Fading Joys, Heavenly Longings

Today, I begin comments on various hymns I enjoy both for their depth of thought and musical beauty. First up is one by Jane C. Bonar:

Fade, Fade each Earthly Joy

(To here the hymn, click on the title.)

Fade, fade, each earthly joy, Jesus is mine!
Break every tender tie, Jesus is mine!
Dark is the wilderness, Earth has no resting place,
Jesus alone can bless, Jesus is mine!

Tempt not my soul away, Jesus is mine!
Here would I ever stay, Jesus is mine!
Perishing things of clay, born but for one brief day,
Pass from my heart away, Jesus is mine!

Farewell, ye dreams of night, Jesus is mine!
Lost in this dawning bright, Jesus is mine!
All that my soul has tried left but a dismal void;
Jesus has satisfied, Jesus is mine!

Farewell, mortality, Jesus is mine!
Welcome, eternity, Jesus is mine!
Welcome, oh, loved and blest, welcome sweet scenes of rest,
Welcome, my Savior’s breast, Jesus is mine!

Yesterday we sang this hymn at church, which sparked a discussion on whether it is about a recent convert or an older saint. In many ways it is both. The first verse tells of breaking ties and how dark is the world to the Christian. This can be a new believer rejoicing in his new-found life, or an old saint looking back over his life, ready to break the earthly ties and go to meet his Lord.

Verses 2-4 are clearer in showing the thoughts of an elderly saint longing to leave this body of flesh behind and move on the higher and better things.

I see this hymn as a sort of New Testament version of Ecclesiastes. In that Old Testament book, the aged Solomon looks back with regret on how he ruined his life with sinful pursuits, that all he did was vanity and waste. This hymn is more of a aged or dying saint looking back on the earthly life, not with regret, but joy that his godly life is leading him to a heavenly eternity. And, like Paul the Apostle in Philippians 1, he cannot wait any longer to “absent from the body and be present with the Lord.”

Flood of 2008

We are in the midst of a flood here in NE Missouri. The mighty Mississippi is over its banks almost to the level of the great Flood of ’93.

I am reminded of another great flood. Genesis records the greatest flood ever, one that enveloped the whole world. God sent it because the hearts of men had become wicked. “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). So He sent a flood and wiped out all but Noah and his family.

We all know that story. It is one every child hears. But it is a sad story. Think of all the destruction and misery suffered by those not in the ark. Imagine not having any way of escape as the waters rise. Think of watching the ark float away while clinging to the last piece of wood, floating helplessly to death. And yet, all those around Noah had opportunity to be on the ark. He preached for many years while building the ark, warning men to repent of their evil ways. But men laughed at him.

So, what about this year? Once more we are being warned to flee God’s wrath. He promised never to destroy the whole earth with water again. This surging of the waters reminds us that God is still God, and nothing we do can change the fact that man is evil and has no intent of serving anyone but himself. I watch the news and see all the labor going into the sandbagging, and have even helped out in the protecting of property. Some of it is no no avail.

But repentance from sin is never a waste. God’s wrath is abated when we turn away from our sin and look to Him, just as the flood waters are turned away by the levies and sandbags. “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD” (Gen. 6:8). We can be carried to safety by the ark if we are right with God. The ark is Jesus. Repent and be saved.

The marketplace in the temple

“Stop making my Father’s house a house of merchandise” John 2:16 (NASB).

So said Jesus when he cleansed the temple of the sellers and money changers. Many today do not realize that were Jesus to enter some modern places of worship, he might do the same thing. I have been to a few large churches and am disturbed by what I see: shops selling books, CDs and other material in the building; or even coffee shops imitating Starbuck’s on Sunday mornings. Another disturbing trend is selling tickets to concerts that take place in a church building. That is what auditoriums and sporting arenas are for. Keep the marketplace out!

(I realize musicians need to earn their living, but why don’t they trust the Lord they claim to serve for their income, rather than using worldly methods of promotion?)

Children ask deep questions

Well, sort of. Today was my last day of training for my summer job as a guide at a local cave. While deep inside, a child asked if the whole cave had been explored (there are over six miles of mapped passages, but the tour only goes through about a half mile). While the question itself is not deep (and you will pardon the pun about being deep in the cave when it was asked), it is kind of related this I read tonight about the love of God being much more than we can ever fathom. Men have spent years exploring this particular cave, and I am sure have recorded all there is to see in it. But man can never completely know the love of God, even if he spent the rest of eternity exploring it.

It’s Spring!

The weather outside has finally warmed up. I mowed the lawn for the first time this week. As I mowed, I praised God for the beauty of creation. We have a lot of what most would call weeds in our yard. I have never understood the idea of spraying the grass to keep the weeds away, when the flowers of the weeds add such color to the grass. We have white and purple violets here at 3rd and College, along with another purple flower I cannot identify (botany never was my forte) and the yellow of dandelions. While the latter is a pest when it goes to seed, it does offer a pretty contrast to the green grass. Most of these flowers are ground huggers, so I set the lawn mower a little higher and cut over them (I also waited too long this year, so all the rain caused the lawn to be six inches tall in places, too high for the usual setting).

At any rate, here is a little poem I wrote last spring for you reading pleasure.

In Spring birds sing.
Rain falls; love calls.
Trees green; young men preen.
Sky is blue; love is true.

Farmers plant; birds can’t.
Robins seek, worm in beak.
Rivers roar; geese soar.
Spring is sprung; new life’s begun.

(PSL Apr. 4, 2007)

Thoughts from Leviticus

I have been reading through Leviticus recently. It has often reminded me of driving through the desert or grasslands of the west while taking a car trip across the country. One sees the majesty of mountains and beauty of forests; the quaintness of farm land and small towns in other parts, but the desert and grasslands are not much for scenery. They are best for making good time — at night. I was told to look for Christ, and not for personal applications, in Leviticus. I think about all I can see is that the multitude of sacrifices described in the book all point to the one sacrifice that cancelled them all. I am not alone in this thinking. Here is this morning’s reading from C. H. Spurgeon’s devotional (italics original):

“Behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.”—Matthew 27:51.

NO mean miracle was wrought in the rending of so strong and thick a veil; but it was not intended merely as a display of power—many lessons were herein taught us. The old law of ordinances was put away, and like a worn-out vesture, rent and laid aside. When Jesus died, the sacrifices were all finished, because all fulfilled in Him, and therefore the place of their presentation was marked with an evident token of decay. That rent also revealed all the hidden things of the old dispensation: the mercy-seat could now be seen, and the glory of God gleamed forth above it. By the death of our Lord Jesus we have a clear revelation of God, for He was “not as Moses, who put a veil over his face.” Life and immortality are now brought to light, and things which have been hidden since the foundation of the world are manifest in Him. The annual ceremony of atonement was thus abolished. The atoning blood which was once every year sprinkled within the veil, was now offered once for all by the great High Priest, and therefore the place of the symbolical rite was broken up. No blood of bullocks or of lambs is needed now, for Jesus has entered within the veil with his own blood. Hence access to God is now permitted, and is the privilege of every believer in Christ Jesus. There is no small space laid open through which we may peer at the mercy-seat, but the rent reaches from the top to the bottom. We may come with boldness to the throne of the heavenly grace. Shall we err if we say that the opening of the Holy of Holies in this marvellous manner by our Lord's expiring cry was the type of the opening of the gates of paradise to all the saints by virtue of the Passion? Our bleeding Lord hath the key of heaven; He openeth and no man shutteth; let us enter in with Him into the heavenly places, and sit with Him there till our common enemies shall be made His footstool.

Politics, Basketball and Life

Well, I watched some of the NCAA “March Madness” over the weekend. It is always interesting to watch the small, #16 seed try and defeat the big guys. Never has it happened, yet there is always the possibility. However, a few times the #15 seed humiliates the #2. This year, it was the little school called Belmont almost upsetting the mighty Duke University. Of course, later in the day, another “David” eliminated the “Goliath” it faced, as #13 seed San Diego surprised #4 UConn. Those who follow college basketball know that both Duke and UConn are power houses that usually do well, and that is why they were seeded so high. But of course, those of us who watched or checked later found out that Duke did indeed fall to the #7 seed West Virginia in the second round.

So, what does this have to do with politics and life? Look at the current presidential campaign. Early on, everyone thought that Sen. Hillary Clinton was a shoe in for the Democratic nomination. Then, along came a freshman Senator from Illinois with all his charm, youth and good looks, and she is in the battle of her political life. On the Republican side, the media darling, experienced, senior Senator from Arizona looked for all intents and purposes to be washed out last fall, with little money and a campaign staff that was falling apart. Mitt Romney, the “#1 seed” from Massachusetts, looked to be the nominee. Then along came a lessor known former governor from a small, Southern state, with all his charm and good looks, as well as a funny name. The pundits claim he, Mike Huckabee, stole a lot of the Conservative votes from Romney, thus giving the nod to McCain, who now is the proverbial phoenix, rising from the ashes of sure defeat and claiming the nomination of the Grand Old Party. Sounds a lot like an overtime basketball game to me.

Now, for the final analogy. In life, we are all faced with struggles that look like insurmountable impossibilities. Even our beginning in the womb as an invisible combination of our parents’ DNA seems impossible. In nine short months, we go from a microscopic embryo to a seven pound or so bundle of joy. Then, with the help of our parents, our fragile, helpless selves become growing children, facing the challenges of school and playground, sickness and injury, tests and competitions. Then, before we realize it, we are adults, hopefully ready to take on the world and become “successful” members of society. Somehow, we survive the onslaught and go from a #16 seed to a conquering, victorious #1 Champion.

Now, give glory to the God who made you and helped you through to this point. Even if you don’t know Him, He is there. Don’t believe me? Read this, written by the David mentioned above, who killed the giant Goliath with a stone and slingshot:

O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O LORD, You know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” even the night shall be light about me; indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You. For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. (Psalm 139:1-16, NKJV)

God knows you better than you know yourself.

This is the day

Random thoughts on a winter’s day.

David said: “This is the day the LORD has made. Let us and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24) I often have to be reminded of that. Here in Missouri, winter seems to linger on and on. We have days of below freezing with some snow and ice, followed by a day or two of warm (or relatively warm) weather. Of course, it is hard to enjoy the warmth when the forecast calls for another round of winter weather!

I was reading to my youngest the other day, and came across this quote (a father telling his daughter why she should not use improper grammar, even in informal settings): “Language is the clothing for your thoughts, my dear. A thought surely deserves to be dressed in its very best when it enters the world.” I whole-heartedly agree. I find it hard to write an email or IM note without using correct punctuation and grammar. It must be the teacher in me.

The school year is getting long. February and March are always the hardest months. Grey, cold days; long stretches with no holidays; students who give up and let their grades slide. I tell them the third quarter is the hardest, both because of the dreariness of this time of year, and the fact the material gets tougher. They never believe me until a week or two before report cards come out and their grade is not as high as they would wish. I had a prof in grad school who theorized that once a student gets half way though a term, that the grade is pretty much what it will be at the end, and there is not much one can do to change it. Try telling that to an almost 16-year-old who has been told he cannot get his driver’s permit if he has any poor grades!

On politics

Well, I voted today in the Super Tuesday primary here in Missouri. All I can say is, I am glad God is in ultimate control of the outcome. However, I have a few words to say to my fellow Conservatives disappointed in our choices.

Listen and heed: DO NOT stay home!!! I believe the RNC will learn a bitter lesson this year in being the reason the Dems win the White House. If we stay home, they will continue to give us lousy choices. If we vote in droves for 3rd party candidates or for Dems, the RNC will have to listen, especially if we all send them a letter telling them why we refuse to vote for a Democrat in disguise. Write to the RNC (Republican National Committee) at:
310 First Street, Washington, D. C. 20003
Call: 202.863.8500
Fax: 202.863.8820
Email: info@gop.com

Flood them with requests for real Conservative candidates who stand for the US and those values and issues that got Ronald Reagan elected in two landslides. Otherwise, the Republicans deserve to lose.

Brrrr!

All I can say is “Brrr!” Today we took the dog to the vet for her annual rabies shot/checkup. The mini van did not get very warm during the ten minute drive. It was only 6°F!

At times like this I am reminded of the first time I ever heard Keith McLeod, a Canadian evangelist, back in 1976. He was speaking from Genesis 3, about the Fall of Adam and Eve. I don’t remember much about the main part of the sermon, but what stands out to me is what he said concerning weather. He said that the Garden of Eden was most likely 75° or warmer, since Adam and Eve were naked, yet comfortable. Since they fell, the weather extremes we experience remind us of their sin. When we are too cold in winter, we should remember the Fall. When it is scorching in summer, we should remember the Fall. (Side note: The next time I heard Bro. McLeod, it was a record breaking -23°F! He joked that it felt warm, as it was -68°F when he left Canada.)

So, this winter as we shiver our way through the cold, let us remember not only the Fall, but the redemption provided for us when Christ Jesus died on the cross of Calvary. Adam and Eve, as far as we know, never knew redemption and forgiveness from God for their sin. That does not matter. The main question is, am I forgiven? Are you?