I just read that another member of the Duggar Family (as in the once-famous reality show, 19 Kids and Counting) is coming forward with her own version of the “living nightmare” that was growing up in the home of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar. From what I have investigated about the upcoming docuseries on Amazon Prime, Jill Duggar Dillard has no intention of lashing out against Christianity in general, but her hope is to expose the dangers of the kind of harsh legalism which marked her childhood. For about four years, Jill was sexually molested by her older brother, Josh.

I find this fascinating. While reading about the full-speed-ahead promotion by Target (America’s 7th largest retailer) of transgender clothing, swimwear, and school supplies for children via its new “Pride” collection (designed by a Satanist, no less), I’m also reading about the Duggars and their failed attempt at ultra-conservatism. I think that you and I should take note of this current and compelling juxtaposition.

When Jesus began His earthly ministry, He started in Nazareth, where you may remember that He was angrily and forcefully rejected. There in the synagogue on the Sabbath day, Christ stood up and read from Isaiah (Luke 4:18): “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me … He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives …” The world was already imprisoned by sin, and what we needed was freedom, though Christ’s message of freedom was anything other than warmly received.

I want to let you in on a little secret that I have learned after all these years in ministry: the best friend of licentiousness is legalism. Licentiousness and legalism may seem to us like polar opposites, but they’re like two sides of a death certificate. Please let that sink in.

The licentiousness is generally easier for us to spot. For example, we can see what Target is promoting among young people for what it is: misguided, evil, and dangerous. But it’s the legalism in the church that’s often more subtle.

I have no doubt that Jim Bob and Michelle wanted to be good parents. I have no doubt that they worked diligently to raise their children according to the precepts of God’s Word. I have no doubt that they stood strong on moral principles and taught their kids to do the same. But something was dreadfully wrong. Something was wrong at the root that damaged the fruit. From all of the pieces that I have put together regarding the major influencers who shaped the family’s theology, I think that much of what was off-track can be summed up in a single word: legalism.

What is legalism? I’m going to give this my best shot …

Law and gospel become confused

External rule-keeping without internal transformation

Goes beyond Scripture in its moral imperatives

Adds tradition, preference, and opinion as if they were truth

Letter of the law trumps the spirit of the law

Insists upon adherence to nonessential doctrines

Swells the ego, while chilling the heart 

Minimizes the finished work of Christ by adding to it

Here is the universal reality: no matter how good it is, the Law can never save. On its very best day, the Law can only show us our need for a Savior. Only Jesus can save! That’s why it’s vitally important that you and I never add anything to the good news of Jesus …

“We are saved by faith in Christ plus baptism.” Deadly!

“We’re saved by faith in Christ plus keeping the Ten Commandments.” Deadly! (By the way, good luck with that one.)

“We’re saved by faith in Christ plus attending the right church.” Deadly!

“We’re saved by faith in Christ plus (anything).” Deadly!

I am not exaggerating one iota, friends. “Deadly” is the right word. Because, when we add to the gospel of Jesus, we actually take away from it. We diminish it. We destroy it. We lose it. And the gospel of Jesus is our only hope!

And here’s my personal opinion about why legalism is so insidious: it creates a phony religious world for the person trapped in it. And here’s why: deep down in the heart-of-hearts of the legalist, there’s at least a subtle awareness that he or she is not living up to their own standards. (I’m not talking about God’s standards, but I’m talking about the legalist’s extrabibllical standards.) So they try, and fail. They try, and fail. They try, and fail. Finally exhausted, they yield to their worst temptations, but they do so as secretly as possible for as long as they can, because they’re still trapped in (and in some measure committed to) the phony religious world of their own design.

Just as I would warn you to flee licentiousness, I am warning you to flee legalism. It’s a killer. In fact, it’s a gateway to the very licentiousness which it claims to abhor.

The Apostle Paul sounded the same alarm with these words (Galatians 5:1): For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Here’s the good news: Christ has come to rescue us from both licentiousness and legalism. Hallelujah! What a great and gracious Savior is our Lord Jesus!

Pastor Charles

“Follow me.” If we consider ourselves to be followers of Christ, then you and I have sensed a clear call to follow Jesus. That call may have been a long time ago, or it may have been yesterday, or it may have been both. In its simplest form, Christ’s call to His disciples was, “Follow me.” In restoring Peter, the risen Jesus issued the same simple call (John 21:19): “Follow me.” With those words, our Lord asks us for our personal trust in Him. He wants us to identify with Him, to stay close to Him, and to commit ourselves to saying “yes” to wherever He may lead us along the way.

Now, in order to follow Christ, I have to be willing to hold my own plans rather loosely. As you know, that’s easier said than done. I tend to like my plans. That’s why they’re my plans. I tend to think that my plans make perfect sense. After all, they’re my plans. But Jesus has called me to something better. He’s called you too. The path that He has marked out for us is the best path, but you and I won’t always perceive each twist and turn in the road as a welcome detour. It’s really not a “detour,” but it can certainly feel that way on any given day, or during any given season. Can you relate?

John Stott used to refer to our “lesser loyalties” as he described the myriad distractions which plague us. Those personal allegiances always seem to get in the way, don’t they? I don’t even recognize how much power they have over me until Jesus turns me away from them. “Charles, we’re not going that way. We’re going this way.” Charles: “Say what?” By way of a small example, when I lost my taste earlier this year, I suddenly discovered how passionate I am about eating! “Not the lemon icebox pie, Lord. Surely not the lemon icebox pie.” Simon and Andrew had to leave their fishing operation. James and John had to do the same thing, and even leave their dad right there in the boat. Matthew had to bail out on a lucrative tax business. And then there’s Charles, who gets upset about a lemony dessert.

You and I have been called to walk the way of Jesus. It’s His way. “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:33. Ouch.

And it’s not just an outer surrender to which we’re called, is it? Sometimes the inner struggle is even more real. Will I trust Him with my fear? Will I trust Him with my reputation? Will I trust Him with my lust for being in control? (Sometimes I try to disguise that last one as my pesky little problem with “perfectionism.”)

Christ has called us to radical faith.

Christ has called us to gut-level repentance.

Christ has called us to rock-solid obedience.

Christ has called us to dying-daily-to-self love.

Christ has called us to other-worldly joy.

Christ has called us to embrace every twist and turn along the path as if it came from the gentle hand of God. Because it does. Ultimately, it does. We’re walking a good road to a good place.

And Christ has called us to renounce everything that is in the way. Every. Single. Thing. Because He is the Way.

And I don’t have to tell you: we can’t. Not without Him. We just can’t do any of these things. You and I come from streams of too much dysfunction to thrive on our own. You and I struggle with too much personal sin to rise above it on our own. You and I come from too much of-the-world-and-not-just-in-it kind of thinking to sort it out on our own. We just can’t.

But He can.

If we are in Christ, then His Spirit is already ours. His Holy Spirit. The same wonder-working Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead! Galatians 2:20 is hopeful music for our overwhelmed souls: I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

It is no longer I.

Pastor Charles

As visitors to Boston many times over many years, Eileen and I have centered much of our activity around the Marriott Copley. It’s a beautiful spot right on the harbor, and close to many things we enjoy, like the Italian food in the North End. Eileen graduated from college in Boston, and most of her family live in that neck of the woods, so the city has been an important part of our lives. It’s also central to American history, and we’ve enjoyed taking a number of people to New England to experience not just the natural beauty but the historical landmarks.

As you might imagine, I was disturbed to learn of “SatanCon 2023” that took place right there at the Marriott the last week of April. I dug in just a little to see if I could find some photos, and the one I’m including here is as unsettling as you might expect. This is Minister Rose D’Arc leading an “Unbaptism Ceremony,” apparently in celebration of the Satanic Temple’s tenth anniversary. Pulling from a couple of news sources, I’ll note simply that there were some protests surrounding the event, and also among the crowd some followers of Jesus attempting to share the good news of Christ against the dark backdrop of the spiritual lostness that the conference represents.

This group is not the same as “the Church of Satan,” which we’ve heard about for years, but USA Today called the gathering in Boston “the largest group of Satanists” in history. It was sold out. The group is politically active, and politically “progressive,” and they pride themselves on giving people a connection to “organized religion” without forcing them to support religious leaders with whom they disagree. The theme was “Hexennacht in Boston.” (The H-word is German for “witches’ night”.) I found on their website that the Satanic Temple dedicated “this edition” of their event to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, who they say denied them from delivering a satanic invocation at Boston City Hall. And I intend to end my coverage of the group and the event with that remark, because I don’t want to give them any more exposure than is necessary for this blog posting. And I’m sure you’ve already read enough to turn your stomach.

What are you and I to make of this growing movement? Though we might be tempted to write it off as a bunch of costumed “crazies,” I would urge you not to miss the larger point. Because the Word of God actually predicts what might be the spiritual reality underlying what I’ll call the satanist surge of 2023. Specifically, I’ll refer you to 1 Timothy 4:1-2, where the Apostle Paul warns: Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared.” Whenever I see upside-down crosses and other attempts to “undo” Christianity, I can’t help thinking about the dangers of apostasy which we find in the New Testament. 1 John 2:19 reminds us that professing Christians can abandon the Lord. This might be a surprise to us, but it is no surprise to God: They went out from us, but they were not of us: for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. Those, friends, are sobering words for sobering times.

I think it’s safe to say that some apostates will simply fall away from their profession of faith, and from their outward expressions of worshiping Christ, but I think that we should also expect that some will become blatant worshipers of the demonic. I’m not saying this to frighten you, but to remind all of us that we who are the church must stay vigilant about the faith of our own souls. I think it’s also safe to say that the Bible warns us that, as time marches on toward Christ’s return, you and I can expect a climate marked by more and more widespread spiritual confusion. And I don’t think it’s much of a stretch to say that we’re already seeing some signs of that downward spiral.

Never forget: Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), though our enemy and God’s prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Jesus warned us (Matthew 24:12-13) of an increase in lawlessness and a growing coldness (lovelessness)that will come upon the earth. I believe that I’m personally observing an uptick in those realities even as I write these words, so my heart longs to fortify us in gospel strength and resolve. We need grace for this hour. We need truth for this hour. We need Christ for this hour.

And I don’t want you to miss the fact that, in that very same passage of Scripture, our faithful and sovereign Lord also promises: the one who endures to the end will be saved. Friends, that’s a steadfast word for a slippery day. Not only that, but Christ has given us His own abiding presence and power for the task before us (1 John 4:4): He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world! In Christ, you and I are never alone. Our hope of persevering all the way to the finish line is our confident knowledge that Christ will persevere through us (Philippians 1:6).

Though sometimes we still kick and scream to get our own way, you and I are in the very best of hands. We can pray, as Jesus taught us, “Deliver us from evil,” knowing that our Father will move heaven and earth to make that happen. Even now, He is protecting and sustaining us in about a billion ways that we can’t even imagine. He is faithful and good. Martin Luther nailed it (pun fully intended) …

“A mighty fortress is our God.”

Pastor Charles

Memory is powerful. The phone rang while I was holding our 22-month-old son, Joshua. It was my father: “Don’t get on a plane to go anywhere! Turn on your television!” It was September 11, 2001 – nearly 22 years ago – when almost 3000 people lost their lives during the terrorist attacks at the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, and aboard United Airlines Flight 93. Those of us who are old enough to remember that day will never forget it. In fact that one memorable day – 9/11 – yielded some of the most horrifying, seemingly unreal, and gut-wrenching photographs that we had ever seen. At 8:46 a.m. Eastern, American Airlines Flight 11 (traveling from Boston to Los Angeles) hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. At 9:03 a.m., United Flight 175 (also en route from Boston to L.A.) hit the South Tower of the Trade Center. At 9:37 a.m., American Flight 77 (traveling from Dulles Airport in D.C.’s Northern VA suburbs to L.A.) hit the Pentagon in Washington. Finally, at 10:03 a.m., United Flight 93 (traveling from Newark to San Francisco) crashed into a remote field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

When I pick up my Bible, I’m always reminded that history is a great gift. It is more like a treasure, and it is ours for the taking. History is given to us by God for our instruction in righteousness (1 Corinthians 10:11).

And when I think about our history as God’s people, I always think of the other Joshua – the man after whom my son is named. And I remember the history of Israel as recorded in Joshua 3 and 4. When the people following Joshua arrived at the Jordan River, it was at flood stage – post-2010, everybody in Nashville can relate to that – which meant that the river waters expanded from their normal 100-foot width to a terrifying, raging mile-wide river. So the entrance into Canaan – the Promised Land – was completely blocked! But as soon as the priests put their feet in the river, God dried it up by creating a floodwall of water … and the people crossed the river on dry ground. Those priests who carried the ark of the covenant stood right in the middle of the riverbed until the whole nation passed over.

You see, friends, God often calls us together. Tomorrow, the 2023 National Day of Prayer, will be one of those days. So was that day when the twelve men did something remarkable with their twelve stones. They established a national memorial so that every subsequent generation might remember the miraculous river crossing. It was to be a sign pointing to Israel’s personal and powerful God. There were twelve stones to represent twelve tribes, all for the purpose of symbolizing Israel’s unity as one nation under General Joshua’s leadership.

Now we Americans tend to regard ourselves as rugged individualists, but that is not the case when it comes to the body of Christ. We have been taught to pray: “Our Father, who art in heaven …” Take another look at the model prayer given to us by Jesus, and pay careful attention to the pronouns. Far from independence, you and I are called to interdependence. We are members of one and the same body. We are gifted individually, but we are gifted entirely for the purpose of serving each other in love. God calls us, just like those in Joshua’s day, to remember who and Whose we are. By so doing, we give glory to God! When we come together in prayer, like we’re doing today, we declare to the world that we serve a God of miraculous provision. Only He can deliver our nation from its woes. Only He can heal our divides. Only He can forgive our sis. Only He can restore, in our land and in our day, a holy fear of a holy God. Jesus, let it be!

And, when we remember, it helps us chart a path forward. In the days of the Jordan crossing, the Lord made it clear: the memorial of stones would serve future generations by pointing them to the truth about Himself. You know that I just turned 60, and I’ve told you more than once that I have a large and imaginary “I don’t understand” file. I carry around some baggage from life and from ministry. I’ve dealt with fear and insecurity and faith struggles and sadness, and I’m under no illusion that life is supposed to be easy for a follower of Christ. And, if I’m not careful, I can sink into thinking that the younger and snazzier version of myself was the best version of me, and that this is just the leftovers. But that is not what God sees! He sees a work-in-progress that – however slight the movement in the right direction may be – is being conformed to the likeness of Christ. As you and I get older, it gets easier for us to become terrified about tomorrow, but let me tell you why you and I don’t have to be afraid: Jesus is already there! He’s writing our story, and it’s a good one.

Yes, to use my grandmother’s expression from days gone by, our nation is in a heap of trouble! There is no politician on earth who is wise enough, or powerful enough, to deliver us from ourselves. So you and I must turn our hearts toward heaven. Because we have been loved by a God of mercy and grace. And, wherever there is the Spirit of our awesome God, there is hope. And so we trust not in ourselves, but we lift up our prayers before the throne of the risen and reigning King! May He strengthen us for the battles which lie ahead. May He give us His own joy to be our strength. May He make His face to shine upon us.

As you pray tomorrow, remember those brave priests in Joshua’s day. Not only did they have to step into the raging water, by faith, but they had to stand there. It was a preview of our high calling in Jesus Christ, which the apostle Paul described like this (Ephesians 6:10-13): Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

If you can join us tomorrow morning in the sanctuary at Green Hills Community Church, our prayer service will begin at 10:00 a.m.

Pastor Charles

I thought I would dread it. But it’s here, and I don’t. Tomorrow is my birthday, and I’m choosing to welcome it with gusto and grit. I suppose that I’m now planted firmly in the “middle age” category. (That is, if I live to be 120.)

I remember well the first time the kid at the theater sold me the “senior” movie ticket (without even asking). Though happy to save a couple of bucks, I seriously wanted to punch him. How could he be so dreadfully confident and so dreadfully wrong at the same time? That was now many discounts ago. I no longer protest. My gray hair betrays me.

It’s a great age, in fact, and a creative balance between wisdom and reality. On the wisdom side, I’m no longer surprised by human limitations (the many which are mine, or those belonging to others). We’re all sinners in desperate need of a Savior, and we offer vast evidence of our need on a daily basis. I’m learning to see myself through the lens of grace, and hopefully that’s translating into how I see and embrace others. I am, in fact, more grateful than ever for God’s grace.

On the reality side, there is the quirkiness of this aging (did I admit that?) human body. Now, after a 2-hour drive in the car, I can guarantee you that my first fifteen steps after exiting said vehicle will look like some sort of unintentional acrobatics. I refer to it warmly as the readjustment period. It can be a little embarrassing at first, but you get better and better at making people believe that you intended all of those motions as a vigorous form of exercise. (It’s like my own mini-version of an escape room.)

I’m also realizing that I sometimes miss (as in, not hear) certain lines in certain conversations. At the same time, back to the wisdom side of life, I’m also recognizing that many lines are not really worth hearing. So it all kind of balances out in the end. At least that’s how I’m trying to seize the day in my own mind.

Sixty. Sounds so … mature. But I still feel like a kid in so many ways! I like spontaneity, as long as you’ll let me put it on my digital calendar. I like intrigue, as long as it was written by C.S. Lewis. I like adventure, as long as it ends promptly by 8:00 p.m.

But sixty really rocks, friends, and here’s why: the Lord is good! He has been so very good to me. For sixty years He has given me life and breath. For sixty years He has given me family and friends. For sixty years, with the dawn of all 21,915 of those new days, He has given me relentless evidence of His sovereign care. I am overwhelmed today by the love of God.

He gave me parents who loved me, and grandparents and siblings and aunts and uncles and cousins to do the same. Eileen, my lovely bride. Joshua, my beloved son. Friends around the world. And the dearest people, to love and to be loved by, in the dearest congregations on the planet. My cup overflows.

My knees are no longer 100% reliable, though I’m deeply grateful for both of them. My fingers can sometimes detect changes in the weather (can I get paid for this new skill?). And climbing to the top of the ladder to complete a household project now gives my prayer life a sudden burst of zeal. But here I am. And I am embracing this new season with passion and praise! I promise you that I’m going to give this sexagenarian thing (no, Spell Check, that’s the word I want lol) my best shot.

Thank you for letting me laugh at myself, and thank you for laughing with me as I celebrate one more trip around the sun. I’ve been blessed with 59 birthdays so far, but I think that tomorrow’s will be my best. Because the Lord is good. Nothing but good.

Pastor Charles

I love living near Vanderbilt University. The campus is pulsing with young adults, the academics are invigorating, and the standards are exceptionally high. In the world of academia, Vanderbilt is among the best of the best, and we’re privileged to have such a university in our community.

I know that a largely “secular” university can cause some challenges for those who adhere to the tenets of evangelical faith, but I hope that you and I will not retreat from our opportunities to influence such places for good. I think of our friend, Lance Brown, and all the ways in which God uses him to shine the light of the gospel into the heart of the campus. I find this thrilling, and I’m so glad that we get to encourage Lance from time to time, and to see the fruit of his persevering commitment to Christ.

These are rough times for truth on college campuses. Like you, perhaps, I’ve followed the recent incident at Stanford Law School. Federal Appellate Judge Kyle Duncan barely made it out in one piece, having been aggressively opposed by a mob of students who did not want to hear from the accomplished judge. We’re observing the very opposite of academic freedom specifically, and the very opposite of free speech generally. It seems that politics has poisoned nearly everything, and that the American learning environment has been one of the first casualties. I won’t get into the weeds in this blog posting, but just this week some pro-life students at Yale faced an eerily similar display of hostile intolerance. And the hostility flows not just from passionate yet naive students, but from distinguished faculty who ought to know better. Where is the basic spirit of civility which many of us remember from days not that long ago?

So I’m blogging today to encourage you to shine your own light within the world of academia, or wherever your sphere of influence may take you. Some of you are teachers, but all of you are influencers. Your influence for our Lord Jesus is critically important right now. Some will not want you to speak up, and some may even try to shut you down. But do not be dismayed. Jesus has promised to give you the very words you will need – and right when you need them (Luke 12:8-12). Into the cultural chaos go you and I, wholly dependent upon the wisdom of the All-Wise. Tyrants never appreciate free speech, but the best way to preserve the liberties we have is to exercise them with gusto and grace.

And don’t ever forget: when you speak up, you give others the courage to speak up. It might be a good time for us to dust off our old copies of The Emperor’s New Clothes. Sometimes, you see, “the Emperor has no clothes.” It just takes guts to say it. You and I can’t retreat from the hard places, but we have to see the hard places as important mission posts. In my way of thinking, salt and light don’t get long vacations – and that’s what we are.

We live in a world where the truth isn’t always appreciated, but that’s to be expected. We’ve been called not to a game, but to a war. But we have so much more than our own strength upon which to rely.

I double-dog dare you to ask the Lord where He wants you to speak up. If it’s Vandy, great! But wherever it is, I can assure you that it will be a place where your voice – and your humble love – can accomplish great things. Christ will do it in you. Christ will do it through you. Christ will do it (at least in my case) in spite of you. That’s what I call marvelous grace!

O for a thousand tongues …

Pastor Charles

I almost laughed out loud this morning as I got stuck in a moment of traffic. Right in front of me was a car driven by someone who chose to send two important messages to those in her wake. I snapped a photo just as quickly as I could, but you may have to struggle a bit to catch the details. Anyway, here are the two messages …

1. (license plate holder) “With God all things are possible.”

2. (bumper sticker) “Relax, nothing is under control.”

It was the bumper sticker that first caught my eye. I’ve never seen that particular line before, and it’s clearly worthy of a chuckle. Every one of us can relate. Somedays at least, the more we try to control what’s going on around us, the more out-of-control life seems. It doesn’t take much to remind us that you and I aren’t calling many of the shots.

And then my eyes shifted leftward, and I noticed the two black crosses on either side of the license plate holder. That inspired me to read the text, which is of course a quote directly from Jesus (Matthew 19:26). Though the words are quite comforting, my inner laughter was provoked by the juxtaposition of the two messages. “God is in control … no, He really isn’t.”

Now I need a good dose of inspiration as much as anybody else, but I never thought that mine would come today from the rear-end of a Lexus. But here we are, and I am inspired.

At first I thought about the funny and seemingly incongruent relationship between the two thoughts … but that’s not where I’ve landed today. My mind has been spinning … and now I regret not honking the horn and at least giving a strong thumbs-up sign! I think I get it, friends. I, even I, just might get it. Here’s what I think that my fellow traveler may mean by her mixed messages …

From one perspective (we might call it the human angle), nothing seems under control. Politics … weather … morning traffic … societal harmony … you name it! So we might as well relax, as the bumper sticker humorously reminds us.

From another perspective (we might call it the divine angle), nothing is out of control. That’s why Jesus said what He said to His disciples who were struggling with His teaching about the difficulty of riches. (“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needed than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”) So many things simply can’t be accomplished by us, and salvation is one of them. But … God can do anything! “With God all things are possible.” So, faced with whatever out-of-control situation that’s before us today, you and I can simply do our best and breathe a sigh of relief. We are not the Sovereign. But we know Him, and in fact He has invited us to call Him “Father.” And He loves us with an everlasting love.

Notice that I mentioned that we ought to do our best. An acknowledgment that God is in control does not relieve us of all responsibility. You and I must still answer to Him for what we do, and how we live. It’s just that we’re not ultimately trusting in ourselves. We’re trusting in Him. God is fully in control of all things, and yet I’m still accountable to Him. Reconciling both sides of that equation may create some tension in my finite mind, but that’s perfectly O.K.

Perhaps the first step toward understanding the compatibility between God’s absolute sovereignty and our freedom as human creatures (limited as that freedom may be) is to recognize that the two truths are not mutually exclusive. At times the complex relationship between the two may leave us scratching our heads, but Scripture affirms both, so both must be true. In God’s wise design, human responsibility is clearly not eliminated by God’s sovereign control over His creation. That’s true even though evil was included in God’s perfect design for the universe even before He created the world, and He uses His creatures’ sin for purposes that are always and only good (e.g., Genesis 50:20). Hallelujah! In our Sovereign’s infinite wisdom, He is able to use all things for our good, and has promised to do just that (Romans 8:28). Surely Calvary’s cross is Exhibit A (Acts 2:23).

A. W. Tozer said it like this: “Every soul belongs to God and exists by His pleasure. God being who and what He is, and we being who and what we are, the only thinkable relation between us is one of full Lordship on His part and complete submission on ours.” Jesus is Lord. I think I can live with that. What say you?

Maybe the messages aren’t mixed after all. Chin up, fellow traveler!

Pastor Charles

In the entire history of Planet Earth – in the entire history of the universe, in fact – it had never happened. Never. It had never happened, not even once. And it will never happen again.

What happened? God died.Yes, you read that correctly. You might want to read it again.

God died. Yes, God died. Not just some guy, but God Himself – for Jesus was, and is, God.

Maybe it should not surprise us, but this God the Son – this divine Logos (“the Word”) – spoke the Word until His final breath. The very last sentence of His life was a quote of Psalm 31:5. You squeeze Jesus, and He oozes Bible. You pierce Jesus, and He pours out Bible. You put Jesus in some remote desert, and He speaks Bible. You starve Jesus nearly to death, and He lives by the Bible. You send that roaring lion Satan to attack Jesus – and to tempt Jesus in every conceivable and inconceivable way – and He quotes the Bible. You nail Jesus to a cross. You torture Jesus. You unleash hell on Jesus. He prays the Bible!

I know that we generally focus on the last words of Jesus during Holy Week, but have you ever thought about the first words of the life of Christ as recorded in Holy Scripture? They were spoken to His mother and Joseph (Luke 2:49): “Why were you looking for Me? Did you not know that I must be in My Father’s house?” And the Bible specifically records that Mary and Joseph did not understand what their son meant.

Do we know what He meant? I believe that – as a 12-year-old – Jesus was saying in effect: “The Father has given me a job to do, and I can’t go home until the job is done.” With His last few breaths, Christ said something like this (Luke 23:46): “Father, I’m coming home now because I’ve done the job You gave Me to do.” Christ put Himself into His Father’s hands because that’s the only place He ever wanted to be. Christ did not commit His spirit into the hands of Pilate or Caiaphas or the Roman soldiers. Neither did Jesus commit His spirit to Peter, James, John, or any of the other disciples. Our Lord was to be in good hands, so He committed His spirit into the hands of the Father.

Charles Spurgeon preached it like this: “Now He is committing His spirit, as a sacred trust, into the Father’s hands that He may depart to be with the Father, to abide in His house, and go no more out forever. Christ’s life is all of a piece, just as the Alpha and the Omega are letters of the same alphabet. You do not find Him one thing at the first, another thing afterwards, and a third thing still later – He is ‘Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever.’”

All because of the cross and resurrection, and their stubborn belief in both, the earliest followers of Jesus were put to incomprehensible tests. By way of example, Stephen – who we remember as the first Christian martyr – died with Scripture on his lips. Stephen was preaching in that most feared name of Jesus, and people told him he better stop or they’d kill him! But Stephen wouldn’t stop because he couldn’t stop. So Stephen just stood there and preached the Bible … never mind the consequences.

How shall you and I fare on the day of our testing? Probably the best way to gauge that is by considering how you and I live now. If we have any hope to be found faithful until the last day, it will be because we have fallen in love with the grace of Jesus …

A grace that went all the way!
A grace that could not be quenched by sin!
A grace that would nourish hope even in the darkest hour!

And the reason we know the truth about grace is because it’s been revealed to us in the Bible. Every page whispers His name, a Truth that would love until the moment of His death … so God died. Yes, God died. There’s lots of evidence that He really died (more on that Sunday), but you and I still must believe it by faith.

I can’t ask the question any better than Charles Wesley. It haunts me, yet it thrills me …

And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain –
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, should die for me?

When the time comes for me to speak my final words, I hope they’re not my words.

Pastor Charles

I was able to capture these 16 photographs from the 5th floor of the St. Paul early this morning. In uncertain times, it’s more than comforting to know the God who commands the sun to rise. May the peace of Christ be upon our campus, and upon our beloved community.

Pastor Charles

Yesterday felt like a day of joy for our Green Hills staff team. After a brief devotional together, we spent some time talking about specific ways in which we’d love to see God work in our church. So you can imagine how delighted we were to see the Lord answering some of our prayers even before the day was through! I hope that we will record that one in our “God’s faithfulness” file. Indeed He is.

Admittedly, not every day unfolds like that. More often than not, perhaps, we find ourselves waiting on God to do what only God can do. That’s as it should be. He is building our faith. He is strengthening our resolve. He is cultivating in our souls a deep sense of dependence upon Himself. You know as well as I that we tend to wander when we’re not leaning on those everlasting arms.

There’s a powerful description of the gospel in Romans 5:1-11. You may be quite familiar with that passage, penned by the Apostle Paul, but I would encourage you to take another look at it today. I believe that it will speak to you in fresh ways, because God’s Word works like that. It is alive! Doctrine that is as familiar to us as our favorite shirt can – all of a sudden – awaken in us new and powerful insight. As I read and reread that text, I’m seeing a description of joy that I’ve never recognized as the gem that it is. I’ll bet that, regardless of our individual circumstances, the joy of the Lord is what we most need.

It’s a joy that is longer than my waiting. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Yes. It’s a joy that stretches farther than what my eyes can see. Because of what Jesus has accomplished for us, on the cross where He died in our place, our account has been settled with God. Can you imagine such a gift? We who had no means by which to pay our sin debt have discovered that our debt has been paid in full. “It is finished.”

It’s a joy that is larger than my circumstances. We rejoice in our sufferings. Yes. The Bible calls us to the impossible, that you and I may draw our strength from another source. We can identify, personally, with our Savior. We can communicate, personally, with our Lord. We can trust Him with all of the unknowns … and all of the sorrows … and all of the unresolved “why’s” in our vocabulary. Our magnificent Savior is no stranger to suffering, and He felt – and feels – our every pain.

It’s a joy that is stronger than my feelings. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Yes. We must never forget that we didn’t initiate the search party –He did. He loved us before the foundation of the world. He loved us in spite of our treacherous rebellion. He loved us when there was nothing lovely or lovable about us. So my feelings about what God may think of me are no match for what God has already declared about His passionate grace toward me.

It’s a joy that is deeper than my understanding. While we were enemies we were reconciled. Yes, and I can hardly believe it! That I would receive such undeserved yet extravagant grace … I suspect that will blow my mind as long as I live. When I wade into the Scriptural promises which describe the love of God for me, I feel like a giraffe going for a swim. I know that I need to dive headfirst and let the waters engulf me, but the clunkiness of my own pride and myopathy hold me back from fully delighting in the ocean of grace that is already mine. Perhaps you can relate. Perhaps we need to form a support group for recovering giraffes. Better yet, perhaps the church is the place where we can learn to rise above our clunkiness – and the place where we can find the people who will go “all in” with us.

I’m not sure how your journey feels today. Maybe you feel like you missed an important turn. Maybe you feel out of gas. Or maybe you feel like you’ve driven completely off the road. I can relate, friend. I can relate. But there is great joy to be found in Christ. This is not the time to give up, or to give in, but to press on. The promises of God are unchanging. The promises of God are ours for the taking, and God gives freely.

Nearly a decade ago and tucked inside a book, a letter written by C.S. Lewis was discovered. As you may remember, joy was one of topics most frequently addressed by the British writer. In any event, when I read the letter, one line jumped off the page: “I doubt whether anyone who has tasted joy would ever, if both were in his power, exchange it for all the pleasures in the world.” Though we likely agree with Mr. Lewis in principle, surely you and I would have to admit that we far too often trade the joy that should be ours in Christ for significantly lesser things. So, today, I’m calling you to trade up for joy.

I’ll be trading up with you.

Pastor Charles