Creation: like a beautiful book

(From the Belgic Confession)

Article 2: The Means by Which We Know God

First, by the creation, preservation, and government

of the universe,

since that universe is before our eyes

like a beautiful book

in which all creatures,

great and small,

are as letters

to make us ponder

the invisible things of God:

his eternal power

and his divinity,

as the apostle Paul says in Romans 1:20.

All these things are enough to convict men

and to leave them without excuse.

Second, he makes himself known to us more openly

by his holy and divine Word,

as much as we need in this life,

for his glory

and the salvation of his own.

My only comfort

(From the Heidelberg Catechism)

1 Q. What is your only comfort

in life and in death?

A. That I am not my own,

but belong -

body and soul,

in life and in death -

to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.

He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood,

and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.

He also watches over me in such a way

that not a hair can fall from my head

without the will of my Father in heaven:

in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.

Because I belong to him,

Christ, by his Holy Spirit,

assures me of eternal life

and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready

from now on to live for him.

Ahhh... it is so good.

(From the Heidelberg Catechism)

56 Q. What do you believe

concerning "the forgiveness of sins"?

A. I believe that God,

because of Christ's atonement,

will never hold against me,

any of my sins

nor my sinful nature

which I need to struggle against all my life.

Rather, in his grace

God grants me the righteousness of Christ

to free me forever from judgment.

6th century BC, 1st century AD, 21st century AD... let's keep preaching!

Six centuries before the revelation of God in the flesh, the Lord GOD spoke the following words to His prophet Ezekiel:

"And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house. But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Be not rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you."

Moreover, he said to me, "Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart, and hear with your ears. And go to the exiles, to your people, and speak to them and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD,' whether they hear or refuse to hear."

-Ezekiel 2:7-8,10-11

Seven centuries later, Paul, "an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus", wrote the following to the evangelist Timothy:

Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

-2 Timothy 4:2-4

And yet another two millennia later, I don't believe that anything has changed for the people of God, who are charged with proclaiming the glory of the LORD on His earth, and who will find true joy in nothing else.

There always have been, and always will be people who refuse to listen to the word of God. There always have been, and always will be people who will persecute those who bring that word. There always have been, and always will be seasons when the Gospel of Christ will be received, and others when it will be abhorred.

But we must not forget that there also always has been, and always will be a great and sovereign God whose ultimate ambition is to proclaim His great worth, drawing men and women to experience His everlasting glory. We must not forget that the Gospel of Christ has been sovereignly planned and executed by this glorious God. And we must not forget that the Gospel will go forth, because it is a manifestation of God's glory. The Gospel will not fail, because God cannot fail.

So let us preach the word of God, in season and out of season, whether they hear or refuse to hear. It is God's Gospel that we bring, not our own. He will ultimately sustain it, but He chooses us to be blessed by being the messengers.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.

-Romans 1:16a

The Scripture testifies to Jesus

Genesis: He's the One who will crush the serpent's head. He's the Lamb that God provides in the place of Isaac. He's the Joseph who goes down into Egypt and suffers to save the world.

Exodus: He's the Passover Lamb.

Leviticus: He's the Scapegoat who carries away our sins on the Day of Atonement.

Numbers: He's the Star that shall come out of Jacob.

Deuteronomy: He's the Prophet who will arise like Moses.

Joshua: He's... Joshua! He's the second Joshua who will give His people rest.

Judges: He's the One who, like Sampson, will, in His death, deliver His people from their oppressors.

Samuel: He's the Son of David, who will reign forever.

Kings: He's foreshadowed by Elisha's healing ministry.

Isaiah: He's the suffering Servant.

Jeremiah: He's the Lord, Our Righteousness.

Ezekiel: He's the Prince, who inhabits a new temple.

Hosea: He's the Bridegroom.

Jonah: As Jonah spent three days in the belly of the fish, so Jesus spent three days in the belly of the earth.

Micah: He's the King who will be born in Bethlehem.

Haggai: He's the Signet Ring.

Zechariah: He's the Priest-King, who builds the church.

Malachi: He's the Lord, who will suddenly come to His temple.

Psalms: He's the Anointed One, who is established on Zion.

Job: He's the Redeemer and the Intercessor.

Proverbs: He's Wisdom.

Ruth: He's the Kinsman Redeemer.

Daniel: He's the One like a Son of Man.

Chronicles: He's the Son of God, who will go up to the temple of the Lord and lead His people home from exile.

(Taken from Mike's sermon today on John 5:31-40)

A good name (or two!)

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
and favor is better than silver or gold.

-Proverbs 22:1

A friend asked me tonight what "M" stood for.

It took me a while to realize that she was referring to the "M." of "Christopher M. Carignan", in my email signature, which stands for "Michael". Christopher was the most popular name the year I was born and Michael was the second most popular. But the question itself got me thinking about how much I appreciate what my first and middle names actually mean...

Christopher: From the Late Greek name Χριστοφορος (Christophoros) meaning "bearing Christ", derived from Χριστος (Christos) combined with φερω (phero) "to bear, to carry".

Michael: From the Hebrew name מִיכָאֵל (Mikha'el) meaning "who is like God?" This name is commonly misunderstood as meaning "one who is like God". However, the name is actually a rhetorical question, implying that nobody is like God.

I like my names because they remind me of...

• Who I am: I am a redeemed sheep of Christ's flock, whom He has brought back to the fold by the effective call of His voice. The love of Christ shown to me in His atoning sacrifice creates a gratitude in me which is such a compelling force that I cannot help but preach the Gospel, in season and out of season. I am called to be a Christ bearer.

• Who I am not: I am not God. I cannot do the work that only God can do. I may be called to be a Christ bearer, but I recognize that none of my words, none of my logic, none of my convincing can ever turn a heart of stone into a heart of flesh. It is the Holy Spirit alone, regenerating a person to understand the oral or written proclamation of the Gospel, which can do this. When people believe on this message, they are saved, both instantly and eternally. I am nothing more than a redeemed sheep who is blessed to be a part of this work by bringing the message to those who will listen.

So, thanks, Nina, for the reminder. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for giving me these two awesome names. And thanks, God, for all You have done to give these names meaning!

The EFCA Statement of Faith has it goin' on!

Just got back from a very long, very difficult church meeting. We will be needing guidance from God on some key issues over the next few months, so please pray for our elders and for the rest of our congregation.

I was very encouraged tonight by our ratification of the CEFC church Constitution as per the recent changes to the Evangelical Free Church of America's statement of faith. I am constantly blessed and encouraged that I attend a church which is so biblical in its teaching, and believes whole-heartedly and openly, among other things, the following (taken from the EFCA Statement of Faith):

4.101 God: We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.

4.103 The Human Condition: We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image, but they sinned when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God, and under His wrath. Only through God's saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled and renewed.

4.105 The Work of Christ: We believe that Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute, shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. His atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for salvation.

Amen, EFCA. Amen, CEFC. Amen!

Are We Still The Body Of Christ Without The Full Armor of God?

Here's a very good read over at the Sacred Sandwich. A small excerpt:

It is time, therefore, to make no more apologies to the world for Christ and His Gospel and start acting like the Church… the Body of Christ, that Jesus promised would not be overcome by the gates of Hades. We must gladly display our spiritual armor and be prepared to be vilified by the world just as Christ was vilified, and to suffer just as He suffered. Remember, the world is not really directing their attacks against us, they are directing their attacks against Jesus, their Stumbling Stone and Rock of Offense.

Be blessed on this Lord's Day, brethren, fellow members of the Body of Christ. Let us gladly display our spiritual armor, not only individually, but corporally, on this day and all others to come.

I bring near my righteousness

"Remember this and stand firm,

recall it to mind, you transgressors,

remember the former things of old;

for I am God, and there is no other;

I am God, and there is none like me,

declaring the end from the beginning

and from ancient times things not yet done,

saying, 'My counsel shall stand,

and I will accomplish all my purpose,'

calling a bird of prey from the east,

the man of my counsel from a far country.

I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass;

I have purposed, and I will do it.

Listen to me, you stubborn of heart,

you who are far from righteousness:

I bring near my righteousness; it is not far off,

and my salvation will not delay;

I will put salvation in Zion,

for Israel my glory."

-Isaiah 46:8-13

There is so much to learn about God in just these 6 verses. One could spend their entire lifetime writing whole volumes of books on the truths to be found here. I, on the other hand, don't have that kind of time... sooooo... here's just a little bit... :o)

The uniqueness of God

The God of Israel, of Abraham and Isaac, of the New and Old Testaments, of the fool-hearty Simon Peter, of the chief of sinners, and of the thief on the cross, stands alone in His holiness. The divine glory of the triunal Godhead is, indeed, not only second to none, but completely unique: God alone is the great I AM, and there is no other.

The infinite glory of God

The unique God of Israel is shown to be glorious in countless ways, including His infinite nature. Having spoken all things into existence, even time itself, God always has been I AM. He has always been I AM, because He has always been. There was never a time when God was not God, and therefore there will never be a time when God will ever not be God. He is unchanging in all of His ways, His character, and His glory.

The sovereignty of God

Since God has created all that is, all that is belongs to God alone. There is nothing that ever has been, currently is, or ever will be, over which God cannot claim sovereign right. God needs nothing, because everything is His. God lacks nothing, because He is everything, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Therefore, when He wills to do something, His council is perfect and blameless. When He wills to do something, it will be done, because all of creation is His creation, and is a manifestation of His own will. When God speaks, God does, because God alone is sovereign.

The sinfulness of man

God is holy, man is not. The effect of sin stretches from Adam to all of his offspring, creating in each of us a stubborn heart which will not, which cannot seek the glory of God. As sure as it is that every person is born into a state of inevitable physical death and decay, we are all also born into a state of spiritual death and decay. As helpless as we are to overcome the death of our body, we are equally unable to save ourselves from the spiritual effects of our fallen race. Man is far from righteousness, every single last one of us.

The graciousness of God

Because of our fallenness, the distance between us and righteousness cannot be covered by our own striving. We, who are unrighteous, cannot become righteous on our own, since we have no righeousness to find within ourselves. "But God, being rich in mercy..." (Ephesians 2:4) "But God! But God!" is the song of the redeemed; there is none other which we can sing! For God has brought His righteousness to us in Christ. The righteousness which God demands from us He gives to us in the Gospel. We are not righteous... but God... has given His righteousness to us in the atoning sacrifice of His Messiah, His Son, His very Self.

The objective of God

Why would the great and holy I AM do the unthinkable? Why would God have mercy on a messy bunch of unrighteous sinners, who have defamed His name and played the whore, turning after every kind of conceivable idol, stealing the glory which the eternal Creator rightly deserves and giving it to things that He has created instead? God has done this not primarily for me, not primarily for you, but primarily for His own glory. "It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name..." (Ezekiel 36:22a) God exists eternally to glorify Himself, not to glorify His creation. Worshiping the glorious I AM is the only source of true joy for all created things; for God to glorify anything less than Himself would not be the most loving act. But God, who is love, always has, always is, and always will make it His sovereign prerogative to bless and glorify His own great name.

Sermon Interruptus

Blessings, blessings, blessings.

Thank you, brother, for meeting with me today. It was a blessing and an encouragement, and a good excuse to grab a cup of coffee and share about God's work.

Thank you, Lord, for being who You are and for doing what You do. You never cease to amaze me.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.

-2 Corinthians 1:3-5

A time of perspective... God knows what I don't.

It's 2:30 am. I've just finished having two long, very difficult conversations with two good friends. I grieve for both of them, and they know that I will be seeking our Lord on their behalf.

As I prayed with one of them tonight, there are so many times when we simply don't, simply can't understand what God is doing. We don't understand why God allows certain things to pass. We don't understand His reasoning in doing so. We don't understand how any good could come out of these situations. But there is one thing that we understand, and that we cling to in times of hardship: God is good and He is sovereign.

I've been thinking recently about Job (no, not this one). I've been thinking how, at the beginning of all of the trials that he faced, his response was simply "the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord" (1:21), and "shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" (2:10). But, over time, he seems to turn the focus a bit more on himself, and how he will remain faithful through the tribulations. However, starting in ch.33, Elihu comes along and says, "Dude, Job... hang on, man. It's not about you. It's about God's glory." (paraphrase...)

Of a truth, God will not do wickedly, and the Almighty will not pervert justice. Who gave him charge over the earth, and who laid on him the whole world? If he should set his heart to it and gather to himself his spirit and his breath, all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust.

-Job 34:12-15

It is good for us to seek the Lord in confusion, doubt, frustration, even sometimes in anger, asking Him why He sovereignly ordains some of the things that He does. It's okay that we don't understand God's will, and it's okay that we run to Him in times of trouble, pressing hard into Him with questions which grieve our souls. But in the end, we have to come to the realization that we're dealing with the Creator of the entire universe, the One who lifts His voice to the clouds, that floods of water may cover the land, and Who can send forth lightnings, which obey His every command (38:34-35). In the end, we have to realize that God is God, and that we are not.

So, I will be praying for my friends. I will be seeking God, asking Him earnestly that He may answer the prayers in the way that I ask them. But, ultimately, I will ask God that His glory may shine forth, and that these situations - no matter their outcome - will turn men and women to Christ, so that the Godhead may be blessed and glorified more fully through these trials. God knows what I don't, and I will trust that this is a good thing.

This is what graduate school does to you.

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What you have just witnessed is me pressing my face against the keyboard a few times... because I don't want to do anything else but exactly that.

This is what graduate school does to you.