"We're going to have a baby"...and the Bible.

The week I received the news that we were expecting the birth of our first son is the same week I learned to read my Bible.

He didn't stand out in a crowd, nor did he crowd any kind of conversation. He sat on a sofa with his tattered, marked-up, almost cover-less Bible in his lap and smiled as he observed the room. I was getting ready to go on stage for a sound check and passively said, hello.

As the sound check was coming to a close, my wife pulled me off the stage to tell me the news, "We are going to have a baby." Overwhelmed and shocked I took a few minutes to gather myself before returning to the stage. I sat on a sofa that was also occupied by Dr. Robert Lowery.

He sat there reading his Bible with the eyes of a scavenger looking for detail all while maintaining a sense of wonder and devotion. He had a blue ink pen in his hands and was noting and marking new insights.

I sat there watching him for a minute then he greeted me. He asked me my name and encouraged me with a hearty congratulations. I commented on his obsessive marks and scribbles. He talked about Dave Matthews and U2. I asked what he was reading and he told me about the record, Slow Train Coming by Bob Dylan. He connected with me.

Later on he sat me down and showed me how to read the Bible. He gave me insights into the importance of reading contextually. Dr. Lowery taught me how to look at the Scriptures, how to meditate, and think. One week, that's all we had together. But this man who had personally mentored and taught so many in the classroom, sat with me in a green room in Adrian Michigan and taught me how to read the Bible.

He passed away last week. I never spoke to him again. There was never a time that I got to sit under his teaching beyond the sofa in Adrian. But I've never forgotten the simple tools he gave me and the hunger he had for God's Word.

My son is now nine years old. My Bible is not as worn out or marked up, but my memory is. Dr. Lowery was the man who taught me to read the Bible, the same week I heard the news.

Knowing God

I've never walked among tombstones saying to myself, "This all makes perfect sense. This is how life is supposed to end." No! I walk through the cemetery asking deeper questions.

Seeking to know the deeper meaning of life has been the pursuit of the ages. Men and women of old sought how we might extend and perfect our lives. Scientist and Philosophers try to bring comfort by prolonging our health and conjuring up reasons to live. There is really only one source that has given me any hope in answering these questions...

In John 17 Jesus prayed, "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." Life begins with God, and continues to be sustained forever as we grow in our knowledge of God as revealed to us in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Our deepest desire is to find the purpose for our existence. God in his wisdom has given us an answer, we exist to know God! There is no other pursuit worthy of your life and energy. Life will find deep purpose and joy when we begin to seek after God. He wants to be known and treasured by you.

Take time to pray and meditate over John 17:3. Ask the Lord to make himself known to as you read His word and seek His face.

For His Glory!

Stories from Exile - ch 9

God is faithful to His Word

As we journey through the book of Daniel, we see the incredible character of a great prophet. We also see the visions that God revealed. In each case, these visions became a reality. God was faithful to bring to pass what He revealed in advance. If you pop back four books in the Bible to the ninth chapter of Isaiah, you see where God revealed the coming of His Son in advance of our Savior’s arrival. Time and time again this is evident in the Old Testament. God reveals something and within the hour or within years, it comes to pass. God is faithful to His Word.

The OT is such a stunning reminder for me of God’s faithfulness. He never abandoned His people regardless of how many times they turned away from Him. His compassion was overwhelming and brought to pass all that He said. Each time He revealed His plans, they set one more stone in the path that led to the coming of His only Son. The connection to the New Testament is evident in the fact that over fifty OT Scriptures are referenced in Matthew alone.

As I study God’s Word and hunger for it like my morning cup of coffee, I find more than ever that God remains faithful. I so very often have claimed a specific Scripture as my own and stood in amazement as that Truth rested beautifully in my present circumstances to bring me wisdom and peace. The more God reveals to me, the greater my reservoir of His faithfulness becomes. In my moments of doubt or weakness, I just tap in to the joy of my past relationship with Him and all that He had done. It refocuses me and reminds me that His Word is unchanging, but He will use it to change me more into His image.

I am thankful beyond what I can convey for God’s Word and His consistent faithfulness to every single living letter that is in it.

Stories from Exile - ch 4

Pride is an interesting concept within our culture as the human race.
As Americans, pride in one's self is considered positive when it is used to build confidence, but it is looked down upon when it leads to arrogance or violates the civil liberties of democracy. In the WWII era, pride caused evil dictators to exploit the confused public by killing innocent civilians based on religion and beliefs. In ancient literature, pride, not humility, often leads tragic heroes to their downfall. C.S. Lewis effectively argues that pride is the worst sin in his book Mere Christianity,but not because he believes sins are unequal in severity, but because pride ultimately led to evil in the world. Because Satan's pride led him to rejecting God, C.S.
Lewis also argues that God did not create evil because even Satan was a "fallen angel." But that topic in itself could be another paper, so I'll focus on the topic of pride, specifically in the context of Daniel 4.
I find it interesting that God often reveals himself through dreams.
Because of Nebuchadnezzar's pride in his works, he was sent to live and eat grass with the oxen until the end of "seven times", which was beautifully symbolized in his dream. The giant tree, as Daniel interpreted it, stood for the great kingdom that Nebuchadnezzar built. Because Nebuchadnezzar worshiped his kingdom and thought of himself to be God, God intervened in his life to show his true sovereignty.
So the real question is, how can this passage be applied to our lives? None of us appear to be power hungry dictators that see ourselves as God, right? The point of this passage is not to keep people from success or from having confidence; it is to remind us who really has the power. God blessed us all with gifts and talents to use for the work of this kingdom. Nebuchadnezzar's gift of leadership and speaking is not the issue; the real issue is that he used his power to force people to worship him and to oppress the poor. Nebuchadnezzar did not praise the true creator who gave him the gifts; he instead idolized and praised himself.
To apply this to our lives, we must look to God and remember who gave us our talents and abilities instead of taking the credit for everything we do. We may have a successful career or earn top grades because we legitimately work hard, but we also must remember that God created us with the drive to work hard and the mind to reason though difficult material.
We may have changed the world in some way, but God gave us the mindset to care for those in need though the Holy Spirit (along with the abilities we used to make it happen and the grace through Christ). These circumstances are not only the trinity daily at work (again, another paper in itself!), but simple concepts to help us realize who is really in control: God.
Nebuchadnezzar's dream and experience caused him to change, and his "tree"
was cut down for the better. Let me end by asking, what trees need to be
cut down in your life?

- The lumberjack