Thank You Father for Babies! (May 20, 2007)
I held my grandson in my arms for the first time on Thursday night. My heart was lifted up to my heavenly Father in adoration and praise as I gazed down on that tiny, frail, absolutely dependant, but intricately and beautifully formed bit of humanity. That is how Jesus came. What incredible humility, what awesome condescension, what amazing love - that He, the creator and sustainer of all should have taken on this humanity, this utter dependence. My mind struggled with the incomprehensibility of the truths ascribed to Him in the accolade of Colossians 1:15-20.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. [ESV]
Did He, the One who holds all things together, constrain Himself to the confines of the likes of this tiny baby, who was so totally dependant on my capability to hold him safely? It is no wonder that Paul, after he concluded his prayer for the Colossians with these words, ". giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." [Col 1:11-14 ESV] couldn't help but break out into the tribute of the words quoted above.
Thank you Father for babies! They help us remember Your awesome love and compassion for us, your creatures.
A Grandpa's Thoughts! (May 15, 2007)
I thought I was beyond surprises. Tonight God surprised me yet again and enlarged my heart some more!
Thirty one years ago today I became a husband when I married my beloved Becky. At the time I felt that the joy and delight I experienced that day could never be surpassed. But the years have taught me that God has many delightful surprises for us and that He enlarges our capacity for joy and delight with each new peek around the corner of His benevolence. Thirty one wonderful anniversaries later along with the births of a son (I became a dad) and two daughters, many-many birthday parties, Christmas eves, Valentines' days (to say nothing of inumerable hilarious mealtimes and those very special moments when my children each confessed their faith in Christ), a wedding, a very special daughter-in-law — I thought I was beyond surprises.
Tonight God surprised me yet again and enlarged my heart some more. I became a grandpa. Little Benjamin Matthew came into the world at 7:25 this evening of our 31st. wedding anniversary. On the phone my son told me that he had experienced a bit of a difficult time with tears as he held his son for the first time. I understood! Those are tears of joy and delight. I had been there before and so had he — our roles had been a little different, however. I can remember holding him and being entirely captivated by his tiny form. The tears had surprised me then. Now it was my son's turn. But emotions were stirring in this new grandpa's heart too.
This was like nothing I had ever experienced before. God delivered another of His delights - a grandson. Even though I knew this day was coming, I was not prepared for the sensation that came with it. For two days we had hovered near the phone waiting for the news. Now Benjamin was here and my heart was singing - and I had'n even met him yet.
I know I am not the first grandpa in the world but this was a first for me and I delighted in the moment. Thank you Father for grandsons.
Missions and the Heart of a Dad! (May 9, 2007)
I said goodbye to my baby girl this week. Becky and I, along with a number of other friends and relatives saw her off from the Seattle airport in the wee hours of Monday morning as she and her team of 7 began their missions odyssey to Thailand. She is only 23 and from this dad’s perspective “far too young” to have committed herself to a three-year stint involving a year of language study and two years of church related ministry in the Golden Triangle area of Northern Thailand.
The drive home from the airport was a blur. Fortunately my friend Jon had been tasked with the responsibility of keeping me awake so that I would get us home safely – at which he did a superb job. After an all-too-short sleep, morning came, and with it an odd mixture of thoughts and emotions. I found myself thinking that she was just in the other room. I would walk into the kitchen and half expect to still see her sitting cross-legged on the floor next to the fire place working on her computer or reading a book. When the front door would open my ears half expected to hear her cheery “Hi! I’m home!”
There is another emotion in my heart - deep gratitude to my Heavenly Father.
It’s not as though she had never been away from home before. At 19 she did a year in Europe and at 21 she spent 9 months in Thailand. But somehow this was different. She had made a specific commitment of time to serve as a “full-time missionary”. Ever since she returned from that first journey to Thailand we knew this day was coming. We had seen it in her eyes, heard it in virtually every conversation. My daughter had lost her heart to her God and to the people of Thailand – and we were delighted. But that did not change the things that were happening to my heart on Monday.
In the intervening year, since she had returned from Thailand, we enjoyed a delightful time of getting to know our youngest as she lived at home while preparing herself for this adventure. The three of us shared many delightful evenings together and both Becky and I felt that we got to know our daughter in a whole new way. We took in movies together. We enjoyed meals together along with many cups of coffee. We debriefed the joys and struggles of our days together. We teased each other and grew in love and respect for one another. Now she was gone and a corner of my heart was gone too – I believe it followed her to Thailand.
Ever since she returned from that first journey to Thailand we knew this day was coming. We had seen it in her eyes, heard it in virtually every conversation. My daughter had lost her heart to her God and to the people of Thailand – and we were delighted. But that did not change the things that were happening to my heart on Monday.
There is another emotion in my heart - deep gratitude to my Heavenly Father. I remember a time when Becky and I wondered and worried what would ever become of our willful youngest child. But God, in His boundless mercy, got hold of that will (and of her heart) and she surrendered her life to Him. Now she was on an adventure with Him – following her Lord where ever He might lead. So we celebrated her departure. There were no regrets. At some point last week we all had a chuckle together as we realized that we probably would not shed any tears at the airport – that is just not how we do it in our family. We might shed them later, privately! But even those tears are not tears of grief over missed opportunities or unfinished business or unforgiven grievances. We were able to see her off with no regrets! We are just plain and simply going to miss her.
As I pondered these conflicting emotions in my heart I paused to ask, “I wonder what happened in the heart of the Father when he sent His Son on the ultimate missions trip?” Is it in any way possible for me as a human dad to comprehend the heart of the Heavenly Father? I took a few moments to considered the depths that lie behind the statement “For God so loved that he gave …” (John 3:16) This experience has made me appreciate Galatians 4:4 a little more. “In the fullness of time, God sent his Son …” There is an unfathomable vastness to those simple words. The Eternal Son, who throughout that eternity had never left the Father’s side (John 1:18), was now stepping into time and space and into the human experience to undertake the greatest missionary adventure of all as He “…came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10) It is comforting to know that my daughter is following in His footsteps.
Esther's Graduation
It is not every day that I get to witness a significant accomplishment like this one. I was very proud of my middle daughter as she walked across the stage to receive her diploma of graduation from Trinity Western University with a Bachelor of Science. She has worked hard for it and it is exciting to see what lies around the corner for her next.
The Tomb of Jesus – Empty or Still Occupied? (March 13, 2007)
Has all the hype surrounding the "documentary" film The Lost Tomb of Jesus caught you off guard? The film's website proclaims, An incredible archaeological discovery in Israel changes history and shocks the world. Well, what about it? The website contains a disclaimer stating that they are not disputing the resurrection of Jesus. The film makers claim, "Even if Jesus were moved from one tomb to another, this does not negate the possibility that he was resurrected from the second tomb" and then add in relation to the ascension: "If Jesus' mortal remains have indeed been found, this would contradict only the idea of a physical ascension. However, it says nothing against the possibility of a spiritual one nor does it dispute the idea of the Ascension." The fact remains that, if it is true that Jesus' bones are contained in an ossuary somewhere in present day Jerusalem, then Peter's statement in Acts 2:22-24* "Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. (23) This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. (24) But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him." (emphasis added) ; and Paul's declaration in Acts 13:34 "... God raised him from the dead, never to decay...", are empty lies. If, in fact, Jesus did not rise from the dead, victorious over sin, the curse and the grave, then in Paul's words, we have believed in vain!
But have we? What does the Biblical record tell us? Here is what Paul wrote to the church in the city of Corinth - countering the claims of some, who even in that day were disputing the possibility of the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-25 - headings and emphasis added).
The Reminder:
(1) Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. (2) By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
The Gospel:
(3) For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, (4) that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
The Proof:
(5)and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. (6) After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. (7) Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, (8)and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
The Summary:
(9) For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. (10) But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them-yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. (11) Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.
The Question:
(12)But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
The Stakes:
(13) If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. (14) And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. (15) More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. (16) For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. (17) And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. (18) Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. (19) If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.
The Fact:
(20) But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
The Theology:
(21) For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. (22) For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. (23) But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. (24) Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. (25) For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
The apostle Paul continues in Acts 13:37 “... the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay” and in Romans 6:9-10 he declares, “For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.”
Allow the import of the necessity of the bodily resurrection, ascension and imminent return of Jesus penetrate deeply into your soul. The Scriptures are replete with eye witness accounts and public declarations of the physical resurrection of Jesus. When the disciples first saw Jesus after the resurrection they wondered if he were a ghost. Jesus told them to both look at him and touch him to assure them that he was the flesh and blood Jesus - and if that were not enough he asked for some food to eat in their presence (Luke 24:36-43). Later when Thomas doubted, Jesus urged him to touch the very scars and believe (John 20:27). It was Jesus' intention that his followers have full assurance that he was physically alive.
Now listen to the words of the two men to the watching disciples on the morning of the Ascension, “ 'Men of Galilee,' they said, 'why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.' ” (Acts 1:11) This same physically alive Jesus has promised to return and take us to be with him (John 14)
Here is the hope we have, And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. (Romans 8:11)
Let us rejoice together with all Christians everywhere that “He is risen indeed!”
*All Scripture references are from the NIV Bible
Will Smith, meet King David! (Jan. 19, 2007)
My wife and I went to watch "The Pursuit of Happyness" and really enjoyed it. The storyline, acting and production were very touching. But as I drove away I could not help but ask the question, "Is that really what constitutes happiness?" I thought about the words of a wise old song writer who lived many centuries ago. I quote two of his psalms here (the underlining is mine for emphasis):
"Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. (2) For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. (3) Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. (4) Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD. (5) The LORD shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. (6) Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, and peace upon Israel." Psalm 128:1-6
"Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. (2) While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being. (3) Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. (4) His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. (5) Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God: (6) Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever: (7) Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners: (8) The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous: (9) The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down. (10) The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD." Psalm 146:1-10
"Truthiness" (Dec. 9, 2006)
CNN had an interesting article up on their web site today. Part of it is as follows:
'Truthiness' is the word of the year
The word -- if one can call it that -- best summed up 2006, according to an online survey by dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster.
"Truthiness" was credited to Comedy Central satirist Stephen Colbert, who defined it as "truth that comes from the gut, not books."
"We're at a point where what constitutes truth is a question on a lot of people's minds, and truth has become up for grabs," said Merriam-Webster president John Morse. "'Truthiness' is a playful way for us to think about a very important issue."
As I reflected on this characterization of 2006, the year that is almost all behind us, I could not help but go to the Scriptures and look up a few verses by way of contrast. I wanted to see what The Book said about truth – to see if what constitutes truth really is up for grabs or not. Here is a sampling:
Joh 1:14-17 The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. We gazed on his glory, the kind of glory that belongs to the Father's unique Son, full of grace and truth. (15) John told the truth about him when he cried out, "This is the person about whom I said, 'The one who comes after me ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.'" (16) From his fullness we have all received one gracious gift after another. (17) For while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Joh 8:32 [Jesus, to His followers] “…And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Joh 8:44 [to the Pharisees] You belong to your father the devil, and you want to carry out the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and has never stood by the truth, since there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie he speaks in character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Joh 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Joh 14:17 [the Holy Spirit] … is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, for it neither sees him nor recognizes him. But you recognize him, for he abides with you and will be in you.
Joh 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth. Your word is truth.
Joh 18:38 Pilate said to him, "What is 'truth'?"
Rom 1:18 For God's wrath is being revealed from heaven against all the ungodliness and wickedness of those who in their wickedness suppress the truth.
Rom 1:25 They exchanged God's truth for a lie and worshipped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Eph 4:25 Therefore, stripping off falsehood, "let each of us speak the truth to his neighbor," for we are members of one another.
Eph 6:14 [our spiritual warfare involves truth] Stand firm, therefore, having fastened the belt of truth around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
3Jo 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are living according to the truth.
That is truth that comes from the Book not the gut!!
1 John has a number of verses, that I have not included here, that speak of the truth being in us (or not, if we live in darkness).
May God grant us the grace and strength to walk daily in this kind of truth – not mere “truthiness”! The definition of truth is not up for grabs!
Be encouraged as you “walk in the Truth”! [Scripture references from the International Standard Version. Underlining mine - for emphasis.]
MK Musings
I grew up as a TCK (third culture kid) - also known as an MK. TCK's face special challenges as they adapt to life between cultures. This blog is designed to explore that aspect of my life. Like any blog, sometimes I have something to write and other times I don't. Check it out here
My original Pictodigital blog
Before I began this web site I put a number of my photos on a blog. I keep it for archive purposes. It can be accessed here.
