Holiday Cheer

Christmas brings good cheer to lots of people, mostly of the kid variety. While it is is for many adults a time of stress, or materialism, it is a merry season of hearty rejoicing for others. This second group is where we want to find ourselves this year, and always.

the holiday spirit

This good cheer or merrymaking is an expression of an old idea. It is heard in the blowing of trumpets. It is seen in the unfurling of banners. It is felt when all seems right in the world. It is the reflection of the Glad King ruling in his gladness. His jolly laugh is present in the strong and childlike joy of Tom Bombadil, in the hearty gladness of the Ghost of Christmas Present, and even shows itself in the concept of jolly old Saint Nicholas. These are, as far as they go, derivations of the great gladness of the True King, the Lord Jesus Christ, who reigns in joyful exuberance. And the holidays are a time when we can easily partake in the mighty voice of his good cheer.

God’s holiday

The magic of Christmastime is an emblem of a greater holiday, the Lord’s own holy day. Every first day of the week is God’s holiday. That’s right, God’s people get a holiday every week. On this special day we are to embody a level of good cheer that surpasses the celebrations of Christmas. This does not mean that we always have happy Sundays (Christmas, after all, is a reminder of loss as well as love), but it does mean that we will celebrate the Lord no matter what. For he reigns in tremendous gladness and will bring all things to a good end for his people whom he loves.

The true holiday to come

The Lord’s Day is not the final holiday. It is an emblem of the coming eternal Day when good cheer shall reign in God’s children forevermore. Eternity is the real Sabbath Day. In that place we will taste joy and gladness undiluted by sin or sorrow. Then we will toast our accomplished salvation. We will be swept up in exhilaration and expectancy that never ends. Great wonders will come true before our eyes. Everything shall be wrapped up for us in the Lord Jesus Christ. We will see his face, we will hear his voice, and we will partake in his mighty good cheer forever and ever. Amen.

How Important is Meeting Together?

It’s been quite the year, hasn’t it? We are facing curve balls on every side. But, at some point, the show must go on, and the churches must meet. Speaking of churches meeting, how important is that, anyway? Here are a few considerations for us to think about during the last month of the weirdest year ever.

Meeting together is what god commandS.

Believe it or not, God-fearing Christians fall on various sides of many things 2020. Why is that? Ultimately, it’s because God’s word simply isn’t equally clear on everything. Regardless of what Christians think the Bible has to say about COVID-19, masks, vaccines, elections, and whatever else this year from purgatory can throw our way, we hope every Christian can agree that God puts a premium on us meeting together. It’s crystal clear, and it’s all over the Bible. Aside from implicit references (such as Matt 18:20 and Rev 2:1) and explicit commands (such as 1 Cor 11:33 and Heb 10:25), it is assumed everywhere in the New Testament epistles, which were publicly addressed and read to these very gatherings. In confusing times like these, we cannot afford to forsake the most important matters of our faith.

Meeting together is whO we are.

The reason the command to gather is so clear in the Bible is because the gathering is literally what the church is. The Greek word behind our “church” is ekklesia, which means assembly. On Sunday morning we are the church. In fact, the church is the only reason the world still turns. And revolution 2020 (or what’s left of it) needs nothing more than Christians standing together as the church in unity of purpose and resolve to worship God openly, through Jesus Christ, come what may. Without church, there is no church. Therefore, every church has to figure this out for themselves or cease to exist. Lord help us!

Meeting together is where things are different.

Corporate worship is governed differently than the rest of our lives. It is more immediately governed by Christ, whose power is present in a unique way when we gather (1 Cor 5:4). He binds us together in the main things while allowing us to maintain our own convictions in our lives. This unique space allows us to work through strange problems and seek God’s wisdom in strange times. As we go through these growing pains (or birth pangs!), we must be prepared to bear with one another. We—at least those of us who haven’t found the perfect church yet—must be prepared to make wise compromises in order to protect what matters most. This is nothing new. At God’s glorious churches, messy sinners have always laid aside their many differences and convictions in order to fellowship, to pray, to sing, to hear, and to eat and drink the Lord’s death until he comes.

In conclusion, meeting together is everything for us.

An Obsession with Christianity

“Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” John 9:27

The man was born blind, but now he could see. No one disputed it anymore; a miracle had taken place. But instead of rejoicing with him, the religious leaders were triggered into judgment and wrath.

New religious leaders of new religions arise, but they are always made of the same stuff: legalistic tyranny. The problem is not so much lawlessness (that is the problem amongst the people), but the problem is legalism. Tyrannical leaders try to force their puritanical doctrines upon the consciences of all. They cannot bear to be ignored or cast aside by anyone. But now, just as then, there were some who resisted. And these resistance parties are very often made up of God’s own sheep. Leaders then become obsessed with them. We may well answer as did the blind man who could see: “You keep obsessing over this. Do you also want to become Christians?”

“Muslims who execute homosexuals don’t bother me. Cuban communists who threw them in prison don’t bother me. I wear them on my shirt. But those Christians! They must be stopped.”

Jeweled Fruit

“Bad, bad,” says the buyer, but when he goes away, then he boasts. Proverbs 20:14

Solomon watched with interest. The merchant was having a difficult time with the buyer, who kept complaining about the terrible deal he was being offered. But eventually, he took it. Solomon followed him to see what he would do next and quickly heard a change of tune. The buyer was now boasting! “This,” he told everyone, “was the greatest deal in the history of deals.”

Why do we do this? We pretend not to be interested when we really are. We’re not honest because we don’t want to be cheated. That is understandable in this world. But God is not this world, and God never cheats us. His word and his wisdom are treasure of incomparable beauty and worth. Everything he offers us is choice. When we acquire wisdom for free at the open market of Scripture, let’s tell people where to find the best of the best.

I think we can use this bit of insight in our own lives, whether we are merchants or not. Have you ever offered someone what you knew to be God’s wisdom, but they weren’t interested in taking it? Would it surprise you to learn that the very same person probably thought a good deal about what you said, once they were gone? God’s word is resilient like that. So let’s drop gems of truth all around us and pray for jeweled fruit.

Wait for It…

“Bad, bad,” says the buyer, but when he goes away, then he boasts. Proverbs 20:14

Solomon watched with interest. The merchant was having a difficult time with the buyer, who kept complaining about the terrible deal he was being offered. But eventually, he took it. Solomon followed him to see what he would do next and quickly heard a change of tune. Now the buyer was boasting, “This was the greatest deal in the history of deals.”

Why do we do this? We pretend not to be interested when we really are. We’re not honest because we don’t want to be cheated. That is understandable in this world. But God is not this world, and God never cheats us. His word and his wisdom are treasure of incomparable beauty and worth. Everything he offers us is choice. When we acquire wisdom for free at the open market of Scripture, let’s make sure we tell everyone where to find the best of the best.

I think we can use this bit of insight in our own lives, whether we are merchants or not. Have you ever offered someone what you knew to be sound wisdom, but they weren’t interested in taking it? Would it surprise you to learn that the very same person probably thought a good deal about what you said, once they were gone? God’s word is resilient like that. So let’s drop the gems of truth all around us and wait for jeweled fruit.

You Are Fake News

IT was the opening line of the best street sermon I ever heard: “Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to talk to you about fake news.” It certainly got people’s attention. And why wouldn’t it? The eloquent phrase has long passed into meme lore. There is no doubt that the media is a stronghold on the American people. Social media is even more powerful, putting strangleholds on us. Censorship and removal of political enemies is everything we pretend not to stand for in this country, and yet here we are. It seems to me the office was taken long ago; President Cancel Culture now reigns supreme.

I read this in a history book today: “Western people in the Middle Ages were not particularly gullible” (Bernard Hamilton, The Christian World of the Middle Ages). This testimony is true. It’s today’s Western people we need to worry about. Yes, us. We are astonishingly gullible. Medieval people believed in a good many things that were not seen or heard. The world was, to them, still full of wonder, and of evil. But not to us. We know everything. We’ve got it all at our fingertips (thumbtips). If evil was afoot, we would all know about it, because the unbiased media would tell us! One wonders if there are any Calvinists left.

Well, there’s a worse fake news than your favorite mainstream media outlet: your own heart. Our hearts lie to us every day. Sure, you believe in God. But you don’t need to take him very seriously. You can get right with him before the end. Or maybe you’re one of the brave ones! You’re not worried about dying at all. “I’ll see what happens,” you say, nonchalantly, “when I get there.” This is fake news that has the power to forfeit your soul forever, for death will come upon you like a sudden and inescapable nightmare. So next time your heart tells you that you’ll be OK without Jesus, or quite differently, but equally dangerous, that he could never forgive you, you know what to say. Go ahead, I’ll say it with you:

you are fake news!

A Forgotten Fruit of the Spirit

“Patience” Galatians 5:22

Contrary to popular belief, the nine graces listed in Galatians 5:22-23 are not the fruits of the Spirit, but the fruit of the Spirit. In combination, they form the most exotic fruit, imported from that far-off country of heaven. So technically, patience is not a forgotten fruit, but a forgotten aspect of the fruit. But you get the idea.

Patience is almost a sin in today’s fast-paced world. Everything must be done instantly. Careers must be launched. Families must be snapped into shape. Churches must be reformed in sweeping moves. If we’re not careful, we may become so unfamiliar with patience that we begin to confuse the heavenly grace with sinful inaction! What might today’s trendy church planter say to Abraham Tentdweller’s pitiful five year plan?

But patience is mighty. It empowers sinners like us to stay content and confident while we wait for God to fulfill his promises. A respectable Greek lexicon defines this choice grace as follows: “[The] state of remaining tranquil while awaiting an outcome” (BDAG). Now isn’t that lovely? So build your life, your family, your career, your ministry, upon the word of God, and wait with confidence, as long as it takes, for a plentiful harvest of amazing fruit.

What’s Justice Got to Do with It?

“A just balance and scales are the Lord’s; all the weights in the bag are his work” (Prov 16:11).

Merchants of the ancient world carried a bag of weights with which to measure out their products by counterbalance. A dishonest merchant carried cheat weights to swindle his customers, especially the poor. Solomon knew of this abomination, and speaks of it elsewhere (Prov 11:1), as does the Law (Lev 19:35) and the Prophets (Mic 6:11). Just weights, on the other hand, were carried by honest merchants. They are pleasing to the Lord.

But this proverb isn’t really talking about merchants. It’s talking about God. The merchant is, in this case, a reflection of the Maker who tests all things by his weights. In other words, God is constantly ruling every realm with exquisite balance and justice. The merchant’s bag gave him the flexibility to weigh large portions or small amounts. Just so, the living God is as fair and balanced in the small happenings of life as he is in great matters. He weighs all things well.

Let’s send this right home. God has never swindled you. He has been generous and good to you, tipping the scales of blessing in your favor. He will do all things well. Trust him! Justice is his right to render even as it is his delight to love. So let’s do some justice of our own and give him thanks. Let’s honor his promises with our faith. And let’s administer justice everywhere, using God’s weights in all we do.

The Path to Forgiveness is Paved with Love

“By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for.” Proverbs 16:6

Forgiveness. Everyone wants it. Most people suppress their maddening need of it. But there it is, the very idea of it taunting us. Can it be? I think we feel our need of forgiveness more than usual these days. Now it’s one infraction and you’re done, your entire life cancelled. Is there really such a thing as forgiveness? Reconciliation? Restoration? Glory to God in heaven, there is.

But it wasn’t cheap. It was hard won. It took the blood of the only perfect person who ever lived to buy it. He was murdered while still a young man in the flower of life. His only crime was saying who he was and where he came from. For this loving man came from heaven. Love sent him to suffer our cosmic punishment, to die in our place—which he did, most gladly, for us.

Whether you believe Jesus is real or not changes nothing. He is real. He really lived, really died, and really rose again. There is real forgiveness, full and free, from God in heaven, today. Salvation exists. And it was bought with love, very much love. God’s own love and loyalty to his undeserving creatures. That’s us. Wrath is the judgment we deserve; love opened the way of escape. Fly you fools to Christ today.

Reformed Theology teaches us how to Grub

I remember it like it was yesterday. I was reading Herman Bavinck’s Reformed Dogmatics on the divine right of man to eat meat, when my inner neander was awakened. Never has the might of the chicken wing jones descended upon humanity with such force. Perhaps it is Reformed Theology’s rather positive view of creation and its lawful pleasures that struck me. In any case, Truth’s arrow had sped to its mark, and I was conquered. It seems I was not alone:

“Calvin and most Reformed theologians were of the opinion that eating meat was permitted to humans even before the flood and the fall.” (2:575)

Meat is amazing. Like all types of food. Whatever our chosen portions, we spend enough of our lives chowing down grub to learn how to do it well. This is where Reformed Theology offers herself as our hostess. Once she has marked gluttony and unthankfulness as the cosmic atrocities they are, she teaches us to eat freely and fully.

God’s goodwill teaches us to eat freely: he beckons us partake and experience his goodness in deliciousness. His bounty teaches us to eat fully: every color, aroma, texture, and flavor speaks the hospitality of our Maker. It’s personal; he provides you with the very items you eat. Savor every bite and step away from the table satisfied with God’s goodness to you. In this we have a living emblem of faith in Jesus, who is to us True Food.