My life motto

Still in "The Pleasures of God" by Piper. Thus far besides the introduction dealing with the aforementioned Scougal quote, he has dedicated a chapter each to how God takes pleasure in his Son, all he does, his creation, his fame, election, bruising the Son and the chapter I'm currently in, doing good to all who hope in him. The first couple chapters, while very enlightening, only showed me the majesty of God but gave me nothing to partake in. I can do nothing to increase God's pleasure in his Son, all he does or his creation. The fourth chapter, the pleasure of God in his fame, however has become my motivation for prayer and missions and the purpose for my life. Here is something that is big enough to devote my life to and not in the end say, "I've wasted it." Here is something that is worth any sacrifice I could make. Here is something I can righteously obsess over and not commit idolatry. Piper gives so many references pertaining to God doing something for his name's sake. For any who want to be overwhelmed by how abundant this is in the Bible, look at 1 Samuel 12:22, Jeremiah 13:11, Exodus 9:16, Isaiah 63:12-14,Pslam 106:7-8, Joshua 7:8-9, Ezekial 36:20-23, Ezekial 39:25, Isaiah 48:9-11, Daniel 9:19, Psalm 25:11, Psalm 79:9, Jeremiah 14:7,9 just in the OT. Israel's whole story of being God's people was for his name's sake, not their worth. The reason God spared them so many times was again not because of their worth, but because his name was connnected to them. In the NT, Jesus makes it clear that he came for his father's name's sake, not our worth. John 5:43, 10:25, 17:6,26, 12:27-28. 1 John 2:12 makes it even clearer that we are forgiven "for the sake of his name." Not only is our salvation due to God's pleasure in his fame, but our sanctification as well. Psalm 23:3, Revelation 2:3, 1 Timothy 6:1. Colossians 3:17 makes it all encompassing by saying "Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus." Everything we as Christians do should in some way be for the propagation and/or honoring of Jesus' name. Paul seems to be particularly concerned for this. One of his great goals was "to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named." Romans 15:20 Even his apostleship was "for the sake of his name." Romans 1:5. When Jesus first calls Paul, he tells Ananias he will show him "how much he [Paul] must suffer for the sake of my name." Acts 9:16 Paul makes it clear who and what he was willing to die for in Acts 21:13 "I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." I can think of no greater honor than to be presented with the choice of dishonoring the name of Christ and life or refusing to denouce the name of Christ and death. What truer test is there of our dedication when something as simply as "I denounce Jesus as Lord." can be said to save one's life. And what greater testament to the world is there of the supreme worth of Christ when we joyfully choose suffering or even death over dishonoring his name. And to have the grace and love of Stephen to say as they slay you, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge."

All of this has led me to form my life motto. The first and original is simply, "By the grace of God, I will make known the grace of God." While technically correct, I think it leaves the all important motivation for such action up in the air. Particularly for someone such as myself who is most often motivated by self-glorification, I modified it to "By the grace of God and for the glory of God, I will make known the grace and glory of God." I do not know if God will grant me to be a foreign missionary. I don't know if I will get to demonstrate my love for him by laying down my life. But regardless, wherever I'm at and in whatever vocation God calls me, my aim is by the grace of God and for the glory of God, to make known the grace and glory of God. Be it affluent guests at the Four Seasons, my Turkish bussers, an African tribe or Muslims in the 10/40 window, I will sacrifice anything for the sake of his name. So help me God.

Henry Scougal

I'm currently reading "The Pleasures of God" by John Piper on recommendation by Pastor Stephen (my former pastor in TN, though in some ways he will always be my pastor). He was even kind enough to provide me with a copy of the book. Piper starts the book off with the quote by Henry Scougal that got him thinking about the pleasures of God: "The worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." Scougal was referring to the worth of a human soul, but Piper applied it to God and thus reasoned that God must love himself most because he is most excellent. Without going more into the book (as I've just begun it, I heartily recommend it, as well as Desiring God, Don't Waste Your Life and probably everything else by Piper). But anyway, the purpose of this short blog is simply to enlighten you as to who Henry Scougal was. Born in 1650, he died in 1678 of tuberculosis before reaching twenty-eight years old. His greatest work by consensus is "The Life of God in the Soul of Man" from which the above quote comes (interestingly it was written as a letter to a friend explaining Christianity, but has become a classic, though not all together well-known). While mentioning him, he also mentions David Brainerd, the missionary to the Native Americans who died at twenty-nine years old, Henry Martyn, the missionary to India who died at thirty-one years old and Robert Murry McCheyne, who also died at twenty-nine years old. These men, one younger than I, were giants of the faith. They preached, wrote, evangelized and have inspired countless others to give themselves as missionaries, pastors and in general pursue God. Indeed, if God so blesses me by allowing me to in some way do mission work, it is these men whose legacies I want to carry on. Not that I at all compare myself to them. They had more biblical understanding and practical holiness at ten then I do now. But nevertheless, here are men, mere mortals, who God used in miraculous ways. They were bright and shining lights who, as was said of Scougal at his funeral, "truly lived much in a few years and died an old man in eight and twenty years." Oh that such a thing could be said of me. I fear many in our day the opposite could be said, "he truly lived little in many years and died a child in five and seventy years." May that not be prophetic of my life. I can never be a Brainerd. I'll never write like Scougal and know "Latin, Hebrew, Greek, and some of the cognate oriental languages". I'll never preach like McCheyne. At twenty-eight I feel like I am just beginning the Christian life. May God "restore to [me] the years that the locust has eaten." How many years were eaten by Nintendo, sports cards, athletics and even pure laziness? I am just now learning that, as Scougal said, "True religion is a union of the soul with God." It is more than knowing right doctrine. It is more than doing certain things. It is more than not doing certain things. It is, like God, knowable but incomprehensible. May I ever grow in that union.

Experiencing the "mannishness of man"

I already know that I can't explain what I have and am experiencing. As Schaeffer said, I've touched the creation. I'm experiencing the mannishness of man. Oh I can describe my thoughts and surroundings, the things I see and do, but there is something, some true experience that my soul has tasted and that I cannot explain. Though rare I have known it before. I well understand why existentialist who sought such an experience had to be encouraged not to commit suicide after having this “final experience”. I am lying in my hammock suspended between two pine trees near the top of Shadow Mountain at 6866'. The drive up is along a dirt road with perhaps the best and most dramatic views of the Tetons. With a beautiful pink and orange sky with wisps of clouds and Adam Duritz's soul searching voice singing the lyrics to my favorite songs, even in the midst of it I knew with pen and paper or digital 0's and 1's I couldn't explain what my spirit felt. I feel so alive I almost despair of life. The desire to share it and experience it with someone, to know that someone else is as alive as I am is the Trojan horse of such an experience. It's in these moments, the moments when I feel most alive, that I know I am most alone.

These touches with creation invariable lead to the knowledge of the Creator. Perhaps such a moment is what led Descartes to say, “I think, therefore I am.” though, “I, therefore God is.” seems a more appropriate conclusion. And though not enough to show man's remedy, it certainly leaves man without excuse. This may be what heaven is like when we no longer live by faith but by sight, and everything is so much more real. Even if offering prayers and thanksgiving or singing praises is difficult now, when we stand before him in our resurrected bodies, when our resurrected eyes literally see him, when his majesty and glory are so manifest that it is all we can see, then praise and thanksgiving will pour out so naturally that we won't be able not to praise and glorify him. How dreary this life most have looked to Paul, who perhaps more than any other man, experienced this when he was called up to the third heaven. Even from my limited experiences, it is only the command, “Thou shalt not murder.” that keeps me here. No wonder Paul could say, “I desire to depart.”

God, please give me more of yourself. Above riches, fame, glory, beauty, power, children or a wife, give me Christ, the bread of life and spring of living water, to feast upon. All my other desires are mere preferences. This is my one true desire. Give me yourself or take me from this world of distractions and into your presence forevermore. Amen.