The Importance of the Virgin Birth

The Patriarch Moses - “The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." (Genesis 3:14,15)

The Prophet Isaiah - “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)

The Historian Luke 1:26-31 - “In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed1 to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.” (Luke 1:26-31)

The Apostle’s Creed - I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried…

The Westminster Shorter Catechism 1:22 - Question - How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man?
Answer - Christ, the Son of God, became man, by taking to himself a true body, and a reasonable soul, being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and born of her, yet without sin.

B.B. Warfield - “I can only say that I have myself no doubt whatever of the fact of the supernatural birth of Jesus, as that fact is recorded in the opening chapters of the gospels of Matthew and Luke.” (Biblical and Theological Studies, The Supernatural Birth of Jesus, p. 157)

J. Gresham Machen - “In the first place, it may be held that the Church came to believe in the virgin birth for the simple reason that the virgin birth was a fact; the reason why the creed came to say that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the virgin Mary is that He was actually so conceived and so born.” (The Virgin Birth of Christ, p. 1)

James Montgomery Boice - “The doctrine of the virgin birth is not neglected today because it has been disproved. Quite the opposite is the case. It is disregarded out of simple unbelief.” (The Christ of Christmas, p. 28)


This time of year reminders of the supernatural are all around us. With angelic visitations, men who go mute, and old women and virgins who conceive, the Christmas story is full of the miraculous. Christianity is supernatural religion and there are no two ways around it. Throughout redemptive history God has intervened in the course of history in supernatural ways. When the Children of Israel were released from the bondage of Egypt there was an intensification of the miraculous, because deliverance had come. And surrounding the birth of Jesus there was an intensification of the miraculous, because the Deliverer has come.

Believing in the supernatural, miraculous virgin birth is not popular these days. Hyper-rationalism, anti-supernaturalism, and anti-Christian philosophies carry the day. In this age of enlightenment the doctrine of the virgin birth is relegated to archaic ignorance and superstition. Unless we can see, hear, smell, taste, or touch it, it cannot possibly be true. For the Christian, to believe in Jesus is to gladly acknowledge and embrace the virgin birth. The Christian faith is not the Christian faith without it. In theoffspring of the virgin’s womb God did the impossible. In the virgin birth God and man intersected. In a supreme act of divine condescension God humbled Himself to take on human flesh in the womb of a virgin and in the form of a helpless baby. The virgin birth was as necessary to secure our salvation as the crucifixion and resurrection, because in the virgin birth there is a ‘…uniting of full deity and full humanity.’ (Grudem, Systematic Theology, p. 530) The Christian rejoices with the angels in the virgin birth because this is good news of great joy (Luke 2:10). In the sweeping magnificence of God’s redemptive work in Christ the offspring of the virgin’s womb will save to the uttermost all those who trust in Him. Rejoice, hope has come!

Rejoicing with you in the virgin birth,

Dan

The Market Day of the Soul

“Hail, thou that art highly favored of God, thou map of heaven, thou golden spot of the week, thou market day of souls, thou daybreak of eternal brightness, thou queen of days, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among days. All the graces triumph in thee, all the ordinances conspire to enrich thee; the Father ruleth thee, the Son rose upon thee, the Spirit hath overshadowed thee. On thee light was created, the Holy Ghost descended, life hath been restored, Satan subdued, sin mortified, souls sanctified, the grave, death and hell conquered! Oh, how do men and women flutter up and down on the weekdays, as the dove on the waters, and can find no rest for their souls till they come to see their ark, till thou put forth thy hand and take them in. Oh, how they sit under thy shadows with great delight, and find thy fruits sweet to their taste! Oh, the mountings of the mind, the ravishing of the heart, the solace of the soul which on thee enjoy in the blessed Savior.”

- George Swinnock (1675), quoted in The Market Day of the Soul, by James T. Dennison, p. 3

"If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

- Isaiah 58:13-14

“For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

- Matthew 12:8


A recent visitor to COR sent me an email and mentioned Swinnock’s quote (see above) calling Sundays, “the market day of the soul”. That got me thinking. I was reminded of how often I skate into our Lord’s Day meetings and often the last things on my mind are calling this day a delight, and considering Jesus Christ as the Lord of the Sabbath. It seems to be easy to get caught up in the pronounced busyness of Sunday mornings and neglect the real reason for our Sunday gatherings. After all there is set-up and take-down, a resource table to put up, announcements to make, regulars to greet, visitors to greet, a sermon to consider, music, and all sorts of things to do. It seems like I can be so busy. But this day ought to truly be the market day of the soul. Because of the gospel labors of our Savior we have ceased from our labors and now enjoy true Sabbath rest.

On this day in particular, we have the body of believers gathered, songs are sung to God through the Risen Savior, the word is preached, offerings are given, the sacraments are administered, prayers are prayed, prophetic gifting is practiced, and a host of other things are engaged in that we don’t do at other times during the week. To love the Savior is to love Sundays as we gather with God’s people. These two things are inseparable, because this one day is the day that most resembles heaven. This one day ought to be the day most anticipated. This one day, of all days, ought to be our delight.

As I’ve thought about this I’ve been convicted to be more intentional about making the Lord’s Day a delight and to be more intentionally joyful on this day of days. Will you help me to remember? If you see me running around in a lather, because I’ve got so many things going on, please remind me to remember the Lord of the Sabbath and help me to make Sundays a delight.

Grateful for rest in the Savior,

Dan

What's the Big Deal with Christmas?

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Friends,

I lieu of my typical weekly email I’m sending you the message below. I was recently invited to speak at Firm Foundation Christian School in Battleground, WA. The body of the email was given as a message to the 6th through 10th grade classes at an assembly earlier today (12/5/07).


What’s the big deal with Christmas?

What’s the big deal with Christmas? I mean, you all probably know that Jesus was likely not born on December 25th, right? We don’t really know for sure when He was born. It’s likely close to that date, but no one knows for sure. But what about all of the other stuff going on? There are Christmas specials on TV. There are people in town with Christmas lights up. And there are decorations on display at the local stores. But what’s the big deal? Why is there something instead of nothing? Why don’t we celebrate “Merry Snow Day”? Or “Happy Leaves Falling Off the Trees Season”? Why Christmas, and what’s the big deal?

My suspicion is that if you asked most people on the street what Christmas is all about, they would respond with “family time” or “presents”, or “days off of school.” What is the big deal with Christmas? What about your own answer? If I were to ask you about Christmas, what could you tell me about it? Some might say, “It’s when we celebrate Jesus’ birth”, and that would be true. But is there more than that to it?

What’s the big deal with a baby being born? Babies are born all the time aren’t they? What was different about this baby? What was so special about him? Do you have any idea? What about being born of a virgin? That would be a big deal, but that isn’t it. He was born in a manger, and wasn’t that significant? He was born where all the cows and sheep slept. He was born in a barn. Is that the big deal? Okay, what about the shepherds that saw a number of angels, and then the angels told them certain things about the baby. That’s a pretty big deal right? It’s not everyday your minding your own business as a shepherd and a bunch of angels appear and tell you about a special baby being born. But, is that it? Could it be that Christmas is a big deal because of the Magi? Those were the guys that were the wise men. They were the ones that brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the newborn baby. That’s a big deal, right? He must have been a pretty special baby for men of learning and wisdom to bring him gifts. Is that it?

I’m going to give you a big word to confound your friends and amaze your parents. When they ask you what you learned in school today, you can tell them this new word. Here’s how it’s spelled, i-n-c-a-r-n-a-t-i-o-n. Christmas is a big deal because of The Incarnation. Do you know what it means? Incarnation means the "act of being made flesh" or “enfleshment”. Hold your left hand up and shake it. Now pinch it. Did it hurt? It hurt because you are made out of flesh. You aren’t a ghost or a disembodied spirit. You are made out of flesh and blood and bones. But you’ve always been made out of flesh and blood and bones. You were never a disembodied spirit. Christmas is a big deal because a long time ago in a faraway place God took on flesh and blood and bones. God became a man. Christmas is a big deal because it’s about the Incarnation. God, who had never known what it was like to actually be made of flesh and blood and bones, became like us in Jesus Christ. He could have shaken his hand and pinched it and it would have hurt him. He became like you and me. Christmas is a big deal because God came in the flesh as a helpless child. In the mystery of the Trinity the eternal Son took on flesh and became a tiny infant.

Now, if you are smart kids, and I am assuming you are, you should be asking yourselves, why? Not, why you are smart kids, but why the Incarnation? Why did Jesus have a body like ours and what difference would it make? Some religions say that Jesus was just a spirit. They say he was just a spirit and not a body, because it would be bad if God had a body. But that isn’t what the Bible says. The Bible says in John 1:14, “...the Word became flesh and dwelt among us...” In Jesus Christ God lived here on earth in a real body made of flesh and blood and bones and nerves and emotions. You could touch him, he could speak to you in an audible voice, and he slept and ate and did everything like you and me. But why? Why did he do this? Why did he become a man?

In Jesus Christ God became a man, but there’s something he did not do. He did not sin. The fact of the matter is that all of us have a terrible problem. It’s not just me, it’s all of us. We do the one thing that Jesus did not do. We sin. In fact we sin every day, and not just once a day, but a number of times in a day. We think bad thoughts, we say bad things, we do bad things every day, and day after day. Christmas is a big deal because of the Incarnation. God became a man and not just any man; he became a man without sin. He never had a bad thought, he never said a bad thing, and he never did anything bad. He was always doing everything at all times in perfection to his Father’s will. Have you ever watched the movie Narnia or read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe? Do you remember the part where Lucy meets Mr. Tumnus and Mr. Tumnus is plotting how to kidnap Lucy? He finally comes to his senses and begins to confess the plot to Lucy and he begins to tell her about the White Witch that has cast a spell on Narnia. Mr. Tumnus says of the White Witch,

“Why, it is she that has got all of Narnia under her thumb. It’s she that makes it always winter. Always winter, and never Christmas; think of that!” [1]

Without the Incarnation, without God coming in the flesh, it would always be winter and never be Christmas. Something had to be done with our sin. A price had to be paid to satisfy the wrath of God for our sin. Seven hundred years before Jesus was born the prophet Isaiah told about the coming of Jesus. In Isaiah 7:14-15 he said,

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (And)… he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.”

The name Immanuel means “God with us”. And then before Jesus’ birth an angel appeared to Joseph and told him not to be afraid. And then the angel then began telling him what would happen to Mary and said,

“ “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us).” (Matthew 1:21-23)

What’s the big deal with Christmas? The big deal with Christmas is that God became a man in the Incarnation, and he lived a perfect life of obedience, and died on a Cross to satisfy the Father’s wrath for our sins, and then he rose again from the dead. The big deal about Christmas is the Incarnation, and the big deal about the Incarnation is the Cross and the Resurrection. You see, without Christmas there is no Easter, and without Easter there is no hope for sinners. It’s all part of the same story, the story of redemption, where God saves sinners like you and me. What’s the big deal with Christmas? The big deal is that hope for us has come in the Incarnate Son of God. As Christians we ought to celebrate the Incarnation like nobody else. Let the celebration begin….


Forever grateful for the Incarnation, Dan

Playing Hide and Seek with Humility

“But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”

- Isaiah 66:2b

“The whole human race is infected with the disease of pride; for by the gospel all the glory of the flesh is reduced to nothing…The doctrine of humility…is…confirmed by the precious blood of Christ.”

- John Calvin, Genesis II:264, cited in Calvin’s Wisdom, p. 154

“That demon of pride was born with us, and it will not die one hour before us. It is so woven into the very warp and woof of our nature, that till we are wrapped in our winding-sheets we shall never hear the last of it.”

- Charles Spurgeon, Fear Not, The Spurgeon Archive, www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0257*

“I am more afraid of the pope of ‘self’ than of the pope of Rome and all his cardinals.”

- Martin Luther

“I know I am proud; and yet I do not know the half of that pride.”

- Robert Murray M’Cheyne (quoted in Humility, the Forgotten Virtue, by Wayne Mack)


How does this happen, and on the Lord’s Day no less? That day when I foolishly think I’m on my best behavior, I found myself acting once again in arrogance. Anxiety led to arrogance and there I was defending my defenseless position. I would have argued all afternoon that I was right. Smug and self-satisfied, it was only later that day that I saw my wrong. My sin then led to a phone call and a confession of sin and a request for forgiveness. “I was wrong…I sinned against you…I was arrogant…You were right…Please forgive me.” She was gracious and freely offered forgiveness.

Why is it that the first place I seem to go is self-defense and a self-assured attitude of my own right understanding? You’d think that by now I would have learned this lesson. And this is by no means the first time. This is ground I’ve walked again and again. Why is it so hard to admit that I am are wrong? The roots of pride run deep in my heart. Its invasive tendrils wrap themselves around everything. I cannot think, say, or do without pride’s ensnaring effect.

The sobering reality is that without the gospel I have no hope. I will ever and always be an arrogant man unless Christ shows me great mercy and opens my eyes to my arrogance. Left to myself I’m frightened at the prospect. When faced with the battle of indwelling sin and the ensuing daily conflict Paul writes to the Romans, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24) He understood that indwelling sin has a power far beyond anything we might try to manufacture. Paul then goes on to give thanks to God through Jesus Christ for help in this ongoing battle.

Dear friends, the Christian life is not for sissies. There is a battle raging and we’re right in the middle of it. Until I take my last breath pride and arrogance lie in wait, ever watching for an opportunity to seize my thoughts, words and deeds. I need the gospel. I need the assurance that this battle is not my own. I need the abundant grace of God in the surety of the ascended Christ that arrogance has been dealt a death blow, and what I’m seeing now is simply the last gasps of a dying enemy.

In all of this I’m grateful for a church where confession of sin is often made and forgiveness is freely given. We are a church of needy sinners living life under the care and protection of a glorious and gracious Savior. Thank you all for letting this be a place where the battle for humility is being fought. Thank you being a humble example to me.

With joy, Dan

Cultivating a Heart of Thanksgiving

“And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

- 1 Thessalonians 5:14-18

“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.”

- Colossians 3:15

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.”

- Philippians 1:3-5

“I have now said repeatedly that he is treated with the honor he deserves when he is recognized as the author of all good things. It follows that our receiving them all from his hand should be attended with continual thanksgiving.”

– John Calvin, quoted by B. A. Gerrish in Grace and Gratitude

“He who would have a double heaven must begin below to rejoice like those above.”

- Charles Spurgeon, Treasury of David, Psalm 33:1


Next week we’ll celebrate a national holiday. I have to admit that this holiday somewhat of an enigma to me. I enjoy it because typically this holiday has escaped all commercialism. It seems to be a time that many family and friends are able to gather, and indeed, some of my fondest memories are of Thanksgivings past. Often it was a wonderful day spent with family and friends with an unmistakable highlight of being the most delicious meal of the year. I think Thanksgiving is enigmatic in that it was intended as a special day for giving thanks. A special day to give thanks? I need a life of giving thanks. So often in my everyday life, thanksgiving, as the posture of my heart, evades me. And I am not thankful because I am not content. I find murmuring and complaining is often my attitude. Rather than seeing everything as coming from God’s gracious hand I grouse about even the minutest details.

Puritan Jeremiah Burroughs preached a series of sermons to help unthankful and discontent people like me. The sermons have been compiled into a little book entitled, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment. Burroughs’ own life could have been the seedbed of ingratitude. He was born in 1599 and died in 1646 at only 47 years old. His ministry was filled with difficulty as he found himself in the middle of several large-scale controversies within the church. He was a conscience-bound and Scripture-bound Puritan during the Acts of Uniformity in England in the 1600’s. He was ejected from his first pastorate for non-conformance and his heart was broken over divisions within the church. These sermons were published in book form, posthumously, two years after his death. And now this collection still serves the church over 350 years after his death. Imagine yourself as a persecuted parishioner in an Independent church during the enforcement of the Acts of Uniformity. Likely as a non-conforming parishioner you are experiencing severe suffering. Listen in as Pastor Burroughs exhorts his congregation using these words,

“A gracious heart can indeed tell how to enjoy God as all in all to him. That is the happiness of heaven to have God be all in all.” (p. 67)

“Certainly our contentment does not consist in getting the thing we desire, but in God’s fashioning our spirits to our conditions.” (p. 130)

“Contentment is a sweet, inward heart-thing. It is a work of the Spirit indoors.” (p. 20)

In the middle of conflict-ridden England Burroughs was able to bring a God-ward perspective. My prayer is that both you and I will live in the good of the gospel to the extent that it affects our degree of contentment and thankfulness, and not only on one special day. I think if we could but glimpse the breadth of God’s manifold kindness to us in the work of redemption contentment and thankfulness would be an inseparable part of us. It would change us from the inside out.

May God give us a renewed vision of all He’s done for us in Christ. And may this Thanksgiving be the beginning of a lifetime of thanksgiving.

Desiring to be more content and more thankful, Dan

Joint Heirs Together in the Grace of Life

“Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him."

- Genesis 2:18

“…man still needs to be tamed.”

- George Gilder, Men and Marriage, p. 47

“As I considered taking Kate as my wife, I entreated our Lord God earnestly to help me.”

- Martin Luther, cited in Katherine von Bora: A Reformation Life, Rudloph K. Markwald and Marilynn Morris Markwald, p. 70

“Lost in this moment with you, I am completely consumed.”

- Big and Rich, Lost in This Moment


November is a month full of significance for me. It’s the month we celebrate Thanksgiving and it’s my daughter Esther’s, and my grandson Gideon’s birth month. But, truth be known, when I think of the memory of most significance my mind takes me back to November 27th, 1976. That was the day (Thanksgiving weekend) when a very beautiful and very young woman pledged herself to me. This month we’ll celebrate 31 years of marriage. I remember a frequent conversation when we were younger that always started by a matter-of-fact assertion, “We will grow old together.” Thankfully, we’ve gone a ways in that process. Thirty-one years together is an indication of God’s irrefutable kindness to someone like me who deserves nothing but aloneness and alienation. November is a reminder of grace.

This November another celebration is in order. In November of 2002, and in the weakness of post-operative surgery, Judy began what the oncologist would call 21st century barbarism. This month is her 5-year marker. Cancer surgery and chemo-therapy changed the course of our lives, and yet time would prove this to be a severe mercy. Behind a seemingly providential frown there was surely a kindly smile. Marriage had become a means of grace and now suffering was becoming a means of grace as well. In the mystery of covenantal union we had become joint heirs together in the grace of life. Richer and poorer, sickness and health, grace and mercy, were all working together to reflect something much more significant. Even after 31 years we are still a faint shadow of the reality (the mystery of Christ and His church), but I wouldn’t change it for the world. Judy, thank you for saying, “I do.” You are an incomparable gift of grace to me. Here’s to growing old together. I love you more than ever.

Dan

What's the Big Deal with the Reformation?

Man’s work faileth, Christ’s availeth,
He is all our righteousness;
He, our Savior, has forever
Set us free from dark distress.
Through His merit we inherit
Light and peace and happiness.
- Venantius Fortunatus, c. 530-609

“Any true Christian, whether living or dead, participates in all the blessings of Christ and the church; and this is granted him by God, even without indulgence letters.”

- Thesis #37, nailed by Martin Luther on the Castle Church door at Wittenberg, October 10th, 1517

"The righteous shall live by faith."

- Romans 1:17b

“I greatly longed to understand Paul’s Epistle to the Romans and nothing stood in the way but that one expression, “the justice of God,” because I took it to mean that justice whereby God is just and deals justly in punishing the unjust. My situation was that, although an impeccable monk, I stood before God as a sinner troubled in conscience, and I had no confidence that my merit would assuage him. Therefore I did not love a just and angry God, but rather hated and murmured against him. Yet I clung to the dear Paul and had a great yearning to know what he meant. Night and day I pondered until I saw the connection between the justice of God and the statement that ‘the just shall live by his faith.’ Then I grasped that the justice of God is that righteousness by which through grace and sheer mercy God justifies us through faith. Thereupon I felt myself to be reborn and to have gone through open doors into paradise. The whole of Scripture took on a new meaning, and whereas the ‘justice of God’ had filled me with hate, now it became to me inexpressively sweet in greater love. This passage of Paul became to me a gate of heaven….”

- Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, Volume 34, p. 337


490 years ago this Wednesday, on October 31, 1517, the sound of a hammer could be heard in Wittenberg, Germany as an Augustinian monk nailed a piece of parchment to the door at Castle Church. On that parchment, written in Latin, were Luther’s complaints. They were meant to spark an intramural debate, but instead sparked a wildfire that would spread throughout the world. The topics essentially covered three areas – 1) Whether the church ought to spend money on extravagance. 2) Whether the pope could exercise powers over purgatory. 3) And the effect of indulgences pertaining to the standing of a sinner before God. The first two topics would have escaped without too much notice. It was the last topic that got Luther into great trouble. His own mind was the battleground and the stakes were high. The question was excruciating, “How can sinful man be reconciled to a holy God?” The answer, found in the book of Romans, was Luther’s gate of heaven. When Luther understood that his right-standing before God was solely based upon the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ by faith alone, he felt himself reborn. The gospel broke in on his heart with the force of the dawn of a new day. The gospel, rightly apprehended (through Christ alone, by faith alone, and through grace alone) and rightly understood (through Scripture alone), changed everything.

A lot has happened in almost 500 years. Today, the Reformational (and I believe biblical) understanding of the doctrine of justification by faith is under assault. The inference is that we have misunderstood Paul and the Scriptures. The inference is that we have misunderstood the gospel. But, what difference does this make? Is all of this an academic debate better handled by ivory-tower theologians? R. Scott Clark makes the connection between the attack on the biblical view of justification and the church in his book, Covenant, Justification, and Pastoral Ministry. Clark’s point should be heeded. An attack upon justification and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness will wreak terrible havoc in the life of the church. Clark writes,

“Each (church member) needs to see the true magnitude of his or her offense toward God, the abundance of God’s mercy in erasing that debt through the cross of Christ, and the invincible assurance of God’s approval, grounded on the imputed righteousness of Jesus. As these truths grip their hearts (which often results not from an instantaneous change but from a prolonged struggle) defenses can fall, sins can be confessed (genuinely, not merely as a step in a required formula), forgiveness can flow, and hope can rekindle.”

- R. Scott Clark, Covenant, Justification, and Pastoral Ministry, p. 426

We have much to be grateful for and much to be vigilant about this Reformation Day. After 490 years I thank God for Martin Luther. I thank God for the vexation of soul that brought about an understanding of justification by faith in the imputed righteousness of Christ. This was an understanding that broke through the darkness of performance-based acceptability and shone the sovereign grace gospel in all of its glorious radiance. When you and I trust solely in the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ for our acceptance before God we embrace biblical Christianity and become true heirs of the Reformation.

Soli Deo Gloria!

The Gathering Storm

‘The fool says in his heart, "There is no God.’

-Psalm 14:1

“That God does not exist, I cannot deny, That my whole being cries out for God I cannot forget.”

-Jean-Paul Sartre

“There is within the human mind, and indeed by natural instinct, an awareness of divinity. This we take to be beyond controversy. To prevent anyone from taking refuge in the pretense of ignorance, God himself has implanted in all men a certain understanding of his divine majesty. Ever renewing its memory, he repeatedly sheds fresh drops. Since, therefore, men one and all perceive that there is a God and that he is their Maker, they are condemned by their own testimony because they have failed to honor him and consecrate their lives to his will.”

-John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 1, chapter 3, section 1

“Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."”

- John 20:29


Recently I’ve been intrigued by the writing and lectures of a few outspoken atheists, particularly Christopher Hitchens (God is Not Great) and Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion). Both men are brilliant, with Hitchens being a prolific journalist and Dawkins being an evolutionary scientist. Their withering criticisms seem directly aimed at Christianity, but Hitchens’ view of religion in general is thus, “…all religious belief is sinister and infantile.”[1] Both Hitchens and Dawkins often use ad hominem attack and take aim directly at anyone who resists the “enlightenment” of atheism. I have to admit that at times their perception of the Christian faith and much in evangelicalism is sobering. These men are gaining an increasing hearing and are growing in their influence. My suspicion is that their outspokenness will eventually make its way to the church and our families and it should not surprise us. Hitchens and Dawkins will likely become the spokesmen for a new generation of antagonism towards Christianity. Like a gathering storm there are dark clouds on the horizon. As I’ve thought about it there are a few helpful things for me to remember –

1) Even in their vehement opposition to Christianity and their vitriol against God both Hitchens and Dawkins are not without an internal witness to the existence of God. God has squarely stamped the knowledge of Himself in their unregenerate hearts, so that even they are without excuse (Romans 1:18-21).

2) Neither Hitchens or Dawkins are beyond the reach of the gospel. I remember reading about the late-life recalcitrance of atheist philosophers Antony Flew[2] and Jean Paul Sartre[3]. The immanence of death has a way of cutting through the fog of academic arrogance. Perhaps God will be merciful to either or both Hitchens and Dawkins.

3) Significant opposition to the Christian faith should come as no surprise. In a recent article on John Piper’s web site there is an exposition of Matthew 10:16-31 and in it he makes this statement, “Jesus died in our place so that we might escape the wrath of God, not the wrath of man. He was called to suffer for the sake of propitiation; we are called to suffer for the sake of propagation.”[4] We should expect resistance to the gospel. It will always be foolishness to those who do not believe.

4) We must be wise in how we carry ourselves as Christians. We must not let our behavior (and not the offense of the gospel) serve as a stumbling block for people’s belief in the Savior. We must be disciples whose lives are characterized by sacrifice, love, obedience and humility.

As we plant this church we should expect resistance from every quarter. We should expect vigorous opposition from our relationships within, from outsiders, and from every conceivable source. Satan and his minions will not be pleased that another gospel witness is on display in Vancouver, Washington. And even in the vortex of opposition we should take great comfort in the assurance that we are not alone in our endeavors. Christ has promised to be with us until the end (Matthew 28:20).

Grateful for truth and the promise of Christ’s presence, Dan


[1] http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4515474/
[2] http://www.biola.edu/antonyflew/page2.cfm
[3] “Revelations du philosophe catholique Jean Guitton” Paris Match, cited by John Woodbridge in The Mark of Jesus
[4] http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/2007/2449_I_Am_Sending_You_Out_as_Sheep_in_the_Midst_of_Wolves/

Gospel Joy

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

-Psalm 16:11

“And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

-Isaiah 51:11

“But the fruit of the Spirit is … joy…”

-Galatians 5:22

“Joy is the ability to take good cheer from the gospel.”

-Philip Ryken, Commentary on Galatians 5:22


When I get discouraged and downcast it’s because I’ve displaced the gospel. In my sinfulness I’ve re-calibrated my gaze to a low horizon. Self and circumstances have become objects within my trajectory. I become the measure and circumstance becomes the sovereign determiner of fate, and it doesn’t take long before both create a black hole from which escape becomes increasingly difficult.

The book of Luke begins with great joy (2:10) and ends with great joy (24:52). Luke 2:10 is protological, meaning the beginning or origin of great joy is found in the Incarnation, and Luke 24:52 is eschatological, meaning the end or consummation of great joy is found in the finished work of the Savior and His ascension into heaven. Between these two bookends in Luke we are shown the unparalleled crown of redemptive history as the source of great joy. In Luke 2 the angels announce it, but having never known sin they will never experience it. And in Luke 24 the disciples and the whole world (in the ever-increasing expanse of the gospel) will experience it. Great joy has come because Christ has come. Men and women are no longer unequivocally bound under the wrath and judgment of God. The substitutionary Lamb has come and there is cause for exuberant rejoicing. This is no stifled titter, this is exponential joy. It is no wonder that Paul says that joy is an indicator of the active ministry of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22), because in a very real sense the Holy Spirit becomes the purveyor of great joy to the Christian. In Trinitarian celebration the Holy Spirit declares Christ’s work worthy and commends to the Christian unequalled rejoicing. Christ’s work has been accomplished and great joy has come. For me to rejoice with great joy is for me to agree with the Holy Spirit in celebration of Christ’s work. The Holy Spirit will be no party to a dirge. The Bridegroom has come and the celebration has begun. In the gospel God is for me and joy is it’s effect. My judgment was borne by the Substitute and hostilities have ceased, but this is no mere tentative cease-fire. Instead, a permanent reconciliation has been assured and this is the source of unbounded exultation. The Savior has come. The Redeemer’s work has been accomplished and subsequently validated in the resurrection. My sins have been forgiven. I have peace with God. Let great joy begin.

Joyful because of Christ, Dan

Christ's Humiliation and My Humility

“God is decisively drawn to humility.”

– C.J. Mahaney, Humility, p. 20

“Where God’s Spirit does not reign, there is no humility, and men ever swell with inward pride.”

–John Calvin, Commentary on Habakkuk-Haggai, p. 52

‘Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."’

- 1 Peter 5:5


I am an arrogant man; just ask my wife and kids and anyone who knows me well. There is a vein of pride and arrogance that runs deeply through my heart. At times it’s as obvious to me as the nose on my face and at other times I cannot see it to save my life. When I’m blindly arrogant I can justify anything I want, say anything I want, and do anything I want. And when needed I can even sanctify my behavior with religious talk. In those times criticism masquerades as discernment, suspicion masquerades as genuine concern, and gossip and slander masquerade as words to the wise. And behind the mask indwelling sin masquerading as arrogance blinds me to the truth.

A number of years ago we had a dear friend who served us as our pastor. Over a length of time I began to question everything he would do. And soon I found it easy to talk about him disparagingly to others. I colored others’ impression of him. I second-guessed his intentions. I found suspicion in his motives, and generally bore him ill-will. I grossly violated the ninth commandment and had nary a twinge of conscience. My arrogance blinded me. Then one day I remember being convicted of my wicked behavior towards this man. The blindness lifted and I was able to see my arrogance and sin for what it really was. I was ashamed of the things I had thought and said and knew I must make my confession known not only to God, but to this man. I called him and asked if we could talk and he graciously agreed. When we met later that day a dam burst. Confession and tears flowed freely. I confessed my sin toward him and asked for forgiveness. He was quick to forgive and thanked me for my confession. He was a humble man and finally I could see clearly again.

I want to be in the well-worn path of grace. I want to be in the path where God is pleased to bestow abundant mercy, in the frequently trod place where humility reigns supreme. I cannot arrive there, nor can I stay there, without a God-given apprehension of the Humble King, whose confounding humiliation on the Cross deals the death-blow to my arrogance. In my own strength I will ever and always be an arrogant man, but in casting my only hope upon the Savior I can be freed from the blinding bondage of arrogance and pride. I am a great sinner in need of a great Savior. Jesus, the humble servant Savior, is exactly who I need.

Desperate for grace, Dan

Loitering on the Heavenly Journey

‘As they were going along the road, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." 58 And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." 59 To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." 60 And Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." 61 Yet another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home." 62 Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."

-Luke 9:57-62

‘Oh that I may feel this continual hunger, and not be held back, but rather animated by every cluster from Canaan, to reach forward in the narrow way, for the full enjoyment and possession of the heavenly inheritance! Oh that I may never loiter in my heavenly journey.’

- Jonathan Edwards, The Works of President Edwards, Memoirs of Brainerd, p. 77


The Gospel of Luke will change us. As we begin this preaching schedule through Luke it will make a difference in us. And, truth be know, we’ll likely find ourselves uncomfortable at points. Consider the citation from Luke 9 shown above. Sometimes Jesus shakes us up with His abruptness and His call to radical discipleship. Intimated in His words are God-ward sacrifice, self-denial, commitment and faithfulness. It seems to be a question that comes up every so often. Maybe you have heard it asked in different ways, but the question comes down to this - The biblical doctrine of God’s sovereignty and the doctrine of God’s grace are pitted against the gospel call to discipleship. As if these things can be divorced from one another. The inference is that the sovereignty of God in the salvation of sinners and the grace of God in the unmerited favor of God towards sinners is such that Jesus’ unequivocal demand for gospel obedience loses its clarion and radical call. The correct answer is that these things are never to be held in tension. If our view of sovereignty and our view of grace somehow minimize the gospel call to discipleship we have misunderstood them. Conversion, regeneration, and the new birth all are synonymous with the action of the Holy Spirit that re-creates the sinner to true repentance (i.e. discipleship). Over 300 years ago the writers of the Westminster Shorter Catechism answered similar questions, What is repentance unto life?, by answering, Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it to God, with full purpose of, and endeavor after new obedience. As a church, may God give us great grace so that we are supremely conscious of the radical gospel call to repentance, faith and obedience. In our amazement of God’s sovereignty and grace we mustn’t let the words of Jesus lose their force. In Edwards’ words, may we not loiter in our heavenly journey.

All total, it’ll take less than two hours. I’d like to encourage you to read through the Gospel of Luke this week. You could divide it up into sections and it will only take you 15 minutes a day. Parents, it would be great if you could read it together as a family, even taking time to discuss the implications of what you are reading.

I am profoundly grateful for you all and the many ways you provoke me to be a true disciple.

Well-fed Starlings and the Surety of God's Care

“Now if he supply wild and brute beasts with sustenance in due season, by which they are fed to the full, his blessing will doubtless be to us an inexhaustible source of plenty, provided we ourselves do not hinder it from flowing to us by our unbelief.”

- John Calvin, Commentary on Psalm 104:27,28

“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

– Luke 12:6-7


Earlier this week I walked out of Starbucks and looked down to see three well-fed starlings looking for more to eat. I think they were hoping I’d drop some of my scone for an early morning snack. As I watched them I was again struck by God’s faithfulness to feed even the most insignificant of his creatures. For a brief moment I was reminded of the intricacies of God’s providence over his creation. Birds are seemingly insignificant and yet they are the recipients of God’s special care. The starlings were well fed and not by any human intervention.

Are we any different than the starlings? Are we any different than sparrows? Do we have any guarantees that God sees us and cares for us? In God’s omniscience and omnipotence is it possible that the events of my life, from smallest to the greatest, come up on the divine radar screen? I believe that God feeds starlings, but do I believe that he cares for me? Are my needs evident to him? Is he even aware of them?

When Jesus says, “Fear not; you are of more value than sparrows”, he is telling us something significant. He is aware of our fears. He is aware that our tendency is to unbelief and trepidation. He is aware that our tendency is to think that he has forgotten us. Jesus is also making a judgment about man as the crown of creation. Birds are different than men and women. He is making a statement about man in desperate need for a Savior. Man’s sin and rebellion has alienated him from God, but the true value and worth of man would be estimated by Jesus Christ on a Roman gibbet. The sparrows and starlings are not forgotten, rather, they are fed. But man is of greater value. Man’s true need will be met, but not with crumbs from a scone. Man’s true need will be met on a cross. The Bread of Life had to be broken. Man’s true need is shown in the necessity of redemption by the Son of Man himself. In our most dire circumstances God has remembered us. He has not forgotten. God has seen our gravest need and made satisfaction for us in the death of his dear Son. God will never forget the smallest sparrow, and the cross guarantees that God will never forget us. We were once the objects of God’s wrath and judgment, but through the gospel we are the recipients of his effectual love and care. We are worth far more than sparrows, but not by anything inherent in us. We have our sins forgiven through an odious death and this assures us of God’s special care and affection towards us. Because of the cross we have become God’s treasured possession. If your temptation is to fear and the questioning of God’s character, remember the sparrows, and remember that God has remembered. Remember, the cross is the indicator of his unfailing love.

I'm grateful that God remembers.

The COR Launch and Evidences of Grace

It’s official…Christ Our Redeemer Church is now an official Washington State church plant of Sovereign Grace Ministries! Woo hoo! Last Sunday we had our official launch service and it was amazing to see God’s blessing.

I wanted to give you a brief review of last weekend and Sunday’s launch and thank you for praying for us on this exciting day.

After braving the dreaded Seattle traffic the Crossway-Canada e-team arrived on Friday night. Christ Our Redeemer people had a meal prepared for them and arranged to have them transported back to COR host homes. All total we had 39(!) people from Crossway come to serve us. On Saturday morning we all met at Alki Middle School and then broke up into 2 groups, one for the car wash and the other for the park outreach. Even another local church (Living Water Community Church) showed up with a crew to help us hand out flyers. The car wash went well, and the park outreach went well also. Jay Lyles was a great help with the car wash. Between the neighborhood mailing, the car wash, and the park outreach we had 9 visitors come, several of which said they will return this coming Sunday. We had over 30 visitors (not members of COR, L-W or CCC) with family, friends, and interested parties. I met with two men today that said they will be back next Sunday. At the launch we had at least 250(!) in attendance (it was hard to count them all) with about 75 kids and 175 adults. The unthinkable happened! Living Water cancelled their service to assist us with the launch and to provide a meal and childcare for our guests. They were a tremendous blessing to us. The Crossway e-team served us well by helping with the set-up and clean-up, and Pat Sczebel and the Crossway worship team served us by helping us to glorify God in our singing.

I preached from Romans 11:36 on God’s desire for church planting, and seeing His glory as the purpose for it all. There seemed to be a good response to the sermon and then folks (even visitors!) stuck around for a long time after the meal. I spent the bulk of today doing follow-up with the visitors that came. I’ve included a picture from the launch and Tommy Hill has already given me a bad time about preaching in a tie J. (see attached)

I was very grateful for the way COR folks humbly served this weekend. They were all servants that made incredible sacrifices for this launch. I saw example after example of joyful service to the Savior.

We all were absolutely astounded at how God gave us grace throughout the weekend and particularly moved in our midst on Sunday. Our prayer was that God would be glorified in the launch and in the upcoming days of COR. We think we see God answering that prayer.

Thank you again for your prayers on our behalf and thank you to all who made this launch a testimony to the grace of God among undeserving sinners.

Cross Words and Gospel Hope

“And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified."

-1 Corinthians 2:1-2

“Do you want to live a cross centered life? A cross centered life is made up of cross centered days.”

-C.J. Mahaney, Living the Cross Centered Life, p. 132

“Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. It is a very surprising thing, a thing to be marveled at most of all by those who enjoy it. I know that it is to me, even to this day, the greatest wonder that I ever heard of, that God would justify me. I feel myself to be a lump of unworthiness, a mass of corruption, and a heap of sin apart from His almighty love. I know and am fully assured that I am justified by faith which is in Christ Jesus, and am treated as if I had been made perfectly just and made an heir of God and a joint-heir with Christ. And yet, by nature I must take my place among the most sinful. I, who am altogether undeserving, am treated as if I had been deserving. I am loved with as much love as if I had always been godly, whereas before I was ungodly. Who can help being astonished at this? Gratitude for such favor stands dressed in robes of wonder.”

-Charles Spurgeon, All of Grace, p. 11

“Look at the cross, my friend. Have you ever really looked at it? Have you ever, with Isaac Watts, surveyed this wondrous cross? I am asking you to do so now. Look at those three crosses on that little hill called Calvary, outside the city of Jerusalem. Look at the middle one and at that person who is dying there. They are amazed that he has died so quickly. Who is he? That is the first question. You will never understand the significance of what happened there until you are clear about who was dying there.”

-D. Martyn Lloyd Jones, The Cross, p. 29

Already this week I’ve been reminded again and again of why the Cross so important. Discouragement, conflict, unforgiveness, envy, slander, death, bitterness, anger, disease, hatred, and a host of other ills are all around us, and yet God plants the Cross right in the middle of our sin and suffering. The Cross is the believer’s hope. In the Cross my many sins have been forgiven. In the Cross I am no longer under the righteous wrath and judgment of God. In the Cross I hear God’s pardoning voice speaking reconciliation to me. In the Cross God has shown himself favorably disposed towards me and deigned my ultimate good. In the Cross I have hope for my marriage and my children. In the Cross I have the assurance of genuine change through the transforming power of the gospel. In the Cross I can forgive those who have sinned against me and truly love my enemies. In the Cross I have the assurance of comfort in the midst of suffering. In the Cross I know that death has no ultimate foothold. In the Cross I see the love of God for other believers. In the Cross I see the love of God for a hostile world. In the Cross I have hope for the future. In the Cross my greatest need has been met. In the Cross my sharp and critical words are silenced. In the Cross my lustful thoughts are reined in. In the Cross I have the confidence that the ministry of the Holy Spirit will convict me of sin. In the Cross I am assured of God’s love for me, a sinner.

As Christians, the Cross defines us. We must never move away from it. Instead, it should become more precious to us each day. The Cross is the emblem of God’s rescue of humanity through the ignominious death of His Son. The Cross is the standard by which biblical love has been measured. If you want to see the love of God, look at the Cross. If you want to see the mercy of God, look at the Cross. If you want to see the holiness of God, look at the Cross. If you want to see humility personified, look at the Cross. If you want to see the grace of God, look at the Cross. Looking at the Cross will help us maintain a right perspective. Surely Isaac Watts has helped us here,

When I survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of glory died,

My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, Save in the death of Christ, my God;

All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood.
See, from His head, His hands, His feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down;

Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small;

Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.

My hope for you this week is that you are once again captivated by the Cross. It truly is our hope.

Vanity Faire Redux

“…thus the degeneration of man – the distortion of the divine image through sin – is a direct attack on the glory of God. We must recognize that anything that is degrading and animalizing to humans is in line with Satan’s plan, be it an attitude, a habit, an addiction, a sexual practice, or a mental preoccupation.”

-R. Kent Hughes, Luke, Vol. 1, That You May Know the Truth, p. 306

“For the glory of God is a man fully alive; and the life of man consists in beholding God.”

-Irenaeus (2nd Century), Against Heresies, 4:20:7

“All human communities are fallen. So I do not have to be blind in order to hold on to such an idealistic view of my community or my church, or my friends. And yet a true Christian community can witness to the fact that while men are not perfect God is involved and will continue to be involved in substantial healing. By expressing love and compassion in concrete ways – feeding the hungry, accepting the lonely, helping the helpless – the Christian community can show that real answers come from God, not man.”

-Udo Middelmann, pro-exist-ence, p.116

“Silver scales flash bright and fade, in reeds along the shore. Like a pearl in sea of liquid jade, His ship comes shining. Like a crystal swan in a sky of suns, His ship comes shining."

-Bruce Cockburn (Canadian songwriter), All the Diamonds

“Ecce Homo” ('Behold the Man' in Latin) from John 19:5


We didn’t really have it planned that way, but Monday was our second visit to the Oregon coast in a month. Some friends from our sister church in Canada were at Seaside for a week “on holiday” and we drove down to meet them yesterday morning and then we spent the day with them. It has been several years since I’ve been to Seaside. I remember my parents taking us there as kids. The cheesy aquarium is still there and so are the cool 50’s style bumper cars. But as we came out of one of the shops I wasn’t quite prepared for what I would see next. Lydia and Nathanael actually saw him first. He was a man in his 40’s dressed as a woman, full-beard, notwithstanding. He was dressed in a pink outfit with a matching hat, heeled shoes, tattoos, and some sort of accoutrement that made his physique look somewhat feminine. Throughout the day we saw him several times as he made his way through the crowds. He seemed unaffected by the stares, comments, and double-takes of those around him. In fact, I found myself watching the people that were watching him. The responses ran the gamut, from nonchalance to incredulity, to laughter, to disgust. As we made our way back home we drove through Astoria and by now it was dark. Shuffling along the dark street in Astoria was a disheveled man in a full-faced motorcycle helmet, an obvious street-person, staring down as he shuffled along, all alone. As we continued down the road Judy and the kids and I began to talk about those we’d encountered during the day. The man in the dress and the fellow in the helmet came up. As we talked I couldn’t help but remember the story of Jesus’ encounter with the Gerasene man among the tombs in Luke 8. Naked, once a city dweller, now alone and living in a graveyard, self-mutilating, possessed by many devils, driven mad, and living in fear he meets Jesus as soon as the boat comes ashore. Surely he was aware of the recent phenomena of storm being calmed. Maybe for the first time in a long he sensed there may be hope, even for him. Whatever the case, he and his tormentors immediately recognizes who Jesus is and he falls down cries out for mercy. Jesus casts out the devils and speaks to him as a man. Some people come to see him and now he is rational, restored to his right mind, and he is fully clothed and seated at Jesus’ feet. And now they become afraid. They want Jesus to go away. Who is this Man anyway? It was better for them that this man stayed possessed and lived among the tombs. Jesus then sends the man on a mission to tell everyone he meets about the Messiah. He rationally and immediately obeys and proclaims throughout the city what Jesus did for him.

There’s something about the obviousness of terrible sin and terrible need that serves as fertile ground for redemption. God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Desperateness, in the recognition that our only hope is in the Savior, is often the prevenient grace that precedes salvation. As our family talked about the man in the dress we wondered if the gospel might be much closer to that man than the hundreds of other “normal” persons that passed by him on the sidewalk. His sin and need was much more blatant than the many that derided him or paid him no attention. Their lives were normal and under control. They, at least, had the appearance of sanity and of having it together. Struggles with sin, marital strife, broken relationships, death, business failure, wayward children, mental illness, fatigue, disease and the torment of devils bring us to the end of our self-sufficiency. It’s then we recognize our desperation. When I got home I sat and read Luke 8 and marveled again at the story. What a glorious Savior. I’m grateful that God meets us in our sin and insufficiency, and doesn’t wait until we’re all cleaned up before He comes to our aid. I found myself praying for the two men we had seen, and then praying for Christ Our Redeemer as well. We do well to remember the Gerasene man. It’s the sick that need a physician. May we never lose our sense of profound desperateness and need for a Savior.

Apologia Pro Vita (a defense of life)

“If you asked twenty good men today what they thought the highest of virtues was, nineteen of them would reply, Unselfishness. But if you asked almost any of the great Christians of old he would have replied, Love. You see what has happened? A negative term has been substituted for a positive, and this is of more than philological importance. The negative ideal of Unselfishness carries with it the suggestion not primarily of securing good things for others, but of going without them ourselves, as if our abstinence and not their happiness was the important point.”

-CS Lewis, The Weight of Glory

“Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.”

–Proverbs 3:3,4

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

-Matthew 5:14-16


It’s one thing to carry on a discussion about love, and yet it’s quite another thing to love demonstrably. Over the course of the past several weeks you have demonstrated love of the most magnanimous sort. Today Kevin and I were able to write a significant check to the adoption agency to help offset the upcoming Bowen adoption. For a small church and a new church plant this represents sacrifice and overwhelming God-honoring generosity. Be assured that this is an evidence of the grace of God operative in your lives. Because of your generosity a significant difference will be made in the life of a young child. You are to be commended. This is a pro-life apologetic that is second to none. It’s one thing to give assent to the pro-life position, it’s quite another to love by investing in life.

Several years ago I remember reading Melody Green’s tract on abortion and George Grant’s book, Grand Illusions. I wept as I read them, sorrowing over my callousness for the unborn. These were the means God used to awaken my slumbering heart. Grant’s book was one of the most significant pro-life treatises I’ve ever read. I was already convinced of the pro-life position, but I remember the steeling of my soul as I read this book. In this book Grant exhaustively traces the beginnings of the modern abortion and euthanasia movements. It had a chilling and sobering effect. Just recently I read that 43% of African-American pregnancies end in abortion, that since 1973 12 million(!) African-American babies have been aborted, and that every day in the US 1,500 African-American children die through abortion (Anthony Bradley, World, 2/19/05). C.J. Mahaney, in his book, Humility, cites three things he hates; abortion, child abuse, and racism. I must admit I concur with my dear brother C.J. And I can’t help but think that these are some of the things that God hates also.

Not only am I grateful for your commitment to life, not only am I grateful to this child’s birth mother, I’m grateful for the Bowens. The Bowens have demonstrated love for the Savior by opening themselves up to God’s direction in adoption. They could have easily said no. They could have made other things a priority, and yet they’ve become convinced that one of the best means to demonstrate the adopting love of God is to adopt a child. Gospel love is demonstrated by bringing in an outsider and making them a part of a family (Eph. 1:5). God is an adopting God, and in this way the Bowens have shown us the character of God Himself.

In his book, A Godward Life, John Piper expresses his frustration with his limited efforts at stopping abortion,

“Therefore I am frustrated that I only have one life to life for the glory of Christ. One life should surely be devoted to stopping the carnage (we must speak graphically or we lie) of abortion. Another life should surely be devoted to saving people from hell. What shall I do? What is the solution to my frustration? The solution is the diversity of the members of the church of Jesus Christ. I cannot go to all the unreached peoples of the world with the good news of salvation from sin. I cannot spend all the time I would like writing, speaking traveling, and agitating for the cause of threatened children. The only solution I know is you.” (p.206)

Dear friends, thank you for being part of the solution and demonstrating love for the Savior in demonstrating love for this child by your gifts. I am grateful and humbled to be able to serve Christ Our Redeemer Church alongside of you.

Irascible Blackberies and the Human Heart

“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

–Hebrews 3:12-13

“The heart is a maze that only God can solve (Jeremiah 17:9-10). Computers cannot decipher its floor plan. We modestly admit we don’t know someone else’s heart, but the truth is we can’t even know our own.”

- Kris Lundgaard, The Enemy Within, p. 36

“This is the subject, the seat, this dwelling-place of this law of sin, - the heart; as it is the entire principle of moral operations, of doing good or evil, as out of it proceed good or evil. Here dwells our enemy; this is the fort, the citadel of this tyrant, where it maintains a rebellion against God all our days. Sometimes it hath more strength, and consequently more success; sometimes less of the one and of the other; but it is always in rebellion whilst we live.”

- John Owen, Temptation and Sin, p. 171


Over the last week or so I’ve made an all-out assault on the blackberries at our place. I sprayed them on Wednesday evening and on Saturday afternoon and yesterday I’ve continued to take back the areas overtaken by the nasty vines. I am amazed by their tenacity. You can mow them to the ground and in no time at all they are back with a vengeance. You can spray them with herbicide and they suffer only a temporary set-back. I have bloody scratches and scars from battling them. I’m determined to exercise my Adamic prerogative by gaining the upper hand.

As I was waging war upon the blackberry vines I was thinking about the reality of indwelling sin and the predicament we find ourselves in. Contrary to Scripture much of contemporary evangelicalism would say that man can choose good and that man ultimately decides either in favor of God or against God. For some reason, natural man likes the comfort of being a functional Pelagian. Pelagius was a 5th century monk that taught that the human will can, by itself, choose good or evil, and that God is not needed for moral decisions, especially regarding salvation. According to Pelagian, man can easily choose the good and he ultimately decides either in favor of God or against God. Not only in Pelagius, but there is a universal belief in the inherent goodness and/or moral neutrality of man. Thankfully, the Scriptures give us an accurate picture. The issue is the heart. Man’s heart- the seat of all moral determinations has been effected by the Fall. For fallen man every decision bears the permeating effect of a nature at odds with God. The Apostle Paul says it this way in Romans 8:7, “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot.” The unbeliever cannot please God. There is no commonality. The foundation is misplaced, in fact, it is hostile. The ground of all affections is not found in God Himself, it is opposed to God.

The problem with the blackberries is that I’ve yet to get at the roots. That’s ultimately what I’m after, but I’ve not gotten there yet. Unless the roots are adequately dealt with, the same tenacious and thorny vine will spring up again and again. Contrary to the Pelagian view, the Christian finds himself in a predicament. He is in conflict with himself. By the Cross and through the regenerative power of the Holy Spirit a death blow has been dealt to the inherent rebellion of his heart. However, it’s only at that final day his heart will finally and completely be subdued, and then only will he give unalloyed obeisance to God forever. Like the blackberries, for now, the nasty vines keep cropping up. While the death-blow has been dealt we still wrestle with an unkind word, a suspicion of motive, an uncharitable thought, an unforgiving grudge, a lusting glance, a half-truth, a desire to get our own way, a sharp tongue, a lack of trust in God’s goodness, and a host of other sins. Last year I found the passage I quoted above from Hebrews 3 come home with great force. The writer of Hebrews warns believers of an evil, unbelieving heart, and I found myself struggling with an evil, unbelieving heart. The root had been dealt a death-blow, but I was still struggling. As Christians, every day of our lives will be waged in warfare against a heart that, in Owen’s words, “…is always in rebellion whilst we live.”

Our great comfort is that God has graciously provided a more-than-adequate remedy in the gospel. The power of the gospel in the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ are the effective tools of warfare in this battle. However, we must avail ourselves of it. We mustn’t think this is a battle we can wage or win on our own. We need the means of grace that God provides. We need the power of the gospel through His Word, His people, and His grace. And this is a battle we fight by the Word of God and arm in arm with one another. We should become familiar with being suspicious of our motives. We should become wary when we have thoughts of removing ourselves from hearing the Word of God preached, or associating ourselves with other believers. This is surely the wrong path. The most effective way of subduing the evil, unbelieving heart is to make God’s Word and God’s people a priority. These are the gospel means He has given. This will get to the heart of the matter.

Jude's Warnings: Fruitless Trees, Wandering Stars, and Perseverance

Last Sunday’s sermon got me thinking - not only about the doctrine of sanctification, but about the doctrine of perseverance. This morning I looked at the book of Jude and found myself wondering what the circumstances were that provoked him to write these words. He begins this short epistle by reminding them of their election, then he urges them to contend for their faith, he continues by describing those who are destined for judgment, and then he urges them to persevere by the preserving grace of God. Apparently some had made their way into their assembly that were making mockery of the gospel. There seemed to be an encroaching dilution of the gospel in their midst and it was characterized by those whose lives were devoid of God-honoring fruit in considering and caring for one another. The gospel had lost its permeating effect and their religion was one of self-serving and self-absorption. Look at these words he uses to describe them,

Jude 1:12-13 These are blemishes on your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, looking after themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; 13 wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.

His description is graphic- they feast without fear, they look after themselves, and they are waterless clouds, fruitless trees, wild waves, and wandering stars. As I read these words I was sobered to consider increasing watchfulness over my own soul and yours as well. Puritan Thomas Manton comments on this passage and says,

“The saints carry on a joint trade to heaven; they are all partners, and salvation lieth in common between them: you are to promote mine, and I yours.”

Our understanding of sanctification and perseverance can never be disconnected from our understanding of contending for the faith. And our contending for the faith can never be understood outside of the context of mutual care and watchfulness. Our society breathes the air of individualism, self-sufficiency and self-accomplishment, and yet the gospel comes along and removes us from our isolation and independence. The gospel places us in the context of a family, even God’s very household. And now sanctification and perseverance grow as intended within the life we have together as members of Christ’s body. Jude calls it our ‘common salvation’ (vs. 3). Here’s the kicker, I cannot grow in my sanctification without you, and neither can I persevere without you. Left to myself I will become one of those Jude warns about- a waterless cloud, a fruitless tree, a wild wave, and a wandering star. In God’s unfathomable wisdom He has joined us to one another for the purpose of His glory and our good.

As we think about our life together at COR let us consider how we can promote one another’s growth in sanctification and how we can help one another to persevere. Begin in prayer by asking God to help you see how you can best serve your brothers and sisters in the group. Give some thought to the broad age ranges of COR and go out of your way to learn new names, interests, gifting and challenges. Ask someone you don’t know very well how you can pray for them. Invite someone to lunch or coffee that you may not have spent much time with. Ask someone how they came to faith in Christ. As a family begin to discuss how you can reach out to others in the group. Pray and ask God to make the fruit of sanctified grace evident in your family as you interact with others at COR. Think of creative ways to encourage and serve others.

At the end of it all my prayer is that the sweet fragrance of Jesus Christ and the glorious gospel permeate our lives as we pursue sanctification, all the while persevering together.

Each one of you is an incomparable gift to COR. I’m grateful to the Savior for the privilege of partnering with you.

The Brevity of Life

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”
–Ephesians 5:15-16

“What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”
-James 4:14

“Resolution #6: “Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.’”

-Jonathan Edwards, The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. 1, xx-xxi

Judy, Nathanael, Lydia, Daphne (our golden retriever) and I went to the coast yesterday, specifically to Long Beach, Washington and Astoria, Oregon. It was an unusually beautiful day. It was warm and there was no wind to speak of. For a while the kids played in the surf and I threw a ball for the dog as Judy basked in the warm sunshine. For some reason I became quite melancholy. As I watched the kids play in the surf I become freshly aware of the brevity of life and that these moments as a parent would soon be gone. Soon enough both Nathanael and Lydia will be out of the home and Judy and I will begin a new season of life together. We drove to Oysterville and visited the old Baptist church. We spent about an hour just looking at old graves in the Oysterville pioneer cemetery and talking about our own mortality. We ate all the wrong food. We saw Jake the Alligator man at Marshes museum. We got into a goofy staredown with a raccoon in downtown Ilwaco. We saw a herd of elk at Fort Clatsop. We drove to Astoria and fearfully climbed the Astor Column. At the end of the day the kids went out of their way to express their appreciation for the time we were able to spend together. It was an extraordinary day and will likely be a day not soon forgotten. These kinds of days seem to be few and far between. Like Peter in Luke 9, I wanted to build three tents and set up camp. I didn’t want it to end.

At different points during the day I began to think about God’s grace and the brevity of life. How is it that God gives wonderful days like this to undeserving sinners? Theologians call it ‘common grace’, or that grace that is a reflection of God’s kindness to believer and unbeliever alike (Matthew 5:45, Romans 2:4). And any gift that God gives (including wonderful days at the beach) comes as a result of His Son. Our lives are a vapor- too soon gone. I cannot keep time from moving forward, but because of Christ I can implore God for the grace to redeem it. Because of the gospel, forgiven sinners can see redeeming grace brought into the brevity of life and see it utilized for God’s glory. Even the unmerciful tyrant time must bow before Lord of eternity. The Psalmist writes, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). May this be our resolution and prayer, “Lord, teach me to take whatever days of my life that may be left and redeem them so that you may be glorified above all else.”

Your brother by grace, Dan

The Church as a Bride

Isaiah 62:5 For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.

Revelation 21:2-3 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

“It is a mercy to have a faithful friend that loveth you entirely,… to whom you may open your mind and communicate your affairs…. And it is a mercy to have so near a friend to be a helper to your soul and …to stir you up in the grace of God.”
-Puritan pastor Richard Baxter on marriage, A Christian Directory

Thinking back on over 30 years of marriage I still vividly remember the joy and delight of seeing Judy make her way (I barely noticed her dad!) down the aisle to meet me as we began our wedding ceremony. She was a beautiful bride all dressed in white; she was the picture of all perfections. And in the days, weeks and months that led up to our marriage she was all I could think about. She had my utmost attention and affection. She had become my singular focus, and all of my thoughts were directed towards her. This wedding would become a defining moment for me. From this point forward I would be known as a married man, my heart captivated by one woman. From here on every decision I would make would have a bearing upon her. My new affection would determine the course for our lives together. I wanted to be inseparable, to live with her and always be with her. I couldn’t (and still can’t) bear the thought of being away from her. Often we don’t think of the church in such intimate terms as bride and bridegroom. And yet this is precisely the way that Paul describes the relationship in Ephesians 5. In fact, Christ and the church are protological (God’s initial idea) and the marriage of men and women are typological (patterned after the original). And every marriage, no matter how good, or even how bad, gives a declaration of God’s desire and plan for His people. To think that the church has the singular affection and attention of God, and that His sovereignty has her utmost care in mind (Romans 8:28-32) ought to stagger us. I can’t help but wonder what bearing this would have upon us if we really believed it. What if the church captured our affections and attention like this? What if all of our joy and delight were found in her? What if our commitment to her (and by default our commitment to love and prefer one another) was such that our allegiances were obvious to those that are around us. My hope and prayer is that this affection for the Savior and for the church defines us as Christ Our Redeemer Church. When we think about the things most important- a passionate love for the Savior and a passionate love for the church ought to be at the top of the list. This is our new identity, this is our new community, and this is our new family.

Loving the Savior’s bride with you.

The Scriptures as a Means of Grace

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

-Psalm 119:103-105

“…David could not have been guided by God’s word , unless he had first renounced the wisdom of the flesh, for it is only when we are brought to do this, that we begin to be of a teachable disposition.”

- John Calvin, Commentary on Psalm 119:105

“Nevertheless the heart may find its happiness, its true and undying happiness in words. At this moment there is nothing in the whole world so much to be desired as certain words. Words of love. Words expressive of infinite love. Treasures, pleasures, honors of earth, what are they? My unsatisfied soul cries out, Give me words. Words whereby I may know the love that God has towards me. Words declaring the unchangeable attachment of the Savior. Words purifying my heart. Emboldening me in prayer. Exhibiting to me the blissful future. Words that shall give life to my dead powers, and change me from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

-George Bowen (no relation to Devin and Joylyn!), Daily Meditations(1873)

Why is it that when we find ourselves struggling with tribulation, sorrow, temptation or stumbling, that our greatest consolation comes from the Scriptures? When the storms of life come there is nothing to be compared with Jesus speaking a word and calming the tempest. We can take great comfort in the fact that God has spoken and continues to speak. In Francis Schaeffer’s words, “He is there, and He is not silent.” God is the one who condescends to speak to His creatures. He is not like the false Greek gods who spend eternity in the constant search of ever-increasing pleasure and never making conversation with men. These disinterested deities would not interpose themselves with the likes of humankind. The true God, however, knows our weakness and has made Himself known by speaking to us through the Scriptures. What blessed communication! Hearing the Word through the ear-gate and reading the Word through the eye-gate are sustenance for the Christian. Man does not live by bread alone, but rather by the Vox Dei through the Scriptures. Peter knew the value of the God who speaks when he opined in John 6:68 "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Life, joy, peace, mercy, grace, and salvation are all words that have no meaning without God speaking them. But when they are spoken by the Living Word they become like the most delectable fare, they become sweeter than honey. May we love the Word written in the Scriptures and love the One of Whom they speak- the Incarnate Logos.

Last Sunday was a most amazing day! It was our first Sunday at Alki Middle School and God graciously met with us. There were 70(!) people in attendance and we had a wonderful time in worship together. Special thanks to Nathan from Roseburg, Devin, Holly and Sevrin for leading us so well. And special thanks to Greg, Gordy, Nathan, David, Kevin, Ray, John, and Kevin for helping set-up and take-down, and for Janene bringing flowers, and for Laurel and Gordy making signs, and for Judy and Allison watching children, and for Jay humbling himself and encouraging us, and for all of those I’m forgetting that made this an incredible Sunday. I think God was glorified!

Our Rock in a Hard Place

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. - Psalm 46:1


The Christian life was never meant to be lived only while sailing smoothly on calm seas. What advantage would there be to the notion that God is a refuge, if we were never under attack? Would we ever know that God deigns to be our strength, if we had never known weakness? And what of this idea of Him being our present help, if we’ve not experienced the immediacy of pending trouble? Life in a fallen world flaunts trouble all around. In the world, the flesh, and the devil a sinister triumvirate looks to wreak havoc upon the sons and daughters of Adam. Jesus, not unaware, nor unfamiliar, with every trouble we would encounter gives us hope in the midst of gathering storms. His encouragement to His disciples is one of tenderness as the storm clouds approached. Their trouble was immediate anxiety. His word to them was "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”(Luke 12:32). Imagine the relief that those four words brought- “Fear not, little flock”. This is real hope. Fear must flee at the word of the Good Shepherd. The world, the flesh and the devil must bow at His command. Anxiety must give way to hope. Even death must ask permission. God can be trusted, because He is God. He is the absolute sovereign and therefore He can be our trustworthy refuge and strength. One has only to look at the Cross to see an assurance of God’s present help in trouble. That trouble that was far more vexing than anything the world, the flesh, and the devil could conjure up has been abrogated by the Son’s obedience to His Father. This is amazing love. This is the love of immediacy that binds frightened, troubled and anxious sheep to their Shepherd. It is my hope that you are resting in the Shepherd’s love, even when you see the storm clouds gather.

He is not unaware, He is our present help.