Worship While in Pain

Kellen has been writing about infant deaths. One of the main passages related to this issue is 2 Samuel 12. To summarize, David has an adulterous affair which results in the conception of a child and the death of the woman's husband (by David's direction). David is then confronted by God through the prophet Nathan. David confesses, and Nathan says that David's sin is "put away." However, the consequences of his sin still remain: the newly-conceived child will die.

My point here is not to rehash what Kellen has argued. I would instead like to point out the rather strange reaction of David to the news of the consequences. The first reaction is, "David therefore sought God on behalf of the child" (2 Sam. 12:16). At this point David's selfish, sinful desires have apparently taken a backseat to God's sovereignty. Later (v. 22) we are told he was seeking God's grace. David understands that the only One who is able to intervene is God Himself. So David fasts and prays before God for seven days...and the child dies.

The king's servants are afraid to tell him the news because they think that David will be crushed. Who wouldn't, right? The death of a child would be terrible for any parent. And if he reacted so strongly for the seven days the child was still alive, what would he do when he heard the news of the child's death?

"And he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped" (v. 20).

After worshipping David returns to his normal life, to the confusion of his servants. Later in the passage David gives the reason for doing so from a human perspective: the child is dead and cannot be brought back; rather the opposite is true: David will go to him.

The question I would like to pose is this: How is it possible for David to go to the house of the Lord for the purpose of worship when his child has just died as a result of his personal sin? I will suggest two reasons (if you have more, please comment):

1. David has a proper understanding of God's holiness. God is perfectly and infinitely holy and as such He must act in justice against sin--even the sin of king David, the "man after God's own heart." David understands the death of his child in light of God's attributes. While death is painful, it is a result of sin ("sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned...." Rom. 5:12). Thus, in David's mind the death of his child highlights the holiness of God and the depth of his sin.

2. David has a proper understand of God's sovereignty. Notice that his view of sovereignty did not keep him from entreating the Lord for grace. But--and this we must notice--when the grace David desired did not come he worshiped. David was not about to sulk in despair because his desire was not granted by God. Instead, he understood that God sovereignly rules over man and if God chose to execute justice rather than grace at that moment, then the Judge of all the earth did what was right. The proper response is to worship the Lord for His sovereignty.

Circumstances are often an easy place to become self-centered. We look at ourselves, focusing on the difficulties of the moment. It may be death, or something far different such as a job situation. It may be something that comes along normally in the course of life, or it may be a consequence of sin. Whatever the case, we need to be like David! We should seek God's grace, but worship Him regardless of the outcome.

A Veto For Life

President Bush recently vetoed H.R. 810, the "Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005."

It is rare these days to find a politician willing to stand up for what is morally, ethically, or biblically right. While the President stopped short of saying that killing embryoes is murder, I am impressed with what he had to say:

Like all Americans, I believe our Nation must vigorously pursue the tremendous possibilities that science offers to cure disease and improve the lives of millions. Yet, as science brings us ever closer to unlocking the secrets of human biology, it also offers temptations to manipulate human life and violate human dignity. Our conscience and history as a Nation demand that we resist this temptation. With the right scientific techniques and the right policies, we can achieve scientific progress while living up to our ethical responsibilities.

And,

I hold to the principle that we can harness the promise of technology without becoming slaves to technology and ensure that science serves the cause of humanity. If we are to find the right ways to advance ethical medical research, we must also be willing when necessary to reject the wrong ways. For that reason, I must veto this bill.

Speaking at the White House with several children present who are the product of embryo adoption the President said,

Like all Americans, I believe our nation must vigorously pursue the tremendous possibility that science offers to cure disease and improve the lives of millions. We have opportunities to discover cures and treatments that were unthinkable generations ago. Some scientists believe that one source of these cures might be embryonic stem cell research. Embryonic stem cells have the ability to grow into specialized adult tissues, and this may give them the potential to replace damaged or defective cells or body parts and treat a variety of diseases.

Yet we must also remember that embryonic stem cells come from human embryos that are destroyed for their cells. Each of these human embryos is a unique human life with inherent dignity and matchless value. We see that value in the children who are with us today. Each of these children began his or her life as a frozen embryo that was created for in vitro fertilization, but remained unused after the fertility treatments were complete. Each of these children was adopted while still an embryo, and has been blessed with the chance to grow up in a loving family.

These boys and girls are not spare parts. (Applause.) They remind us of that is lost when embryos are destroyed in the name of research. They remind us that we all begin our lives as a small collection of cells. And they remind us that in our zeal for new treatments and cures, America must never abandon our fundamental morals.

HT: Al Mohler

Baseball & Faith

Faith and baseball are inseparable. Without hope in the unseen, no one would hit a 95 mph fastball, steal home or cheer on the erratic Atlanta Braves this season.

This week, belief comes out of the dugout when the Braves host the first of three "Faith Day" promotions. After the 1 p.m. game Thursday against the Florida Marlins, star pitcher John Smoltz will talk about his faith and Christian bands will perform for those with a $10 ticket for the event, separate from game admission.

Check out the rest of the article here.

Do I Dare?

Okay, I'll admit it... The Brewers are not under God's judgment. And no, I'm not just appeasing the Brewers fans at church. It is a stretch to attach them to Noah.

Now the Cubs...that's a different story. They gave up two grand slams yesterday (a total of 11 runs) in the same inning! Plus, it was the first time in club history that happened. (Just a side note--one of the grand slams was by a former Royal, Carlos Beltran.) I'm sorry, Jeff and Kellen, but somehow that must be a form of God's judgment. Believe me--I feel your pain. I once sat through an opening day game watching the Royals give up a gazillion home runs; it did not bode well for the rest of the season. But I've never seen two grand slams in a game, much less in one inning.

It does give me a little joy to see that the Royals are on their way to having a better record than the Cubs. I guess I do need to be careful here. I wouldn't want to cause any of you to stumble in some way. So, perhaps this exercise in questionable theology needs to end.

Maybe...

It's just so fun...

More Questionable Theology

For those of you who are (inexplicably) fans of that team to the south...what's their name?...oh yes, the Cubs...I have a question.

I stated that biblically it appears that the Brewers must be under God's judgment (this is seen in the fact that they lost three straight games to the Cubs--at home no less). Apparently God granted a special dispensation to the Cubs in these three games because there were are no redeeming qualities in the Cubs (they haven't won a World Series since dinosaurs roamed the earth). Some of you objected to that, and in fact gave what might be justifiable reasons for the Cubs actually having a redeeming quality or two. If that is the case, then why do the Cubbies have a left-fielder whose name is Angel Pagan?

Now I don't have anything against Mr. Pagan. I don't know Mr. Pagan, nor do I have any incriminating evidence related to Mr. Pagan. However, there is appears to be something quite odd at work here. Biblically we are told that Satan masquerades as an angel of light. We know Satan is evil and his desire is to mimic God, and be a copycat of what God does and who He is.

Please know that I am not insinuating that Mr. Pagan is Satan incarnate or anything close to the fact. As I said, I do not know Mr. Pagan. It does appear, however, that perhaps because of this strange phenomenon the Cubs are in fact the enemy of God. Does that mean that Christians should not be Cubs fans? Maybe the Cubs are the team truly under the judgment of God instead of the Brewers. I think we're onto something here! Biblically this appears to be a difficult determination. It is almost like having to choose between the lesser of two evils.

I guess I'm going to have to remain in the Royals camp...that is where the King of kings belongs, right?

A Little Fun

An exercise in questionable theology:


Well...there is some sad news in Wisconsin today. The Brewers lost three straight games to the lowly Cubs. I suppose that could be God's judgment. Think of it...an expedition to Iran believes they have discovered Noah's ark. Noah was in trouble after coming out of the ark for raising some grapes, and getting drunk on the wine. God must not like it when people get drunk (check out Ephesians 5), and since that is helped by those who brew alcoholic beverages, God must be judging the Brewers. (Sure, you might argue that the Brewers are around .500 this season [actually they are currently 2 games under .500 and have fallen to third place]. Don't get too excited--that could be God's judgment in letting the Brewers have life their way--check out Romans 1). That must be it, because there certainly can't be any redeeming qualities in the Cubs. After all, it's been since 1908 that they have won the World Series. At least the Royals won in 1985. I had the pleasure of going to the Brewers/Cubs game Friday evening with someone from church. During the loss I enjoyed watching the scoreboard keep up with the Royals' win over the Blue Jays.

Granted, the Royals are (at least at the present time) worse than the Cubs. But at least they are not under God's judgment like the Brewers. They simply have bad pitching. Oh, and sometimes they can't hit. That combination makes for some painful baseball at times. But, God appears to be causing His face to shine upon the Royals because two of their minor league prospects were the stars of the Futures game. One of them was even the MVP. God has seen enough of the Royals persecution from the likes of ESPN, and it looks like God is beginning to be gracious to the Royals which is more than I can say for the Brewers and the Cubs.

Storms of Destruction

Psalm 57 begins with these words:

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in You my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.

In this verse we see a fascinating statement of reliance upon God combined with personal action in obedience. First is the crying out to God for His action. Specifically, that God would look kindly upon David (the author of the psalm) and extend mercy. This is a trust in God Himself--in His attributes and person. The reason given for this request for mercy is that David is resting completing in the Lord: "for in You my soul takes refuge." Picture it this way: a child who is scared of the storm runs to his parents' room and asks to crawl in their bed because he needs "a refuge." The parents are merciful and allow the child that access. David cries out to the Lord because he knows that mercy is waiting.

But he does not wait for mercy. After crying out to God, David then states what he is going to do: "in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge." It is almost as if David is saying, "I'm not waiting for your answer as to whether or not I can get in the bed--I'm coming!!!" He is taking the responsibility on himself to run to the Father where he says, "I will take refuge here."

Brothers and sisters, there will be "storms of destruction" as long as we are in this sin-cursed world. It is as sure as the sun rising and setting each day. But there is mercy to be found in the One who provides a refuge. Notice, however, that the mercy found is not necessarily the removal of the storm! The psalmist declares that he will take refuge "till the storms of destruction pass by." This is mercy through the storms of life. This is a place of refuge to ride out the storm.

When the storms of life come remember that there is mercy and a place of refuge. But don't wait for it to come to you. Run to the Father and declare to Him, "I'm here to take refuge...ready or not, here I come!" Then prepare yourself for the peace of God to rule in your heart.

Pastor John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg

In a sermon delivered to his Virginia congregation on Jan. 21, 1776, he preached from Ecclesiastes 3. Arriving at verse 8, which declares that there is a time of war and a time of peace, Muhlenberg noted that this surely was not the time of peace; this was the time of war. Concluding with a prayer, and while standing in full view of the congregation, he removed his clerical robes to reveal that beneath them he was wearing the uniform of an officer in the Continental army! He marched to the back of the church; ordered the drum to beat for recruits and over three hundred men joined him, becoming the Eighth Virginia Brigade. John Peter Muhlenberg finished the Revolution as a Major-General, having been at Valley Forge and having participated in the battles of Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, Stonypoint, and Yorktown.

Celebrating our nation's birthday

"Why is it that, next to the birth day of the Saviour of the World, your most joyous and most venerated festival returns on this day [July 4th]?... Is it not that, in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birth-day of the Saviour? That it forms a leading event in the progress of the gospel dispensation? Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer's mission upon earth? That it laid the corner stone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity..?"


President John Adams, July 4, 1837 in an address delivered to the Town of Newburyport on the sixty-first anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.