Father I Turn To You

I recently listened to the song "Father I Turn To You" by Jahaziel, and I thought it would be encouraging to people who are trying to overcome addictions to pornography. In this song, Jahaziel gives his own testimony about his previous addiction to pornography, and he explains how Christ set him free when he truly surrendered his life to Him.

This World Is Not My Home

I can’t help but say ‘amen’ to this passage by Joni Tada in her book, Heaven, as she shares her thoughts during a trip to the LA airport:

With eyes of faith I looked beyond the sight of bumper-to-bumper traffic, the smell of sweat, cigarettes, exhaust fumes, and the sounds of my harried co-travelers, and began humming quietly...

This world is not my home, I'm just a passing through,
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue,
The angels beckon me from heaven's open door,
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.

For me, it was a moment of faith. Faith merely the size of a grain of mustard seed. Remember, that's all it takes to be sure of things hoped for - future divine fulfillments - and certain of things you do not see, that is, unseen divine realities.

Of what was I so sure and certain? Here, let me sing it again: "The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door, / And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore."

I hum that haunting tune in other places besides the Los Angeles airport. Sometimes I get that "can't feel at home" sensation ambling down the aisles of K-Mart, watching women grab for the blue-light specials. Sometimes it happens sitting with Ken watching Monday Night Football’s fourth instant replay of a team’s third-down conversion. And I definitely feel "this world is not my home" as I sit on the Ventura-Freeway-turned-parking-lot.

Don’t think I’m strange. Christians have felt the same for centuries. Malcolm Muggeridge, a British journalist who spent most of his years battling Christianity, finally succumbed to Christ in his seventies. The intellectual world had always been home to him, but now, in the hallowed halls of university life, he found himself saying,

I had a sense, sometimes enormously vivid, that I was a stranger in a strange land; a visitor, not a native…a displaced person.... The feeling, I was surprised to find, gave me a great sense of satisfaction, almost of ecstasy.... Days or weeks or months might pass. Would it ever return - the lostness? I strain my ears to hear it, like distant music; my eyes to see it, a very bright light far away. Has it gone forever? And then - ah! the relief. Like slipping away from a sleeping embrace, silently shutting the door behind one, tiptoeing off in the grey light of dawn - a stranger again. The only ultimate disaster that can befall us, I have come to realize, is to feel ourselves to be at home here on earth. As long as we are aliens, we cannot forget our true homeland. (Muggeridge, Jesus Rediscovered, 47-48)

(Joni Eareckson Tada, Heaven, 96-97)

Oh how there is more to life than what is seen. Although I am filled with such awe at the sky as the sun is setting, or the smile on the face of someone I love, there’s just something about the unseen realities to which they are pointing - love, hope, trust - things that are eternal - that is so beautiful...and oh how Jesus is the most beautiful of all.

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18

Come quickly, Jesus. Amen.

Why Hell Is Hell

When most people think about hell, they think about torture, eternal fire, and other physical punishments. Although these things will take place in hell, there is something far worse that will be the defining characteristic of what makes hell result in eternal suffering. When Jesus returns, the glory of God is going to be revealed to all people. The Bible says that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, "to the glory of God the Father" (Philip. 2:10-11). In other words, God will be glorified when all people bow before his Son and confess that he is Lord over all. So, which would glorify God more - if he forced people to bow down to him who really didn't want to do so, or if all unbelievers saw how amazingly glorious God is and genuinely fell down and worshiped the One who they had shunned their entire lives? I think God would be much more glorified if the most hardcore atheist in the history of the world fell down and worshiped him genuinely than if he was merely forced to do something that he had no desire to do. Thus, I believe that the greatest suffering in hell will result from people seeing how amazing and glorious their Creator is and facing the reality that they are shut out from this amazing glory forever because they shunned him while they were on earth. Emotional pain can be much worse than physical pain. Imagine that you have deeply fallen in love with someone, but because of the way you have treated him or her, you are thrown into a dungeon forever. It is really cold in this dungeon, and you feel the pains of hunger since you only get one slice of bread per week, but your deepest pain comes from being eternally separated from the one you have fallen in love with and the overwhelming remorse you feel from having treated him or her so badly when you've now realized how kind and loving that person was to you all the days of your life.

So, why does God send people to hell who reject him while they are on earth? Although there are a number of reasons why he does this, I believe the most convincing one is that when people die, God just gives them what they wanted their entire lives. If you live a life pursuing non-God things instead of your Creator, then he gives you the very thing you wanted (separation from God) when you die. Why should God force people to spend eternity with him who desired other things instead of their Creator? Nobody can blame God for giving people what they want when they die. If God himself is your heart's desire, then he will give you what you want when you die (himself). How can we know if God is really our greatest desire? Do we spend our time pursuing him instead of godless things? Is he the chief object of our affections, the One who gives us the greatest joy and satisfaction? Do we reject the things that God hates and pursue a life that is pleasing to him? Are we unashamed of the glorious Son of God who bore the full wrath of the Father as the price for our sins? All of these things are evidence that a person has truly come to know Christ as their all-satisfying Treasure!

Love So Amazing

Listen to a young Slovak Christian girl beaten and locked up in a Communist prison as she describes her “boyfriend” to her torturer:

“I have a boyfriend, the sweetest of all. Not that He loves me. He is love, the most exquisite love, love of a kind that does not seek pleasure so much as to fill the beloved with joy. Since knowing this boyfriend, I too can only love. Whether I am caressed or hurt, I can only love. You love hatred now. I call upon you to love Love.”

("The Overcomers" - Richard Wurmbrand, p. 18)

This love is described even better by a tortured Romanian prisoner in solitary confinement:

From my bed of planks they will make my coffin. Stretched upon it, I try to find why my thoughts run to you, why my writings all turn toward you? Why is this passionate love in my soul, why does my song go only to you? I know I am rejected; soon I will putrefy in a tomb.

The bride of the Song of Songs did not love when she asked if You are “rightly loved.” Love is its own justification. Love is not for the wise. Through a thousand ordeals she will not cease to love. Though fire burns and waves drown her, she will kiss the hand that hurts. If she finds no answer to her questions she is confident and waits. One day the sun will shine in hidden places and all will be made plain.

Forgiveness of many sins only increased the prostitute’s burning love. But she gave perfume and shed tears before You said Your forgiving word. And had You not said it, still she would have sat and wept for the love she has toward You, even being in sin. She loved You before Your blood was shed. She loved You before You forgave. Neither do I ask if it is right to give You love. I do not love in hope of salvation. I would love You in everlasting misfortune. I would love You even in consuming fire…

("In God’s Underground" - Richard Wurmbrand, p. 70)

This poem was written by the founder of the Voice of the Martyrs during some of the darkest days of his 14 years in Communist prisons. What is it that these two suffering prisoners, along with many others like them, know that makes them love so madly? Or is it the Who that they know that makes them love so truly? We all know the One that they are talking about, and yes, I believe it is the Who that they know that fills their hearts with such ardent love.

Healing, forgiving, accepting, embracing, ruling, providing, creating, and reigning is the One that their hearts have completely fallen for. And taking their sins upon Himself as if they were His own to atone for, this One has captured their love by all that they have found Him to be.

These faithful saints have seen in Jesus Christ a goodness, and truth, and power, and love that surpasses anything they have ever known and fills them with such adoration that its expression comes out in a form of deep romanticism.

I would advise every reader to learn from these afflicted saints, stripped of all worldly comforts yet overflowing with consuming love, and cast off everything that hinders to seek and find this great Love to their soul’s satisfaction.

Going Hard for the LORD

The most God-glorifying CD I have ever heard is Lecrae's newest album, Rebel. I have never seen a musician with as much passion and genuine love for God as Lecrae, and these traits are stunningly displayed throughout his CD! My favorite line on the whole album is from the song "Go Hard" -

"Take me out the game, Coach, I don't want to play no more, if I can't give it all I got and leave it out there on the court"

This statement describes - with wonderful precision - how I feel about God and my blazing desire to serve Him with everything that I am! I used to play a lot of basketball growing up, and I know what an amazing feeling it is to fight with everything you have and come out victorious at the end of a game. How much more satisfying would it be to be able to do this for the glorious Lord of Heaven and Earth! Like Lecrae, I feel like I don't even want to bother playing if I can't give God the best of the firstfruits of my life (Exodus 23:19). God is worth more to me than everything I could ever give Him, and laying my life down for the Gospel is the only way my meager life can bring Him the glory He so exceedingly deserves!

A Letter From Missionary Adoniram Judson

I had to share this amazing letter I read just recently. It's from an 1800’s missionary named Adoniram Judson, written to the father of his beloved Ann Hasseltine, asking permission for her partnership in marriage and missions. I don't believe I can give adequate commentary on this letter, so I'll just let it speak for itself as you read carefully:

I have now to ask, whether you can consent to part with your daughter early next spring, to see her no more in this world; whether you can consent to her departure, and her subjection to the hardships and sufferings of missionary life; whether you can consent to her exposure to the dangers of the ocean, to the fatal influence of the southern climate of India; to every kind of want and distress; to degradation, insult, persecution, and perhaps a violent death. Can you consent to all this, for the sake of him who left his heavenly home, and died for her and for you; for the sake of perishing, immortal souls; for the sake of Zion, and the glory of God? Can you consent to all this, in hope of soon meeting your daughter in the world of glory, with the crown of righteousness, brightened with the acclamations of praise which shall redound to her Savior from heathens saved, through her means, from eternal woe and despair?

("Don't Waste Your Life" - John Piper, p. 158)

Ask yourself this question: How would you respond if you were Ann's father?

“Her father let her decide. She said yes.” (p. 158)

Prime Time With God

I'd like to share something with you that I call "Prime Time With God." I took this expression from a pastor I knew when I was younger, and although I don't remember exactly how he used the expression, it has come to mean something very important for me. "Prime Time With God" is a period of time where I find a private place (without any distractions), and I go to meet with God one-on-one. During this time my primary agenda is to draw near to God so that He might draw near to me and I could know Him better (James 4:8). I'm generally not interested in praying for specific things or people during this time (although this can happen on occasion), but I simply want to have sweet fellowship with the Glorious Creator of the Universe who created me to love Him as the sole Treasure of my life!

While spending "Prime Time With God," many different things can happen. The Lord may give me insights into His Word or some aspect of Christian life. He may provide me with direction for my own life or clear up something I have been confused about. He also may lead me to examine myself before Him to see if I have offended Him in any way so that I might recognize and turn from my sin and strive to honor Him in this area of my life in the future. I can often evaluate my behavior in light of God's Word much better while having "Prime Time" with Him, so this is my ideal time for self-introspection. Finally, sometimes nothing too exciting at all happens when I spend "Prime Time With God." However, I still view these times as beneficial, because I get the chance to get away from the world and sit in the presence of God, even if I don't feel His presence next to me or gain any profound insight.

For me, regularly spending "Prime Time With God" has been more important than anything else (except for His grace) in regard to the health of my relationship with the Almighty. The importance of this time with God can really be understood when considering one's relationship with his or her spouse. Imagine what would happen if you only talked to your spouse when you needed him/her to do something for you. Your spouse would probably notice that you do not truly enjoy being around him or her, but rather you view him/her as your servant who is there to assist you when you need it. Also, it would be impossible to have an intimate, loving relationship with your spouse if you rarely took time to get to know him or her better. Because God wants to have this kind of relationship with His people, it is imperative that we seek Him regularly if we are to truly love Him like He deserves to be loved!

There is a passage in the Psalms that is written by a man who has really experienced the amazing joy and satisfaction of knowing his Creator. Notice how this man's profound longing for God leads him to express his great desire to spend "Prime Time With God" -

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? (Psalm 42:1-2)

Seeing the Glory of God

I often talk about "seeing the glory of God," so I'd like to provide some clarification for what this means. First, the best definition I've ever heard for what the "glory" of God is comes from Pastor John Piper. In one of his sermons, Dr. Piper defined the "glory" of God as "the manifest beauty of His holiness." Since the word "holiness" means "set apart," we can define "seeing the glory of God" as "seeing how amazingly beautiful and superior God is to anyone else, whether it be His power, His wisdom, or especially His moral character and His love."

Although we can definitely see God's glory in His creation (i.e. sunsets, rainbows), I think we can better see His glory through reading about Him in His Word, drawing near to Him in prayer, and seeing Him work in people's lives. Thus, when I talk about "seeing the glory of God," I am generally referring to one of these things, rather than looking at sunsets and rainbows.

I'd like to close by sharing a passage from John Piper's book "A Godward Life," in which Pastor John describes an experience through which he really saw God's amazing glory -

Sometimes in the midst of discipline, unexpected power will spring forth, and the line between spontaneity and discipline disappears. Early one Sunday morning my discipline was taking me through Luke 18. It was one of those times when God came near with unusual force. Christ stood out from the pages as irresistibly compelling. Every paragraph made my soul yearn to be radically obedient to Jesus. I felt that no one ever spoke like this man. No one ever lived free like this man. No one ever demanded what he demanded and gave what he gave.