When Anger is Love

He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus. Mark 3:5-6


Is it right for a Christian to be angry?  Is holiness compatible with anger?  Not if we think of being angry as blowing your top or turning red in the face while you let out some steam.  Those too often human responses to anger tend to be self-centered reactions to our own inflated egos.  But there is a more godly response to violations of goodness and truth that can rightly be described as anger.  We may even use the word hate towards things that are sinful.   The problem is maintaining the distinction between what violates God’s laws, and our own personal agendas.   When I get angry because someone took a long time at a stop light and made me sit at the light an extra three minutes, I cannot call that righteous anger.  Paul said, "In your anger do not sin" : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold” (Eph. 4:26-27).  
Most often my sense of anger can lead to giving the enemy an upper hand.  That is why when Jesus was angry at the hardheartedness of the Pharisees he was not guilty of blowing his stack.  The Bible says that Jesus was both angry and deeply distressed (a better word is grieved).  In other words, Jesus could be angry at their sin and what it was doing to them, and at the same time feel nothing but deep pity for them.  He hated what the sin was doing to them.   C.S. Lewis said that he once thought it was silly to distinguish between hating the sin and loving the sinner, until he realized something.  “But years later it occurred to me that there was one man to whom I had been doing this all my life- namely myself.  However much I might dislike my cowardice or conceit or greed, I went on loving myself…In fact the very reason I hated the things was that I loved the man.” (Mere Christianity)   Jesus had the capacity to love us infinitely more than anyone else, it is why his anger at sin was so great.  He did not blow his top in some emotional venting, but in infinite grace went to the cross to pay for the sins that we all have committed.  His hatred of sin was all the more because of his awesome love for us.  
There is great sin in the world and we must hate it.  The reason we hate it is because our love for the people around us is so great it causes us pain to see them doing things that will only hurt them.  So next time you get angry, just check to see if it is an anger rooted in love..


Prayer of Jeremy Taylor (1613-1667)

Most merciful and gracious Father,
I bless and magnify your Name that you have adopted me into the inheritance of sons, and have given me a portion with my elder Brother.  God of patience and consolation, strengthen me that I may bear the yoke of the Lord without murmur or ineffective unwillingness.  Lord, I cannot stand under the Cross by myself, unless you strengthen my spirit, so that I may be strongest when I am weakest and able to do everything that pleases You, through Christ who give me strength.  Amen. (adapted)

Always Hope

We are praying that our local crisis-pregnancy center will be able to stay open after it has struggled financially for several months.  Mary has been a volunteer this past year and was able to see first hand the difference it makes in our community.  I was proud in a good sense, of the way God used Mary to connect with some young women who needed compassion and grace along with sound guidance.   The guidance was always centered in the Gospel.   Recently, the lead singer from Kansas wrote a song about a young girl facing the decision to abort her unborn child.  The video is a realistic portrayal and done artistically to present a pro-life and pro adoption message.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdYPjpl5pI0&feature=player_embedded

A Marriage Desired - Suzanne and Daniel Wedded on Saturday

A wedding was celebrated this past weekend where I preached and handed over my daughter to a fine Christian young man.  Families from both sides came from across the country to witness the event, and Mary and I had the great privilege of hosting, and rejoicing with our families.   What a flood of emotions over these days, as a range of feelings mixed with the amazing mystery of marriage drenched with the overwhelming truth of Gospel reality.    It is a near heaven experience, to say the least.

Here's a snippet of my remarks - (and what a joy in sharing the officiating with my brother, Tory -even if he dropped the ring!).  

I read two passages from the Old and New Testament, which is about marriage in this ultimate sense – the fulfilling of a desire that will not be satisfied in this world, because we were made for an infinite love that we never deserve, nor could ever imagine possible.

This is why Jesus described the Kingdom God – the way he rules over human hearts, like a King who held wedding feast (Matt.22)- that was a no expense spared event – not because the King needed to impress anyone, but to show the heart of his love for his son. 

Yet, this parable is full of the unexpected.   The wedding guest wouldn't come.  The greatest bounty of food, wine and provisions are extended.  

Two groups miss out on this glorious celebration.   First, those who were preoccupied with their own lives – self-absorbed in the inflated importance of themselves they reject the grace of their King and kill his servants.  

The other is the guest that shows up without the wedding garment.   The invitation is open to all to come to the wedding banquet -  and it may sound strange that one who is simply without proper attire is thrown out.     Why?   Because this is a picture of God’s grace.    The wedding feast is about receiving what we don’t deserve.  Even the garments are provided.  

The first group insulted the King, by their refusal for his offer to come and enjoy the feast.  The second man, is a picture of those who think all they need to do is come with their best efforts, clothe themselves with best they have.   Yet, the king who gave everything, gave the garments of redemption to all who came.   

There are two ways to reject the gift.    Outright rejection and then just to believe we can add one thing to the gracious offer.  

Truth of the matter – what makes God’s grace so lovely and beyond imagining is that throughout the Bible, grace is about God pursuing a bride that wants nothing else than to run away from this divine love.   People falsely imagine that the electing grace of God, is God saying, “Ok I take this one and that one, and not that one.”  Like getting picked for  a Junior High sports team.  

Grace pursues a world running from God.   It is the undeserved and unilateral rescue of a bride seeking love everywhere except in the One who can really give it.  

Suzanne and Dan, this wonderful marriage that unites your hearts and lives in a sacred covenant is temporary and earthly and by God’s blessing it is a glimpse into the Greatest of all Love Stories –  A Divine Romance –  the Mystery of marriage as the Apostle Paul said, Ephes. 5:31-32 (ESV) 

    "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."  [32] This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.”  

August Break

This August is busy with wedding plans and short trip to Kansas to see family and some study leave at Puritan Reformed Seminary in Grand Rapids. My writing efforts will be aimed at my required work. I am grateful to my elders who are sharing the load for extra teaching while I am away. Thank you brothers! By the way, right now I am reading about Abraham Kuyper and contemplating writing a paper on him. Look for new blogs in September.

Memphis Respite

Our family took a few days over the holiday weekend to explore the sights, sounds and tastes of Memphis. The key point of the trip was to immerse Dan into the heart of our family roots. Yes, I am from Kansas City, but Memphis is my adopted home and I put their BBQ right up there with KC's lip smacking tasty ribs. We had a great time and filled those few days with much walking, eating and most of all listening to the sounds of blues, and the great singing that is all around Memphis. The zoo and baseball at the Autozone Park were great fun with the family. Mary and I never go without stopping by our favorite bookstore to browse through stacks of good quality used books and found a few to purchase. Burke's Bookstore is a Memphis tradition that goes back 138 years.It is a sign of civilization, when people read for pleasure. To top things off, we worshipped at All Saints, a Presbyterian church in Midtown reaching a wide range of people and preaching the Gospel of reconciliation, so needed and so wonderfully demonstrated in their life. It was refreshing and delighted our spirits.

Coming back to Enterprise, we are looking at what God has in store for the Fall - yes a wedding, but also more ways to serve Christ and exalt his Gospel in the Wiregrass area.

Engagement!

Mary and I are thrilled to announce that our daughter Suzanne has been proposed to by a very fine Christian young man, Dan Dorman.  Those in our church will not be that surprised because they have seen Dan and Suzanne in the courtship phase.  Dan is a member of our church and came here two years ago to work at Fort Rucker after college (He is a biomedical engineer).  He is originally from Maine and comes from a long line of godly Presbyterian believers.   All this to say, we have been praying for this for many years.  From infancy, we have asked the Lord to guide our daughters and direct their hearts to godly young men - and the specific one the Lord had chosen.   We just never thought God would import one from Maine!   Dan grew up in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and Suzanne flew to Maine with Dan to meet family and friends and it was there in the lovely natural beauty of God's creation that she was offered a ring and she accepted.    Now we have wedding plans.... May the Lord be praised.  So, news later on dates and specifics! 

No Ordinary Work

No Ordinary Work

    The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.  Genesis 2:15

    Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death.  Exodus 35:2 (ESV)

In the Bible work is not drudgery or something to fill our time.  It is a God given task for the glory of man who in return is glorifying God.  Your work does not define you.  Only your relationship with God in Christ, defines you as a person.  That is why we have the Sabbath day, to cease from work and activity that defines us in ways that deny our fundamental identity as children of God.  So, the way you work and how you work during the week ought to reflect your relationship with God.

Therefore, work is not the result of the Fall, but a part of God’s intention for man in the garden.  After sin came into the picture, the curse resulted in that toil and work would be frustrated. (Gen. 3:23; 4: 12)  Humanity is separated from God, from other humans, and frustrated in our work.   Yet, by God’s grace, work is still a source of great blessing, even as it also brings challenges and frustrations.

Do you like your work? Is everything you do a source of joy and fulfillment?

When does your work bring you the greatest joy?

The Shaker philosophy of furniture making was to make each chair fit for an angel to sit on.  “Make every product better than it’s ever been done before.  Make the parts you cannot see as well as the parts you can see.  Use only the best of materials, even for the most everyday items.  Give the same attention to the smallest detail as you do the largest. Design every item you make to last forever.”  (Os Guinness, The Call, pg.198-199)

I remember seeing this type of work philosophy in the Czech organ builders who were at work in the church I served in West Virginia.  We employed a European company so that all the parts were made and manufactured in the Czech Republic.  It was built there and then taken apart, bit by bit and rebuilt in this country right in our sanctuary.  What astounded me was the craftsmanship, attention to detail, and the use of solid white oak used not just on the outside, but in the backside of the organ works.  There was not one piece of inferior wood or plywood used.  The men themselves were fine artisans.  They worked with a sense that the work was worthy of quality.  These men were not simply collecting paychecks.

It seems to me that is the Christian view of work.  Whatever you are doing to pass your time, whether it is a paying job, a profession or retirement, are you reflecting the glory of God in what you are doing?