In April of this year, when Eileen and I were vacationing on St. Maarten, we were enjoying a swimming pool with a vanishing edge. On the horizon, we saw a rugged and mountainous and lovely land mass. Here’s the weird part. We’d been in the pool several times over several days, and there’d been no land in sight. To us, this thing of beauty made an overnight appearance, and we thought we were losing it – officially. But, as we soon discovered, we were seeing the island of Saba for the first time. A small band of clouds had blocked our view – over and over and over again – as the cloudiness had been just enough to rob us of something majestic.

I was just reading a little Richard Baxter. Baxter, who died in 1691, was known as “the chief of English Protestant Schoolmen,” and was quite wise as a theologian and Nonconformist. You may remember that the Nonconformists spoke out boldly against any official state church. This did not make for an easy life, as you might imagine. The Nonconformists faced official opposition from the government, and more than their fair share of antagonism from society at large. Others among the Nonconformists, with whom you might be more familiar, were the Bible scholar Matthew Henry and the hymnwriter Isaac Watts.

As I was reading, a certain prayer caught my eye. Baxter wrote: “Lord Jesus, scatter all these mists! O Thou Sun of righteousness, make Thy way into this benighted mind! O send Thy Advocate to silence every temptation against Thy truth and Thee, to prosecute Thy cause against Thy enemies and mine, and to witness my sonship and salvation!” My friends, I’m not sure that I’ve ever read a lovelier or more pertinent prayer for all of us, as we watch 2024 slink over the horizon.

What does it mean to admit to God that we have a “benighted” mind? For starters, it means that we’re coming clean about all of the ways in which we’ve chosen darkness over light. We’re acknowledging that we’ve let this world get the best of us at times, and that we’ve succumbed to the allures of its values and its gods. And it means that we’re finally being honest about our palpable inability to rescue ourselves from the spiritual blind spots which plague us day in and day out. In large measure, we’re stating the obvious: that we don’t even know where and how we most need God’s help. But we’re acknowledging that He does!

And here’s the amazing thing. God has promised to do something about this very predicament. The Bible promises: “We have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). You and I do not have to keep stumbling around in the darkness, but we can find in Christ the truth that we need to make sense of our present circumstances. His Word and His Spirit will meet us where we are and move us from confusion to understanding.

I’m not promising you that – if you will seek the Lord – every detail of your life will make sense. We must leave room for the mystery of God … and the often-perplexing timing of God … and the various and sundry difficulties that God allows us to face by faith. But I’m saying that we can trust the Lord to bring us the light that we need. And I don’t have to tell you how desperately we need Christ’s light right now. “Scatter all these mists!”

Take another glance at Baxter’s prayer. “Send Thy Advocate!” We find this word “Advocate” in John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; and 16:7. It’s the Greek “Paraclete,” and it literally means someone who comes alongside us. Your English translation may use the word “Helper.” You and I must keep in mind that the one who accuses us day and night never relents. That’s why we need the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of truth. He is always there to defend us. Always there to teach and guide us. Always there to counsel us. Our Advocate prays for us, and prays through us, when we have absolutely no idea how to pray (Romans 8:26-27). When we are tempted to sin, He faithfully delivers us from evil.

Out of nothing but love, our Advocate convicts us and redirects us. He gives us a heart for repentance. He reminds us of the enduring promises of God, and He does it when you and I most need to remember those words. Instead of rebuking us in our weakness, He comes close to strengthen us in our weakness. He reminds us that we are forgiven and clean in the Lord Jesus Christ. He shows us how we need to change, and He empowers us to change. The Spirit can change us when we can’t change ourselves! Miraculously, He gives us the gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). The knowledge that God’s Spirit is working in our lives – in all of these marvelous ways – should be a great comfort to us when the clouds roll in and the fog hangs low – and when everything about the path forward feels ominously obscure. Especially then, He is the Comforter par excellence.

Richard Baxter prayed what you and I need to pray: that God would fight our battles for us! “Send Thy Advocate … to prosecute Thy cause against Thy enemies and mine.” When we pray like this, we’re acknowledging that Christ is King! We’re consciously bringing ourselves under the authority of His Word. We’re announcing to the powers of spiritual darkness that they’re going down. We’re preaching and delighting in Christ’s gospel! “For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at His coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For He must reign until he has put all His enemies under His feet” (1 Corinthians 15:21-25). “THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE, ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.”

“Send Thy Advocate … to witness my sonship and salvation!” This part of the prayer I find absolutely mind-blowing. When you and I pray for the Lord to give us assurance that we are His – and who among us doesn’t need that assurance? – we’re simply asking God to do what He’s already told us He’s willing to do: “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him (Romans 8:16-17). Friends, our Advocate is anything other than cold and impersonal. He is warm and relational. He is ours. He is here! In a way that defies description by human language, He can speak to our hearts and minds … and bring us peace like no other.

Yes, suffering will be part of our journey. From here to glory can be a bit of a rocky road. But here’s the thing: What our enemy means for evil, our God will use for good. As we walk closely with Christ during the trials and struggles of this life, the Holy Spirit – our personal Advocate – will bear fruit in us, and we will take on characteristics that could come to us no other way. Gentleness, for example. And patience with God and others. These are important marks of a person whose walk with Jesus is genuine. You and I should not be surprised that God turns the evil plans of Satan on their head. That’s what He does! Only our God can turn the dark evil of the cross into the bright victory of the empty tomb.

Lord, scatter these mists! The fogginess of this world seeks to rob us of what we know to be true, and we need You to restore our right mind. As You do, we know that You will set our sights above the craziness of Earth, and set our affections on the perfection that’s coming soon.

Pastor Charles

You are unique. There’s no other you.

Your fingerprint is just one small example. The likelihood of two people sharing identical fingerprints is estimated to be less than one in 64 billion. Said differently, it doesn’t happen. Statistically, in fact, it would take more than a million years for two people with “matching” fingerprints to appear in a reliable database. And even if your fingerprint seemed to be a perfect match with that of somebody else, upon further examination of the minute details, other features of your print would set it apart.

That’s because you’re unique. It’s just that simple. In the intricate tapestry of God’s design, your fingerprint stands as an impeccable masterpiece. What is etched upon the canvas of your skin, by the One who gave you life, is a universe of evidence that your Creator designed you to be distinct from every other person on Earth. God desires for you to be different. To stand out. Like no other, to shine for Him!

And your fingerprint is just the beginning. The beginning of the uniqueness of you. Consider that the Lord has given you your own personality. It isn’t exactly like anyone else’s. The same can be said about your unique temperament. You likely share some temperamental traits with others you know, but I don’t have to remind you that those similarities go only so far. No one out there is your carbon copy.

And we haven’t even talked about your life experiences. Again, they’re wondrously unique. Your heritage. Your family. Your education and training. Your jobs. Your successes. Your failures. No one else has your story. It’s the story of you. When our gracious Father is writing your story – and He is – your lowest moment can propel you to your greatest victory!

Your perspective is as unique as you, and it’s invaluable.

And God has gifted you, uniquely. In the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), Jesus reminds us that life is about much more than our individual agendas. God has gifted each one of us for His own specific purposes. Our uniqueness is part of God’s cosmic plan, as the Lord intends to use us to bless others – and to extend the canopy of Christ’s kingdom to others. You and I are His hands and feet. We’re the servants on duty. We’re responsible to use our gifts wisely, and never to forget that we will give an account.

When it comes to a robust embrace of the unique life that God has given us to enjoy for His glory, one of our biggest handicaps is that we allow ourselves to get trapped in the folly of comparison. In this regard, social media has done us no favors, as we’re incessantly reminded how perfectly everybody else’s life is going. Nonsense! We’re all gifted differently, but everyone has struggles. Everyone has vulnerabilities. Everyone experiences loss, sadness, shame, and regret along the way. Everyone would like to be better at this, that, or the other. Nobody’s relationships are perfect, regardless of how stunning we find their Facebook pics.

Sometimes, what we’re secretly longing for is somebody else’s life. But think about it for a minute. Would we really want that? The answer is a clear “no,” and we can answer that question unequivocally for one significant reason: God knows exactly what is best, and exactly what He’s doing. There, in the knowledge of the One who does all things well, you and I can rest. We’re exactly who we’re supposed to be.

Friend, don’t let the world squeeze you into its boring and inflexible mold. If you let down your guard in this way, you’ll lose the best parts of you. You’ll unknowingly eclipse the distinctive spark that is your individuality, and end up void of identity and unsure of who you really are.

Instead, find your honest-to-goodness identity in Jesus Christ! That’s where your happiness will bubble over. Of course you have some imperfections and flaws, as does each one of us, but they’re no match for your gifts and strengths. You don’t have to be like anybody else to be welcome at the only table that matters, because to be in Christ is to be “accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6). Beloved! That’s who you are. God’s marvelous and unstoppable plan is to use you – yes, you – to bring beauty to His world.

Being you will feel a little risky at times. Authentic can be scary, as we’ve all succumbed to the allure of celebrity culture a little more than we’d like to admit. But it’s a lonely culture, and we’re choosing to step out on a limb of not caring whether or not we fit in. We’re choosing to trust our God, the Designer par excellence. The Designer of us. And here’s His all-wise verdict (Isaiah 43:1): “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” When you and I thrive in that identity, we open the door for others to celebrate with us by doing the same.

The party starts when, under the Lordship of Christ, you decide to go be you.

If you’re an athlete, go for it! If you’re a dancer, let ‘er rip! If you’re a mom of preschoolers, you couldn’t have a more important job! If you’re a praying grandpa, only eternity will reveal the mammoth worth of your present vocation!

There will only be one of you, ever. In all of human history, you will be you only this one time. That makes right now monumentally important. If I wanted to be you, I couldn’t. Neither could anybody else be you, now or ever.

You are you, and you are it. So make it count.

Pastor Charles

This morning I’m reading about disagreements between the Harris and Trump campaigns regarding the televised debate scheduled for September 10. The primary issue appears to be live mics or no live mics, and – like so many other things this political season – it’s heated up to the point of a possible impasse. Lots of pundits are weighing in on the matter, putting forth their ideas regarding how each candidate stands to gain or lose depending upon how this gets resolved.

Regarding whether or not ABC’s debate microphones should be hot, I don’t plan to wade into those weeds. I’d bore you to death if I did. But I do find it fascinating – in our day of rampant relativism – that even this debate format controversy points to the existence of God. Yes, you read that correctly. My premise today is that the debate squabble itself points us to the God of the universe. Bear with me, friends.

The Harris camp is saying to the Trump camp, and the Trump camp is saying to the Harris camp: “The way that you’re proposing that we do this is wrong. It’s unfair. It’s biased against me.” I know that those exact words haven’t been used, but you get my point. Both sides are claiming that an injustice needs to be remedied.

The biggest piece of evidence for God is the fact that the world is unjust. (That’s why all sides are skeptical regarding the debate format.) When it comes to everything about this world, something is broken. Something is wrong. Everybody knows this, and few people would argue with this. Things in this world are not how they’re supposed to be. The Presidential debate is just one small example.

Notice that the problem is more than just, “I don’t prefer it that way.” That might be the case if we were talking about serving chocolate or vanilla ice cream after the debate. We could agree that you prefer mango and I prefer lemon, and it would be no big deal. It’s just an ice cream flavor. You wouldn’t call me a lemon loser, and I wouldn’t call you a mango malfunction. We’d simply acknowledge that you prefer one kind and I another.

But that’s not what happens in politics, and in most of life. Because the systems of this world are desperately broken. They include people trying to take advantage of each other. Trying to cheat each other. Trying to one up each other. And, sooner or later, somebody points that out. “What you’re proposing is wrong.” “Your idea is harmful.” “Your legislative plan has so many dangerous downsides that it’s a modern-day Titanic.”

Whenever you and I claim that something – anything – is wrong, we’ve pointed to a moral law. With or without declaring it outright, we have determined that there is a right, and that there is a wrong. We have appealed to a moral law.

Here’s the thing. We point to a moral law because there is a moral law. A moral law exists, even where it isn’t written down. And, if you’ll allow me, I want to take that thought one step further … the very fact that there’s a moral law means that there’s a moral lawgiver.

Isn’t that interesting? The problem of evil – which is universal – isn’t an argument against God. It’s an argument for God! Think about it like this: If God does not exist, there is no real evil to object to.

Anytime that people claim that “this is wrong” or “that is wrong,” they’re acknowledging the unshakable reality of higher and transcendent and even universal laws that govern this world. If I say that something is “supposed to be this way” – as opposed to “that way” – I’m making the same claim. I’m telling you that there is a right way and a wrong way, and I’m appealing to you to see it my way. And not just because it’s my way, but because it’s the right way. (Reminder: I’m talking about things far more important than ice cream.)

Think about what both candidates are telling us: each of them claims to know the right way forward for this nation. In large measure, they’re making moral claims. And, as they do – whether they realize it or not – they’re arguing for the existence of a moral God. All claims like that should remind us that there is One who intends a righteousness and justice that escapes us all too often.

Wherever there’s a law to violate, there’s a lawmaker. That’s true when I don’t like the speed limit restrictions on I-65, and it’s true in the remotest jungle where there’s neither language nor courthouse. The Apostle Paul makes this claim clearly in Romans 1, where he reveals God’s universal indictment of the human race: “They are without excuse.”

I encourage you to prayerfully and wisely employ this line of reasoning in your conversations out there in an election year. With people who don’t trust the Bible, you can still use the philosophical underpinnings established in God’s Word (they don’t have to know that yet) …

1. If there’s no God, there’s no morality. There’s no law. There’s no justice.

2. There is objective morality, with some common tenets among all cultures. And there’s a universal quest for justice – for wrong to be made right.

3. Therefore, there must be a God.

In case you’re interested, this ancient way of presenting truth via deductive reasoning is called a “modus tollens” or a “modus tollendo tollens.” Since each of the three premises is true, the argument itself is logical and valid. Once you really think through it, it’s rather simple and easy to remember.

And, when the time is right, you can take that conversation all the way to the very best news. Not only is there a God, but He has told us His name, and His name is Jesus!

I suppose that the impending debate between our two candidates is a big deal, right down to the mics. But I can assure you, an even bigger deal is that you and I are not alone. We have been formed and fashioned by a gracious Creator, who loves us and has called us to be His own. He sent His only Son to rescue us from the penalty and power of sin. This great God created everything around us, seen and unseen. There’s no molecule beyond Christ’s rule and reign. And He is worthy of all of our praise!

This election season is sure to have a few more twists and turns, but we can smile when our God shows off in the heat of it all.

Pastor Charles

“I can see the writing on the wall.”

When people use some version of this expression, more often than not, they use it to communicate that something has become apparent or obvious. As in, “We can already see where this is headed, because the writing is on the wall.” Generally speaking, the expression is used to indicate clear signs of something that’s perceived to be inevitable, and most often that “something” is negative and unwelcome.

I find the expression fascinating – and in fact full of application for today – when we consider the original context in the Word of God. As it’s recorded for us in Daniel 5, King Belshazzar is hosting a lavish dinner party. Just as the King of Babylon was known to inscribe important words on statues or walls, God decides to write on the wall some important words for the king. The Lord does this in a miraculous way via “the fingers of a human hand,” and Belshazzar – as we find in the original Hebrew – suddenly recognizes that “the knots of this legs are loosed.” There are a number of ways that we could go with that, but suffice it to say that the king was absolutely terrified. His knees knocked together. His limbs gave way. He needed the nearest restroom, and fast. Or some combination of all of the above. And the Scriptures tell us that Belshazzar was white as a ghost. The king was sobered in a second.

Now, prior to the writing on the wall, the party had gotten way out of hand. It appears that there had been way too much mindless revelry, and that there had been at least one round of intentional mockery of the one true God. Using the vessels that had been ransacked from the Jerusalem temple, Belshazzar and his guests – including his family, his concubines, and his court – “praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.”

And, as has been substantiated earlier in Daniel during King Nebuchadnezzar’s chaotic reign, not one of the royal advisers is worth a dime. These men include the most educated scholars, but they have no idea what the handwriting means. The queen steps in and suggests that Belshazzar man up. Though no one else remembers, the queen recalls something big. In a bit of humorous wordplay in the text, she declares that Daniel is wise enough to “loosen knots” – whether knees or intestines. In fact, he’s just what a knee-knockin’ king needs right now. So Daniel is brought in to fix what’s now a public embarrassment on multiple fronts. God’s servant makes it clear that he wants none of the rewards which the palace has offered.

This is where it gets really interesting to me. We often use the “writing on the wall” expression when something is obvious, but exactly the opposite is the situation in the original story. The meaning of the writing isn’t obvious at all. No one can decipher it, except Daniel of course – when the time is right. But, until Daniel makes sense of all of this, this is a great mystery for even the brightest minds in the room. It is completely not obvious!

“Mene. Mene. Tekel. Parsin.” There are four words. They’re not Hebrew words, but they’re written in Aramaic. They’re all monetary weights. They’re common coins. But they’re all nouns. There are no verbs to connect the words to each other, nor are there modifiers of any kind to help anybody connect the interpretive dots. So wise Daniel does his thing, yet again. He takes the words as passive participles and builds the incredible interpretation. Like Hebrew, Aramaic can be written without vowels. When the vowels are supplied, the word may be a noun, a verb, or another word completely.

“Mene, mene” means that God has numbered King Belshazzar’s days, and it’s a finite number. The noun “mene” is taken as a verb which means “to count” or “to number.” “Tekel” means that God has weighed the king in the balance – morally speaking – and found him sorely wanting. God has a perfect standard, and Belshazzar does not measure up. The privileged king lacks what he most needs. The root of the word “shekel” means “to weigh.” “(U)Parsin” means literally “split up” or “divided.” So Daniel reasons that the Babylonian kingdom will be divided between the Medes and the Persians. Of further interest to us may be the fact that the Aramaic root “prs” – which means “to divide” – sounds very much like the name of the Persian Empire.

And Belshazzar doesn’t make it through the night. According to the Greek military leader and historian, Xenophon, the city of Babylon was captured without much resistance while the inhabitants were celebrating a festival. By ways nothing short of spectacular, the head of gold had come down.

Friends, there is no way for us to look back on history without recognizing that our God is completely in control. There was never a random day, or a meaningless moment. The One who sits on heaven’s throne “works – orders – all things according to the counsel of his will” (Ephesians 1:11). Not some things, but all things. You and I ought to fear this great God – we ought to worship Him with reverence and with awe – for He alone is awesome beyond our wildest imaginations.

And we, even in the messiness of 2024, should find Daniel’s story deeply comforting. Behind the history that is unfolding before our eyes on a daily basis is a God who’s writing and orchestrating the larger and most important story. At a time which He has determined and which only He knows, our Sovereign Lord will bring human history to a close. Absolutely nothing will stop Him. Yes, a Day of Judgment is coming. Each one of us will be weighed on God’s scales. And we – were it not for the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ – would be found on the wrong side of that balance. But, for our good and for His glory, Christ has triumphed for us! His cross and His tomb are empty!

We need wisdom and discernment to walk through these challenging days. Unless the Holy Spirit graces us with both, we will fail to see what we desperately need to see and understand. We will be like the party guests staring at the wall, punch-drunk and stupefied.

In a world of flickering starlight, where the loudmouthed allure of idols wins over sin-soaked hearts and minds on a regular basis, let’s remember how blessed we are not to be traveling this road of life alone. We who are in Christ have a Shepherd. A Guide. A Friend. One who sticks closer than a brother. How immeasurably loved are we! The Light of the world has come to us, and made Himself known to us. You and I don’t have to stare blankly any longer, for we’ve received a vision so breathtakingly gorgeous that angels are stirred to holy jealousy.

A greater King – a King of kings – has come, and He will outshine and outlast every government, every ruler, and every Presidential administration. So you and I need not fear the future, or any of its chapters between now and eternity, because we – purchased at an extravagant price – belong now and forever to none other than the celestial Champion.

Some things are so obvious that they’re not.

Pastor Charles

In his dystopian novel titled “1984,” George Orwell wrote: “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” Within just the last few days, I’ve seen lots of people using this quote as descriptive of what they’re observing of 2024 instead. Regardless of political persuasion, I think that we can all agree that the truth – particularly in the public square – is getting harder and harder to find. We find this unsettling, but I’m writing today to cheer you up, and to cheer you on.

In what’s perhaps the lowest point in his nation’s history, as it’s recorded for us in Ezekiel 47, the Lord gives the prophet an incredible vision. From the temple itself – constructed entirely on dry ground – a river is flowing! The vision is good news during a season of bad news. You may remember that there were a lot of sins, and a lot of unwise and tragic mistakes, that had landed God’s people in the mess they were in. They had rebelled against the God who claimed them as His own. God had given them the patriarchs. God had delivered them from the chains of slavery, by way of a great miracle that still served as the centerpiece of their shared history and identity. God had provided for them wondrously throughout their desert wanderings. God had established them as a nation. God had given them judges and kings. And God had never been less than absolutely faithful to them at every point along the way.

Now they’re divided and powerless and overtaken by their enemies. Their worship is corrupted. Their capital city has been invaded. Their temple is destroyed. They’re exiled and lost, in nearly every way that people can be lost. So God’s people are wrestling with reality. “How could we have landed here?” “How could God allow all of this to happen?” “Will we ever again know the favor of the Lord?” And, at this point in history, their problems have lingered for years.

Into all of that spiritual, social, moral, and political chaos, God speaks a fresh vision of hope! “Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east …” (Ezekiel 47:1). What happens in the vision is nothing short of staggering. As Ezekiel moves “south of the altar” and “around on the outside to the outer gate,” the water continues to flow. At first, it’s just a trickle, but the farther away that Ezekiel moves, the more water he encounters. The Bible’s description moves from “ankle-deep” to “knee-deep” to “waist deep.” It’s fascinating. Finally, the river is so deep that Ezekiel can swim in it! Stunned Ezekiel is asked, “Have you seen this?”

My question is, “Have we seen this?” Every detail in the vision points to what only God can do: in us, for us, among us, and through us. And, I might add, in spite of us. What’s described is a river of living water. It starts in the temple. It starts in the place where God is worshipped. It starts in His people’s sacred space. It starts unnoticeably small. But small is only the beginning.

In the good Providence of our God, a tiny trickle of water … a mere teardrop from a place of humble prayer and sacrifice … grows into a stream … and then a river. And, where the river enters the sea – where the waters are stagnant and lifeless – the river makes the waters fresh! Such is the incomparable power of this living water. “When the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh. And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so that everything will live where the river goes. Fishermen will stand beside the sea … And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary” (Ezekiel 47:8-12).

“Everything will live where the river goes.”

I don’t know about you, but I find this vision exceptionally promising. Even amidst all the trouble in which the U.S.A. finds itself, the Church has bona fide reason to set our hopes on the Giver of Life! Think about it. God wants us to see and to acknowledge that only He can bring life to a desert. In a culture and community with skeptics on every corner, where many of our neighbors mock our God, that’s where the Lord – through us – does His best work. We must trust Him. We must lean on Him. We must look to Him for the life of the Spirit. We celebrate an autumn harvest of crops, but what’s described here is a soul-harvest in every season. Nonstop! Jesus says to us, “Lift up your eyes and see that the fields are white for harvest” (John 4:35).

God gives Ezekiel – and ultimately us – a vision of a river so powerful that it can transform the landlocked Dead Sea. By way of reminder, the Dead Sea is aptly named. It’s dead. The Jordan flows into it, and nothing flows out of it. But our faithful God looks at a place like that and says, “Perfect! That’s where I’ll make a river of living water. That’s where I’ll bring life.” Surely, friends, we – individually or collectively – are not up against anything that our God can’t handle.

“Everything will live where the river goes.”

This vision represents a major turning point in the metanarrative of human history and in the grand story of our salvation in Christ. Among other important things, it’s a vision of the good news of the gospel. By Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, God brings us from death to life! The prophet has lived through a quarter of a century of his nation’s failure, a failure which broke his heart. But God gives Ezekiel a vision of a coming grace so amazing that it will overcome every obstacle in its path.

Why do I make that claim? Because of the New Testament. At least three times in his Gospel, the apostle John points us back to Ezekiel 47. With the beloved woman at the well, we discover – in the words of our Lord Jesus – God’s unmistakable promise of living water: “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14). Later, as the Cross was approaching – during the Feast of Tabernacles – Jesus “stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”’ Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive …” (John 7:37-39). And, in the famous Passion account, when the soldiers pierced Christ’s side, we’re reminded that blood and water flowed (John 19:34).

“Everything will live where the river goes.”

In nearly every direction that we look today, we see evidence of what our Lord described as the “sinking sand” of spiritual lostness (Matthew 7:26-27). This may not be our lowest point, culturally or spiritually, but I think you agree that revival and renewal are desperately needed among God’s people. The challenges before us are significant, and perhaps overwhelming.

But we must not lose heart. Instead, it’s time to get to work! You and I must re-dig the wells of timeless truth so that spiritual refreshment can flow (see also Jeremiah 2:11-13). You and I must unstop the vital springs of faith that have been clogged by our neglect and worldliness. You and I must come to a new place of prayer and sacrifice. When is the last time that we sat in God’s presence long enough to know what He’s calling us to do in this fallen world?

May God visit us with a fresh and exhilarating vision of what it means to be a Christlike Church. May God help us – even in age of relativism – to put on the true character of Christ (Romans 13:14). May God grant us the grace to die to ourselves, that we may rediscover the joy of repentance and obedience. And may God take us deeper in faith than we’ve ever gone before.

“Everything will live where the river goes.”

Because of Jesus, we have a better word than Orwell’s. Much better, in fact. You and I have big responsibilities right now. The revival and renewal that the world needs start with us. And, wherever we go with the love and gospel of Christ, the river of grace just gets wider and wider. “The water for them flows from the sanctuary.”

If all you can do today is put your toe in the water, do it. The Spirit can take it from there. In the wake of the summer Olympics, I’m ready to swim. What say you?

Pastor Charles

Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821 – 1881), the famous Russian novelist, made an interesting observation: “Beauty will save the world.” Technically speaking, those words were a line spoken by the character Prince Myshkin, as quoted by two other characters in Dostoevsky’s 1869 novel “The Idiot.” You may remember that Dostoevsky was endeavoring to help us interpret our fallen human condition against the backdrop of the massive struggles of 19^th-century Russia: social, political, and spiritual.

“Beauty will save the world.” I find that quote fascinating, and I find echoes of its sentiment elsewhere in celebrated literature – before and after Dostoevsky.

In his “Symposium,” Plato (428 – 348 B.C.) wrote: “Beauty is the splendor of truth.” St. Basil the Great (329 – 379) said: “By nature men desire the beautiful.” St. Augustine (354 – 430), in his famous “Confessions,” penned it like this: “Late have I loved you, beauty so old and so new.” In his poem, “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” John Keats (1795 – 1821) used these words in summation: “Beauty is truth, truth beauty – that is all.” In his “On Fairy Stories,” J.R.R. Tolkien (1892 – 1973) expressed the other side of that coin: “Evil and ugliness seem indissolubly allied. We find it difficult to conceive of evil and beauty together.” As the characters behold the queen, who represents a false god in “The Magician’s Nephew,” C.S. Lewis (1898 – 1963) describes the scene like this: “… now that one saw her in our own world, with ordinary things around her, she fairly took one’s breath away … nothing compared with her beauty.” And, in reference to the true God as symbolized in Lewis’s “The Last Battle”: “… he no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after.”

“Happily ever after” sounds pretty good right now, doesn’t it? Even as I write these words, I’m bombarded with terrible news about the economy … terrible news about serious conflicts on the world stage … terrible news about the American political landscape … and terrible news when it comes to record numbers of young adults giving up on the church. It’s our own version of social, political, and spiritual chaos. Other than that, things are hunky-dory.

Can you and I find beauty when it seems like the world is on fire?

Well, we can, but I would remind you that we may have to look for it. I’m paying particular attention to the hydrangeas this year, as they seldom disappoint. And, especially on days when the humidity drops a tad, the sunsets south of Nashville can be spectacular. This past Sunday, a sweet young couple in our church brought their infant son to the worship service. As I watched long-awaited Judah in the arms of his mom, it reminded me that God isn’t finished with this world – or with any one of us. The Lord is still working. He’s still creating. He’s still adding beautiful people, and beautiful things, and beautiful moments. Because He’s still good.

There is still beauty to be found, friends. In fact, it’s critically important that we find it. I think that’s what Dostoevsky had in mind. Sometimes works of art – literary or otherwise – help us escape the cynicism that can so easily set in – and nearly choke us – when times are turbulent. Back to Baby Judah for a second: When the world is upside down, it’s a close look at those tiny baby fingers that is our sanity!

But I’d like to bring you into an even more wonderful reality … “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). For those of us who are in Christ – found in Him and trusting in Him – what’s already on our horizon is so stupendous that human language can’t fully capture it! You and I are resurrection people! We have a new name … and a new identity … and a new hope … and a new reason to see beauty where others cannot.

And “the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (8:26). Even as you read this, the risen Jesus is praying for you! Just think about that for a minute. Christ knows how to pray for what you really need. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (8:28). ALL THINGS. Wow!

It’s sadly true that the whole world is messed up under the weight of human sin. There’s simply no denying that. But – if you and I will take the time to look – we will see plenty of evidence that our God has not forfeited His throne. Nor has He forfeited His good plan for us.

Beauty, even here and now, helps the eyes of our heart behold the One who is all-beautiful.

My friends, the “happily ever after” is as good as done! “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died – more than that, who was raised – who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (31-39).

It just doesn’t get any better than that! Between here and there, we’ll face some tough hills to climb … and some hard battles to fight … and some news that is everything other than what we wanted to hear. But we know who’s writing the story. And we know who wins in the end.

You and I live in the shadows, here and now, but God uses beauty – particularly the beauty of the gospel – to lift our heads long enough to peer into the world that is to come. And it’s a beautiful world.

So take the time to notice the beautiful. Even when the world’s on fire.

I’ll share a final quote from a famous author, the Soviet dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn (1918 – 2008). Not from one of his published works, this is from Solzhenitsyn’s 1972 Nobel Lecture: “… perhaps the old trinity of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty is not simply the … antiquated formula it seemed to us at the time of our self-confident materialistic youth. If the tops of these three trees do converge, as thinkers used to claim, and if the … sprouts of Truth and Goodness have been crushed … then perhaps the … shoots of Beauty will force their way through and soar up to that very spot, thereby fulfilling the task of all three.”

Three trees. I know that you’re familiar with Faith, Hope, and Love. And now you’re familiar with Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. When truth seems hard to find, and goodness isn’t apparent around every bend, we have another powerful witness in our corner.

Beauty. Don’t miss it.

Pastor Charles

“How then can we live?” This is the question asked of God by His covenant people as recorded in Ezekiel 33:10. In a book full of somber warning and judgment, through Ezekiel the prophet and priest, God repeats His people’s question and then answers it. I am so glad that He does, because – in our own day of moral madness – this portion of God’s Word becomes surprisingly hopeful for us.

“How then can we live?”

If you’ve been paying attention to the controversy surrounding the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, then you know that the body of Christ – made up of Christians of all stripes from around the world – has been conflicted regarding how to respond to a portion of the ceremony that mocked the Last Supper of Jesus and His disciples. In the immediate aftermath, there was confusion about what we really saw. And for good reason. There was a lot going on in a short period of time. In fact, I had to read history for several hours to sort it out. And, after Celine Dion’s strong-as-ever comeback performance framed by the gorgeous Eiffel Tower, it was a bit depressing to focus on the parts of the ceremony that were concerning.

Here’s my synopsis. What we saw in the ceremony was, at least in part, a recapitulation of the “Festival of Reason” from the French Revolution. The “Fête de la Raison” took place in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on November 10, 1793. Jacques Hébert, Antoine-François Momoro, and others took drastic measures to replace worship with activities that exalted the Revolution’s secular ambitions. For example, in the church building, they constructed an improvised mountain with a Greek temple. They put an “Altar to Reason” at the mountain’s base and a ”Torch of Truth” in front. The “worshippers” paid homage to an opera singer, dressed in the colors of the republic, who personified the “Goddess of Liberty.” They featured a scantily clad “Goddess of Reason.” They dismantled the altar and carved “To Philosophy” above the cathedral’s doors. You get the picture. Napoleon banned this cultlike behavior in 1802, but vestiges of atheism and secular humanism – particularly state-entrenched ones – don’t die without a fight.

So I think that the artist behind Friday’s opening ceremony took all of that, while drawing from the Greek origins of the Olympics, and ran with it. That’s why we saw Bacchus, the Roman god, or Dionysus, the Greek god – the god of lust, fertility, religious debauchery, drunkenness, and the like. Thus the grapes on the strange-looking blue-gray dude. But there was other symbolism that clearly indicated attempts to tie in Christ. The halo, for example. The people around a table, remarkably similar to da Vinci’s famous painting. In fact, the organizers have confirmed the careless Christian imagery via the Last Supper reimagining. When you’re trying to make something look like an orgy – for lack of a better term – you’re going to end up with scenes that aren’t family-friendly, to say the least. So as not to pick on the French unfairly, I’ll ask you this: What percentage of Super Bowl halftime shows have made you proud to be an American?

It’s of no value to you or me to expect the world to act like the church. To do so only raises our blood pressure and minimizes our Christian witness. However, the Bible does not call us to bury our head in the sand. God calls us to speak the truth, and sometimes He calls us to speak the truth in the public square. We must speak it in love, but we must speak the truth. If we don’t, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and John the Baptist might want a word with us. And, I’ll just say it out loud, a “Last Supper” in drag – on the world stage – is concerning. From the mouth of the young woman who portrayed Jesus: “I’m a fat, Jewish, queer lesbian, and I’m really proud.” Beloved friends, I may well be the vilest sinner that you know, and I’m well aware that only sinners are invited to Christ’s table, but I just can’t shake the hopeful words of Jesus: “Go and sin no more.” And, I must add here, I fear that the presence of a child at that particular table may have been a nod toward pedophilia. (I really hope I’m mistaken on that point.)

How then can we live?

Well, let’s go back and consider Ezekiel’s context, for it may be remarkably similar to our own. As God’s prophet, he was called to speak truth to the homelanders and the exiles. Some of God’s people were left in Judah, while some were displaced in Babylon alongside Ezekiel. As I was thinking about all of this, I realized: I am both! As a follower of Christ in America, particularly, I enjoy the manifold blessings – even the spiritual blessings – of this land. At the same time, I also realize that this land is not my ultimate home. Because of Christ, I am at times a noticeable stranger here. I don’t have to go to Paris to feel that exile-status reality. It’s here. I’ll bet you can relate.

Even more important is this: God’s people – wherever they were – had to come to terms with their own sin. This is vitally important for us right now. Before God’s people asked God their question, they made a startling admission: “Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we rot away because of them.” Wow! I’m all ready to get overly disgusted by the world around me, and the Lord puts a mirror in my face.

“We rot away.” You and I must come clean before God. And here’s where the hopeful part comes in. In that same chapter, the Lord promises the people that there is a righteousness that leads to life. Their responsibility was to turn away from sin and to embrace God’s way of life. This is no less true of us. Friends, it is far easier for us to see the sins in Paris than to see the sins in us.

And the good news of the gospel is that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Way of Life! For you and for me, Christ has lived the perfect life that we failed to live! For you and for me, Christ has died the brutal death that we deserved! We were enslaved to sin, but Christ paid our debt in full! Christ came out of the grave to prove that every promise He has made is true! And Christ will come again! Those in Ezekiel’s day knew Christ only in prophecies, types, and shadows, but we have been given the rest of the glorious story!

What we saw in the opening ceremony is not new. Not at all. For many years now, so-called “Bible scholars” have made every effort to connect Jesus to Dionysus. They have gone as far as claiming that the account of the Lord’s Supper given to us by the Apostle Paul is nothing but a reimagining of Greek mythology. They connect the wine in Christ’s cup to pagan festivals. I have sat under such professors, who can be quite persuasive, so I know of what I speak. They do it with the account of the first miracle of Christ’s earthly ministry – where our Lord turned water into wine. They similarly assault the Creation account in Genesis by allegorizing it into oblivion. (If there was no Adam, the New Testament is deeply flawed.) Even Christ’s glorious resurrection from the dead is mythologized into utter meaningless by many renowned scholars. It’s not new. Make no mistake: There are many who loathe the Word of God while presuming to teach it.

So do not be deceived. We live in a world where we must be skeptical of both artistic and academic leaps, as we may be being fed a substitute Christ.

My friends, this has been a heavy subject, but let’s choose to see this glass half-full. I respect differing opinions on this point, but I am not in favor of doing anything that punishes the athletes because the world is acting like the world. If my homework is correct, Team USA includes a record number of men and women who love our Lord Jesus and credit Him with their exceptional talents. I hope and pray that – in every conceivable way – we will see them enjoy victory after victory. And I just can’t fail to mention one more beautiful connection to the Word: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies … my cup overflows.”

I hope it isn’t lost on any of us that this happens to be the one-hundredth anniversary of the Paris Olympics when Eric Liddell – who was forced to take a bold stance for his Christian convictions at the risk of losing it all – went on to win the unexpected gold. My favorite quote from “the flying Scotsman” is this: “I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.”

There’s a lot of darkness out there. But there’s also an invincible Light! May you and I never cease to feel His pleasure, as we’re also running for the prize.

Pastor Charles

In his 1871 novel, “Through the Looking-Glass” – the sequel to “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” – Lewis Carroll included a nonsense poem titled “Jabberwocky.” I’m being honest with you, friends, when I tell you that some days – particularly days when I spend too much time trying to keep up with the latest news – I feel like I’m living in the land of Jabberwocky. Especially when it comes to all things American politics, I’m not sure we could write a more complicated or unpredictable script. Such a climate can lead to intense feelings of unsettledness.

I sure hope you can relate.

So, in an attempt to steady ourselves, why don’t we go back to the beginning? And I mean the very beginning …

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Genesis 1:1-3). And the rest of the Creation account follows suit. Step by step, through each of the six days of Creation – beginning with His creation of light – God transforms the unattractive disorder of the world into gorgeous order.

Before there was light, what’s described for us in English as an earth “without form” – this “formless” substance of some kind – comes from a Hebrew word which means “unreality” and “confusion.” In the original language, what’s being described is a kind of chaos. Idiomatically speaking, it means non-material material (that’s not a typo), so we can think of the pre-light world as some kind of unformed form, or shapeless shape. Philosophically, the Bible is describing something like a square circle – something that was so disordered that only God could make it right.

As the Creation account unfolds, so does the ordered beauty. In the first chapter of the Scriptures, the refrain is repeated until we notice a key theological pattern: “And God saw that it was good.” After humankind is created, the report gets even better: “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” God places our first parents, Adam and Eve, in a spectacular garden – not in the murky mess with which things began. They share God’s image, and they start off with a sacred purpose – to subdue all things. Any remaining formlessness or disorder, they are to bring into shape and order. There’s a spark of potential even in the unformed, and God will use the first couple and their descendants to make it beautiful. By filling the world with human life, God will use people to widen the boundaries of beauty and order. As God’s unique reflections, their work was to be filled with holy purpose.

Then sin. Chapter 3 is an eye opener and a gamechanger. It didn’t take long for Adam and Eve to reintroduce chaos. The lie of the serpent was enough to plunge the entire human race into outright mutiny. We fell into a tangled mess of sin and confusion, and even our God-given identity got lost in the madness. Our work – “vocation” means “calling” – would lose much of its joyful luster. Paradise was lost. As a fallen and confused human race, we’ve been trying to pick up the pieces ever since.

Enter Jesus! He loved us too much to leave us to our own madness, and He came to defeat the darkness once and for all! The futility and chaos which we invited not only into our culture, but into our very souls, He came to overthrow. A bloodstained cross and an empty tomb are the spoils of His victory!

And so are we. We, the ransomed by grace, are the trophies of Christ’s mercy and love. Sin, forgiven and remembered no more.

Now, by His all-powerful Holy Spirit, our Lord – the rescuer par excellence – is accomplishing the great work of restoring us to our God-ordained identity and mission. We, the Lord’s redeemed people, have been recommissioned to the most exquisite and exciting task on the planet: We’re expanding Christ’s beautiful reign to the ends of the earth.

We’re still called.

So, present-day chaos duly considered, here’s my threefold challenge – right now – for us …

1. Let’s get back in the race! We are not called to rest on our laurels, while being seduced by the incessant entertainment of this age. Technology is a fine tool, but a terrible master. Instead, you and I are called to grow in the knowledge of God, to stretch ourselves to depend on Christ more and more, and to step out of our comfort zones – for the glory of the name we bear – on a regular basis. We don’t live in “the good old days,” but we smile at the future, knowing the King who is sovereign and good. We can’t let feelings of unsettledness push us toward mission drift.

2. Let’s get our eyes back on the prize! The church is the body of Christ, and it is even more than our spiritual family. We are a kingdom of priests, and we are an army of warriors commissioned with the retaking of lost ground. We are penetrating the pervasive despair, which marks our restless age, with gospel hope. We are defeating lifeless ideologies with timeless truth. We are – by the witness of the risen Jesus living in us – restoring order and loveliness in a land that seems to be losing both. No matter how ferociously the political winds may howl, we are unmoved. So stay faithful at your post, with your eyes fixed on the Savior of the world.

3. Let’s get back to the main task at hand! We must tell everybody the good news that Jesus Christ is Lord – and that there is no other way to life. America’s youth are “dechurching” at a scary pace. These precious souls include our family and friends, and they’re walking away from what they know of the doctrines that we hold dear. Tragically, per the latest stats, most are deconstructing their faith before they reach the age of 30. Friends, this is our opportunity to walk alongside someone who’s at risk, and I urge you to build and nurture those priceless relationships. Right now counts for eternity.

As you and I keep choosing light over darkness – and as we urge others to do the same – we renew our own commitment to stay the course and go the distance. I’ll grant you that much of the news – much of the current state of affairs – is jarring. Truly, it can be. But don’t forget: Capitol Hill matters – it matters indeed – but not nearly as much a hill called Calvary.

“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15). Spoiler alert: Paradise has been found!

I choose Christ over chaos. I choose Christ over jabberwocky. I choose Christ.

What say you?

Pastor Charles

According to research by the “Los Angeles Times,” Americans are not as happy as we used to be. We’re no longer on the list of the twenty happiest nations on earth, and we’ve fallen below – for example – Kuwait and Slovenia. (If you’re curious, per the study, the happiest people are the Danes, Finns, Icelanders, and Swedes.) Among all Americans, younger Americans are the least happy. Personally, I don’t have loads of confidence in research like this, but I suppose that an important point can be made: Having it all doesn’t mean having it all.

Depending upon the English translation, “happiness” appears in the Bible about thirty times, whereas some version of “joy” appears more than 300 times. I don’t want to imply that the words are drastically different in meaning – in Scripture, they’re largely interchangeable in fact – but I think it’s safe to say that the Bible calls those of us who follow Christ to an undergirding joy that is not dependent upon “happy” circumstances.

Joy! Where to find it? I think I need some. I’ll bet you do too.

Here’s the thing. You and I grow in our capacity for joy by walking through some very trying situations. If I had a bottle of joy pills, I would share them with you, but that’s not how it works. We learn to experience joy as we become convinced of the goodness and faithfulness of God.

And the formation of such knowledge in us doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Instead, it comes through pain and testing. I wish that I could promise you a hassle-free spiritual pilgrimage, but such would be a lie. What I can promise you is some suffering along the way. But – please don’t miss this part – it will never be suffering without purpose. “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:2-3).

As you and I journey toward the Promised Land, we will learn to dig deep in the well of joy, as God refines our confidence in His unshakable character. There will be times of doubt when we’ll have to remind ourselves of all the ways in which the Lord has delivered us and provided abundantly for us. More than once, we will have to preach the gospel to ourselves. But the reality of a bloody cross and an empty tomb will always be good news! We are forgiven and free!

As part of our worship at our church, we sing a song that was recorded by Shane & Shane …

“I’m fighting a battle
That You’ve already won
No matter what comes my way
I will overcome
I don’t know what You’re doing
But I know what You’ve done
I’m fighting a battle that
You’ve already won.”

The wonder of such undeserved grace goes a long way when storm clouds fill the horizon, and – sooner or later – this is where we will find our joy. Strange as it sounds, our deepest delight in God will be forged in the roughest patches of our lives. “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5).

And I must tell you that I stayed up late and read ahead. All the way to the end. Spoiler alert: We win! In Christ, you and I have already won.

As that song goes on to affirm, by expressing our heart’s desire to behold our risen Savior …

“I know how the story ends
We will be with You again.”

So let’s press on! For the glory of our God, you and I are homeward bound, and growing in steadfastness and grace along the way. Let’s defy the statistics, and finish our race with joy! “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

I’m so glad that you’re on this marvelous journey with me.

Pastor Charles

I believe that God has hardwired the human heart to desire and seek identity and purpose. From one ought to flow the other. Once I discover who I am – who I really am – I can embrace the reason I’ve been put on this planet.

We all long to be living for something that’s worth living for.

You and I are looking for a purpose that matters. We desire a clear calling – both to be and to do – that encompasses transcendent and compelling worth. We’re hoping to find some truth that can breathe meaning – real meaning – into the mundaneness of this life. You may be familiar with the famous quote from St. Augustine’s “Confessions” where Augustine prays, “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in You.” There is a world of liberating and satisfying of truth in that simple admission, and yet we spend much of our time looking for the meaning of life in all the wrong places.

As one who appreciates good literature, I never cease to be overwhelmed by how much common grace can be found in the pages of the classics. I’m thinking today of Victor Hugo, the revered Romantic poet of France. Though not an evangelical believer by any stretch, Hugo penned: “There are thoughts which are prayers. There are moments when, whatever the posture of the body, the soul is on its knees.”

Did you catch that? There is something about us that tilts toward the undeniability of a Creator.

I think that’s what the Apostle Paul meant when he wrote (Romans 1:19-20): “What can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” In theological terms, that’s Paul’s universal indictment of the human race. Though the evidence for God is everywhere, literally, our natural inclination is to turn away and run. We try to evade ultimate accountability to such a sovereign God. We want to be God instead. And, for all of our suppression of God’s truth, Paul makes it plain: we deserve nothing less than God’s wrath.

While my mind is still on Hugo, consider a couple of my favorite lines from “Les Misérables,” like this one: “A cannonball travels two thousand miles an hour; light travels two hundred thousand miles a second. Such is the superiority of Jesus Christ over Napoleon.” And this one: “The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves – say rather, loved in spite of ourselves.” In my humble opinion, “Les Mis” presents the timeless struggle between justice and mercy. The relationship between Javert and Valjean symbolizes a conflict that – in real life – can be reconciled only by the Cross of Christ.

But here’s my point. These powerful quotes – and there are many others like them – sound like something we could hear in a sermon at our church. But, when it comes to bringing someone to a saving knowledge of God, the words are woefully incomplete and inadequate. There’s something missing. In fact, despite even the mention of Jesus, the core component of truth is missing.

You and I must make certain that we don’t live our whole lives close to the truth – while missing the truth.

That’s the danger, you see, of spending all of our time enjoying the best that the world has to offer. The very best novels and movies and musicals and operas and poems and masterpieces of the visual arts contain fascinating nuggets of eternal truth, but they all fall short. The best only point to the best.

The moon … and the stars … and the Pacific Coast Highway … and the amazing fingers of a newborn baby are – in and of themselves – insufficient to save. These evidences for God can only condemn. They only leave us “without excuse.” They can stir in us some awareness of our need for a Savior – but they are not enough to make someone born again. They can’t breathe new life into a dead soul.

In literature and elsewhere, themes of hospitality, redemption, and grace can be riveting – I love finding and celebrating them – but we need more. We need the matchless Word of God. “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17)!

Someone has to come along and tell us the whole truth. Someone has to tell us the bad news that the holy law of a holy God makes clear: We are sinners – one and all, through and through. Someone has to tell us the hopeful gospel truth about Jesus: His nature, His life, His cross, His sacrifice, His death, and His glorious resurrection. It doesn’t have to be PhD-level complicated, but it does have to be complete.

General revelation is not enough. We need special revelation. We need the specific truth of the gospel of Christ. There is much evidence for THE Truth (John 14:6), but people are far too content to pontificate much lesser truths.

For the heart of the matter is, and will always be, a bloody cross and an empty tomb! Jesus – King of Kings and Lord of Lords – is the rest of the story. Without Him, there really is no story worth telling. But with Him, passionate works of art like the story of “Les Mis” become valuable object lessons – relatable conduits – of His grace and truth.

Friends, once our identity is anchored in the Lord Jesus Christ, you and I are called to live as faithful ambassadors of the best news the world has ever heard! There is no higher calling! Our God could have sent the good news through angels, but He has chosen us instead.

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Pastor Charles