciding whether or not to come back to the Dallas area our prayer was that God would lead us and go ahead of us like He did with the Israelites throughout the OT.  It is amazing to see God move in situations like that and we are so grateful His cloud and fire rested over Allen, TX (I think our parents are a little excited to have us back closer as well).

My classes so far have been great!  It has been my dream for several years to attend Dallas Theological Seminary and follow in the footsteps of great men such as Howard Hendricks, Chuck Swindoll, David Jeremiah, Tony Evans, and Tommy Nelson.  These alumni and many others like them have had a huge impact on countless lives throughout their respective ministries.  Hopefully I will be able, to a certain extent, keep to the trail they’ve already blazed.  My prayer is that I do them, DTS, and my family and friends proud by taking all the knowledge and experiences I gain over these next several years and eternally impact lives for the kingdom. 

I also just recently took the position of Student Ministry Director at Allen Bible Church.  This has been great in several ways, one of which being I’ve gotten to work and minister alongside Katy.  She really is so great with the girls and it’s so fun to see her in her element with them.  But that’s not the only element she’s been in lately, as the business cards she flashes will inform you that she has recently become a Recruiter and Business Developer for Alliance International.  This company helps men and women transitioning out of the military find jobs in corporate America.  So far Katy has wowed her associates with a keen business savvy and killer charm.  You never know, by this time next year she might even be running the company (snuck this stuff in without her noticing haha)…did I marry well or what!

Katy wears many hats to say the least but she also aspires to one day become the mother of several little Kimmey babes!  Lately I’ve been (like RGIII) giving her the Heisman stiff arm though because we aren’t quite ready yet I don’t think ha.  Right now we are striving to soak in this season of life we are in and trying to juggle everything with focus and balance. 

We are so excited to be back in Texas and able to hopefully see more of you in 2012 as a result.  Have a blessed Christmas and holiday season, we wish you and yours all the best!

With Love,

Brooks and Katy

Knocking on Heaven's Door

This past semester I've enjoyed meeting several prominent Christian leaders. A few months back I wrote about my encounter with Chuck Swindoll, and since then I've also come in contact with David Jeremiah and Mark Dever. Lucky for me all of these men have had speaking engagements in the Dallas area in the last few months. Even if it's just shaking a hand and talking idly for a minute or so, something about being in the presence of men God is working through and using mightily serves as an encouragement.

At another recent event I similarly met and heard a young pastor by the name of JR Vassar. He is a DTS grad, and serves as the founding and lead pastor of Apostles Church in NYC. He spoke at a conference put on by RightNow Ministries, and the session I heard him do was on the topic of "Creating a Culture of Prayer". He started out by mentioning that we often affirm the necessity of prayer, but our lives are not saturated in it as they should be. His message's main objective was giving insights into how we can take prayer from the realm of Articulated Value into Activated Value.

A few things stood out to me about what he said from there on out. First, how many of you have thought of prayer as a privilege secured for us by Jesus, and that one of the main reasons He died for you was so that you might be able to pray to God? As it says in Hebrews 4:16, we can approach the throne of grace with confidence because of Jesus...Christ has won the ear of God for us!

So why don't we pray, Vassar then asked? He first cites the reason of our failure to reflect on who God is and who we are. He states that that which was Jesus' by nature becomes ours by adoption, that is "sonship". God is our wise, compassionate, merciful, loving, perfectly powerful, and limitless in power Heavenly Father. And we are His children! In order for us to view prayer in the proper light, we first must think truer thoughts about God and of ourselves. Only then will we commit more time to prayer.

Another reason he gives is that we simply don't hunger and thirst after God. And if we do ever pray, we see the reward as simply being an evident answer to our request. So if we don't see the results we desire, we chalk it up as a loss and we become discouraged and frustrated. This is the whole "vending machine" approach to prayer as he credits Paul Miller to coining in "A Praying Life". Instead of only moving quickly toward the vending machine to get what we desire and then going about our regular daily routine, we should instead employ a "family-meal" mentality and make time with God the reward. Just like when we gather in a few days with family and friends for Thanksgiving, we count the reward being simply getting to catch up and enjoy community and fellowship with loved ones. That's the whole purpose. The treasure is in the time we spend together! We should then in prayer aim our attention more on God and delighting in His presence. This should be our focus, rather than the quick-fixes and answers we want that trump intimacy with our Heavenly Father.

This next point was huge for me, and has the potential to radically change your prayer life. Vassar warns that we mustn't confuse our judicial favor with God with His relational favor. Those of us who have been saved by God's grace are accepted and favored by God solely on the basis of what Christ has done for us. The gospel is essentially that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us, and He bridged the gap between a holy God and a sin marred humanity. Christ being fully God and fully man lived the perfect life that we as fallen humans could never live, and in so doing was also the only suitable and acceptable means to which God could apply His holy and perfect wrath. On the cross God poured out His wrath and punished Christ for the sins of the entire world. All who put their faith and trust in Christ's perfect life, His substitutionary death and punishment in our place, and His subsequent burial and resurrection can be set free from sin and be born again to a living hope. We as sinners can be viewed by God as if we had the perfect righteousness of Christ, because God viewed and treated Christ as a sinner at the cross. We are accepted unconditionally now by God in a judicial sense. His judicial pronouncement of us as righteous is binding and unconditional. Nothing can be done by those of us who are in Christ to compromise this pronouncement and all that it entails.

But relationally it is another story. We as Christians, eternally secure and saved, can still in this lifetime grieve God by neglecting to seek Him. We can grieve God by letting certain sins remain a part of our lives and letting them go unconfessed and unaddressed. There is a relational capacity we have with our Heavenly Father. Certain things He wants to do in our lives and give to us are conditional, and our receiving them is based on whether or not we persistently seek after and ask Him. We mustn't presume upon God and use our judicial stance with Him as an excuse for our laziness to seek Him and persevere in prayer and service to Him.

Vassar then asked us this question, "Are your knuckles bleeding from knocking on Heaven's door in prayer...is there anything that for the last say 6 months you have been just wrestling with God about, passionately pursuing both His presence and His provision in a matter you know is in line with His will?"

Man when he said that I was very convicted, because I realized that there really wasn't. But God only does business with those who mean business, and sometimes He withholds answers for a time to see just how much business we really mean.

So then, what should we pray for? If we shouldn't view God as a vending machine and instead should consider time spent with Him as the reward - BUT He also desires that we persist in asking Him for things...then what should we be asking Him for?

Start by praying the PASSIONS OF GOD! That the renown of the Trinity would be known in all the earth, and that the Kingdom of God would gain greater and greater traction. Pray that God might bring expressions of that future kingdom to earth now. For as Dallas Willard says "You hear God's voice clearest when your passions are in line with His." Pray also for the power of the Holy Spirit, because if we are going to carry the message of God it cannot be done apart from His power at work in and through us.

Vassar closed with this "May we be freed from the fear of man by replacing it with a healthy fear of God, so caught up in sonship that we might be unleashed into the world to radically transform it with the power of the gospel."

Charles Spurgeon, regarded by many to be the greatest preacher other that Jesus to walk the face of the earth, was once quoted as saying he'd "rather teach 1 man to pray than 10 to preach." Indeed there's power in prayer, and this oft untapped resource attained through long lingering and communing with the Father is available to all His sons and daughters.  Let's start knocking on His door!

"Our Quest for the Life which is Spiritual"

This is the Course Integration Paper I wrote for my Spiritual Life class.  It basically sums up the majority of the things we covered this semester, which served as a foundation for "our quest for the life which is spiritual", as my professor would say.


Perhaps the following phrase “of Biblical proportions” sounds familiar.  This popular saying used commonly to describe the immensity and magnitude of a given scenario or situation could easily be used as a tag line to depict our quest.  Though unlikely, its meaning could also very well have originated from this quest that God put mankind on from the beginning.  Indeed, God set the bar extremely high for all of mankind.  Through the creation process, God (who is Spirit) brought order to what was previously formless, void, empty, and chaotic.  And despite everything that was created by God, including the sun, moon, stars, mountains, oceans, etc., nothing except humans are said to be created in His image.  Only humans then can represent, reflect, and spread His likeness throughout the entire world.  We are to be fruitful and multiply by having children, and also work, rule and have dominion over all God’s creation, so that the entire world may be an enormous sanctuary filled with true worshippers.

The task sounds appeasing and light enough until we come to grips with God’s holiness.  For though God is Spirit, and we in His image likewise are spiritual beings, there still exists between our nature and His an unbridgeable gap.  Even before Adam and Eve sinned, this gap existed.  That God is holy means that He is distinct and set apart; unique, special and different in an awesome, out of this world kind of way.  Before He turned the pre-creation chaos into beauty and order, He alone existed.  If we are to follow in the footsteps of this Holy God who spoke the heavens and earth into being from nothing, and are called to represent Him and create and cultivate in a way that suitably reflects Him, we certainly have both an honorable and formidable assignment.

Fast forward to the Fall at Genesis 3.  When Sin enters, our mission becomes now all the more difficult and frustrating.  The enemy tempted Adam and Eve with the forbidden fruit, saying that if they ate of it they would be like God.  But they already were like God; they were made in His image!  Their disobedience in effect communicated that they’d rather replace Him than replicate Him.  Consequently, this rebellious act served as the inauguration of Sin’s rule over all of humanity.  All since then have been under Sin’s curse, and the quest for the life which is truly spiritual becomes tarnished at every level.  However, amidst God’s indictment of Adam and Eve and the serpent we hear a brief hint of hope in Gen 3:15.  This foreshadows Christ, the one who will bruise the serpent and in turn become bruised Himself.

A few Chapters later in Genesis 6 we read that every formation of man’s heart is evil, and God is grieved, pained, and offended.  Adam’s descendants were born into Sin’s wicked and oppressive dictatorship and they also willfully obeyed and followed suit by their sinful actions.  So God decides to start over, takes Noah and gives him the same opportunity as He gave Adam.  But Noah too fails, as does humanity as a whole throughout the redemptive episode of Genesis 1-11. 

Continuing on in Episode #2, God in Genesis 12 takes Abraham, and from his descendants (specifically Jacob) will come the nation of Israel.  He establishes this nation through the patriarchs and during the last part of Genesis guides them away from famine into Egypt where they can be safe under Joseph’s care and leadership.  Then after there for several hundred years, a King rises up in Egypt who remembered not Joseph or his deeds.  So God delivered them, parted and led them through the Red Sea, fed them and cared for them in the desert, gave them the 10 Commandments, and a track to the Promised Land.  He also later provided them a Temple in Jerusalem where His glory could descend, and gave them Kings such as David.  Yet after all these allowances Israel drops the ball and fails. 

Psalm 78:37-39 provides a fitting snapshot of the nation following the Exodus, and it also serves as a representation of Israel’s falseness and God’s faithfulness throughout the rest of the OT: “Their heart was not steadfast toward him; they were not faithful to his covenant. Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often and did not stir up all his wrath.  He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes and comes not again.” Countless OT passages portray them as a selfish, stiff-necked, idolatrous nation.  The route again that God desires for His people to take in displaying His Kingdom comes to the disappointing conclusion of “apparent failure”. 

For the next stage in redemptive history, God decides to send His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into the world.  Christ models perfectly what it looks like to live a life which is truly spiritual and does what all before Him had failed to do.  He being the last Adam does not balk at the opportunity given Him by the Father like the first Adam did, but instead embraces His role.  But as John’s gospel records, the light came into the world, and the darkness did not comprehend it.  God’s chosen nation Israel should have accepted Him as their King and Messiah but they crucified Him.  After His death there was darkness; chaos ruled over the earth as it did prior to creation.  The expected and just response of God would’ve been to give up. 

Instead God gives life to the body of Christ and raises Him from the dead.  He then at Pentecost births the Church, and we learn from history and the Bible that we too during this current redemptive episode will fail at spreading His image throughout all the earth.  So in the next and last episode of redemptive history, God creates a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness dwells.  He establishes justice and rule and everything will be made new.  Nothing more will be accursed, no more darkness, and Jesus will make all of God’s commands and desires for humanity become certain success in reality.  Sounds amazing even just thinking about it, what a day that will be!  But until that day comes and the fulfillment is realized, we must obediently wait in eager expectation.  Our apparent failure as a whole doesn’t excuse our individual responsibility to engage in this quest God has called all Christians to. 

I’d venture to say most Christians genuinely feel the pull like countless others before us have to press on and seek after the things of God.  We desire to be distinct and not to chase after the things of this world.  Yet we are so easily drawn away from God toward idols and mirages.  These deceitful, false, and empty images fuel our selfish longings to replace God’s best for our lives with a counterfeit.  Why is this so?  Why do Christians along with God’s people from other episodes of history struggle so unsuccessfully to obey God and live lives that are truly spiritual?

One reason is that we have an enemy who relentlessly prowls about seeking to destroy the image of God on the earth.  Satan has been deceitfully destructive from the beginning.  His work in tempting Adam and Eve to sin proves this point.  Furthermore, for him to make sin appealing to us now, he uses the same tactics he did with them.  If sin seeks to do its worst, it must look its best.  It must look attractive and good in order to be destructive and deceptive.  Among other things, sin is a parasite that lives off of a host until it overcomes.  It acts in a perverting way to turn something God intended for good into something to be used for evil.  Sin twists and turns the truth to gain allegiance and loyalty.  This is how Satan and sin operate, and it is an extreme barrier to living the spiritual life.

However, through the gospel of Jesus Christ, we who have been saved through putting our faith in Him have been set free from the power of sin.  Prior to conversion a person has no choice but to submit to the rule of Sin.  Because Adam’s sin in the garden, Sin became ruler and we all are born into that kingdom.  Christ abolished this rule through His perfect life and subsequent death, burial, and resurrection.  For all believers in Him, we are not under the old mastery of King Sin, but the new order and rule of King Grace.  Through Adam’s disobedience Sin’s rule was inaugurated, but through Christ’s obedience Grace abolished the former rule in all the lives of those who put their faith in Christ.

This seems great for ivory tower theological discussions, but does it have any relevance for our pursuit of authentic spirituality?  If we’ve been set free from the dominion of Sin and it no longer rightfully has authority over us to make us obey its commands, then why do we still struggle and commit sins?  The answer is that although we’re now under a new ruler in King Grace, the same selfish desires and tendencies that were alive in us under Adam/Sin still remain with us.  Our new man united with Christ and under the rule of Grace still has the fallen flesh that is wrapped up in all of fallen humanity.  This does not disappear or go away upon conversion.  This is where we get to the heart of what it means to live a life that is spiritual.

Once saved, each believer receives the gift of the Holy Spirit.  This active agent animates a God-oriented life within us.  He reorients our affections and attentions toward loving God and loving others.  If we desire to live a life that is truly spiritual, we must trust and rely on the Spirit of God to produce in us what only He can.  Our job is to pursue intimacy with Him so that He might work through us to manifest the things in our lives which are in line with God’s will.  Everyone was saved by God unto acts of service and good deeds, and these things can only happen through the Spirit causing them to happen.  By practices such as confessing every known sin in our lives, yielding and surrendering our plans to His, and pouring out our hearts to Him in prayer, we can live Spirit-filled and led lives.  We already have as much of the Spirit as we ever will have upon conversion, so the key to living a life that is spiritual is letting the Spirit of God get more and more of us.  We can also grieve the Spirit of God by sinning or not completely yielding to Him.  When we act in these disobedient ways, the Spirit’s ministry shifts from working through us to working on us.

Since the work of the Spirit in our lives is vital and crucial to our becoming effective in our quest for spiritual living, anything we can do to strengthen our intimate dependence on the Spirit is welcome and beneficial.  This is where Spiritual Disciplines tremendously aid the believer.  Like any worthwhile pursuit in life, one doesn’t become adept and skillful overnight.  It takes consistency and dedication in almost any arena, and spiritual living is no different.  Dallas Willard uses the analogy of a young baseball fan imitating a big league player seen on TV.  If that little fan wants to really be like the star player, he’d do well to imitate his training regimen and not just his “in game, on the spot” style and technique.  So it is with us and our model Jesus Christ.  If we want to live a life that is truly spiritual like He did, we should definitely do more than seek to imitate His “in game, on the spot” actions.  Why not imitate what He did to prepare Himself for the big moments?  Things like prayer, fasting, meditation, service, etc.  These disciplines can serve to strengthen the Spirit as it carries out its primary role of doing battle against the flesh and its selfish desires which are in opposition to God and the spiritual life. 

When engaging in these practices though, we must be careful that we do not somehow falsely gauge our success in living a spiritual life by our own performance in certain disciplines.  Once we start thinking in that way we start drifting toward potential legalistic behavior.  Legalism is rooted in the idea that God’s holiness can somehow be attained and His favor can be to an extent merited by how well you conform to a strict pattern of rules or disciplines.  Legalism is toxic and destructive because it presents a diminished picture of God’s holiness and the person’s sinfulness.  This must be understood so it can be guarded against.  When we talk about living a life that is spiritual, and imaging God and reflecting Him, we do not mean these things to be attempted from one’s own spiritual stamina or strength.  Living a life that is spiritual and holy can only be accomplished through an agent that is both perfectly spiritual and holy, the Holy Spirit.  Our only chance is to live in dependence on Him to produce in us what only He can produce. 

He will not produce spiritual fruit in people who simply jump through religious hoops in hopes of somehow earning points or extra merit before God in order that God might owe them something.  God doesn’t owe us anything!  It’s not that setting rules or goals for yourself is bad in and of itself, but the flesh sees those rules and goals as an opportunity to fuel selfish ambition and pride.  So guard against that and check your motives to insure you are solely seeking a closer walk with God, rather than an opportunity to pat yourself on the back.  God is not impressed with people who keep rules for the sake of keeping rules, as if that somehow makes them better and more worthy of God’s attention and blessing.  We should obey God and serve Him because we are already infinitely blessed being united with Christ, and we should desire no matter what the cost to experience His presence and power.  To obey and serve with the motive of gaining superiority over others and an upper hand on God in hopes of disqualification from suffering is legalistic and impure obedience and service.

The quest for a life that is spiritual includes dying moment by moment to the flesh and to selfish ambition, so that the Spirit can most effectively work through you to selflessly serve and love others the way Christ did.  To embark on this journey of spiritual living means to commit to a life yielded to the Spirit, so He can empower you to put others before yourself, and Christ above all, to the glory of the Father.

The Prowess of King Grace

"Brooooks...you know what we forgot...?" 

Katy posed this question to me in the car last Saturday when we were driving through Hearne, TX on the way to watch our respective Alma maters compete in the gridiron version of the Battle of the Brazos at Kyle Field.  Instantly I recognized that we had traveled all this way from Allen, TX without our game tickets! 

This might appear innocent enough, and to some of you this dilemma evokes personal memories of similar blunders.  Everyone has surely experienced something like this, right?  But for myself and Katy, this was the SECOND time in two weeks we'd done it.  I guess we both expected the other to get them both times, or it just flat out slipped each of our minds all-together.  At least when we did it before the A&M v. Arkansas game we were closer to Allen and were able to swing back home to get them.  Our realization in Hearne, TX though definitely fell under the category of "too late..nothing we can do about it now."

What made it worse was that both sets of tickets were gifts from my parents.  Some son and daughter-in-law we are huh!  I told Katy to just go ahead and call my Dad and explain the situation...but she couldn't muster up the courage necessary I guess haha...so she declined and proceeded to go into panic/scramble mode and attempted to recall all the people she knew coming to the game in hopes that they might be able to perform a miracle of some sort to get us in.  Amidst the drama we eventually discovered that at the will call ticket office they frequently encounter forgetful and careless fans like us and that it was no problem at all for them to reprint the tickets.  WHEW!!! Dodged a bullet there for sure, thank goodness!  Some form of "Katy and Brooks-Aggie Jokes" undoubtedly and unavoidably will emerge from family and friends.  Maybe one day we'll learn and change, but it's doubtful ha!

Moving on, every time I return to College Station, and particularly when attending a sporting event, I'm reminded of how I used to be such a big Aggie.  I bled maroon as much as anybody.  If you look at my room in Temple where I grew up you'd still to this day find it with A&M wallpaper, an A&M bedspread, pillows, trashcan, balls, stuffed doll A&M corps guy, and (if it hadn't busted some several years back) an A&M beanbag.  In my closet if it hadn't been recently cleaned out you would have discovered countless A&M T-shirts, jackets, old baseball camp certificates, and pictures of A&M athletic greats and old inspirational 12th Man magazine articles. I could go on for a really long time, but just a few more items you'd discover in my room would be an R.C. Slocum autographed picture and hat, an old toddler play A&M football Jersey, pants, and helmet, a baseball Jersey signed by an early 2000's A&M team, and last but not least...a picture of me in a yell leader outfit when I was maybe 3 or 4 years old. 

I used to wear A&M jackets all the time when I was in HS, even more so than my Belton High letter jacket.  I had an A&M baseball cap that I wore ALL the time, so much so in fact that today it probably wouldn't even fit a pre-school aged Aggie fan due to having shrunk so much from my constant and frequent sweating while wearing it. 

So you get the picture...I was a Texas A&M Aggie, and all that that encompasses, through and through.  I was born into it, was surrounded by it, but also willingly followed and embraced the practices which were in line with it.  It was part of who I was...a big part!

Now since I was such a big Aggie, it should come as no surprise that I desired to play baseball for them in college.  But of course that's not how it turned out.  And to make a long story short, I ended up getting an opportunity to play at Baylor University instead.

Hmmm...given my background...that sounds "interesting" doesn't it...to say the least!  Some reprogramming was definitely in order.

All of these things again were called to mind when I went to the A&M v. Baylor football game a week ago.  So why do I bring them up?  Because what took place in my life by shifting my allegiance, loyalty, and identification from Maroon and White to Green and Gold must occur on a much larger scale for all who have accepted Christ.  If you want to play on His team, if you want to serve Him and walk in the the good things for which He saved you, then you have to acknowledge that you are not under the old regime of Sin, but the new rule of Grace.

A great passage that is foundational for this truth is Romans 6:1-14.  In my Spiritual Life class at DTS we've been going through it, and it definitely parallels my situation in shifting from Aggie to Bear.  It doesn't fit exactly, and off course I'm not meaning that the A&M culture is synonymous with the ruling power of sin and the kingdom of darkness, nor that Baylor is on par with grace's new rule and the kingdom of light.  Just hang with me and hopefully it will begin to come together and make sense. 

The following definitions from and paraphrase/explanation of Romans 6:1-14 was one of my assignments for my Spiritual Life class.  I've adapted it slightly to fit in with this post.  Read through this passage if you'd like, then look at what I wrote below.

For this assignment I read for preparation Thomas Schreiner’s Romans Commentary. 

Definitions

Sin in Romans 6 represents a tyrannical governing authority which exercises its rule and power over every unregenerate creature; a mark of the old era of history due to Adam’s sin.  Sins should not fill a completely different category apart from sin, for it is solely because of sin’s ruling power over men prior to their conversion that causes them as slaves to naturally obey and commit various sins.  The word continue when used here in relation to sin carries with it the implication of remaining under the authority sin wields as master, practically acting out of allegiance to its reign, obeying and submitting to its orders and regulations. 

When in this passage Paul brings up the concept of death, his main objective involves a statement of fact that upon conversion all who were in Adam, and hence under sin’s tyranny, are by all intents and purposes now dead to sin’s power; it’s a literal reality that sin’s hold on them has been cancelled out and nullified. Baptized when used signifies our identification and union with Christ, our belonging to and incorporation into Him, the last Adam, as opposed to the first Adam, who led us into the realm of sin's dominion. 

The term Old self refers to the pre-Christ era reality that all were helplessly yet willingly enslaved to sin’s wicked sovereignty, and it serves to represent and explain the plight and identity of humanity, both collectively as a whole and each individual within the whole.  The term body of sin means the physical nature of sin and the way the body was used for it.  When brought to nothing is used, the idea is its exile or banishment, so that no longer it may control.


Paraphrase/Explanation

Paul’s argument in this passage is that it is inconceivable that we remain under the repressive rule of King Sin so as to allow grace to increase. It doesn’t work that way he explains. For once we have accepted Christ we are no longer alive to this evil emperor and empire.  Paul is stating a fact that we have indeed been lifted up from underneath this corrupt governing authority. We may no longer act out of allegiance and loyalty to our old King.  King Grace is our master now; to him we owe our dedication and commitment. We wear his colors, follow his agenda, bow and serve him alone. Through Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, we become set free from sin’s grip and stronghold. Whereas before we were under sin’s curse, now we are under grace’s freedom. Our identity is now wrapped up in Christ, unlike before when we were tethered to sin.

King Sin’s administration characterized by oppression left none in its wake unmarred.  But because of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, each individual that puts their faith and trust in Christ’s finished work has the same power that raised Him from the dead within them.  The notions and powers that caused the body to commit sins compulsively have been banished. That which remains in the physical body should then contend to commit righteous acts that lead to life, rather than sins that lead to death.

A conquering King has plundered the old dynasty and has set up a new organization. His purpose in doing this was to completely obliterate everything from the previous dictator’s ruthless agenda, so that the people would finally experience liberty. Their desire now should certainly be to follow the new King’s instructions. To cut all ties with the past and get on board and in line with these realities and with what the new King is doing. The people should put the past behind them and focus ahead so to discover how best they might serve wholeheartedly this King that has pure motives and commands justly.

************

Just as when a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly there is no turning back, so also when we become Christians the former reality is cancelled out.  Same thing when I became a Baylor Bear.  I signed with Baylor and consequently that meant signing off on everything A&M.  I've got a new coach, a new assignment, a new group of teammates, a new uniform, a new environment.  I might as well "know" this and act accordingly, "consider" myself dead to A&M, and "present" myself in full-fledged service and devotion to Baylor.  Even today, after all the ways Baylor University and the baseball team blessed and provided for me, how bizarre and treasonous would it be for me to revert back to my old desires and ways with respect to A&M.  I can never be an Aggie again, it's impossible!  And why would I want to, I have a new home and a new family.

Same thing once you become a Christian.  Know you've been united with Christ and therefore dead to sin and its authority.  Ponder this and line your life up with this reality.  Consider (some translations use "reckon") yourself dead to sin (why would you go back and serve a tyrant like Sin when you can flourish under Grace?) and present yourself as a tool for righteousness. 

Understanding these truths is essential to Christian growth and maturity.  Not regarding my A&M stuff alone of course, but how it relates to Christianity.  I'll confess that you might occasionally catch me kissing my wife when A&M scores or swaying back and forth sawing Varsity's horns off in order to keep the peace in the stands.  But I must take far more seriously my reverting back to sinful habits in line with sin, my former master. 

Thanks be to God for saving me from sin's authority, giving me over to grace, placing me in Christ, indwelling me through the Holy Spirit, and granting me precious things such as redemption, justification, forgiveness, and eternal life.  May the work of the Godhead in our salvation be our utmost delight and, a la "The Spirit of Aggieland", may our boast be of prowess bold. Of the ruler we think so grand - Grace!

No Comparison

If you have followed the 2011 MLB playoffs, you might have noticed the Sparky 11 memorial patch the Detroit Tigers players and coaches are wearing to honor the late great Sparky Anderson.  The Hall of Fame manager passed away last Fall, and led the Tigers to a World Series title in 1984.  Before coming to Detroit, he led the Cincinnati Reds, or "The Big Red Machine" as they were known in their heyday, to two World Series Championships in '75 and '76.  Both the Tigers and Cincinnati Reds displayed their own respective tribute patches throughout the entire 2011 season.

Below is a excerpt from an article that appeared in The New York Times following Anderson's death, which captures the coach's respect and appreciation for the athletic talent and skill of one of his Reds players, Johnny Bench:

During his news conference after the Series finale in 1976, Anderson was asked to compare Yankee catcher Thurman Munson, who was voted the American League’s most valuable player that season, with Bench, the Reds catcher and eventual Hall of Famer who had been the National League’s M.V.P. in 1970 and 1972. The question lighted the bonfire of Anderson’s loyalty to his players.

“Munson is an outstanding ballplayer and he would hit .300 in the National League,” he replied sharply, “but don’t ever compare nobody to Johnny Bench; don’t never embarrass nobody by comparing them to Johnny Bench.”

Standing nearby, Munson heard Anderson’s words, and when he followed Anderson to the microphone, he said he felt “belittled.” Three weeks later, Anderson wrote Munson a letter of apology, released by the Reds, that he had “no intention of trying to belittle you or any other catcher.”

Johnny Bench was an incredible baseball player, and I even did a project on him when I was in elementary school.  Now I never saw him play, but he was one of my Dad's favorites so I looked up to him as well.  One of the things I learned about Bench was that his hands were so big that he could hold 7 baseballs in one hand.  Now take my word for it, that's freakishly impressive.  If you have that many baseballs lying around at your house then try to see how many you can hold. 

One of his fans even wrote Bench a letter asking him if this were true, that he could hold that many.  Take a look at this picture of Bench holding the baseballs and the letter.

Wow...pretty amazing!  But would you believe that in Scripture we get a description of something even more incredible that God can control or measure with His hands!

Proverbs 30:4 asks the question of "Who has gathered the wind in his fists?", with of course God being the implied and intended answer.  Now passages like this can be confusing, so I don't want to appear misleading.  For God is spirit, and doesn't have a physical body or hands like we humans have.  Texts such as this one are then meant to demonstrate and show His supreme power and sovereignty.  They are meant to humble us to the point of submission and authentic worship.  We serve a God who is so holy and high above us, totally beyond our capacity to comprehend. 

Among others, a few Scriptures in this same line include Job 38, 39, and 40, and Isaiah 40.  Look below at part of Isaiah 40:

 

Isaiah 40:12-18

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹² Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand
and marked off the heavens with a span,
enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure
and weighed the mountains in scales
and the hills in a balance?
¹³ Who has measured^[a] the Spirit of the LORD,
or what man shows him his counsel?
¹⁴Whom did he consult,
and who made him understand?
Who taught him the path of justice,
and taught him knowledge,
and showed him the way of understanding?
¹⁵Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,
and are accounted as the dust on the scales;
behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust.
¹⁶Lebanon would not suffice for fuel,
nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering.
¹⁷ All the nations are as nothing before him,
they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.
¹⁸ To whom then will you liken God,
or what likeness compare with him?

In this we again see something else significantly greater than 7 baseballs related to God's mighty hand of power. 

I taught part of this lesson to some of my HS students a few weeks back.  But instead of using the 7 baseballs analogy, I presented them with a list compiled by ESPN on what numerous sports writers and fans consider to be the most unbreakable records in all of sports.  Certain milestone achievements definitely set athletes in a distinct category above all other contemporaries.  And yet after viewing some of God's accomplishments and milestone achievements, as highlighted in the above readings from Job and Isaiah, we all agreed that these sports feats truly paled in comparison.

As Isaiah 40:18 above states, To whom then will you liken God,
or what likeness compare with him?

There's no comparison...literally!  For even Thurmon Munson and Johnny Bench were literally and figuratively in the same ballpark so to speak.  Not the case with us and God.  Even more so, as 1 Corinthians 4:7 states "What do have that you did not receive?  If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?"  We really don't have much room to brag whatsoever about anything we have or do.

But the best part of all of this is that God still loves us and desires a relationship with us!  Isn't that crazy.  While Isaiah 55:8-9 applies to God's thoughts and ways in relation to ours, Psalm 103:10-13 does in accordance with God's steadfast love toward those who fear him.  Both passages claim that these traits of God are as high as the heavens are above the earth.  Something great to lean on!


Like all Biblical truths, ones such as this should lead us to praise and worship.  The following song captures all of the above sentiments in an amazing way, and it's lyrics allude to several of the passages mentioned (AND cool fact - this singer's brother attends Allen Bible and plays with me on the softball team, kinda neat).

 

"Reel" Cool Readings...Finding Forrester

This past week I celebrated my 25th birthday.  One quarter century down, only God knows how many more to go haha.  When put like that 25 seems relatively young but also somewhat established.  Which to a certain extent might ring true.  However, I'm learning day by day that becoming established the way our world uses that word is not how God marks or measures spiritual growth and development.  The world grades maturity in relation to how far along you are in your quest toward independence, whereas through a biblical lens, the focus centers around growing in your quest toward dependence upon God. 

Chopping "in" off that first highlighted word above often seems unpleasant to the Christian participant.  Still, God has a purpose in stripping His own of any buffer they might use to hinder their conformity to the image of Jesus.  Two words that speak volumes to this concept are brokenness and repentance.  I've heard one pastor say that if repentance describes the 180 degree change in direction we make on the highway of our attitude and behavior, from our sinful ways to God, then brokenness is the off ramp.  Brokenness is the place where we get off, the place where God halts us and stops our progress in that destructive direction.  And while we definitely experience these things along the pathway leading to our conversion, these same feelings and attitudes must likewise remain to further catalyze growth and development in Christ. 

Rather than acting as a one time phenomenon, authentic believers living Spirit-filled lives will to some degree daily exhibit brokenness and repentance, as they grow in their understanding and awareness of their own sinfulness in light of God's holiness.  In other words, the clearer one perceives God's holiness, the more their own lack of said holiness becomes apparent.  The Bible on multiple fronts illustrates this concept.  But before I go to one particular passage let me introduce a movie clip I want to show from Finding Forrester. 

To quickly set the stage, this 2000 American drama film revolves around the relationship between the two main characters, Jamal Wallace and William Forrester (played by Sean Connery).  Both have a passion for prose, with Jamal fitting the mold of raw, talented, up and coming protege.  Forrester (in the movie he's literally one of the greatest writers of the 20th century) recognizes Jamal's potential and endeavors to train and fine tune Jamal's natural ability.  One of these training sessions is highlighted in the clip below, take a look:

I viewed Finding Forrester recently this past summer with Katy, after not having seen it since my high school days with my good buddy Cody Street.  He might be the only one to get the following lines "And you're black!"  or "You dog-eared them"...good times!  Now I must admit that I did wear my socks inside out in high school prior to viewing this film, and once I saw this part I felt affirmed and assured the habit was well grounded.  But only after this summer did I pick up on the connection between the type of writing Forrester was after in Jamal and the type of praying God is after in His children.  Let's take a closer look.

If you caught Forrester's correlation between believing in lucky socks and praying don't be alarmed, totally not where I'm going with this!  There are though a few parallels between his advice on writing and effective praying.  Personally, I enjoy writing and about 90% of the praying I do is written.  So if that's not the case with you, this may not hit home as much.  But I'd still encourage you to give it a shot.

Did you hear Forrester say that "the first key to writing is to write".  I think that's also so true of praying.  Just like learning to ride a bike or how to swim, it's impossible through a correspondence course or online class.  You learn as you go by actually doing it!  And while we don't need to worry about writing first or second drafts to God, the advice Forrester gives about writing from the heart first is certainly applicable.  Our hearts and minds can work in concert though, for the more we learn about God, the more we should come to love Him.  Increased knowledge then serves as the firewood we load into the fireplace of our heart's affections as John Piper puts it, so that our passionate love for God can burn and flame all the more reverently, respectfully, and fearfully.  Hence, these informed affections can be poured out to Him through praise and thanksgiving in our prayers.

Forrester models his method to young Jamal, and seems so comfortable and easy going as he's writing.  The reason of course being that he's done it for so long.  Likewise, have you ever heard someone pray and you could just tell by the weight and richness in their words that they walk close with the Lord...that him or her communes frequently and deeply with their Heavenly Father?  One pastor I know describes hearing a seminary prof he had at DTS pray by saying "listening to his prayers was like stepping into heaven".  Man wouldn't it be so sweet to have that kind of fellowship with God!

Once Jamal finds himself stuck, his pen without a course to plot, Forrester stimulates his creative juices by giving him a document that he himself wrote years prior.  He explains "Start typing that, sometimes a simple rhythm of typing gets us from page one to page two...and when you begin to feel your own words, start typing them." 

This principle especially I'd like to hone in on. Right around the time I viewed this film last summer, I began memorizing part of Psalm 25 and using it in such a way as Forrester describes. It was written by David soon before his death. This "man after God's own heart" can most definitely be counted on to teach us a thing or two about prayer. Over the past several months I've employed verses 4-15 primarily (neat coincidence that this 25th Psalm has been so huge for me leading up to my 25th birthday huh).

Psalm 25:4-15

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁴ Make me to know your ways, O LORD;
teach me your paths.
⁵Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long.
⁶Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
⁷Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O LORD!
⁸ Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
⁹He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
¹⁰All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
¹¹For your name’s sake, O LORD,
pardon my guilt, for it is great.
¹²Who is the man who fears the LORD?
Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
¹³His soul shall abide in well-being,
and his offspring shall inherit the land.
¹⁴ The friendship^[a] of the LORD is for those who fear him,
and he makes known to them his covenant.
¹⁵My eyes are ever toward the LORD,
for he will pluck my feet out of the net.

I would encourage you to do the same thing as Jamal did, but take it one intense step further.  Enmesh yourself in this passage, verse by verse, day by day.  Pray these things, soak yourself in the truths he articulates!  Like a see-saw, continually swing back and forth between dwelling upon God's steadfast love and faithfulness and your own inadequacy and sinfulness.  Lean on Him, let His goodness and mercy overshadow your own guilt.  Pray like David, who even after a lifetime of intimate fellowship with God, still above all else humbly desired that God lead, teach, instruct, and walk with him more deeply.

And when you begin to feel your own words, start praying them as well, but keep returning to these.  The maze David was molded and shaped in was a course mapped out by God leading to David's utter dependence and trust in God, rather than himself. 



Robert Robinson wrote the following hymn in his early 20's and it certainly is in line with David's heart in Psalm 25, even if this passage was not his primary motivation.  I love the following version, enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdRKM7JnB3M&feature=related

Perfect Patience

Hope everyone is having a great day!!  I'm having a tough time posting "Cool Readings" on a regular basis, so I'm going to start mixing in a few of my DTS writing assignments to keep fresh thoughts consistently coming on the blog.  Some of the stuff I write for school may not be considered by most "Cool", but I think this assignment I had for my Spiritual Life class is definitely thought provoking.  Take a look:

Choose one of the characteristics of God's personality: anger, compassion, grace, love, jealousy, justice, mercy, patience, pity. Imagine with as much detail as possible in very concrete detail how this characteristic would appear in your life if you were as perfect as God created and requires you to be. (NOTE: Avoid any discussion or mention of the holiness given to believers by God through Jesus Christ.)

Part 1 (two page maximum)

First, for the characteristic you imagined (above), describe at least one hypothetical situation in as much detail as possible how this would be displayed in this situation from your life. Offer specific, concrete details for the situation.

Contract Paper #1 - Part 1

Of all God’s divine characteristics, of all the manifestations of His holy, unique, set apart being, patience is what I covet most.  For even though His long-suffering nature does not lack the power to react when offended, that same nature still unfailingly demonstrates a limitless capacity to endure disappointment.  When faced with sin and failure from the world He always responds true to His character.  That’s not to say that God never casts down immediate punishment for sin, or that His holiness is somehow compromised by this particular trait he possesses.  Rather, He often withstands assault even-tempered.  As the Bible tells us, “He is slow to anger and abounding in loving-kindness.” 

His responses are calculated and never flippant.  And whether His fuse runs for hundreds of years or only a few seconds, His explosive actions never compromise His patience.  He is perfect and His judgments are always pure, and true, and right.  This attribute of God is admittedly mysterious to me.  How does He know when to wait and when to draw the line?  I wonder how I’d respond differently to everyday situations that come up if I could have at my disposal his inexhaustible bounty of composure. 

Take for example the following hypothetical situation.  John and his wife just recently moved to a different city and state for him to begin a new career.  Lucky for them, one of their college buddies had an apartment in the city where they wanted to move.  He plays Minor League Baseball in Tennessee, so he wasn’t staying in his apartment at that time.  So he offered it to them, and they jumped at his offer, buying them time to apartment shop.  After staying in his place for a few weeks, they then found out that he needed them to vacate soon because his parents just sold their house and needed a place to stay.  Again, lucky for them, a fellow church member and his family were going on vacation and they told them that they could house sit for them until they got back.

The timing worked out great because right when the church family got back, John and his wife were able to move into an apartment they’d found a few weeks prior.  After several weeks of living out of boxes, they could finally have a place to call home.  But once they got all moved in, on their third day in the apartment, their washing machine flooded.  And the new furniture they’d just recently had delivered to their apartment got scratched up between the store and their apartment.  The furniture place isn’t eager to address the problem, their living room carpet is still wet, their stuff is still in boxes on the remaining patches of dry carpet, and they both have to start their jobs tomorrow!  If I were John, how would I reflect God’s perfect patience and thus image a facet of his holiness under these circumstances?

Obviously it would be impossible for me to do this adequately.  I haven’t the ability to perform amidst ideal circumstances in a perfectly patient manner, much less in these.  But, hypothetically, I would consider the frame of the lady at the furniture store, and remember that she is but dust.  I would sympathize with her probable hectic, stressful schedule and circumstances.  If she tells me she’s going to eventually come then I’ll take her at her word and not get all bent out of shape.  Every time I call to remind her about our plight I would be respectful, considerate, pleasant, and loving; never reacting from sheer selfish, angry emotion.  If I do feel the need to push the envelope and bear down, it would always be calculated, cool, calm, and collected.  I would always pepper gentleness with strength.

I would also acknowledge that the apartment complex’s maintenance people have a ton going on and don’t have the time to check all the washers.  I would be understanding and sympathetic towards them, realizing that all will be well soon.  I would be concerned about mirroring God’s holiness through patience more than myself getting a fair shake.  Advancing God’s agenda selflessly and meekly serving as my primary motivation.  The tricky part of this whole assignment is that you really can’t grasp the essence of this characteristic apart from all His others.  For His patience will not last forever.  This seemingly endless supply has frequently in the past and will ultimately in the future be overcome and overshadowed by other qualities.  Which makes the practice of each impossible for us, because only God can perfectly transcend the borders all of His holy and divine attributes. 

*****

In case you haven't heard, or couldn't tell by the extreme detail I put into this story, it actually is in part what happened to me and Katy.  And I have learned since writing this that the lady that runs the furniture store where we bought the couch has been in and out of the hospital for the past several weeks, caring for her husband who was in a really bad motorcycle accident.  Her husband is not doing well at all, and is gradually experiencing more and more internal bleeding.  In short, they are not sure if he's going to be able to overcome this.  When I heard that, it really put our not having a couch in perspective.  Even though it's impossible for us to exhibit any one of God's perfect and holy attributes, we can still strive to show grace to those who disappoint us.  You never know what might be going on underneath the surface. 

Psalm 37:4

I have just completed my second week of "Jungle Training" at Dallas Theological Seminary.  The description in quotes was coined by none other than DTS's beloved Chancellor, Dr. Chuck Swindoll.  For those of you who are not familiar with him or his ministry, I strongly urge you to acquaint yourself.  He is a giant in evangelical circles.  A powerful communicator who has a knack for captivating his audiences, equally effective through the mediums of both pen and pulpit.

He spoke in chapel this past Tuesday, and even though I have classes only on Wednesday/Friday, I decided to make the jaunt from Allen to Dallas to hear him speak.  My cousin Travis joined me as well.  We arrived early to get a seat (when he speaks there are almost none available if you are late), and as we approached the building guess who our paths crossed with?...Dr. Swindoll!  Needless to say it was a special thrill even getting to shake his hand and idly chatting for a minute or so.  It would be like a huge Cowboy fan getting to meet and greet Troy Aikman, really cool.  Although, when we parted ways the following thought did creep into my head "Man, I knew I should've shaved today".  Ehh, he didn't seem to care, I think I'm good haha.

Below is the link to his sermon from the DTS chapel podcast.  If you are interested in learning more about why he refers to seminary as "Jungle Training" then check it out: http://www.dts.edu/media/play/enduring-through-ministry-swindoll-charles-r/


My first two weeks of school have honestly been a blur.  It's so easy for me to get caught up in all the plates I have to keep spinning that I can forget to acknowledge and praise God for this incredible opportunity He's bestowed me.  So while walking the halls and sidewalks of campus this week I intentionally paused to ponder just how good and gracious God has been in my life.  The following brief recollections I hope will serve to catalyze my remembrance of His faithfulness to His promise in Psalm 37:4, where David writes "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."


The list could stretch far greater, but these seemed most noteworthy:

1. Growing up I longed to play Division 1 baseball. I poured tons of time and energy into this desire.  All along though God was more concerned with developing my character.  He loved me too much to allow its bypass en route to an elite baseball program.  He lovingly used my #1 delight at the time to break me down and make me realize how empty in and of itself that delight truly was.  Once I learned that lesson, He gradually built me back up and was pleased to fulfill my dreams by allowing me to play baseball at Baylor. What a God!

2. Once at Baylor, he then answered my desire to have godly men in Waco come alongside me to help me grow spiritually.  I met Ben Johnson through Baylor FCA my first year, Dave Alford through my church the following year, and Chris Wommack the last year.  All of these men were in my wedding, and along with my Dad, they serve as the men I seek to model most.  Such a blessing.

3. During my second year at Baylor, God answered another prayer and desire of mine by allowing me to meet a great girl.  God orchestrated all these events perfectly and His hand was so evidently guiding Katy and I throughout our entire dating relationship.  From the beginning I knew that if she wasn't the one, I wanted to marry one just like her.  I now get to run this race that is the Christian life with a fellow competitor and best friend.  I love her so much and am so thankful for her love, support, and partnership.

4. Once married, Katy and I journeyed to Memphis to complete a 9 month discipleship training program.  That year was such a gift, and now that it's in the rear-view mirror we have so many fond memories and relationships to treasure.  God used that year in a number of fantastic ways, and His providence certainly was the driving force behind the perfect storm that swept us back to Texas.  I might write about this topic more in depth another time, but after that year in Memphis I knew God was for sure calling me to ministry, and I knew He wanted me to come to DTS.  The same DTS that produced the likes of David Jeremiah, Tony Evans, Tommy Nelson, Howard Hendricks, Chip Ingram, and the aforementioned Chuck Swindoll.  I've loved listening to some of these men for years, and now I get to sit where they sat, walk where they walked.  Amazing, somebody pinch me.

5. Lastly, while in Memphis I began to feel a burden to partner with families as they give the primary spiritual guidance and leadership to their children.  This was expressed in my last post, but what a desire that God fulfilled and granted...to allow me the honor and privilege of shepherding these students here at Allen Bible Church.  Again, same tune different verse...God is good!



I have failed God and fallen short on a daily basis.  That's been my role in this whole deal.  But God is gracious and patient, and as David says elsewhere in Psalm 25, God's mercy and steadfast love have been from of old. All His paths are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those keep his covenant and His testimonies. His friendship is for those who fear Him.

But He's more than a friend...He's a loving Father who takes great joy and pleasure in granting His children their deepest desires, when they continually make knowing Him their heart's supreme delight.

"Reel" Cool Readings...Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

Without a doubt, Robin Hood is one of the most well known and received characters ever portrayed.  Some have claimed that the origin of this legend stemmed from actual outlaws, but since this folk figure has been around since the medieval period it's hard to know for sure.  At any rate, his adventures have been told and retold for centuries on end.  The fact that so many have sought to recapture the magic of his exploits evidences the storyline as perennial.

What started as popular English folklore has gradually made its way to modern literature, television, and cinema.  And while most remakes adequately entertain their respective audiences, the front-runner in my opinion of all the countless copies has to be Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves with Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman (close second being Disney's Robin Hood, can I get an Oo-de-lally!)

This 1991 version has been fresh on my mind as of late due to a recent Parents Gathering we held here at Allen Bible Church.  As most of you know, I just recently came on staff here part-time as the Student Ministry Director.  While trying to think of an effective way to convey my heart for partnering with them in equipping their students, I was drawn to Psalm 127.  This scene from Robin Hood fit nicely into my desired message.  How convenient that it's one of my all-time favorite movies!  Take a look:

Now before you think I only showed this because of my personal affinity for the film, let me point you to Psalm 127.

Psalm 127

Unless the LORD Builds the House

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.

¹Unless the LORD builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
²It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives to his beloved sleep.
³Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
⁴Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children^[a] of one’s youth.
⁵Blessed is the man
who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.^[b]


Since my first exposure to this Psalm a few years ago through my good friend and mentor Ben Johnson, I've absolutely come to love it.  It is very clear and for the most part self explanatory.  The following quote one commentator uses to describe another section of Scripture I still think is appropriate for this and most every verse in the Bible.  He speaks of it as "a pool, so shallow at the edges that a child can wade, and yet so deep at the center that an elephant can swim."

What I wanted the parents to take away from the Psalm and the video is that we have, in our students, the next generation of arrows that God is going to use as weapons in His battle.  We are privileged to not only fight ourselves, but also to mold and shape our children into instruments of spiritual warfare for God.  Just like the men in the video stripping the branches, fashioning the arrow heads, etc. 

Likewise, we must allow God to mold and shape us, so that these arrows we have can be accurately launched out.  I wanted them also to know that I am NOT claiming to be Robin Hood in this equation haha, that would definitely depict the Holy Spirit.  I and them would instead be likened to the other archers in the video. Through continual training and practice, their marksmanship drastically improved.  And the same arrows that once were missing and bouncing off the dummies were later piercing the targets with precision, penetrating purposefully!

One could draw out several other parallels between the full Robin Hood story and Scripture.  The evil Sheriff of Nottingham governs as if he were the true king, while King Richard is away advancing the cause of His kingdom, unseen and too often forgotten by His subjects back home.  Robin Hood and His Merry Men aren't desiring to overthrow the Sheriff in a worldly sense.  Instead they try to gradually build an army of loyal followers and families, seeking to, as much as possible, prevent the Sheriff from completely having his way and ruining the lives of a people he seeks to oppress.  The Sheriff's selfish agenda is to steal and destroy.  Robin Hood's main objective on the other hand is to save people from this, and hold off the forces of evil until the rightful ruler returns to take the throne and make all things right and new.

I'll stop there, but you see how this landscape sounds all too familiar.  Until Jesus, the Rightful Ruler, returns to set up His kingdom, we the church must wait expectantly and obediently.  We aren't going to usher in the Kingdom on our own, so we must instead hold off the charge of the evil one and his legions until the Second Coming of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  Our objective is to proclaim the good news and call all men everywhere to faith and repentance, acknowledging that God has set aside for Himself a people.  That the present world is not as it once was, nor as it will be. 

Wow what a hope we have in Jesus returning!  But until that day, we and the next generation must prepare for the present spiritual conflict, knowing that the ultimate victory has already been delivered us by Christ at the Cross.