Workers for God

And now, a word from Ellen White. I just read this entire article from Review and Herald, June 20, 1882. It is powerful, sobering, and cuts to the heart. Take the ten minutes to read the whole thing:

To every man God has intrusted talents for wise improvement. If rightly used, these talents will reflect glory to the Giver. But the most precious gifts of God may be perverted, and thus become a curse rather than a blessing. No man can even once devote his God-given powers to the service of worldliness or pride without placing himself on the enemy’s ground, weakening his own soul, and misleading others.

Some who possess qualities which might render them highly useful to the cause of God, possess also serious defects of character, which they do not make sufficient effort to overcome. They seem almost powerless to resist the spirit and influence of the world. Some endeavor to change their surroundings in the hope of finding an easier path; but while they shun one temptation, they place themselves in the way of another. It is of little avail to change our position in order to escape temptation, unless God marks out our way and indicates our duty. The trouble is not so much in the surroundings as in the weakness of the man.

Those who have not a living connection with God, are actuated by a desire to exalt self. It is this desire which has opened the way for an irreligious influence to bear sway among us. Many have not pure, noble conceptions of truth and duty. Worldly customs and practices are introduced because the hearts of unconsecrated ministers and church-members still cling to the love of the world. These persons are not qualified to teach the truth, for they do not present to the world the safe standard. Words, however true and forcible, will have but little effect, if contradicted by the daily life.

No man can exert an influence for Christ, unless he is a decided and consistent Christian. Those who love and cherish the pure principles of Bible religion, will not be found weak in moral power. Under the elevating, ennobling influence of the Holy Spirit, the tastes and inclinations become pure and holy. Nothing will take so strong a hold upon the affections, nothing reaches so fully down to the deepest motives of action, nothing exerts so potent an influence upon the life, and gives so great firmness and stability to the character, as the religion of Christ. It is this which is lacking in the church. Many will be found wanting in the day of final accounts, because they did not possess real godliness.

Pure religion leads its possessor ever upward, inspiring him with noble purposes, teaching him propriety of deportment, and imparting a becoming dignity to every action. True religion is possessed by few. The mass of mankind do not cordially embrace or faithfully practice its principles. At the last day the curse of God will rest upon many who had flattered themselves that they were in favor with him. “If the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness.” God forbid that those who profess to teach the sacred, solemn truth that the end of all things is at hand, and who claim to be the repositories of the divine law, should cherish a love for pleasure, and look to the world for favor and approbation! Christ gives them no such example.

We should beware that we do not, by our trifling and indifferent course, belittle and disgrace our holy work. There is need of thoughtful men,–men who will not be satisfied with superficial knowledge or experience, and who will not be unsettled by every passing temptation. Men are needed of firm and earnest purpose, men whose highest aim is to do good, to gather souls to Christ. Talkative, restless, self-commending men, who stretch out their hands to the world, and whom the world is ever seeking to win to her embrace, are not the ones who will honor God at this important crisis.

The Lord has given man capacity for continual improvement, and has granted him all possible aid in the work. Through the provisions of divine grace, we may attain almost to the excellence of the angels. What shall be said of those who, having had many years of experience in the truth, and many precious advantages for growth in grace, are yet inclined toward the world, and find pleasure in its amusements and display? Instead of going on from strength to strength, they are, little by little, departing from God, and losing their spiritual life.

“Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation,” is the admonition of our Saviour. A cunning and cruel foe attends our steps, and is working every moment, with all his strength and skill, to turn us out of the right way. He succeeds best when employing such instrumentalities as best conceal himself. He often appears as an angel of light, and those who have not walked in the light of Heaven, those who have not followed Christ in his humiliation, are deceived and ensnared by his devices.

Talent can never take the place of piety, nor can the applause of men recommend us to the favor of God. What the majority of professed Christians need, is genuine conversion. If the heart is right, the actions will be right. An earthly, debasing influence marks the character and the life of those whose hearts do not glow with the fire of true goodness. Too many profess to be followers of Christ, and feel at liberty to follow their own judgment, and indulge the desires of their own hearts. He who would advance in the Christian life, must put his own hands and heart to the work. Friends may exhort and counsel, to urge him onward and upward; Heaven may pour its choicest blessings upon him; he may have all possible assistance on the right hand and on the left, and yet all will be in vain, unless he shall put forth earnest effort to help himself. He himself must engage in the warfare against sin and Satan, or he will fail of everlasting life.

Unbending principle will mark the course of those who sit at the feet of Jesus and learn of him. But alas! how many are to be found who are today engaging earnestly in the service of Christ, tomorrow equally earnest in uniting with worldlings in their frivolous amusements. They veer with every wind of temptation. Let the world hold out its bait,–fame or honor, pleasure or gain,–and there is no sacrifice of feeling or conscience that will not be made to gain the prize. Can Christ trust such men to give to the world the light of his truth? Never! Under favorable circumstances they may seem to lead a consistent life; but let temptation entice, and they venture upon the enemy’s ground, and worst of all, lead others in the same path. Unsound at heart, they are unsound in life. When a crisis comes, when firmness is most required, they are found on the wrong side. He who has once yielded to temptation has become spiritually weak, and he will yield more readily the second time. Every repetition of the sin weakens his power of resistance, blinds his eyes, and stifles conviction. Every seed of indulgence sown, produces a harvest. “That which ye sow, ye shall also reap.”

Satan trembles when the voice of God speaks through his instruments, giving cautions and warnings, and rebuking sin. The startling announcement, “Thou art the man,” stirs the soul of the guilty. He may for a time put forth earnest efforts to subdue his favorite sin,–ambition, pride, love of display, emulation, avarice, or any other evil trait,–but it is too often the case that his zeal soon flags, and he falls back into his former error. When again reproved, he is rarely impressed as before. Having once stifled conviction, he finds it more easy to repeat the same course. He is hardening his heart against the convictions of the Holy Spirit. A further rejection of the truth places him where a far mightier influence will be ineffectual to stir the sluggish soul, and make an abiding impression.

The Lord sends us warning, counsel, and reproof, that we may have opportunity to correct our errors before they become second-nature. But if we refuse to be corrected, God does not interfere to counteract the tendencies of our own course of action. He works no miracle that the seed sown may not spring up and bear fruit. That man who manifests an infidel hardihood or a stolid indifference to divine truth, is but reaping the harvest which he has himself sown. Such has been the experience of many. They listen with stoical indifference to the truths which once stirred their very souls. They sowed neglect, indifference, and resistance to the truth; and such is the harvest which they reap. The coldness of ice, the hardness of iron, the impenetrable, unimpressible nature of rock–all these find a counterpart in the character of many a professed Christian. It was thus that the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh. God spoke to the Egyptian king by the mouth of Moses, giving him the most striking evidences of divine power; but the monarch stubbornly refused the light which would have brought him to repentance. God did not send a supernatural power to harden the heart of the rebellious king, but as Pharaoh resisted the truth, the Holy Spirit was withdrawn, and he was left to the darkness and unbelief which he had chosen.

By persistent rejection of the Spirit’s influence, men cut themselves off from God. He has in reserve no more potent agency to enlighten their minds. No revelation of his will can reach them in their unbelief.

Would that I could lead every professed follower of Christ to see this matter as it is. We are all sowing either to the flesh or to the Spirit, and we reap the harvest from the seed we sow. In choosing our pleasures or employments, we should seek only those things that are excellent. The trifling, the worldly, the debasing, should have no power to control the affections or the will. The great apostle declared that he kept his body under, and this discipline must be maintained by every follower of Christ.

The bondage of worldly habits and customs is so pleasing to the natural heart that it has become well-nigh universal. Few can be found who are willing to deny self that they may walk in the light of Heaven. It is because they know not Christ and obey not the truth, that professed Christians can accept as their portion the pleasures of sense and the changing fashions of a fickle world. Not one of those who have come out from the world, in obedience to the injunctions of Christ, can find pleasure in its amusements or its display. Many are saying by their course of action, that the line of demarkation between Christians and the world must not be too distinct. They conform to the customs and unite in the pursuits of the lovers of pleasure, in order to retain their friendship, and exert an influence to win them to the truth. The plea is not new. The same work has been often attempted since the opposing forces of good and evil first existed in the world. The result has ever been the same. Conformity to worldly customs converts the church to the world. It never converts the world to Christ. “The friendship of the world is enmity with God. Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” How can the loyal subjects of the Great King be in harmony with his bitterest foe? When the professed people of God choose the fellowship of the world, what marvel that the presence and blessing of Christ is shut out from the church?

In the fear of God, whom I love and whom I serve, I call upon the followers of Christ to come out from the world. If they would but be men of principle, in determination, in moral power, there are many who might become polished instruments in the hand of Christ. But if they at times yield themselves to the control of Satan, they cannot be trusted. He who does not himself resist inclination, or who has not a proper understanding of Christian obligation, would be an unsafe guide to others. One injudicious act may exert an influence which the most earnest effort will be powerless to counteract.

Good qualities, superior talents, are a curse rather than a blessing, when they are not consecrated to God. The greater the gifts, the more dangerous their influence to lead away from Christ. Those who present to others the solemn, searching truths for this time, should exemplify these truths in their own life. To preach what we do not practice, is but to confirm sinners in their impenitence. The most earnest exhortations to walk in the light will be unheeded, if the speaker himself neglects to follow the light which Christ has given.

By disregarding the teachings of God’s word, many have dulled their keen perception of Christian consistency. Having no real connection with God, they mistake good impulses for religion. Said Christ to Nicodemus, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” When the love of Jesus is abiding in the soul, many who are now but withered branches will become as the cedars of Lebanon, “whose root is by the great waters.” The cedar is noted for the firmness of its roots. Not content to cling to the earth with a few weak fibers, it thrusts its rootlets, like a sturdy wedge, into the cloven rock, and reaches down deeper and deeper for strong holds to grasp. When the tempest grapples with its boughs, that firm-set tree cannot be uprooted. What a goodly cedar might not every follower of Christ become, if he were but rooted and grounded in the truth, firmly united to the Eternal Rock.

The people of God cannot conform to the world, and yet enjoy his love and be sanctified through the truth. They may bear the outward semblance of the cedar, but their roots strike no deeper than the surface sand. When the tempest falls, they will be uprooted. Others, who have been content to follow their example, will perish in like manner.

My brethren and sisters, be careful what influence you exert upon the cause of God. Be careful what example you set before the youth. Satan and his angels are putting forth their utmost efforts to efface from the minds of the young every impression made by the Holy Spirit. Let the professed people of God beware that they do not aid the great deceiver in his work. Only those who are firm, true, devoted, living Christians, can be a help to the cause of God.

What Makes for Good Preaching?

I’ve been thinking a bit lately about what makes for good preaching. This has largely come about as I’ve listened to various sermons from various preachers and wondered what it is that did or did not resonate with me from the sermon.

I must admit, first of all, that when someone asks me who my favorite preachers are, I don’t have an instant answer. Actually, what is most often the case is that my favorite preachers are very rarely ones that most people have heard of (with a few exceptions).

This is because there are only a handful of preachers that I find to be really engaging, interesting, thought-provoking, and gospel-centered. This sentiment, no doubt, has much to do with the fact that – as with any profession – preachers are often the toughest critics on other preachers. It also has to do with the fact, however, that, from my perspective, very few preachers I have listened to really, truly grasp the new covenant gospel, in all its beauty – recognizing the one “theme” that must swallow up every other in our preaching and proclamation (“Christ our righteousness”).

Of course, this attitude probably betrays a chauvinism and conceitedness on my part – as if I have it all figured out. But I don’t write this as one who has arrived. My reflections on what constitutes good preaching are as much a “teaching moment” for me as I seek to implement some of these principles into my own preaching.

So here are a few thoughts from my perspective on what resonates with me, as someone who occasionally sits in the pew – or, quite often, stokes up the iPod. These are, of course, just one person’s perspective – no doubt shaped by my biases, culture, and presuppositions. I would love to get your feedback as well!

1. Give me the Bible. By this I don’t mean that I want to hear a whole bunch of Bible verses spouted off, or what every commentary under the sun has to say about a particular passage (though it wouldn’t preclude these). What inspires me is when a preacher is grounded in the Word in such a way that I can tell he or she has really wrestled with Scripture; that the passages being discussed have actually become a part of the preacher and has reached him or her on a heart-level.

An exposition of the Bible cannot simply be an academic exercise either. I want to hear how the passage(s) being discussed relates to the great themes of Scripture – the love of God, the Great Controversy, etc.

2. Give me the cross. Every sermon must be presented within the context of God’s self-sacrificing, other-centered love. This doesn’t mean that every sermon must be exclusively on the cross, but every sermon needs to be presented in light of the cross. In other words, if you are preaching about the Sabbath, tell me – in part of the sermon – how the Sabbath relates to God’s other-centered love.

Ellen White put it this way:

The sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other truths cluster. In order to be rightly understood and appreciated, every truth in the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, must be studied in the light that streams from the cross of Calvary. I present before you the great, grand monument of mercy and regeneration, salvation and redemption–the Son of God uplifted on the cross. This is to be the foundation of every discourse given by our ministers. (Gospel Workers, p. 315)

This is, sadly, where the bulk of sermons that I hear are lacking.

3. Give me “present truth.” What we need to hear right now – as has every age – is “present truth.” This is not different than #2, by the way, but an extension of it. Present truth today as it relates to the gospel and God’s other-centered love is richer and fuller and more beautiful than it was in 1820 or 1520. It’s also different than what the bulk of Christianity is preaching today (no offense to them). An Adventist preacher has not been called to preach a Baptist or Pentecostal or Catholic or non-denominational gospel (as great as those gospels may be).

Thus, we need to hear the three angel’s messages – how God’s love is expressed through the sanctuary, the great controversy, the Sabbath, the state of the dead, prophecy, and, yes, the health message and standards.

But this present truth, of course, can never be divorced from the cross. This is why Ellen White would always talk about the “truth as it is in Jesus.”

4. Give me something fresh – but not just for the sake of being fresh or different or novel. This is mostly related to #1, and how a preacher needs to wrestle with Scripture. The sermons that impress me the most are the ones in which I learn something from the preacher, or when he/she shares a perspective with me that I hadn’t thought of before.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that the information is all that different (though it’s an extra-bonus when it is), but that it is presented and constructed in a way that is fresh. The late Bill Lehman was the master of this, from my perspective. When I listen to his sermons, at least once or twice in a sermon he says something in a way that I say, “Wow, that’s how I’ve felt but didn’t know how to verbalize.” I like to say that there is a “profound simplicity” or a “simple profundity” to his sermons.

Good preaching, like good music, simply uses the notes that we’ve always had (no new notes are being discovered), but composes those notes in such a way that we hear the notes in a different way. Bad preaching takes those notes and constructs them in a way that we’ve heard before, or in a way that is predictable, such that you know the ending of the song long before it arrives.

This idea is also very much related to #1 because there is so much of Scripture that is untapped. This is, partially, why I have a bias toward the Old Testament: there is so much of the Old Testament that has been largely ignored or overlooked – in favor of the Gospels or Paul’s epistles (as much as I love these). When was the last time you heard a sermon from Obadiah or the Song of Solomon or Lamentations? When I study these books for myself, I feel as though I am encountering something practically new. It’s such a joy!

5. Give me something real. I want to hear how the message you are sharing has personally changed your life. In other words, share your testimony – not just your general testimony of how you came to the Lord when you were 16; but how the topic you are covering changed your life last week.

6. Give me substance; you can keep the style. I really don’t care if you can turn a phrase if what you’re actually saying isn’t all that substantive. So you can keep the rhyming and the alliteration and the fancy phrases.

What I don’t want: I don’t want comedy (though this doesn’t preclude the use of humor at times); I don’t want screaming; I don’t want a bunch of advice, divorced from the gospel. The sermon is not a time to encourage human-powered, behavior modification (whether that is standards or social activism). Yes, every sermon must include an appeal and an invitation to engage in some type of behavior, but this invitation must always be presented within the context of God’s self-sacrificing, other-centered love.

So there’s my list! Again, I don’t write it with any pretention. I very rarely achieve all – or even many – of these ingredients in my preaching. By God’s grace, however, I strive to achieve it. And, my use of “give me” for each point was not meant to imply that a sermon should be all about what I – or any audience member – simply wants to hear. I used the term simply because I felt it was stylistically (!) the best way to express what I perceive to be the best ingredients in preaching.

Lastly, who are my favorite preachers – who most often come closest to meeting the above criteria? At the risk of excluding some who deserve to be on this list – who I simply don’t know about yet or have heard only a few sermons from – these are the preachers that I would probably say I would most want to hear if I could hear anyone: my dad; Arnet Mathers; Bill Lehman, Ty Gibson, Richard Davidson, James Rafferty. There are others who could be added to this list, but, as I said, I probably haven’t heard them enough to know whether they consistently deliver the goods! The ones I listed, however, seem to always hit a “home run.” And, what’s even more fortunate, is that they are all featured on a sermon website I administrate: InVerity.org. So check out the links that are attached to their names.

What about you? What do you think makes for good preaching? And who are some of your favorite preachers?

From Cape Cod to Canada – Back to Cape Cod (an “It is Written” Story)

My Uncle, Charlie Case, just shared this little anecdote on Facebook. Today, at his Church in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Bill Santos, who is the speaker for “It Is Written” Canada, shared this story in his sermon. It’s inspiring for many reasons. Here’s my uncle’s explanation of it:

The story you are about to read is true, and I only knew 1/2 the story until I heard the other 1/2 today. In 1972, a Henry Feyerabend began working the city of Toronto to begin a church ministry among the 250,000 Portuguese speaking people living there at the time. In a series of events too lengthy to tell here, he stepped out in faith and paid $4,000 for 5 minutes per week for 13 weeks on Toronto’s big TV station. After signing the contract, he got cold feet, because his church at the time only had 6 members. But, he felt impressed to wait for 2 days before canceling this ridiculously high contract.

He arrived back at the church where this little group was “renting” and had only been there a few weeks. Upon arrival, there was a letter addressed to him personally at this “rented” church’s address. Struck by the “coincidence” of this since no one knew they were renting there, he opened the letter. Out fell a check for $1,000 from a “Dr. Ed Latimer” with a note that said: “Felt impressed to send this to you; thought it would come in handy.” Within 2 weeks, this pastor had all the money needed to meet the TV obligations from people he did not even know.

On the 1st TV broadcast, he offered free Bibles written in the Portuguese language, and when 1 such Bible was delivered to one of those requesting this free offer, it was to the parents of our speaker this week-end. Long story short, this family did not believe in God, but after a number of Bible studies, began attending church. All as a result of Dr. Latimer acting on faith that ultimately inspired a doubting pastor that God indeed had a future for this TV ministry. Today, “It Is Written” is the largest TV religious ministry in Canada.

Apparently, Bill Santos tells this story frequently – as an illustration of God’s providence and how his family came to the faith. But what he didn’t realize today as he shared the story is that the daughter of Dr. Ed Latimer (who is now deceased), as well as some of his grandchildren, were sitting in the audience today. My Aunt Lori is a member of the Church he shared the story in today. And Dr. Ed Latimer is my grandfather.

So he went through the whole story, not realizing that the daughter of the man who was largely responsible for the ministry that brought his family to Christ, was sitting in the audience. When he was subsequently told the news, apparently he broke into tears.

Growing up, what my grandfather had done had always been legendary – and we didn’t know all of the details (since he passed away when I was only eight). But not only did Bill Santos confirm what we had often heard about (without even realizing that he was sharing the story with some who already knew about it), but the news of his own experience because of the gift is just another beautiful part of the way God works. And I’m sure we will hear thousands of stories like this throughout eternity.

But what an awesome illustration of God’s goodness! And yet another illustration of how a simple act has amazing ripple effects that will reach into eternity. I know that my grandfather, who was one of the most generous men to ever live, never probably imagined that his humble gift would be so far-reaching, and that the future speaker of the largest religious TV ministry in Canada – which he helped establish – would some day be preaching in his home church, honoring his memory while his own family listened.

And Liberty for All?

“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
-Ben Franklin

In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings, I have been baffled by the rhetoric that has been offered by many in relation to the liberties that the alleged perpetrators, as well as those who may be like-minded or associated with them, should be afforded. It is not surprising at all that the overall population would – in a moment of fear, anger, and hand-wringing – call for the suspension of liberty in favor of safety and retribution. This, we know, is a prophetic fulfillment – and, in fact, it would be more surprising if we did not see individuals moving in this direction.

What baffles me is the number of Seventh-day Adventists, who are fully aware of – and subscribe to – our prophetic understanding, who fail to make a simple connection between the way we treat terrorists and Muslims today and the way Sabbath-keepers will be treated in the future. Such individuals act as though there is no logical connection between the liberties that are suspended now and the liberties that will be suspended in the future; as if the liberties that are suspended now will somehow be magically restored in the future.

But here’s a little secret: once liberty is taken away in America, it will not be restored. You cannot advocate the suspension of liberty now with the belief that it will be maintained later. You cannot advocate the suspension of liberty for another person because he or she acts or believes differently than you do, while believing that your liberty will be maintained simply because your views are the correct ones. Either liberty applies to all, or it applies to none.

What I am specifically speaking about is the fact that there are Seventh-day Adventists who are fully comfortable with young Dzokhar Tsarnaev not being immediately read his Miranda rights for the sake of “national security,” and the fact that guilt has already been immediately ascribed to him even before he has gone to trial. We live in a society in which every citizen has the right to a fair trial. We also have a “presumption of innocents.” The fifth and sixth amendments guarantee these for every citizen, regardless of perceived indiscretions.

Furthermore, as it relates to his Miranda rights, law enforcement contradicted itself when on the one hand they told the public that no threat was imminent after Dzokhar was arrested, and then turning around and not reading him his Miranda rights. So which was it? Was there an imminent threat, or was there not?

Beyond that, I am also baffled with how there are some who – upon learning that the mosques these alleged bombers attended in Cambridge supposedly has “radical ties” – have said that these mosques should be shut down. Really? So the rights of law-abiding Muslims to enjoy the “free exercise” of their faith should be prohibited because a few within their midst may have engaged in criminal and terrorist activity?

As Ben Franklin said long ago: “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” It is not surprising at all that the masses would clamor for safety at the expense of liberty; but, as Seventh-day Adventists, we know better. The preservation of safety is not a goal for a Seventh-day Adventist – at least not at the expense of liberty (for one and all).

Because, here’s the reality: the way we treat alleged terrorists and Muslims today is the precise way Sabbath-keepers will be treated in the future. The groundwork that is laid today is the ground that will be stood upon in the future. Thus, “enemies” of America are not a Seventh-day Adventist’s primary concern; enemies of liberty are.

In a quote from Ellen White that seems somewhat far-fetched for some right now, she reveals the exact thinking that is present today towards Muslims as a future reality towards Sabbath-keepers. And, again, just because the exact issues and beliefs may be different, doesn’t mean the principles are any different:

Those who honor the Bible Sabbath will be denounced as enemies of law and order, as breaking down the moral restraints of society, causing anarchy and corruption, and calling down the judgments of God upon the earth. Their conscientious scruples will be pronounced obstinacy, stubbornness and contempt of authority. They will be accused of disaffection toward the government (The Great Controversy, p. 592).

Those who may be tempted to respond that the difference between us and them is that Sabbath-keepers are law-abiding citizens who don’t commit heinous crimes towards other Americans – as terrorists do – are missing her precise point. Her point is that Sabbath-keepers will be “denounced as enemies of law and order” and that we will be “accused of disaffection toward the government,” despite the fact that these aren’t true. This is, precisely, what many alleged terrorists and Muslims suffer today.

But let me close by making this point: these principles, that any Seventh-day Adventist should advocate, should be pursued regardless of any eschatological beliefs. This is because these principles do not simply derive from our understanding of prophecy, but our understanding of the gospel and of who God is. This is, I fear, what some Seventh-day Adventists do not understand. The way we treat terrorists is not necessarily reflective of our eschatology, but our soteriology.

Thus, these principles are universal and timeless – for they are the ways in which God has always interacted with sinful human beings in every age (and our Constitution, though not a religious document, has captured like no other secular document). Though we are sinful, He approaches us with an attitude of innocence rather than of guilt; of faith rather than suspicion. We see this at the very beginning in the Garden of Eden. When God approached Adam and Eve, He didn’t accuse them, but asked questions and gathered information – and then He not only promised redemption, but actually justified their continued existence. (This does not mean that an individual shouldn’t be held accountable for his or her criminal behavior when due process is followed.)

Furthermore, God has always allowed others the liberty to disagree with Him and even sustained sinful creatures by His grace while they were rebelling against Him. And, in the very end, when the wicked are destroyed, it will not be because God has decided to revoke liberty once-and-for-all, but because the wicked will follow their own liberty to its natural conclusion.

Thus, the way we treat terrorists, or Muslims, or any other stripe of “infidel,” is a reflection of our understanding of God and His gospel. And Seventh-day Adventists should thus continue to be the foremost advocates of liberty, not just because of our unique understanding of eschatology, but because of our unique understand of God. To deviate from principle, even in the shadows of a perceived threat against “national security,” has dire consequences.

The Shot Heard ‘Round the World

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood,
And fired the shot heard round the world.

The foe long since in silence slept;
Alike the conqueror silent sleeps;
And Time the ruined bridge has swept
Down the dark stream which seaward creeps.

On this green bank, by this soft stream,
We set to-day a votive stone;
That memory may their deed redeem,
When, like our sires, our sons are gone.

Spirit, that made those heroes dare,
To die, and leave their children free,
Bid Time and Nature gently spare
The shaft we raise to them and thee.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Concord Hymn”

I don’t think it would be any exaggeration to say that Patriot’s Day and the Boston Marathon are as much a part of Bostonians’ identity as anything else. They are sources of pride, culture, and uniqueness. To this day, even aside from all that took place yesterday, I still look upon the day with an incredible sense of nostalgia. It was one of those rare holidays that wasn’t simply a day off from school, but a day in which we actually participated in reflecting upon the reason for the occasion.

For us, it began with an early morning wake-up from my dad every year. Seemingly aroused out of bed at the crack of dawn, we would hurry to Lexington to find our spots before the Revolutionary War re-enactment began (which you can watch by clicking here). Within moments, we would hear the sounds of drums rattling and fifes whistling, as the Red Coats marched toward the green sod that was the Lexington Green, with bayonet-mounted muskets firmly resting upon their shoulders. Face-to-face with the Lexington militiamen, the Green would soon be enveloped in smoke after an unknown participant fired a shot heard ’round the world (the expression, “the shot heard ’round the world,” has actually been ascribed to the later battle in Concord, but the one in Lexington – which came from a still-unknown person – was technically the first military engagement in the Revolutionary War).

After the re-enactment ended, we would whisk away to a parade, and then find our spot along the Marathon route in Wellesley, where we would lay our blankets upon the green grass that had been hidden for too long during the cold and snowy winter months. With sack-lunches in hand, we would soon be cheering on the thousands of wheelchair participants and runners who were still ten miles away from the finish line, and on the easy side of the Newton Hills.

It was all a grand and glorious day – a spring-time celebration of all that is great about being a native of Massachusetts: liberty, freedom, independence, history, perseverance. Not lost on me then, nor definitely now, was the prophetic significance to which the day pointed. Patriot’s Day in Massachusetts marks the beginning of a nation that is unlike any other – a nation that values freedom more than anything else; a freedom that came (and still comes) at the greatest price.

Even now, though I no longer live in Massachusetts, I try to participate in the Patriot’s Day events as much as possible. If I’m away, I try to watch the Marathon on TV (or internet, as the case may be), and whenever I can, I attend the Marathon in person. What makes this all the more sobering, however, is that our Marathon location has taken a ten-mile journey, and instead of watching it from Wellesley, we watch it from the finish line – just across the street from where the second blast occurred yesterday.

Truthfully, witnessing a Marathon (especially from the finish line) is one of the most inspiring experiences one can participate in. There are no losers. There are no enemies. There is simply a mass of people both participating and, perhaps just as significantly, cheering. Everyone wants everyone else to succeed. It’s an incredible lesson in cooperation. Some of the most poignant scenes I have witnessed have come when runners, after laboring through 26 miles of intense exertion, have either stopped or slowed down to a walk just blocks away from the finish line, only to have thousands of people in the crowd almost will the runner over the remaining two hundred yards.

This is why the events of yesterday stand as a sobering and stark contrast to all that Patriot’s Day and the Boston Marathon symbolize – a stark contrast to what America itself stands for. This country, as prophetically foretold, arose as a haven of freedom; a response to the currency of fear and terror that epitomized the world prior to its inception.

Perhaps more than anything else, however, yesterday’s events stand as an important reminder to us that freedom comes at a cost – and just because that cost can sometimes be steep, we must not back down from its constant pursuit. As I have listened to some of the rhetoric that has been vollied around in response to what took place yesterday, I worry that the freedom in which these heinous crimes were contrived will be the ultimate collateral damage; the greatest casualty that results from irresponsible beneficiaries of that freedom (I heard one “terrorist expert” say on the radio yesterday that the only true protection against these types of events is to have a “totalitarian government”).

Students of prophecy know, of course, that that reality will one day come, when safety will be valued more than freedom. But today, and tomorrow, and the next day, we stand here, as Patriots, and lovers of freedom, and unitedly say: not now. Not today.

Postscript: The above pictures were all taken by me from the last time I attended the Marathon – back in 2008. The last picture features Dick and Rick Hoyt – local legends, long-time runners of the Boston Marathon, and owners of one of the most inspiring stories you’ll ever encounter. I remember with great fondness cheering this incredible father-son team on every year. To view an extremely uplifting version of their story, check out this YouTube video. And here. Warning: have your Kleenex handy. To read their story, click here.

To read an excerpt on what it might look like to one day have our freedoms taken from us in America, check this out.

What is the “Faith of Jesus”?

Revelation 14:12 describes God’s last day-people as keeping “the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” Many have debated what is meant by the “faith of Jesus,” others assume they know what it is and don’t give it much thought. The most prevailing belief is that it is simply belief in Jesus. Thus, many versions translate it this way. A lesser view is that it is the faith that Jesus had in His Father when He was on this earth.

Both have merit and are included in the “faith of Jesus” but do not stand as the foundation to what this significant phrase conotes. While reading Ellen White’s powerful book Education this morning for my devotional time, I was once again reminded what the “faith of Jesus” is at its most basic level. We need to understand this. It is the antidote to all that ails us on a corporate and personal level. This is emphasized by the fact that she starts the section by saying that “He who seeks to transform humanity must himself understand humanity. Only through sympathy, faith, and love can men be reached and uplifted” (p. 78).

This describes Christ’s approach perfectly. He understood humanity and what it took to elicit a response. Thus, He interacted – and still interacts – with humanity with sympathy, faith, and love.

Thus, remembering that Hebrews defines faith as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb 11:1), notice how Ellen White uses the terms “look,” “saw,” “beheld,” “hope,” “trust,” “perceived,” “confidence.” This is Christ’s attitude toward us. Oh, blessed thought!

He who had created man, understood the value of humanity. Evil He denounced as the foe of those whom He was seeking to bless and to save. In every human being, however fallen, He beheld a son of God, one who might be restored to the privilege of his divine relationship.

‘God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.’ John 3:17. Looking upon men in their suffering and degradation, Christ perceived ground for hope where appeared only despair and ruin. Wherever there existed a sense of need, there He saw opportunity for uplifting. Souls tempted, defeated, feeling themselves lost, ready to perish, He met, not with denunciation, but with blessing. . . .

In every human being He discerned infinite possibilities. He saw men as they might be, transfigured by His grace–in ‘the beauty of the Lord our God.’ Psalm 90:17. Looking upon them with hope, He inspired hope. Meeting them with confidence, He inspired trust. Revealing in Himself man’s true ideal, He awakened, for its attainment, both desire and faith. In His presence souls despised and fallen realized that they still were men, and they longed to prove themselves worthy of His regard. In many a heart that seemed dead to all things holy, were awakened new impulses. To many a despairing one there opened the possibility of a new life.

Christ bound them to His heart by the ties of love and devotion; and by the same ties He bound them to their fellow men. With Him love was life, and life was service. ‘Freely ye have received,’ He said, ‘freely give.’ Matthew 10:8 (pp. 79-80).

Study this thought often! It’s the key to unlock the powerful faith of Jesus in the life. What she describes here is how Christ looks at us – you and me, first and foremost. And thus, as we contemplate the reality of Christ’s faith in us as individuals, our hearts will be “bound” to our “fellow men” and we, too, will see them as Christ sees them. And just as we have “freely received” Christ’s faith and confidence, so we will “freely give” it to others.

Don’t Just Give Me Jesus; Tell Me Something About Him

My heart has been thrilled with the call to lift up Jesus in our preaching, in our teaching, in our Adventism. This has been long overdue. This was Paul’s burden; it should be ours: “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (2 Cor 2:2). So, yes, let us celebrate the supremacy of Christ; let us talk about Him in all our teaching and preaching.

But let’s not simply talk of Jesus; let’s talk about Him. Let us not simply talk about the importance of talking about Jesus; let us actually talk about Him. Let us not simply tell stories that feature Christ; let us talk about His love – which is who He is.

I fear that in some of our presentations of Jesus, we don’t actually talk about Him – or, at the very least, our presentations about Him lack real substance. We talk about Him in a general, vague manner – devoid of depth, power, and clarity, settling more for funny stories about ourselves than converting truths about Him. Thus, Ellen White said long ago, “Vague suppositions regarding Christ are not enough. We need an abiding Christ” (The Upward Look, p. 258).

One of the ways that we strip Christ of any depth is to set up the false dichotomy between Christ and doctrine. The two are not inimical to one another. They perfectly complement one another. And just as doctrine without Christ is devoid of power; so Christ without doctrine is devoid of substance. Doctrine is that which defines Christ – so long as it is taught, preached, and understood in relation to Christ. As Ellen White said:

There is one great central truth to be kept ever before the mind in the searching of the Scriptures – Christ and Him crucified. Every other truth is invested with influence and power corresponding to its relation to this theme. It is only in the light of the cross that we can discern the exalted character of the law of God. (That I May Know Him, p. 208).

One example that comes to mind is a discussion I recently had with a few people on the nature of Christ. One person commented that he used to subscribe to the view that Christ took Adam’s nature after the fall, but that he had abandoned the teaching and any concern for the discussion altogether because he felt it was too distracting. While I think that some can present it in a distracting manner, I testified that the truth of Christ’s nature was so important to me because it gave me a greater appreciation for Christ’s love and sacrifice.

All doctrine and biblical truth leads us to a fuller and deeper and richer understanding of who Christ is and how great is His love. This is true whether we are speaking of the truth about the sanctuary, the Second Coming, the state of the dead, the Sabbath – all of it.

And this is the reality: one’s love for and appreciation of Christ will deepen only in proportion to one’s understanding of Him. So if we understand little of Him; our love will be correspondingly little. But, just as with any human being, the deeper and deeper we go in our friendship with and understanding of a person, the greater our love will be for him or her. So, too, of our relationship with Christ.

So let us lift up Jesus – and all truths that give substance to His person.

A Holiday at the Sea

Photo credit: Me – Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts

I’ve been pondering C.S. Lewis’s famous quote lately about how we settle for so little. The whole quote deserves attention:

We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased (“The Weight of Glory“).

Sadly, the “ignorant child” who is satisfied with making mud pies in a slum far too often describes me. It is staggering, though, that I haven’t learned from history. Time and again God has invited me to a “holiday at sea,” and I’ve responded positively, only to discover that it was, in fact, far better than making mud pies. But then, for some unknown reason, I keep needing convincing that His next invitation also leads to something better.

I think this is because, partly, I get nostalgic about the slum in which I am living. I also get to thinking that I know better than God; that one of these days He’s going to trick me by inviting me to a holiday at sea, only to discover upon arriving that it is not a holiday at sea, but an exile to a life of monotony. It’s all folly, of course – and betrays a total lack of trust and, more significantly, true selfless love for my Savior.

I also need reminding that my life on this earth is not defined by seeking to live the comfortable life, but by being stretched to the max as I seek to bring comfort to others – including God – ultimately setting my gaze toward “a better, that is, a heavenly country” (Heb 11:16). Indeed, as the author of Hebrews declares, we are “strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (11:13), and have the opportunity to receive the “promise” that all those who have gone before us were unable to receive (11:39-40).

This is true not only of the big issues in life, of course, but also the mundane. As Ellen White notes, “We give our time and thought to the trivial and commonplace things of the world, and neglect the great interests that pertain to eternal life” (Sons and Daughters of God, p. 107).

Perhaps there is no greater illustration of this dynamic than the so-called “prodigal son,” who sought what he perceived to be a better life. God, in His mercy, however, finally got him to the bottom of his resources and to the place where he realized that there was something better. Living in a ravished land, feeding swine, and close to competing with them for their pods, Jesus poignantly describes how the young man finally “came to himself” (Luke 15:17) and realized that to even be a servant in his father’s household was far better than eating pods in the slums.

I get in trouble if I don’t remind myself often that I am, by default, that prodigal every day of my life. Being a prodigal is not simply living a hellion lifestyle, but being human. And thus, I have to “come to myself” every morning when I wake up, and continuously respond to God’s invitation for a holiday at the sea.

The Faith of Lincoln

One cannot exaggerate the height of President Abraham Lincoln’s stature. What impresses me the most about this historical giant, though, was his patient faith – an attribute that was but a faint reflection of the God he only modestly proclaimed.

Perhaps this patient faith was never more evidenced than in his relationship with and praise of Edwin Stanton, who served as his Secretary of War. In June of 1862, Union forces were marching toward the Confederate capital of Richmond with the firm belief that the Civil War would soon be over. But, inexplicably, during a campaign called the “Peninsula Campaign,” the Union forces, though only four miles from Richmond and outnumbering the Confederate forces, were driven back and the war was prolonged.

When the dust settled, blame was immediately cast upon Edwin Stanton. The New York Times noted that “it is an immense relief to find some one upon whom can be fastened all the sins of a whole people, and who can then be sent into the wilderness, to be heard of no more.” The call for Stanton’s removal gained greater momentum over the next few months. It didn’t help that Stanton was an ornery fellow who displayed great suspicion towards almost everybody, including Lincoln himself, at times.

But Lincoln stood by him. And in an unprecedented move, he appeared before congress and not only defended Stanton, but took the blame upon himself. “I believe he is a brave and able man,” he declared, “and I stand here, as justice requires me to do, to take upon myself what has been charged on the Secretary of War.” So moving was Lincoln’s speech that Benjamin French – the Commissionar of Public Buildings - declared, “He is one of the best men God ever created.”

The public campaign against Stanton abruptly ended after Lincoln’s appeal.

This story, recounted in Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals, moves me deeply because it poignantly illustrates the faith of God and how it interacts with our salvation. Just as Lincoln had faith in Stanton – perhaps despite Stanton’s shortcomings – so God has faith in us. And just as Lincoln actually took the blame for Stanton’s failures, so God took the blame – in Christ – on Calvary for our shortcomings. And thus, Christ cried out, “Father, forgive them, for they know now what they do” (Luke 23:34).

This faith and forgiveness was not – and is not – necessarily an end in itself, though. God has faith in us and freely forgives us, taking our blame, precisely for the same reason Lincoln did so with Stanton: He is engaged in a great battle that can only be won as we are first forgiven. This is an important first step with the goal that one day we too will beautifully reflect this same faith and forgiveness toward others.

Be the Gospel

Two weekends ago, I had the privilege of speaking alongside two other preachers for a Youth Righteousness by Faith Rally in Vermont. At the end of our fourth presentation in less than 24 hours, we had a Question and Answer time where any precious souls who were able to get through the full experience were invited to share their thoughts, feedback, testimonies and questions. The three of us speakers sat in chairs on the stage and responded to the various perspectives.

We were all tired – us as speakers, the audience, and those who were preparing the supper in the gymnasium a few feet away. As I attempted to bring the session to a close, one last young lady – who I had the privilege of pastoring a few years back – asked a very precious and poignant question that stimulated my thinking in the closing moments. We had been talking all weekend about the value God has placed on us, and how we are precious to Him. So in light of this, she asked us, “What do you do when you know someone who doesn’t understand their value to God?”

As she formulated the question, my thoughts started racing to a few biblical texts and intellectual points that would, no doubt, impress anyone with the truth about God’s love and value. I held up the microphone to my mouth and was just about to respond to sweet Amy, when from out of balcony came an interrupting voice. It was coming from the pastor of the church in which we were meeting. He had been in the balcony all afternoon, manning the PA system. “I can answer that! I can answer that!” he yelled down.

Before any of us on the stage could beat him to the punch, he emphatically declared, “The way that you convince your friend that she has value to God is not by quoting some Bible verse, but showing her by your actions that she is valuable to you. This is the way God will communicate to her that she is precious to Him.”

There it was. I was dumfounded – and thankful; and I expressed my gratitude to Pastor Brian. “Thank you so much,” I said, “your answer was so much better than mine would have been.”

I love the Bible. I love theology. I love ideas and concepts. And I think these are all important. But so much more valuable than knowing the right information, the right Bible verses, the right theology, is being the right information, Bible verses and theology. I can sometimes forget that. Sometimes our intellect can get in the way for various reasons when considering various concepts, but the Gospel lived can never be disputed.

And I’m thankful that Pastor Brian saved me – and the whole audience – that day from missing the forest for the trees.