Last week I took Ella Mae to Children’s Hospital in Seattle for an appointment with her Orthopedic surgeon.

She was SO excited (because we’d pumped her up) to get her “new braces”.
Braces to fit over toes that will never wiggle, ankles that will never work, legs that will never run.

It’s still hard on this daddy’s heart.

So, for three hours in the car, this daddy and his little 3-yr. old girl sang every song in the book.  He because his soul needed it, she because she’s been taught to love it.  And after every song, from the back seat, came the exuberant exclamation, “Let’s sing another one dad!”

Now we’re not talking cheesy little nursery rhymes here.  While there’s certainly nothing wrong with them, “I’m A Little Tea-Pot” as yet been credited with lifting the gaze and carrying a soul through the dark night.
And that’s what I want to prepare my daughter for.  So we don’t sing it much.

Again, while they’re probably “harmless”, we simply haven’t had the luxury, nor has it seemed prudent in light of our daughter’s life circumstances, to fill the limited (but growing) space of her memory bank with “harmless” (i.e.”mindless”) rhymes and rhythms.  We need substance.

Because very soon she will start asking hard questions about why she can’t run outside and play with her little buddies, why Levi can bound up the stairs and she can’t, why she still wears diapers when none of her friends do, why her feet are different sizes, why she can’t feel sores on her feet or anything below her waist, why she can’t jump on the bed with her brother, and on and on and on.

And pretty soon after that, the conversation will turn to God.  Because, if you ask her now, “Who made Ella Mae?” she fires back without hesitation, “God did!”  It won’t take long for her to put two and two together, and the next question that comes will be, “Why did God make me this way?”

If I don’t have an answer in that moment, I could shipwreck my daughter’s growing faith in God.

And in that moment, we will need to draw on something more than what “I’m a Little Tea-pot” has to offer.  We can’t afford to get caught flat-footed.

Rather, we want to tap into and build on the God-centered and hope-sustaining truths and assumptions that we have already stowed in her little head and heart.

That’s why “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” didn’t get sung in our car on the way to Children’s Hospital.  But “A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing” got belted a few times.  And “In Christ alone, my hope is found, He is my light my strength, my song” received more than one moving rendition.

Does she comprehend the truth of the words “This cornerstone, this solid ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm” as she sings them at the top of her lungs?  Probably not like she will in 5 years.  Or in 10 years.  But we aren’t going to wait that long to put these hope-sustaing and God-exalting truths in her heart. We’re putting them in now, so they’ll be there when she needs it.

So here’s the point of this little story:  Are you preparing to be sustained through suffering with an unshakable hope in Jesus Christ?

Because that is God’s call to Christians.  And if you don’t think you will suffer in your lifetime, you are simply naive.

While there are many ways to do this, one way is with music.  Sing good songs, full of good theology.  Songs full of Scripture.  Songs full of the greatness of God.  And each one will become like ballast in your ship.

Make sure your Ipod is full of God-exalting music.

These are the songs I want stamped on my daughter’s mind, the ones that her brain put’s on “play” even when she’s not thinking about it.

As I write this, Levi, who is sitting on my lap, just started singing “Oli Oli Oli, lor gah oh i eeee” (”Holy Holy Holy, Lord God Almighty”).  And “It Is Well With My Soul” continues to drift from Ella’s room where she’s supposed to be taking a nap.

Good stuff.

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty the King of Creation,

josh

ps…here’s a link to a few albums that are on our family ipod and sung around the house all day (specifically, “Psalms“, “Come Weary Saints” and “Valley of Vision“) You can buy them there or on itunes. This is from the church that Josh Harris is pastoring in Maryland.

Yesterday I mentioned providing a few resources for you as you endeavor to stay responsibly informed in this important political season. Here’s a start…

1) First off, you need to keep up with Albert Mohler Jr. He’s a modern-day mix of historic heroes: the culturally penetrating insight of Francis Scheaffer, the unshakable fortitude of Martin Luther, and the theological depth of John Calvin. And he’s read over 30,000 books. When he talks, I listen.

http://www.albertmohler.com/

2) The second link is to a blog I frequent daily called “Between Two Worlds…A Mix of Theology, Philosophy, Politics, and Culture” It proves week in and out to be a wonderful resource, and I would encourage you to put it at the top of your “favorites”. Be sure to scroll down and see some great articles regarding the Saddleback forum.

http://theologica.blogspot.com/

3) Thirdly, a link to the interview that took place Saturday night in California between Rick Warren and the two presidential candidates. I strongly urge you to watch it. The whole thing. The contrasts are stark.

And if you know me, this next comment might surprise you…but I thought Rick Warren did an excellent job. Theological differences aside, I am very thankful he provided this forum for the American people to have a true apples-with-apples experience in comparing Obama and McCain.

I will refrain from my own personal commentary (difficult as that may be) and let the content of the interviews speak for itself.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/16/warren.forum/index.html#cnnSTCVideo

4) And lastly, (for what it’s worth), I will tell you openly where I stand and the process I work through when considering a candidate.

This may seem overly-simplified for the politically sophisticated, but take it for what it is: I am, with good conscious, a one-issue voter.

National security is important; the economy is huge; medi-care boils my blood; taxing the “rich” to level the playing field causes my vision to blur; bigger government makes me want to scream; putting the rights of spotted owls and salmon above human interests kicks in my pull-out-hair reflex, and I can’t even talk about global warming…you get the idea.

But the sanctity of life? OFF THE CHARTS. We WILL stand before God and be held accountable for how we respond (or don’t) to the atrocities that our country currently endorses through legalized abortions. And I believe we will be held accountable for endorsing any person who openly supports this genocide and vows to uphold it and promote it.

And while at times choosing between two candidates can feel like picking the lesser of two evils, this issue cuts the knot for me. Every time.

It’s easy for this conversation to get lost in verbiage and angling.  Don’t let yourself lose sensitivity to the truth that abortion kills babies and scars mothers for life. Because the abortion issue must be seen to be understood, check out these website for further information:

(parental caution: graphic images)

http://www.abort73.com/

http://www.abortionno.org/

So, Rock Solid friends, let us be known as people who believe in the sovereignty of God and rejoice that every day has been ordained by His will and for His good pleasure.

Let us be found working and laboring for the King and His Kingdom during whatever precious days He decides to give us, no matter what the economic and political climate.

And let us pray for the wisdom and discernment to exercise well the freedoms of voting that God’s given us the privilege of experiencing during this time in history.

Because, in the end, you don’t have the luxury of separating the Church and the State when it comes time for you to vote. And you shouldn’t either.

Serving the only One who can offer true hope,

josh

In a few short months, America will vote into office the most powerful man in this world. That’s a staggering thought.

As a pastor, I wrestle with how to lead and encourage people in the area of politics.

I watch some pastors say that it’s not their job to get involved in politics and would never consider talking to their people about one candidate or another. They go into hyper-explanations of the sovereignty of God in choosing leaders of nations, and somehow use that to justify not caring about important issues facing our nation today.

That’s ridiculous.

I have also watched some pastors use their pulpits to Sunday after Sunday subordinate the Word of God to stumping for the candidate of their choice.

Also ridiculous.

So here’s where I’m landing for now; You are a Christian…you should care about politics. Furthermore…

1) You should be intentional about staying informed.

2) You should responsibly and with great biblical discernment exercise the privilege of voting given you by God and preserved for you by the lives of many brave men and women. For Christians who have not voted in the past…shame on them.

3) You should be praying for the many government leaders, both locally and nationally, no matter their political party.

4) You should be praying for the current President of the United States…for wisdom, discernment, endurance, perseverance, sound judgment, fortitude, courage, physical health, spiritual protection, emotional stability, and, in a word, grace.

5) You should be praying for the future President of the United States.  These are big days in the life of America and the future trajectory we will get put on.

And finally, you should hope ultimately and absolutely in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross, and pray for the quick return of the King for His Bride. Thankfully, gas prices will not affect His ability to make that final trip.

I bring this up, among other things, as a reminder of what it means to say that “one cannot be thoroughly Christian without being meaningfully worldly” (Art Azurdia, preaching on John 17 at RS 08).

Tomorrow I will provide some resources to help you with #1 and #2 as you endeavor to stay responsibly informed.

Serving the Head of the true Super-power,

josh

I’m sure most of you seen it or have read much surrounding the loss of the Chapman-family’s daughter. But if you haven’t yet watched the Larry King interview, you need to. It’s full of really good theology.

If you’re a husband and/or father, watch it to see the fruit of a man who’s shepherding his family well.

If you’re a wife/mother, watch it to see how a godly women grieves well and deals with a mother’s worst nightmare.

If you have siblings, watch and see how Christian brothers and sisters come around each other to defend, support, and love them through immeasurable guilt.

And if you’re a Christian, watch it to see what Paul meant when he said we are “full of sorrow, yet always rejoicing.”

I found myself deeply challenged…how would my family, under my leadership, respond to such a trial? And it reminded me again of the necessity to be, right now, today, pursuing the intensification and deepening of my joy in Christ so hard that no pain could shake it.

I don’t typically forward this type of stuff, but I think it’s well worth 30 minutes it will take. You’ll have to watch it in 6 parts on YouTube, but again, I think it will be time well spent. Your heart will be encouraged, your faith strengthened, and your eternal perspective restored.

And I hope you don’t take this wrong, but I often pray that God would be preparing you and I to suffer well. That in our leading and teaching and living and encouraging, we would be putting ballast in the bough of your boat. So that when the waves come (and they will), your faith would not be capsized and your ship sink. That the Church would be full of men and women who’s roots go deep into Christ, and who, in seasons of trial, would stand as “oaks of righteousness, for the the display of His splendor” (Is.62)

May God grant us the vision to prepare for making Christ look good in our hour of suffering by pursuing our satisfaction in Him now. And may He grant each of us such grace in our hour of trial, that in the midst of our pain Christ would be seen as enough, and in the moments of our deepest trial, the world would hear us say, “Christ is deeper still.”

May God continue strengthening the Chapman family. And may God be your portion today as well.

“God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”
(Ps.46)

Humbled, Preparing,

josh

The rest of the interview clips can be seen here.

Below is an excellent exhortation from the Bishop J.C. Ryle, written over a century ago; amazing how timely his words are in our sound-bite, hurried culture.

I apologize for the length, but those with insatiable appetites for sound, rugged, timeless truth from good ol’ dead guys will be greatly rewarded for the five minutes spent hearing from this saint of old, who knew life without cell-phones and internet and Youtube.

And yet writes as if he’s reading our mail.

Proving again that no, the plight of man has not changed too much…is there really anything new under the sun?

It is worth a slow, thoughtful reading. Maybe two. Enjoy…

“You live in a world where your soul is in constant danger. Enemies are round you on every side. Your own heart is deceitful. Bad examples are numerous. Satan is always laboring to lead you astray. Above all false doctrine and false teachers of every kind abound. This is your great danger.

To be safe you must be well armed. You must provide yourself with the weapons which God has given you for your help. You must store your mind with Holy Scripture. This is to be well armed.

Arm yourself with a thorough knowledge of the written word of God. Read your Bible regularly. Become familiar with your Bible. . . . Neglect your Bible and nothing that I know of can prevent you from error if a plausible advocate of false teaching shall happen to meet you. Make it a rule to believe nothing except it can be proved from Scripture. The Bible alone is infallible. . . . Do you really use your Bible as much as you ought?

There are many today, who believe the Bible, yet read it very little. Does your conscience tell you that you are one of these persons?

If so, you are the man that is likely to get little help from the Bible in time of need. Trial is a sifting experience. . . . Your store of Bible consolations may one day run very low.

If so, you are the man that is unlikely to become established in the truth. I shall not be surprised to hear that you are troubled with doubts and questions about assurance, grace, faith, perseverance, etc. The devil is an old and cunning enemy. He can quote Scripture readily enough when he pleases. Now you are not sufficiently ready with your weapons to fight a good fight with him. . . . Your sword is held loosely in your hand.

If so, you are the man that is likely to make mistakes in life. I shall not wonder if I am told that you have problems in your marriage, problems with your children, problems about the conduct of your family and about the company you keep. The world you steer through is full of rocks, shoals and sandbanks. You are not sufficiently familiar either with lighthouses or charts.

If so, you are the man who is likely to be carried away by some false teacher for a time. It will not surprise me if I hear that one of these clever eloquent men who can make a convincing presentation is leading you into error. You are in need of ballast (truth); no wonder if you are tossed to and fro like a cork on the waves.

All these are uncomfortable situations. I want you to escape them all.
Take the advice I offer you today. Do not merely read your Bible a little—but read it a great deal. . . . Remember your many enemies. Be armed!”

Cited in J. I. Packer, 18 Words: The Most Important Words You Will Ever Know, pp. 40-41.

Be encouraged, Christian. God has not left us to fight unarmed. He has given us the weapons for the warfare we wage…do not enter battle (life) without them!

I pray you sword was sharpened this morning and even now is held tightly in your hand.

read.think.pray.live.

josh