Great Is Diana of the Americans!

This morning I had the book Wise Counsel with me as I sat down at my computer to write this posting. I intended to quote John Newton on page 85, “When I hear the cry about liberty I think of the old cry, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians.” Newton is quoting from Acts 19:28, 34.

When I turned my computer on, I saw my friend Michael Daily’s comment on the previous post, in which I also quote from this collection of Newton’s letters. And just what does Michael write? “In this same vein I appreciated Newton's comment in one of his letters that the Americans were shouting "Liberty, Liberty" the way the Ephesians shouted "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!"” This is from the same letter as the quote used a few days ago.

In this letter, as Newton surveys the attitudes of England and the American colonies, especially the attitudes of professing Christians, he also writes, “It seems to me one of the darkest signs of the times, that so many of the Lord’s professing people act as if they thought he was withdrawn from the earth…” Newton then writes of Christians railing against those with whom they disagree and indulging in “unsanctified passions instead of taking that part which is assigned them Ezek. 9:4.”

“And the Lord said to him, “Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.”” (Ezekiel 9:4).

It doesn’t appear to me that we, in this nation, and especially we in the professing church in this nation, are “sighing and groaning” over the abominations in the professing church and in our nation. We may shout. We may engage in vitriol, or bow down before the talking heads that do – letting them be our proxies. We may wield sarcasm and intimidation. But we do not sigh and groan over our personal and familial sins and the sins of the church and the nation.

We talk of liberty but we mean rebellion; we mean that we insist on doing what we want how we want both in the professing church and in general society.  The Bible is nothing more than a useful tool to further my own enjoyment, it is not God’s Authority in my life. Let us manipulate the Bible to further our political, economic, and social agendas; but let us not submit to the Scriptures. Let us form the Bible into our own image, let us not submit to the Bible so that God through His Word may form us, by His mercy and grace, into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Look around you, if you live in the United States you are living in a nation that is repudiating the image of God; you are living in a nation that is forcibly imposing this repudiation upon its citizens, on its children, in its education system, on its businesses, and on its churches. Western civilization and the Western church is committing an incredible spiritual, moral, political suicide – one that I think is without precedent. We are eradicating humanity from humanity and are giving ourselves over to the demonic – the Tower of Babel looks fairly innocent when compared to us; Sodom and Gomorrah [Mathew 10:15; 11:20 – 24] will perhaps stand and accuse us, you and me and our leaders and our neighbors and the leaders of our churches on the Day of Judgment – for we had the Gospel, we had the Light of Christ, we had some understanding of the image of God – and we not only rejected it ourselves, we forced others to reject it.

But as long as we have our LIBERTY, as long as “I can do it my way,” as long as we can shout, “Great is Diana of the Americans!” – we really don’t care do we?

Lord President, Lord Speaker, or Lord God?

We are now treated with observing two great democracies in meltdown, not that they haven’t been in moral and spiritual meltdown for some time, but the paralysis we are witnessing is yet another reminder of the futility of placing one’s hopes in this age, in a political party, in an economic system, and in hyper-nationalism. What saddens me most, here in the USA, is that much of the professing-church continues to drink the political poison. When I take a chance and turn on what is supposed to be “Christian radio” I often do not hear Biblical perspectives, but rather the same vitriol and thoughtless babel that permeates general talk-radio.

Last year my friend Michael Daily gave me a book which I have found to be a particular treasure, Wise Counsel, John Newton’s Letters to John Ryland Jr., Grant Gordon Editor, Banner of Truth Trust. The book contains 83 letters from Newton to Ryland, which the editor sets in their historical context. After reading only two or three of Newton’s letters I thought, “If only I had someone like John Newton in my life when I was younger!” Newton’s letters are straightforward and yet loving; an older man writing to a younger man who is open to counsel – counsel that is often direct, at times indirect, always careful and thoughtful, and decidedly humble.

On August 1, 1775 Newton shares his thoughts about the rebellion in America (recall that Lexington and Concord was in April 1775) and the Christian’s response to turmoil both at home and in the Colonies.

“As a minister and a Christian I think it is better to lay all the blame upon sin. Instead of telling people Lord North [the Prime Minister] blunders, I tell them the Lord of hosts is angry. If God has a controversy with us, I can expect no other than that wisdom should be hidden from the wise. If our Lord’s kingdom was of this world, then I think his servants would have as good a right as others to take the lead in political disputes; at present I believe they will do as well to let the dead bury the dead, to mourn for what they cannot help, and to ply the throne of grace as the best and most effectual method of serving their country. I believe the sins of Britain and America have too much prevailed, and that a wrong spirit and wrong measures have taken place on both sides because the Lord has left us to ourselves.” [Italics mine].

Luther wrote about the Babylonian captivity of the church, I think we could just as easily speak of the political and cultural captivity of the church. We surrender our minds to thoughtlessness, clichés, arguments against bogey men and women, fear, self-interest; why aren’t we on our collective knees crying out to God for mercy? When we pray we often pray against our political and cultural adversaries rather than stand in the gap and intercede on behalf of all people, rather than confess our own sins and the sins of our nation. Some professing Christians think and act as if their particular eschatological viewpoint gives them carte blanche to overlook gross inequities and injustices in their own nation and in other “favored” nations, while at the same time painting those peoples and nations in opposition to them (real or imagined) with a broad brush of judgement and harshness. At a time when this generation needs the Church to be the Church with a clear and unequivocal witness of Jesus Christ, and with a clear statement that we are pilgrims and aliens on this earth, we often throw in our lot with the agendas of a world-system that is opposed to our Father’s kingdom.

We think that “the Lord of hosts is angry” with the sin of others and not ours; the sin of other nations, the sin of other political viewpoints, the sin of other economic viewpoints, the sin of other social viewpoints; but He is not angry with our sin. Those other people are the enemies of God, not our own people.

Do we not, as a nation, as a culture, and often as a church, have “a wrong spirit and wrong measures”? Has not God sent us “a strong delusion” (2 Thess. 2:11); has God not “given us up” (Romans 1:24) to our own wicked desires?

I think that rather than have a national flag in our churches, which is problematic and creates confusion, that the only flag we ought to have is a white flag of surrender to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Perhaps John Newton has something to say to us.

American Idols

“Little children, guard yourselves from idols.” 1 John 5:21

Interesting that John concludes his letter with these words. Did his readers anticipate this? The letter begins with our koinonia (fellowship, communion, intimacy) with the Trinity, it ends with this warning.

Why did Jesus, in what was apparently His first message in His hometown synagogue at the beginning of His public ministry, use two examples of God’s grace and mercy that were sure to anger and inflame the congregation (Luke 4:25 – 30)? Surely there were examples of God working within the people of Israel and Judah that He could have used?

Are we not like the disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration, wanting to build three tabernacles, one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah? Can we not hear the Father’s voice, “This is My Son, My Chosen One, hear Him!”?

What are the tabernacles that we have built to compete with Jesus Christ? What “sacred” competition have we invited into our lives and the lives of our churches? What sacred – idolatrous images and ideas are we guarding? We can answer that, in part, by looking at the congregation in Nazareth – what, if touched, inflames our anger? What causes us to throw Jesus out of the synagogue and attempt to murder Him?  A pastor can often answer the question by being honest enough to ask, “What must I avoid in preaching so as not to inflame the congregation?” Of course, it can be discouraging to be honest. Why?

Well, as a pastor, to be honest about idols in the congregation is to look at what can seem as insurmountable challenges – ingrained idols are not easily removed. Also, as a pastor, to recognize idols that “must not be touched” can be a challenge to one’s character – “Am I going to preach the Word of God with courage, or am I a coward?” I don’t appreciate asking myself the question, I don’t like the question, but I must ask myself the question. But then, it is a good question; and if the question brings me to the end of myself and throws me upon the Christ of the Cross and the Cross of Christ, then it is indeed a question that leads to redemption; it is a question that (hopefully in Christ) brings my self-sufficiency to an end (at least for a moment!) and by God’s grace the Treasure in earthen vessels will shine through (2 Corinthians 4:7).

One would think that seeing the glory of Jesus Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration would have surpassed any inclination in the disciples to build three tabernacles, but it didn’t. This should be a warning to us – we can take the good things of God and transpose them downward into idolatry (see Numbers 21:8 and 2 Kings 18:4 as an example).

Is it fair to ask, “If we can take the good things of God and transpose them downward into idolatry, can we also take the “good” things of this world and fashion them into idols?” That which is good can be transposed into the demonic without us sensing that the temperature in the kettle is rising. The “good” can appear to be so “good” that we dare not challenge it, we dare not ask, “What is this thing doing in my heart, doing in our hearts, competing with Jesus Christ?”

What is it that I, as a pastor, dare not touch lest the people expel me from the church and throw me off a cliff? What is it that might arouse my own anger should someone dare to suggest that something I hold dear is completing with Jesus Christ for my adoration and worship and allegiance?

But of course, you need not be concerned about this…right?

What's Our Plan?

Tomorrow morning, the Lord willing, I'll be distributing this letter to our congregation - maybe there is something here for you.

January 6, 2019

Dear Bethlehem Family,

These are some brief thoughts for us to ponder:

I want to encourage us to read the Bible during the coming year. What’s your plan? Are we reading the Bible as if it were a life and death matter? It is. We are surrounded by a culture of death – we are called to be men and women and families of light and life in Jesus Christ.

Take a look at 2 Peter 1:1 – 11; through God’s Word we are partakers of His Divine Nature. As we feed on Jesus Christ (John Chapter 6) we live, and if we live in Christ we can feed others in and through Christ. We ought to be traveling bread trucks, food trucks – dispensing the grace and mercy and life of Christ freely to those around us. Are we feeding others?

Please read all of the New Testament this coming year.

Please read at least one Psalm each day – this is a treasure house.

The Old Testament contains the Pentateuch (Genesis – Deuteronomy); books of history (Joshua – Esther); Wisdom/Poetical books (Job – Song of Solomon); the three Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel), and the Minor Prophets (Daniel – Malachi). This is just one quick way of looking at the OT, there are other ways. This method gives us five sections.

Why not choose a section to get to know really well in the coming year? Or in the first quarter? Then after the first quarter you can decide to move to another section or remain where you are.

In the NT, try to read a Gospel chapter a day – we can never get too much of our Lord Jesus. Begin with a Gospel and then move to another Gospel throughout the year.

The NT has the Gospels, Acts, the letters of Paul, Hebrews, the General Epistles (James – Jude), and of course Revelation. (Hebrews can be placed with Paul or with the General Epistles).

How about choosing a section or book of the NT to get to know really well during the first quarter or during the entire year? If you are thinking of Paul, rather than start with all of his letters you could choose the Prison Epistles (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon); or the Pastoral Epistles (1 & 2 Timothy and Titus); or 1 & 2 Thessalonians, or Romans and Galatians, or 1 & 2 Corinthians.

Let’s get to know the Bible so that God’s Word owns us and we own God’s Word. If we can get up in the middle of the night and find our way to the bathroom in the dark, surely we ought to know the Bible so well that we can come to the place where we can find our way from Genesis to Revelation without a flashlight or lamp on a nightstand.

People need us to know God’s Word and to allow His Word to live and flow through us. God’s Word is where we can enjoy intimate relationship with our Father and with one another.

Take a look at Joshua Chapter One – if we don’t walk on the land we will not possess the land – the land is the Word of God.

Have a plan – work the plan; gain ground, don’t circle round and round for 40 years…or 60…or 70…or 80.

Much love,

Bob

A New Year’s Desire

In Exodus 33:13 and 18 we read Moses asking Yahweh, “Now therefore I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You…Then Moses said, I pray You, show me Your glory!”

Moses wanted to know the ways of God and he wanted to see God’s glory, God’s face (Exodus 33:20). In Psalm 103:7 David writes, “He made know His ways to Moses…”

Centuries later Paul writes from prison, “…that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings…” (Philippians 3:10).

David writes, “When You said, Seek My face, my heart said to You, Your face, O Yahweh, I shall seek” (Psalm 27:8).

Three times in Psalm 80 the psalmist implores God to “cause You face to shine upon us”.

In this New Year, ought not our desire and prayer be for our Father to teach us His ways so that we might know Him more intimately? Ought it not to be that we will see His face?

A Day is coming when we will “see His face” (Revelation 22:4) in the fulness of our redemption, ought we not to be seeking His face right now, even as we see through a glass darkly?

“Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Fix your mind on things above, not on the things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:1 – 2).

O heavenly Father, please let this New Year be a year of us learning Your ways and seeking Your face. Please cause Your face to shine upon us that we may live in the light of Your mercy and grace and be a blessing to those around us in our Lord Jesus Christ. Let knowing You be our all-consuming desire.”