Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Men Like Stephen

“…pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. …and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit…”
-Acts 6:3,5

“And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.”
-Acts 6:8

“Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen.”
-Acts 6:9

“And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”
-Acts 7:59, 60

“Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him.”
-Acts 8:2

“A moral and spiritual war is raging in our land that can be won only by men who know who they are and who are willing to confront the enemies of authentic manhood. A new era of righteous and manly men must, as the legendary phoenix, rise from the ashes.”
-Weldon Hardenbrook, Missing from Action, p. 136


He’s one of the bravest, godliest and manliest men I’ve read about. He was a converted Greek. His reputation was impeccable. He showed abundant evidence of the work of regeneration. He was wise beyond his years. He had faith for the tasks he was called to. The resurrected Christ changed him. He was a man in love with the gospel and he was eager to serve the church. He put his hand to the plow and never looked back. He was full of the Holy Spirit. The favor of God was on him such that he even performed a few signs and wonders. He was an able apologist for the newly-born Christian faith. He wasn’t afraid of controversy when the truth was at stake. He boldly preached an unpopular but Christ-exalting sermon. He paid the ultimate price for his proclamation with his own life. He was full of faith even in death. He forgave those who took his life. He was killed illegally, but never raised his voice against his murderers. He was the first Christian martyr. The resurrected Christ stood and welcomed him into heaven. And other godly men wept bitterly when he died.

Such was the work of the Spirit in the life and death of Stephen.

Hold up anyone else and they pale in comparison. In a day when vapid sports heroes and gossamer “American Idols” are exalted to superstar status, there is no one like Stephen. He was a godly man and full of the Spirit. Just think,…what would it have been like to have the work of God so evident in him that it’s obvious to others that he was full of the Spirit? What would it have been like to have heard him speak truth in such a way that it sparked a riot? What would it have been like to see the welcoming approval of the Savior at his death? What would it have been like to have seen godly men weep loudly at his funeral?

I find myself provoked and humbled by Stephen. I want to be like him; full of wisdom, full of the Holy Spirit, and full of faith. I’m praying that God would apprehend us by the gospel and give us the spirit of Stephen.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

The Unrelenting Faithfulness of God

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
-Lamentations 3:21-23

“The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation.”
-Psalm 18:46

“So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”
–Hebrews 6:17-19

“Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.”
- Psalm 61:1-3

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.
– Martin Luther, A Mighty Fortress is Our God, 1529



God is faithful.

Like the constant vacillations of a weaver’s shuttle my inclinations and emotions run to and fro. But not so with God’s unrelenting faithfulness. Indwelling sin, difficult circumstances, weariness, and a fickle heart contribute to my instability, but God is steadfast and immovable. The psalmist likens Him to a rock. If you’ve ever been to Beacon Rock (Washington State’s claim to the second largest free-standing monolith in the Northern Hemisphere[1]) in the Columbia River you’ll see something similar to the One unmoved. At 850 feet tall the howling gorge winds and the incessant waves of the Columbia River are no match for the rock. No matter what the opposition the rock is unflinching.

I need an immovable Savior. I need One who is unaffected by the relentless onslaught of the world, the flesh and the devil. By myself I cannot be trusted to remain unmoved. But God’s purposes stand firm, unfazed by the will of men. His purposes always are unmovable regarding His people and His church. He is faithful to accomplish His holy will regarding them both. He is sworn by oath to Himself and His will cannot be thwarted. His faithfulness endures to all generations. It’s here that the Cross stands as the demonstrable witness to God’s enduring faithfulness. History itself bows as the God-man is resolute in manifesting God’s faithfulness in His mission. In the mind of God from eternity past a Son has been given to redeem lost sinners. By the oath-bound promise of faithfulness God makes it so here and now. His glory and our good are the intended and assured consequence. A promise was made and it cannot fail. We have a never-failing bulwark (a place of protection). We have a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul and this helps us during tumult. Our rock is steadfast and immoveable. We can place all of our trust and hope in Him. Come what may, we can stand confidently with our feet firmly planted. All other ground is sinking sand.

“Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD God is an everlasting rock.” -Isaiah 26:4

Thanking God for His Unrelenting Faithfulness

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Football Games, Elections and Providence

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm
Deep in His dark and hidden mines
With never-failing skill
He fashions all His bright designs
And works His sovereign will
So God we trust in You
O God we trust in You
O fearful saints new courage take
The clouds that you now dread
Are big with mercy and will break
In blessings on your head
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense
But trust Him for His grace
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face
So God we trust in You
O God we trust in You
When tears are great
And comforts few
We hope in mercies ever new
We trust in You
God’s purposes will ripen fast
Unfolding every hour
The bud may have a bitter taste
But sweet will be the flower
Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain
God is His own interpreter
And He will make it plain
- Bob Kauflin, God Moves, original words by William Cowper

"God, from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass: yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin, nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures; nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established."
–The Westminster Confession of Faith, 3:1

The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.
-Proverbs 21:1

To know that nothing hurts the godly, is a matter of comfort; but to be assured that all things which fall out shall cooperate for their good, that their crosses shall be turned into blessings, that showers of affliction water the withering root of their grace and make it flourish more; this may fill their hearts with joy until they run over.
–Thomas Watson, All Things for Good

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
– Romans 8:28


In some quarters there’s some question as to my the depth of my masculinity. Truth be known; I’m not a big sports fan. I can recognize the difference between a football and a basketball, but much beyond that I get into trouble in a hurry. I prefer any motorized sport with two wheels. In fact, I’ve never met a motorcycle I didn’t like. However, last Sunday afternoon I watched a football game and I felt obligated to root for the underdog. I had heard the predictions and had seen points spread. There was talk of this being just another blowout in a perfect string of wins. In case you hadn’t heard, it wasn’t. Fast forward to ‘Super Tuesday’ and the posturing continued. The political bluster was at full gale and there’s more yet to come. At times it feels like an verbal tsunami, only it’s all hurricane wind, with no substance. I received news this week of a friend’s mom passing and another friend is in critical condition at a local hospital.

Who will win the election? Does the outcome of football game just happen? Is history a random succession of events that has little or no bearing on anything at all. Do the events of life have meaning? Is God really sovereign? Is anyone really in control? Or are football games, elections, and the everyday happenings of life being orchestrated for God’s glory and our good? Paul’s words to the Corinthians bring a great deal of comfort to the Christian, especially when it seems that things are out of control. Take comfort, everything is orchestrated for God’s glory and our good. Evil itself must bow to God’s sovereign purposes. In fact, the most evil event in history is the source of greatest blessing for the Christian. Evil men did evil things in crucifying the Son of God. And God used this supremely heinous act for His incomparable glory and our incomparable good. If He purposes to use this supreme evil for His glory and our good will He not surely use all the seeming random events of our lives for the same? These are not the musings of a fatalist. This is the testimony of Scripture. From Genesis 1 to Revelation 22, God is the Sovereign King who rules and over-rules the events of history, including my history. And the comforting thing is that every professing believer can know that God’s sovereign rule has his or her good in mind. This helps me when I’m tempted to fear and anxiety. When I look at the political landscape this helps me. When I think about the future this helps me. When I think about my health, or my family, or my finances, or my granchildren, it helps me. I’m not relegated to being a pawn in a cosmic chess match. I have a Father that counts my worth far greater than sparrows. In my sin, finitude, and lack of clarity I may not see all of the ramifications of the events of my life now, but it is true nonetheless.

Thanking God with you for God’s sovereign rule.