By Grace Through Faith

The zoo is more fun with a son...

2008-09-03T08:42:00.000-07:00

Jacob is so impressed by animals! I think his first obsession was dogs... and he can spot one anywhere! Labor day was a great time for us just to relax, clean the house and take Jacob to the zoo. It's hilarious... he has this obsession with spiders now - in fact, he frequently goes spider hunting with me and Tara... so even though the spider exhibit at the oregon zoo was, well, lacking... he got a kick out of the tarantulas...

Oh yeah... and look at him sitting next to a cougar!

I Love My Wife!

2008-08-29T23:33:00.000-07:00

For the past three days, Tara and I have taken a challenge to focus on a specific aspect of how we should demonstrate our love for each other each day. So far, we have focused on patience, kindness and selfishness. Wow... so far, it has been an incredible time for us! It has forced us to talk about our relationship each night... and that love that you have for your spouse that is so deep and so strong yet is not always on the forefront of your mind - yeah, that love... that love is being kindled in us since we started this challenge... praise God! Our spouse's are so important to love and to continuously grow closer to and to treasure!

If anyone wants to know what this challenge that we are doing is all about - ask me about it and I'll give you the info.

Sometimes I struggle to make a post...

2008-07-29T21:56:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! (or no one depending on who actually reads my blog!!)

It is often when I am so busy that I am not thinking "reflectively" on my life and on what God is doing... that is never a good thing, even though I could very well be busy doing good things!

O God, you are my God! I long for you! My soul thirsts for you, my flesh yearns for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water... experiencing your loyal love is better than life itself, my lips will praise you. For this reason I will praise you while I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. As if with choice meat you satisfy my soul. My mouth joyfully praises you, whenever I remember you on my bed, and think about you during the nighttime hours. Psalm 63:1-6

God is more pleasurable than life itself... not even mentioning the fact that He is more pleasurable than the deceitful pleasures of sin in our lives! But one of the key phrases in this passages was "whenever I remember you on my bed"... Oh, how important is it for us to be constantly reflecting on God: who He is and what He is doing and how we can trust and know Him more and more!

I look forward to the day in eternity when I can actually do this perfectly... until then I trust in God's grace and mercy day by day to continue to help me grow and mature in Him until the day I see Him face to face!

Posts that are coming up: Uganda mission trip, Houseboats 08, the best and the worst of times and several others (once I finish writing them!!)

Don't Waste Your Life...

2008-06-04T14:35:00.001-07:00

Can I Talk About God and Still Be Relational?

2008-06-02T11:19:00.000-07:00

This might not even be a question in most of your minds but it is in mine because of conversations that I have had with my wife and those close to me. On my blog, I write mostly about God: his character, his promises in Scripture, his working in my own life, his working in the world. In doing this am I actually being relational to other people or am I just being narcissistic and thinking only of my own personal bubble-relationship with God?

Well, because I'm human, I'm probably doing both. My intention, however, is to not just relate to those who read this blog and tell them about my life but also (and more importantly) bring up the fact that God is involved in every little detail of our lives whether we recognize it or not and we need to wrestle with that!

...and ultimately, that's what I'm most passionate about talking about and writing about. I'm convinced that the most relational thing that we can do is relate to God first and foremost. This needs to be the center and foundation to all our relationships. The horizontal then follows from that. It's exactly as the greatest commandment words it:

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

It's in conversations and minute by minute living where I see a huge amount of neglecting God... My hope is to acknowledge God and live in Him and trust in Him "minutely"... even on my blog!

Resting in God vs. Resting in the World

2008-05-25T22:59:00.000-07:00

This morning I taught the Junior High and High School from Matthew 11:25-30 and we talked about finding our "rest" in Jesus instead of running to entertainment. Wow... what a huge issue even in my own life! My own tendency is to run to the computer and spend all my down-time on practically useless stuff... well, it's easy to convince yourself that it's useful to some degree but it hardly ever benefits me and my relationship with the Lord... and it usually doesn't benefit my family, my friends... than why am I doing it? Because it's fun. Because I can turn off my brain. Because I can let loose and just "forget" about all my worries and just laugh at the jokes and bask in the wonderful technology and brilliance in movies/computers/whatever.

I see this tendency in myself and I see it all around me... Oh if only we as Christians could take hold of the promise "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." "Take my yoke upon you... and you will find rest for your souls."

Lord, help us to find our rest in you! May we not run to the world when we let our guards down and "relax" and "recuperate"! May we rest in your Word; the sweet and precious promises that we find in your Word(2 Peter 1:4)! May we rest in prayer knowing that you give peace that surpasses all human understanding(Philippians 4:6-7)!

"Accidental" Tragedies

2008-05-24T08:17:00.001-07:00

Steven Curtis Chapman's daughter was just killed by one of her older brothers accidentally. Some people might say, "Where is God in this?"

Although I cannot answer in specifics to this particular situation there are some passages that come to mind:

"For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust" - Matthew 5:45

"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today" - Genesis 50:20

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose" - Romans 8:28

"... we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" - Romans 5:3-5

God is in control... yes, even in the midst of tragedy and great evil, God is in control. God, in His incredible wisdom, turns evil and tragedy for good for those who love Him! What an incredible promise that we can take hold of in times of tragedy and sadness!

Trusting in God for the impossible...

2008-05-22T11:29:00.000-07:00

Financial provision and sinful habits: two themes, at least in my own life, where God has truly shown my complete lack of control in and of myself and my need to utterly depend on God!

Anyone else relate to that? Yeah, I think most of us do. Every time I'm stretched to trust in God the temptation is to say to myself, "I can do this, I can do this... I can figure it out." Now, if I had said, "I can't do this, God help me!" I know I would be smack-dab in the middle of the way-everlasting! The problem is that my response to trial is not always so perfect...

Please join with me as I learn to trust God for the impossible(or what I see as impossible!) and know that with God all things are possible!

100,000 Dead in Burma: Is there something wrong with our world?

2008-05-08T10:02:00.000-07:00

A horrible tragedy has happened in Burma – a cyclone has killed more than 100,000 people. What a terrifying large number of people to die! I look at that and I don’t think we can with good conscience say, “Wow, that was horrible, but the world and everyone in it is basically good. Bad things just happen because we live in a violent universe full of random accidents and tragedies.” What a hopeless look on life! Are tragedies like these just random mistakes in nature? Or is there something deeper that is “off” about everything around us and everyone…

Of course there are countless “explanations” to that question but the only authoritative source that we have is the Bible which is God’s written word for us to read and to understand and to live by.

Even though in our minds the so-called problem of evil and the so-called problem of death and destruction in the world seems like tough questions to answer, but the Bible is very clear about God’s intention through it all:

Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death…"
Romans 8:19-21 – “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.”

Sin has come into the world because we brought it there by our own choices. We have broken God’s law, we have desired other things more than Him and we are all guilty! What is our just reward? Death. Everything that we have from our most valued possession to every breath we breathe is a gift from God that is undeserved! Sin doesn’t just affect us but has affected everything around us and that’s why we see so much death and destruction and evil in this world: we brought it here ourselves and we deserve nothing but death! However, God is not at a loss because we have sinned and His hands are not tied. God is in control:

Genesis 50:20 – “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

Joseph was thrown in a pit, sold into slavery, thought of as dead, falsely accused of rape, thrown into prison… but saw God’s plan and purpose through it all: God meant it for good! It doesn’t say that God didn’t want it to happen and finally did something about everything that had happened to Joseph: He didn’t finally step in at the last moment. God was there through it all orchestrating everything together so that in the end God was honored and his people were saved. This is not only a one-time act of God but rather a principle that still applies to how God works in us even today:

Romans 8:28 – “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

God works ALL things for your good IF you He calls you and you love Him. Isn’t that an incredible hope? It is the most incredible hope that we can have in this life!

If you are asking yourself, “That sounds great but how do I love God and how do I know that He has called me?” I want you to listen to this:

Romans 10:9-10 – “… if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

If we hear those words and in our hearts say, “Lord Jesus, I need you! Please save me, please change my heart so that I might see you and savor you as my Lord and my Savior! I put my trust in you, I put my faith in you even though I cannot see you!” – then God is calling you and He is working in your heart!!

Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The most important decision in your life is whether or not to accept these things as true or not. And if they are true they demand a response from us: either to place our trust in God or accept our due punishment for not!

James 4:14-15 – “yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”

Our lives are but a mist or a vapor. Our need for God is so immediate! It is only by his mercy that we live and breathe. Let us give thanks to our God and creator together!

The Ocean and Baptism

2008-05-04T20:57:00.000-07:00

This past week has truly been an incredible one! Tara and I were priviledged with a two day stay at the coast... And where we stayed was truly breathtaking! Each morning I had to pinch myself when I saw the incredible beauty of the ocean right outside our window!

God's invisible attributes are clearly seen in creation... I don't know how someone can look at the beauty of what He has made and say "There is no God!"... Having that time at the coast was such a breath of fresh air... and it was needed, badly needed!

Well, along with the theme of water, this Sunday was the first time that I had baptized someone... in fact, TWO of our Junior High students... Seeing these two kids publicly profess their faith in Jesus Christ was a providential encouragement to me... Sometimes in youth ministry, it is hard to see the fruit of your work, but of course, it is God who saves and it is God who grows, not me...

This has truly been a week of cleansing and washing and renewal from beginning to end... Another week of experiencing God's indescribable grace!

I Love Jacob So Much!

2008-04-24T10:23:00.000-07:00

God has incredibly blessed Tara and I with such a wonderful little boy! Jacob is the most precious gift! He is developing such a fun personality and it is so fun to play with him and joke around with him... I love how he picks ONE page from a book to like and doesn't want to mess around with other insignificant pages... and how he "roars" when I ask him what sound a lion makes (he makes an 'uh' sound)... Children are such divine blessings: Jacob has really deepened my understanding of the love of God and the importance of God-centeredness in the family!

For all of you who have kids, praise God for such incredible gifts! Never take them for granted!

One of many God's graces

2008-04-21T22:08:00.000-07:00

Today I went to a shooting range... whew, that was fun! Definitely got the adrenaline pumping a little bit! It is a humbling experience to realize how powerful a little hand gun can be just to fire at a target. I'm so thankful for the short break that I got today to go and do something that is, well, kind of manly. You can never overestimate the value of spending some quality time with good guys who love the Lord! One of many God's graces!

An Update on My Life

2008-04-17T10:54:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to give everyone an update to what's going on in mine and Tara's and Jacob's life since you last heard from us...

1. JACOB

Having Jacob in my life is beyond words... To see and hold and love my very own son is one of God's greatest gifts! He is only just over a year old right now and I have seen him grow from a blob of flesh to a walking/noise-making ham of a personality... yet already, I miss the way he was when he was two months, and three, and four and five! I am beginning to see why it is so easy to want more and more kids!

Jacob has been sick lately from colds and earaches and teething... overall though, he has been quite healthy and he is always such a joy and delight in the midst of all the craziness of life. I find myself already praying for his salvation at an early age, that he would live a life dedicated to the Lord. I want him to avoid all the mistakes I made (although I know that ultimately HE has to choose not to make those mistakes) and live wholly devoted for the sake of our God and Creator!

Yes, he is walking, although most of the time it is wobbly... The only words that he can say with clarity right now is "dada" and "daddy" and "ball" and "dad-daddy" - he is all boy indeed! Tara and I love him so much and we can't wait to have another (although that is not an announcement of any kind nor a promise of any kind).

2. Serving as Youth Pastor at Lake Bible Church

So far my time at Lake Bible Church has been truly life-changing. Tara and I have been stretched and tested so much over the past two years. Teaching and discipling Junior High and High School kids has been an incredible growing experience. At times I feel like I might possibly be growing more than the kids are!

Our biggest theme at Lake Bible is discipleship... this is what we are all about. Seeing kids come to Christ, live for Christ and share Christ. The biggest part of discipleship to me is sound biblical teaching. This is what I have been focusing on! The temptation is to become an entertainment-driven youth ministry because that's where a lot of churches are going and that's what a lot of kids want. However, that is not what they need. Our youth need to cultivate a passion for God and for His Word! This is the most important thing I can teach these kids...

3. Uganda

I have been given an incredible opportunity to go to Uganda this summer on a short term mission trip! This will be my first overseas trip... I'm really excited! One of the main reasons that I'm going is because several of our youth are going and I want to be able to teach them and support them during and after this experience. Please pray for my safety, our impact on the people there and Tara and Jacob as they will be staying here while I'm gone. The dates are June 19th through July 1st.

4. Quitting and Running

Well, it has officially been 6 months since my last soda... whew, that's a long time. Have I lost any weight? A little bit. Do I feel a lot better? Oh yeah! This has been a great life change for me - I have an addictive personality so when I enjoy something I enjoy it a lot. Obviously, for my entire life, I have over-enjoyed soda's and it was high time I get rid of them!

Along with the topic of getting healthy/getting in shape, I will be running in the Hood to Coast relay this summer. I'm really excited to do this event... it will be a challenge, but I'm more excited about just getting in good running condition! It's all the runs that I put in before the actual race that gets me pumped about this whole process.

Well, there's a lot more going on in my life but I think this is enough to tell at once. Of course, I am married to the most incredible woman in the world! Without Tara in my life I would be a mess! She is my best friend and always will be!

The past two years I have really been clarifying my single passion in life: to glorify God! This is our purpose and why we were created and I cannot spend enough time and thought and effort and Scripture-searching to seek this end and to better understand what this should look like in my life! See you next blog!

Jonathan Edwards on Humility...

2008-04-02T09:30:00.000-07:00

"All gracious affections that are a sweet odor to Christ, and that fill the soul of a Christian with a heavenly sweetness and fragrancy, are broken hearted affections. A truly Christian love, whether to God or men, is a humble broken hearted love. The desires of the saints, however earnest, are humble desires. Their hope is a humble hope; and their joy, even when it is unspeakable, and full of glory, is a humble broken hearted joy, and leaves the Christian more poor in spirit; and more like a little child, and more disposed to a universal lowliness of behavior."

- Taken from Religious Affections: Sign 6 - Gracious affections are attended with evangelical humiliation

"God gets the glory and we receive the benefit"

2008-03-21T15:40:00.000-07:00

Romans 3:23 says,

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

What does is mean that we fall short of God's glory? I think that elsewhere in Romans we see the clearest answer. Romans 1:22-24 says,

Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lust of their hearts to impurity, to dishonoring their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

Our problem is that we have chosen to worship things that God has made, including ourselves, instead of worshiping the creator of all things. We have chosen to take delight in our own glory at the cost of pursuing God's glory. We have fallen short of living by the standard of God's glory which is His perfect righteousness and purity. This is how we have "fallen short of the glory of God."

If this is the diagnosis, then what is the cure? The cure is what comes after Romans 3:23. It says,

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

We all fall short of God's glory; however, we are redeemed and made new by faith in Jesus Christ. It isn't our merit or our righteousness that makes us clean and presentable before God. Rather, it is God's righteousness! And it is counted for us when we place our faith in his son Jesus Christ.

It is God's righteousness that saves us not our own. Who then gets the glory? God. Who then receives the benefit? We do. God gets the glory and we receive the benefit. This seems to be a pattern for how God works in and through us. There are many more examples of this principle in Scripture but for now I will leave it at this.

Time, the Bible, and Sin

2008-03-20T09:47:00.000-07:00

Well, it has definitely been a while since I have last made a post... it is incredible how time marches on! A day quickly becomes a week, a week quickly becomes a month and so on. I see a convicting parallel between time and our relationship with God. If we neglect Him for a day, that can quickly become a week, and that week can quickly become a month, and sooner or later we will be three to four steps backward and giving in to all kinds of sin and foolishness.

"How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." - Psalm 119:9-11

How can we stay pure in our thoughts and actions? By guarding our minds by the Word of God. How can we keep from sinning? By storing God's Word in our hearts and minds. How can we seek Him wholeheartedly? By keeping His commandments. I love the simplicity of this passage! God's Word is so central to our lives as children of God. May we be a generation that seeks to guard our minds and keep from sin by knowing, studying, meditating and memorizing your Word!

What are you doing when you go back?

2008-01-02T10:28:00.000-08:00

I was asked the question: "So, what do you have to do when you go back to Portland?" And so I answered, "Well, I have to prepare for..." and then "I have to finish..." and finally "I have to do..." this and that. After answering that question a couple times over the past week, my mind went back to this verse:

"Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers." - 1 Timothy 4:16

Although I can focus on so many different facets of pastoral ministry, such as programs, structure, administration, communication, numbers, effectiveness, and so on, it is clear that my utmost concern is twofold: my life and my doctrine.

Am I faithful in teaching God's Word accurately and in a God-honoring way? Am I then living out faithfully what I teach from Scripture? The first question is difficult in and of itself... I must strive to be diligent in study and prayer so that I do not miss the point of any particular verse or passage and take it out of its context or intended meaning! The second question, however, is where the rubber meets the road. Am I faithfully living out God's truth? Of course, neither I nor anyone else could ever say that we follow God's Word with perfection, but I do think that we must be faithfully fighting the fight of faith. Paul makes clear in his letters to Timothy that certain men were not qualified for pastoral ministry if they were not considered men of good character and faithful obedience.

How does this change the way I answer the question, "What do you have to do when you go back to Portland?" Instead of listing off duties and responsibilities, I think that I will try to include some of the character development and spiritual disciplines I should be (and hopefully will be!) doing. So ask me that question and see if I live up to what I'm preaching!

When our bodies are weak...

2007-12-22T15:50:00.000-08:00

"The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak."
Matthew 26:41

It has been my experience time and time again that when I desperately need to seek after God and spend time in His Word and spend time with Him in prayer I find myself physically tested and tempted to go the other direction and turn my brain off.

Jesus said these words when his disciples fell asleep while Jesus was praying. They were supposed to keep watch and stay awake. They were supposed to keep an attentive ear and eye to Jesus. What happened? They got tired. They fell asleep. I am the same way too many times... how about you?

Father, help us in our times of tiredness and weakness! Father, change the desires of our hearts so that we want you and your wisdom and your relationship more than any other thing in this world - and may that be ever more evident when we are tempted to sleep or "veg" or "turn our brains off" instead of seeking you!

Trusting in Promises, not Providences

2007-12-18T12:28:00.000-08:00

This blog post really captured an incredible truth for us to live by especially in light of 2 Peter 1:3-4 which says:

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

Trust Promises, Not Providences

December 18, 2007 | By: Jon Bloom

This morning my assistant, Bryan DeWire, found out his father, who 24 hours ago seemed in fine health, didn’t make it through emergency heart surgery. This afternoon, my wife called me in tears to update me on a very difficult day trying to raise and teach 5 young children. Very different, yet real and painful experiences of God’s providential reign in lives of Christians I love.

Also this morning I read this sentence in a pamphlet titled, “Honey Out of the Rock,” by Puritan Thomas Wilcox,

“Judge not Christ’s love by providences, but by promises.”

Experiences are very powerful. They often feel more powerful than promises. So it's tempting to interpret prosperity and ease as God’s blessing and tribulation as God’s displeasure. And sometimes they are. But often they are not.

Actually, what we see all the way through the Bible is the Lord training his disciples to trust his promises more than providences. Think of Abraham and Sarah waiting for Isaac, or Jacob losing Rachel, or Joseph in slavery and prison, or Job’s suffering, or David running from Saul. Think of Lazarus and the heartbreak of his death and the constant tribulations of Paul. And of course Jesus set the ultimate example by looking to the joy set before him as he endured the cross (Heb 12:2).

Strange, isn’t it? In the Bible pain is often the path to unspeakable joy and prosperity is often an obstacle to it. What’s going on?

Simply, God wants us to treasure what we can’t see more than what we can.

“For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Cor. 4:18).

And we find out that it’s pain more than prosperity that makes us look for what our eyes can’t see, and long for a satisfaction that doesn’t exist in this world.

So Thomas Wilcox’s advice is worth heeding. For those of us who are experiencing a bitter providence, Wilcox goes on to say,

Bless God for shaking off false foundations, for any way whereby He keeps the soul awakened and looking after Christ; better sickness and temptations, than security and superficiality.

Thank God for busy weeks and slow weeks alike!

2007-12-09T05:58:00.000-08:00

This past week was not only jam-packed, it was draining! Every morning, I had to get up a couple hours earlier than I'm used to; this was all to be able to study and prepare for all the teaching I had to do. I look back over the week and I see God's faithfulness... But I also see his faithfulness in the upcoming week although the two weeks are completely different with regard to my responsibilities. It is truly amazing how God gives us breaks and gives us times of relief and recooperation... of course God originally intended this system since the beginning of creation by modeling it for us!

Point: God is in control... even over our schedules, whether they are hectic or calm.

Boasting... Pride in action

2007-11-29T07:54:00.001-08:00

This article powerfully summarized our tendency to boast about so many things in life! However, it is Christ who is our boast and nothing else... please read this!

Boasting in Lesser Loves

I don’t always love to boast most about God. I love to boast about tricky anagrams. (Can you anagram diesel? What about brides?) I love to rave over my cute little boy. I go on and on about happy hour at McCormick and Schmick’s. I tell every Christian I know about John Piper.

But none of these things are God. So there’s a limit to how much I ought to praise them. I don’t want to make people sick with my exuberance about word games or babies. I don’t want to promote happy hour or Piper so much that people will be disappointed when they actually try for themselves. I sometimes have a feeling inside me that asks, “Are these your idols?”

But one day all of this will change. I won’t have to worry that these pleasures are competing with God in my heart. Our lesser joys will fade away when we see Christ before our own eyes.

Anagrams? Christ is the author of life!

My son? Christ is the image of the unseen God!

Happy hour? “Come and I will give you rest!”

Piper? Well, he’s still pretty cool. But Christ is the one who knit him together!

Suddenly our greatest ambition will be God himself and it will finally be right for our praise to be limitless. We will be at the happy intersection of highest admiration and highest praise, and that joy we had praising our lesser loves will finally be redeemed and realized when we boast in our great God.

- Taken from "Desiring God"'s blog

A Thought on the Love of God

2007-11-25T22:44:00.000-08:00

God's love for us is incredible! Even when our perceptions of Him are inaccurate, He seems to give us opportunity to be corrected if we are humble enough to receive correction. God's love for us is not about making much of us but rather saving us from self-centeredness so that we can make much of God and enjoy Him more than anything else in this life.

Look at 1 John 4:7-12:

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us." (emphasis added)

Is it not fascinating that whenever John mentions God's love toward us and shown through us it is always qualified with God-centered and others-centered love. This is no surprise if you remember what the greatest commandment is in Matthew 22:37-40:

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
This is the great and first commandment.
And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."

God's love for us is not a man-centered love, but rather a God-centered love. There is tremendous practical follow-up from this point: how do I demonstrate love toward others, how do I worship God, how do I witness to others... Do I do these things in a man-centered way or in a God-centered way...? Join me in asking ourselves the tough questions...

Work hard and give all the credit to God!

2007-11-12T15:37:00.000-08:00

This is the verse of the day:

"work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." - Philippians 2:12-13

God does not honor passivity. Rather, we are to "work" out our own salvation, or in other words "fight the good fight of faith" (1 Timothy 6:12). At the moment when you see victory over sin or freedom from the cares of this world or moral excellence in your life, do not make it all in vain by taking the credit and glory for yourself. It is God who works in you! It is for His good pleasure!

May God receive all the credit and glory and praise for any good thing that comes from my life!

A Week in Las Vegas

2007-11-03T12:37:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas definitely lives up to its name: "Sin City". Although, in retrospect, I think that it would more accurately be called "Skin City". Pornographic images were everywhere and the entire culture was centered on sensuality and deviousness.

Although this last week was jam-packed with lessons on our culture and its values, there were several moments where I sensed the grace and providence of God.

Moment #1 - Arriving
Having a baby has its advantages when traveling. We had to get a cab to take us to the car rental place and instead of waiting 30 to 45 minutes we were shoved to the front of the line because of our "traveling with baby" status. A small miracle for us in the midst of a lot of craziness! (also, coming back home we experienced another expedited security checkpoint that shaved off an hour's wait in the Las Vegas airport - praise God!)

Moment #2 - The Bellagio
The buildings there were amazing (until you realize they were paid for by the millions/billions of dollars that come streaming in second by second via slot machines, card tables and bets). Standing in front of this massive structure, Tara and I watched the water show that has been widely known because of the popular movie "Oceans 11". During the show, two men were standing behind us sharing the gospel and praying with anyone who would come up to them. Although their methods (including a sandwich-board with abusive language) were less than God-glorifying, I was reminded of the real reason Tara and I were there (or perhaps I should say the real reason that we exist at all times) which is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever!

Moment #3 - Conversations at the Pool
Tara's extended family (her mother's side) accompanied us to Las Vegas ( or more appropriately, we accompanied them due to their generosity!). All of them, to the extent of my knowledge and discernment, do not know God, and most of them would admit that they are not Christians nor desire to become one. To get to the point, I had several conversations with one of them in particular concerning my position on certain cultural/ethical issues (which are really side issues which reveal deeper and stronger worldview convictions). Some of them included capital punishment, dinosaurs on the ark and the end of the world. Although fire did not come down from heaven and burn up the deceit and falsehood that was present, I did sense an openness to Scripture that probably was not there before - praise God!

Moment #4 - Tara and Jacob
Ok, so this wasn't just a moment- it was the entire week. I got to spend a lot of quality time with my family! We did a lot of swimming, wrestling, eating, sleeping... but what was so great was that it was hour upon hour of uninterrupted time with the two people closest to me! This was tremendous for me ( and I know that it was tremendous for Tara and Jacob too... although Jacob wouldn't be able to put it into words). Even more importantly, Tara and I were free to talk about our incredible God and spend a huge chunk of time reading Scripture and studying what God has been teaching us as of late... knowing God through his revealed Word is sweeter than honey!

Lesson Learned: Although some places seem to be more wicked than others, God can be sensed and experienced and pursued and enjoyed at any time and any place. - even in "skin city"

May God encourage you all wherever you are and at all times!

The Key to Unity: Humility

2007-10-22T13:52:00.000-07:00

"So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. "
- Philippians 2:1-11

There are many causes of discord and division in the church and among believers that are secondary to doctrinal differences: worship styles, financial situations, favoritism("I like this guy more than that guy"), etc. The ROOT of all these causes is PRIDE - thinking of our own interests before others' interests... the desire to be honored, agreed with, liked, made much of or praised instead of God.

"Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves." - Philippians 2:3-4

Our example of humility is God himself: namely, Jesus Christ (2:6-11). "Obedient to the point of death" is the description of his humility.

If there is any:
encouragement in Christ
comfort from love
participation in the Spirit
affection
sympathy

Basically, when God is at work in and through you... don't let God's work in you become an issue of division or pride, but rather "be of the same mind."

I do not think that this means that we must be willing to compromise what the Bible says. Humility is not the same as compromise. There are certain areas where compromise is completely acceptable: worship styles, paint schemes, pragmatic issues, etc. Humility is needed and is vital to these areas. However, humility in doctrinal disputes or in sin-drenched situations looks a lot different. This humility is like saying, "My opinions and instincts can be helpful or hurtful because I am imperfect even with good intentions; however, THIS is what the Bible says concerning this matter!"

We must submit to Christ's example and his Word in everything we do! May we be humble in our opinions and bold in our allegiance to Christ and his Word!

Hello, I'm Teaching Tomorrow...

2007-10-06T23:40:00.000-07:00

It is such a humbling reality to teach the Word of God! When all is said and done, my only hope is that God was honored by my faithfulness to the text of the Bible and that the Holy Spirit worked in the hearts of those who heard the message. I am merely a vessel. A servant. Praise God! To Him be all the credit and praise and recognition and fame and "thank you"s and "how true"s and "that impacted me"s!

What is even more humbling is seeing God use an imperfect servant who still battles with his sinful nature: namely, me. Yes, me. I agree with Paul when he says time and again that he is the "chief of all sinners." Sometimes I feel that way. Oh God, thank you for using broken and sinful and imperfect people such as myself to do Your will! You truly are great and deserving of all praise when Your will is accomplished and we are obedient: You are the one who is moving and directing and changing the hearts of your people!

Tomorrow, I am teaching our awesome Junior High group. I look to the words in Jeremiah 1 for confidence in God's calling as a teacher/pastor:

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations."

For those of you who are reading this post as teachers or pastors: take comfort in the calling and sovereignty of God! What a wonderful God we serve... may God encourage you and build you up in His grace and joy!

Good Doctrine: The Best Thing for a Teenager

2007-09-11T20:52:00.000-07:00

There are hundreds of strategies and ploy's to capture the heart and mind of the teenager and cultivate a disciple of Jesus Christ... but there is none that compare to the best strategy of all: teach them the Bible.

Time and time again I see the main distinguishing characteristic of a person who not only claims to be a Christian but also lives it out is that he or she is reading the Bible consistently and intentionally.

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." - Joshua 1:8

Even more importantly I see the connection between accurately understanding Scripture with maturity and obedience in life. It is so crucial for us to have the discipline to consistently be in the Bible and to have the tools and know-how to be able to read a particular passage and understand what the author's intended meaning is!

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." - 2 Timothy 3:16-17

The inspiration and inerrancy of God's Word is the root of our growth and maturity in Christ. Verse 17 begins with "that" which indicates the purpose or result of what was said in verse 16. The result of the fact that the Bible is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness is this: the Christian will be competent and equipped for every good work. What an amazing promise and hope that we have as God's children!

Two Kinds of Professionalism: Good and Bad

2007-09-11T12:19:00.000-07:00

Although it is good and God-honoring to be professional in all that we do, there is an inherent danger that lurks just around the corner in our ministries. To get straight to the point, I think the imminent danger is the neglect of the spiritual. When we are focused on administration, logistics, to do lists, efficiency, budgets, advertisements, etc., it is easy to forget about WHY we are doing these things in the first place. That entire list is comprised of means: means to an end. What is the end of all those things? Ultimately, it should be the glory of God. If that isn't our end, then we should rethink what we are doing and why.

There is, however, a good type of professionalism. This is the mindset that I think is better labeled by the word "excellence." When we perform our jobs with excellence, or serve in the church with excellence, or lead our families with excellence, or study and memorize God's Word with excellence God is praised and glorified in us! And that becomes an open door to reach those around us for Christ.

May we do everything with excellence for the glory of God! And God keep us and guard us from cold professionalism in our ministries!

Being Christian in Gadgetopia...

2007-09-01T12:29:00.000-07:00

I am now a proud owner of a ipod nano... and my prayer is that I use this little device for the Glory of God!

You might have just asked yourself, "How can you use a nano for the Glory of God?!"

Here is my strategy:

1. Use the Nike+ application to help me get back into shape... which is definitely a part of glorifying God with our bodies!
2. While I run, I will listen to God-honoring music, scripture and sermons that I can get online (including guys like Jim Andrews, John Piper, etc.)
3. All the while be completely willing to give this little device up...Apple really knows what it's doing with these things... amazing stuff... but in no way necessary for my contentment or for my godliness

What a good practice to ask ourselves, "How can I glorify God with ______?"

May we use this criteria for all of our decision making!

Steve Jobs on Not Wasting Your Life

2007-08-28T20:10:00.000-07:00

Although his conclusions are not from a biblical worldview, his points are very good! In summary, he argues that everyone should:

1. Trust in some sort of providence or fate
2. See the value and purpose of suffering
3. Continuously think about our mortality

I think you will find this interesting...

What I have learned thus far as a youth pastor...

2007-05-12T18:36:00.000-07:00

There is a gap between knowing theology and living it! This gap is not a necessary one but one that is only conquered by experience. Experience has been the tool that God is using to chisel away at my rocky exterior to reveal and form what is underneath. What is underneath? A man striving to find his identity in Christ and put into practice theological truths that are easy to believe yet hard to live out. God has placed me as a shepherd over a portion of his flock and I am overwhelmed with emotions of both inadequacy and joy. My desire for study and knowledge is balanced with my desire for practical experience in seeing the kingdom of God be furthered by the youth that have been entrusted to me and Jonathan (my cohort in ministry). These are some of the principles I have been exposed to in the past six months:

Humility - fighting ambition
Diligence - fighting procrastination and laziness
Faith - fighting worry and unbelief
Self-control - fighting indulgence and addiction

Perhaps the most important thing I am learning right now is that God is working whether I can measure it or not. God has already been doing awesome things in the lives of the youth at Lake Bible! The most important thing for me right now is to be faithful!

Relationship With God

2007-02-14T08:52:00.000-08:00

There is a direct relationship between one's relationship with God and the amount of time one spends in the Word and in prayer. Just like any relationship, one's relationship with God must be maintained and nurtured. It is incredible how easy and natural it is to become lazy and sluggish in this. One day you are wallowing in the goodness and faithfulness of God and the next day you are consumed with worry, doubt, lust, anger; all because you decided to sleep in and cater to yourself this morning instead of spend time with God. All of a sudden, you have gone a week, a month, even more than a month without genuinely spending time with God.

Resolved: I will maintain my relationship with God through Scripture reading, study and prayer as much as I possibly can and as often as I possibly can.

My relationship with God is the foundation of all that I am as a believer and a disciple of Christ. God is my source, my light; He is the living water from which I must drink as often as I can. The biggest obstacle is losing the eternal perspective that is required of all who trust in Christ. Once that is lost, sin in all its various forms becomes more and more enticing each and every second. There is no neutrality or pause; either I am growing or I am withering. I choose to grow by the incredible grace of God!

My life is changing...praise God!

2006-09-28T19:45:00.000-07:00

Wow!

It has been awhile since I last posted anything. I feel as though my life has completely changed since I last wrote. God has been working in my life ( in my life and Tara's life ). God is always working... but over the last couple months I am realizing that God is changing my desires and my passions. He is making me into the person that I am supposed to be. I am still a far cry from where I need to be and I am humbled because of that fact. However, I am delighted and overflowing with joy because the God who is sovereign over the universe has the unfathomable love to work in my heart and transform me to the image of His Son... praise be to God!

The biggest and greatest thing that has happened recently is the humbling and incredible reality that I am going to be a dad! God has blessed Tara and I with a child and I can honestly say that I have already fallen deep in love with this person. I would gladly give my life for my son or daughter. I am praying for his or her salvation and for mine and Tara's perseverance to live as godly examples to this child and raise him or her in the ways of the Lord.

This change in my life has forced me to my knees! My knees... in prayer... a place that I should have been since I first confessed Jesus Christ as my Savior. Sorrowfully, I look back on my immaturity in my relationship with God and see a Christian with sin in his life and with no progress to be noted.

That humbling and regretful state of facts has pierced my conscience and my heart with a deep motivation to know God more and find all of my strength and reason for living in Him and Him alone!

For anyone who might read this posting, my prayer is that you would do the same. Pray as long as you possibly can and as often as you possibly can. I have not perfected prayer and I won't on this side of eternity. But pursuing prayer and reliance on God (which is what prayer really is) is a worthwhile pursuit... one worth fighting for! One worth dying for!

How can God work in us and be glorified in us if we do not know Him? If we do not rely on Him? If we do not delight in Him?

If there is one thing that I am learning... it is how important and vital for me as a child of God to delight in God and to be most satisfied with Him and to desire to bring glory to Him in everything that I do!

Praise God for His undeserved grace that He has bestowed on us! Let us delight in glorifying Him!

Da Vinci Code - A Challenge to Believers

2006-05-18T14:45:00.000-07:00

How should the church react to this book/movie/cultural phenomenon?

So far, I have seen three responses:

Ban it, burn it - This response is self-explanatory. It is the response that the catholic church has been accused of having (in the media...whether this is true or not I do not know). Many evangelicals are taking this stance as well (more specifically the conservative side of evangelicalism). The main thrust behind this argument is that because the claims are blasphemous against Jesus, any support (financially etc.) would be sinful.
Watch it... but only to dismantle it - Many people have read the book or will go to the movie in order to educate themselves about the whole phenomenon of the "Da Vinci Code". They do this in order to be able to refute all its claims... or perhaps just better understand what the book is arguing so that they can in turn be able to adequately discuss it's claims with others.
It's just fiction, folks - This response is held by everyone else (especially non-Christians - why would it matter to them? It's just a good show). Perhaps on the far swing of the pendulum in the direction opposite of the popular Christian reaction there are people who hold this book/movie as a victory against the superstitious/anti-intellectual religion called Christianity.

How can we as believers love God and love our neighbors(which I think is the core of our ethical choice-making criteria) in this situation?

Well, my first thoughts are that every response has merit... yes, I know, that's a horrible stance to take! The "ban it, burn it" stance does have merit because as a believer I do think that the claims in the Da Vinci Code are heretical ( which is no surprise... there is a lot of stuff in society that is heretical - we do not live in a Christian nation!). The "watch it to study it" response is a good middle ground approach - admitting that the claims are false (like much of society's claims) but instead of being ignorant about it, educate yourself. The "just fiction" response is understandable - especially if you are not a Christian... you have no clue what is at stake in the Da Vinci Code's claims if you do not hold the Bible as true and infallible.

As a believer in Christ, I plead for consistency! This is the one area where we can use some improvement. If you think that it is sinful for you to spend money on the book or movie, then listen to you conscience (the Spirit convicts us for a reason!). If you want to see the movie so that you can adequately interact with everyone else who has seen it - then watch it. Do not feel ashamed for watching the movie for that purpose... many pastors, priests and teachers purchase literature from the occult and other religions in order to become better educated about those various beliefs.

If you take the "it's just fiction" response - be careful. The beginning of the book gives a "this is actually factual" atmosphere to the book; do not give Dan Brown the benefit of the doubt with respect to his motives for writing the book. Many people outside of the Christian camp see this book as a victory, an evolutionary leap in the direction of truth and relativism. This is not the place for the believer - this is where we need to be counter-cultural.

Most of all, use this whole situation as an open door to discuss the Bible/Jesus/Christianity with your neighbors - redeem this opportunity! When do we ever have such an opportunity as this to bring up the claims of the Bible with almost anyone we come across - now, because of the Da Vinci Code, it is relevant to discuss it. See this as opportunity.

God's Greatest Gift to Me

2006-05-18T14:23:00.000-07:00

God's greatest gift to me this side of eternity is Tara! She is the most beautiful person that I have ever met... inside and out! My love for her has grown every single day since I have met her, dated her, married her... I am truly blessed!

This summer will be our 2nd anniversary and we have grown in our love and respect for each other. Marriage is a wonderful thing when you do not fret and worry about whether or not your spouse is faithful or not; divorce is not even an valid option for us.

Tara, I want you to know that I love you with every ounce of my being! I am so excited to experience life with you... and to grow old with you! You grow more beautiful every day! My heart is yours forever!

I love you Tara!

The Christian Worldview and the Separation of Church and State

2006-05-16T18:01:00.000-07:00

Although America is conducive for the lifestyle and freedom of the believer in Christ, one must not make the mistake of thinking that to be Christian is to be American, or that to be American is to be Christian.

America, since its inception, has put into policy a separation of church and state. This is both good and bad from different points of view. It is good because the government has no say in religious matters (unless they threaten civil law) - This gives freedom to its citizens.

However, there are negative consequences that come from this policy. The separation of church and state has caused a subtle bifurcation between religion and societal living. This mindset, or perhaps "worldview", has infultrated the Christian faith. Religion has become a personal matter, and tolerance is the prime virtue.

The question is whether the good outweighs the bad, or vice-versa. Is it realistic to pursue a theocracy? How does the Christian relate to government... the world? Here are some negative consequences on the individual Christian and the church as a whole stemming from the "separation of church and state" mindset:

Syncretism - Essentially, there is a trend of religion "a la carte" stemming from the prime virtue of Tolerance (which is a good thing, but is it really the best and most important of virtues?).
Christian by day, someone else by night - self-explanatory.

These are definitely symptoms of "separation of church and state" Christians, but these symptoms are present everywhere and at all times; any elementary history of Christianity would show this. I do not think that the separation of church and state is really the cause of these problems... it might be a catalyst, but not the cause.

On the reverse side of this thinking, there are negative consequences to pursuing a theocratic-like approach to America (trying to infiltrate the government, pass only Christian laws, enforce them on the entire country). Now, don't get me wrong: Christians have the right to vote and they should vote from their convictions about issues. Good, moral... yes, even biblical laws are great to see in governmental policies because they are good for society. But I think that there is a difference between someone who voices their convictions about issues and someone who tries to enforce their convictions upon other people. Here are some negative consequences:

Legalism - When Christian principles are followed just because they are "the rules", misconceptions about what it means to be Christian follow. i.e. Someone can be a moral person but still not be Christian.... someone who has placed their faith and trust in Jesus Christ for rescuing them from spiritual death and separation from God - in the simplest of terms, that is initially what it means to be a follower of Christ. However, when someone just follows the Biblical standards of morality, that's great, but it has not saved them and it has not changed their hearts - which is the real issue, isn't it?
Animosity towards Christians - I'm sure that a lot of us have experienced this in light of certain people in the Christian Right movement that have overstepped their bounds with their words and have really made all Christians look like Christian nationalist terrorists. That is not what it means to be Christian!
Loss of witness - For those of us interested in reaching our neighbors for Christ, enforcing Christian laws on them is an ignorant approach. How can we reach our countrymen for Christ if we make them our enemies? Outward actions only go so far.... Are we not targeting the inner-person? Will not actions follow? It seems to me that the Bible portrays outward actions as evidence of faith... How can they precede it?

Maybe there is a different approach to relating to our government, our country, our world. Conquering them is out of the picture! Did Christ come to set up a political kingdom, or a spiritual one?

Living by Faith

2006-05-08T15:03:00.000-07:00

How does one live by faith? Is faith completely blind... or is it more complex than that, or perhaps even simpler? The author of Hebrews seems to indicate that a person who lives by faith is someone who lives out what they believe in, more specifically, what their hope is.

What is my hope? The same as Abraham, Isaac... David... an "eternal city." The concepts of "pilgrim" and "alien" are recurring themes... even so, living by faith is not just hope or belief, but it is actually living out this hope and belief. In Matthew chapter 8, when the disciples were manning the boat while Jesus was asleep, they became fearful and cried out to God. Jesus still reprimanded them though, because they did not believe...(they still cried out to Jesus for help, but it wasn't enough!). They were not living by faith.

One must be convinced of the veracity of Jesus Christ and his promises, even to the point of living it out in word and deed. Jesus, earlier in the same chapter, praised the centurion for his great faith because he truly believed Jesus could and would heal his servant.

It then follows, especially going back to the context of Hebrews, that great faith is not so much about the person (look at Baruk, Gideon, David, etc. - these guys had serious problems... they were weak, cowardly, sinful)... rather it is the object of our faith, the God who is being trusted...it is the object of our faith that is the issue. God does want appropriate faith though - faith that is real and tangible even though the object of our faith is not tangible (right now)... but, it is real!

Wealth and Money

2006-05-06T13:16:00.000-07:00

As an American, I know that my thoughts on this subject can become quite culturally tainted (and I hope I can avoid those mistakes) ! Here are some principles that I think need to be considered:

Am I letting my pursuit of money (wealth, possessions, stuff) become more important than my relationships with... God, my wife, my family, friends, people in general? (Mark 10:20)
Am I content with what I have even if all I have is necessities? (1 Timothy 6:6)
Do I spend based on necessity or desire? This question must also ask if "desire" is the answer, is my desire a good one, or is it selfish or prideful?
Am I giving back to God?

With another perspective:

Am I putting regulations on myself that are helpful, or are they unnecessary?
Am I being too frugal to the point of being selfish or obsessive?
How can I glorify God with my money and possessions?

Being rich is one thing, but being rich in good deeds is another! May we use the gifts God has given to us for good and not for evil!

Imitation

2006-05-06T10:03:00.000-07:00

C.S. Lewis provoked my thinking concerning this... there is a secret with imitation (especially with imitating God because He is perfection) in that it begins to become a reality. This is why obedience is so important for us as believers, even though we begin to try to obey God (and very unsuccessfull and wrought with wrong motives and attitudes!), God begins to change us, and the obedience becomes more and more genuine (especially internally!) and we actually become more and more like Christ!

This is entirely God's grace upon us, for on our own we cannot become more like God; we might become moral, but internal changes would never happen.

When we are obedient to Christ in our actions, I believe He helps us (and changes us) internally, which completely alters the person and enables the person to obey Christ even more closely (1 Corinthians 4:16, Hebrews 6:12, 13:7, 3 John 11, Ephesians 5:1, 1 Thessalonians 1:6, 2:14)

Perhaps this further sheds light on the relationship between faith and works... we obey God, not to earn salvation, but so that God can work in us... our motives, attitudes... our attempts at obedience are the evidence of our faith, but the successful obedience (externally and internally) is the grace of God, which even further evidences our salvation!

Practical Theology

2006-05-05T23:23:00.000-07:00

What good is Theology if it is not practical and put into practice? The epitome of compartmentalization is treating theology as merely cognitive and intellectual and letting it have little to no impact in your life. What I believe about God should be directly evident in my life. I love how Peter begins his first epistle... He establishes in the first twelve verses the great hope that the elect have that is founded in the amazing grace of our God. He then exhorts the readers with the command to "be holy." What other response could we have execpt to imitate our God and conform to the image of His Son? Any other response is either done in selfish ambition (which is ironically worse for the individual) or done in arrogance ( in that one thinks that he/she knows how to live without the help of God).

In this specific passage, and in general, the dividing line seems to center around the perspective of the individual; is it an eternal perspective or a temporal one? This discussion is difficult, however, because both sides of the coin can be taken to the extreme and severely abused. Obviously, living too much in a temporal mindset leads to antinomianism and materialism: ultimately hedonism. However, living too much with a heavenly perspective could possibly result in the "ivory tower" syndrome: isolating oneself from the world to an extent that leaves no interaction with the world.

Perspective is the key to practical theology. Although "perspective" is a loaded word, it has profound implications for practical living. Humanity is immortal (in one sense), yet most of us do not live as though we are... yes, even those of us who know that we are eternal beings.... even we still do not live with an eternal perspective. Perspective affects little choices we make, and those little choices have consequences, and these consequences become large, and eventually our lives are characterized either by living for this world or the next.... what will I choose?