Calvinism and God's eternal purpose: introduction

I love reformed doctrine. Call me a Calvinist or whatever you like, it doesn't phase me. I love it. I hate that it divides when we put doctrine above Christ, but that's a topic for another post. I also love the things I have been learning about God's eternal purpose. In the next few posts, I will be sharing both what I love about the 5 solas and the 5 points and how my understanding has been changing. So, you can expect at least five posts in this series, but there may be more. I'm just gonna let it flow how it flows.

Whether you understand Calvinism or you have any idea what I'm talking about when I say "God's eternal purpose" I think you'll like this series. I'm certainly going to enjoy writing it. I know some of my readers are Calvinistic but avoid using that as a title or description, I appreciate that. I hope that my use of the term doesn't promote any division. I'm only using it for ease of writing.

 It'll be wise for me to define what I mean by some of these terms but I'm trying to avoid writing a systematic theology series. I really want to start with the "five's" and move from there. Of course, if I don't define them in some way, I'll be shooting myself in the foot from the gate. I promise to do my best, but hey I'm just a laymen ;)  Anyway, stay tuned, this reformedlostboy is gonna spill his guts and give you a peek at the meditations that make my day so glorious!

The motel that lies in the shadow of death

Yesterday's journey of following Christ took me somewhere I didn't expect.  I expected to meet some new folks, teach on John 3, and answer some questions with hopes of sharing the love of Christ with them.  I imagined they would share surface level type needs that the body of Christ could meet together like clothing or food, maybe a little help paying for their room once in a while.

What happened couldn't have been further from the picture in my mind.  I came face to face with death.  Not that my life was in danger, but death as in the utter helplessness and all consuming power of sin.  I've read books and articles, seen news stories about life in poverty.  It was like some distant, faraway land.  Last night it became very real to me.

Prostitution, crack cocaine, drunkenness, homosexuality, and theft are just some of the sins I discovered lurking in this dark place.  And that, from just one man!  ONE MAN!  It was all so surreal last night and today it is beginning to sink in.  The amount of suffering that has come upon him is nearly too unbearable to look upon, let alone be under the weight of it all.  I felt completely helpless as he and I took turns talking, I would read scripture and tell him of the hope in Christ, he would cry and share small bits of what was on his heart, take another drink, and tell me to read or talk some more.

This job is way too big for me.  Witnessing the slow, painful destruction of one man has brought me to my knees.  In some ways I can feel his pain and I cannot bear it.  Intercession is in order.

In all this, Christ's incarnation has taken on a whole new dimension.  He left his throne in heaven and came down to earth to save us from the devastating effects of our sin.  The sin of the whole world.  That is unfathomable to me at this point.  Unspeakable amounts of suffering from the world over.  Yet he endured the cross, despising the shame, for the joy that was set before him.

Joy set before me, that would be really good right now because the valley of the shadow of death revealed much more to me than I bargained for.

Anabaptists and sermon centered worship

This is an excerpt from an Old blog post from my friend Alan Knox. It is quoted from an Anabaptist pamphlet and shows how, during the times of the reformation, participatory gatherings were not only considered better than clergy led/sermon centered gatherings, by some, but that the mainline protestant reformers were no different than their catholic counterparts in this regard.

And thus, as already mentioned, they [primarily Lutherans and Zwinglians] deny that we possess the evangelical order nor would they permit us to exercise it (if we did attend their preaching), but teach and presume that we also, as those who err, should remain silent in their preaching regardless of what we would have to speak to edification whether or not their preacher defaults from the truth, one must be silent, even though according to 1 Cor. 14 the listeners must judge the preacher's doctrine. All judgment and everything, yes everyone in his conscience, is bound to the preacher and to his teaching, whether it be good or evil (to accept the same in conscience to believe and to do), and not the teaching of Christ and of his Holy Spirit. (12)
Later, the writers say that requiring everyone but the preacher to remain silent "annuls, transgresses and resists… yes, forbids and then also frustrates and impedes the rivers of living water."

I think this is an interesting piece of history. I've heard several times from brothers who said to me "you say you've discovered some new truth that everyone else missed. That makes you no different than a Mormon or Jehovah's Witness". Well for all you who say and think that, this goes to show otherwise. Turns out it's not new, just that most of the historical record has been burned along with the faithful brothers who wrote these truths by the hands of reformers and catholics alike.
I guess the saying is true: he who wins, writes the history.
I'd like to look into the history of the Anabaptists more. Any recommendations?

Dirty laundry and making disciples

It all started at the Redbox a few days ago.  I was looking for a movie that my blue eyed beauty asked me to bring home to her as she was I'll at home and resting in bed.  A young lady approached me and asked for a couple dollars to buy food.  When I realized the movie I was seeking wasn't there (apparently mormon written vampire movies are VERY popular) I asked the girl if she would like to accompany me to the grocery store around the corner.  That way I could hear a little more of her story and know more precisely how to help and pray for her.  At first she said yes, then changed her mind because her boyfriend was waiting and he was the jealous type.  "No biggie" I said, "I'll be right back".

I came out of the grocery store, drove back over to the long-stay motel where they were lodging and parked my car by the curb.  Her boyfriend stayed behind as she approached my car so I called him over to help us get the bags of groceries. His face had a look of curiosity and concern but as he took the bags in hand his face lit up with thankfulness.  He invited me up to the room but I declined because I needed to get home and care for my wife who was waiting in bed at home, very ill. I thought it was a missed opportunity to share the gospel in word along with the deed.

The next day I was at the laundry mat and depleting Mt. Funk in one quick swoop.  As I was finishing up, the same lady came walking by.  She thanked me for the groceries and shared with me how she has been asking all day for help to pay for their room for one more night.  They were getting put out and the boyfriends paycheck from work tomorrow would come a day too late.

Julio (the boyfriend) escorted me to the office where we got them accomodations for the night.  Again, he invited me up to his room.  This time I couldn't pass it up.  I rushed back to the machines, pulled out the remainder of my 7 loads (now Mt. Fresh) and headed to room 206.

Julio and I had a nice conversation.  He's used to having what he needs and working hard to get it.  This was just a bad week.  He'd been out of work for a week and to top it off someone stole $900 from beneath his mattress.  He shared how he had lost hope asking people for money and help because he was denied so many times.  He couldn't take anymore heartless rejection.  So his girlfriend was out doing all the asking, and he was glad she did.  "We've asked lots of people for help and only came up with some change, we see you only two times and you not only help but meet all our needs."

We talked for about 30 minutes about who Jesus was and is.  We spoke about the two different kingdoms that he was now realizing existed.  "I'm gonna pay you back" he says. "No, I would rather if you took that money and gave it to someone else in need.  I'm only one person here working to build Jesus' kingdom.  If you do the same there will be two and those you help can do the same and then one and two will become many.  You see?"  "Yeah, that's good" he replied.

I've had the opportunity to serve several people that have been staying in this same motel.  I have been thinking about renting a room there occasionally to get to know the regulars there better.  Now I don't have to.  Julio has invited me in to have a Bible study there with him and his neighbors today at 7:00.

Many times we make discipleship out to be more than it is.  We tend to overlook the everyday opportunities God gives us and then schedule and plan times to disciple others.  The goal is to learn more about the needs in the community and how we can meet them, share the gospel and be making disciples who make disciples.  I'm really excited and I hope you will be praying with me that God continues to do marvelous things as He builds His Church!  If you live in the area and would like to join me in this, please contact me.  My contact info is in the sidebar.

Coming up:  my conversation with our 7 year old son about Julio, catholic church, and Jesus alive and at work today while he ans I folded Mt. Fresh together.

Counting down the days

He puts another X on his calender.  Everyday another day closer to the wedding.  Finally, he will get his bride and make her his wife.  All of his work has paid off.  He's chased after the girl of his dreams and now she is within his grasp.  He will finally have his prize and the day can't come soon enough.

He thinks back on days gone by.  He remembers how he chased after her even though she wouldn't give him the time of day.  At first she didn't think she wanted or needed him but as he continued to go after her she began to believe she didn't deserve him.  Still, he pressed on, in his eyes she was perfect and that is all that mattered to him.  Eventually, his undying love for her won out and she fell into his arms.  Overwhelmed by his passionate pursuit of her she fell in love with him.  He recalled the days when that all they did was spend time together and share life.  It was like they couldn't get enough of one another.

It seems so distant today.  As the wedding day approaches he hardly sees his bride or talks with his bride.  She is always out preparing for the big day.  Dresses, caterers, designers, organizers, seating, entertainment, meals, invitations, venue ... all these things have taken his bride away from him.  She is out being busy getting ready for the big day as he sits and longs for her to just be with him.  

If only she would just come to him and stay by his side.  Her father promised to take care of all the details, if she would let him.  Then she would be free to be by his side all the time.  There is nothing he wants more than to be with her right now but she is just too busy.  It's as if she cares more about the glamour of the ceremony and what everyone will think than she does about him.  She says it's all for him but he could care less about all the fuss.  He just wants his girl.

The love and passion was there at one time in history.  Today it seems a distant memory.  Surely, after the wedding she will return to his side, when all is said and done.  So he marks off the days till then, longing for her company today but still content to wait for her to return, just as he waited in the beginning.  "It's gonna be sweet" he tells himself.  He can almost taste her sweetness now.

Re-learning the same lessons

Disagreement and disunity, they go together like peas and carrots. Lately I've been learning a lot about how to separate them. I gotta say, it's like prying the bottle out of a drunkards hand. Seems like I never learn my lesson.

"Sorry kid, better luck next year repeating first grade."

That's how it feels sometimes, doesn't it? Can somebody give me an "amen" ...or maybe it's just me that's so hardheaded.

I've been down this road before.  Last time it was doctrine, you know the one's:  the infamous five points.  I was like Saul, at the feet of the most prominent teachers, diligent in study, dotting every i and crossing every t.  When I got up from my study I went out to hunt down and ravage anyone and everyone who disagreed.  With my sword in hand I ravaged God's people.  Somebody should have locked me up but instead I got pats on the back and gained the respect of my peers.  Somehow, being offensive was a sign of maturity and a badge of honor.  

"I pledge allegiance, to the doctrine, of the Calvinist tribe in America.  And the lines of division, drawn in the sand make us one nation, under God, indivisible with those who know "all" doesn't mean "all".

I still love these doctrines.  I cherish them.  Christ's finished work on my behalf when I hated Him gives me hope in knowing it's not up to me, He's done it all in spite of me and will continue to be faithful.  The doctrines aren't the problem.  I am the problem.  I wanted so much for others to taste and see how good they were so I shot the potatoes at them with a cannon and slapped them across the face with filet minion.  Only to finish off by sticking their face in the pie and pointing out how foolish they looked with pie on their face.

God help me, I'm doing the same things now with how I see the church differently.  What's worse?  I honestly enjoy poking fun at the traditional system.  Then, I'm ashamed of myself.  Somehow, some way, someone's got to break the cycle.  There has to be a way to disagree without dividing and without having to be silent just because others MAY find your words offensive.  I guess it's a fine line, I just hope it doesn't have to be drawn in the sand too.

So, I'm relearning  the same lessons.  That means I didn't learn the first time.  I can't move on to the next level until I get it right.  Now I see that maturity doesn't come in getting my doctrine right, it comes in making difficult relationships right.  School was never very difficult for me, I was a straight A student.  But this school is different.  In this school my efforts aren't rewarded, they are incorrect.  In this school I have to trust.  Trust for myself and trust for others.  By grace through faith in Christ.  Not by my efforts but by the divine life of Christ moving through me.

The goal is to be built together into a house for God but most times I find I'm just building a wall.

The words of Pink Floyd come to mind:

"Hello, is there anybody in there?
Can anybody hear me?
Is there anyone home? 

All we are is just a...'nother brick in the wall.
HEY!  TEACHER!  Leave those kids alone!"

Westboro vs. Derek Webb LIVE in Savannah

So the wheels in my mind keep turning and I can't stop thinking about the Westboro group coming to town.  I've been thinking of different things I'd like to see happen and other things I don't want to happen.  Then it struck me; why not invite Derek Webb to perform his tailor made song for "brother" Fred Phelps himself?  If you haven't heard this song, you should check it out.

Freddie Please by Derek Webb
(chorus)
freddie, please
how could you do this to me
how could you tell me you love me when you hate me
freddie, please
you know i love you honey
but i’ll bleed you dry with money
i’ll talk where i know you can hear
‘cause freddie can’t you see
brother, you’re the one who’s queer
(chorus)
the stone’s been rolled away
and you’re picketing my grave for loving the things you hate
but why do you seek the living among the dead
(chorus)
freddie, please
how could you do this to me
how could you tell them you love me when you hate me
freddie, please

I'm sure Derek is way too busy to come to a small town like Savannah and perform in the street for free just to show how the WBC folks how ridiculous their teaching is.  Oh well, it was a nice daydream.

Westboro Baptist is coming to Savannah

So, I just got the news that the Westboro Baptist Klan will be in Savannah at the end of this month.  Leave it to Beaver to be mixed emotionally about how to respond.  Should I stay or should I go now.  If I go there will be trouble, if I stay there will be double.

A part of me doesn't want to dignify their presence by showing up.  Another part wants to take a stand against these hypocritical, legalistic wolves who bring shame to the name of Christ.  The blue-eyed one is all gung ho ready to organize and stage a counter protest everywhere they set up shop.  I'm not sure what to do.  I'll start by praying.

How would you respond if Westboro was coming to your town?  If you live in Savannah, what do you plan to do?

Reconstructing Marriage: how it all began.

I've been encouraged to continue this series by a brother who has been working on a similar series recently on patriarchy. Thank you, Arthur for your encouragement and hard work you have put in on your own blog dealing with this subject. I'm blogging from my mobile so inserting links is quite a challenge for someone who can't write code very well. Check out my blogroll to the right and click on The Voice of One Crying Out in Suburbia. That is Arthur's blogspot.

Okay, now on to how my reconstruction began in regards to marriage. Once upon a time, in a land near the sea, there lived a man and his wife, with their two very young boys. All was well in their little world as they looked forward to the arrival of the newest member of their family. Finally they would have the little girl they hoped for. As the time of her arrival grew near, the doctors began to worry about the little package in the womb. She wasn't growing like she should and so it was decided that mom should stay home and be on bed rest for the rest of her pregnancy.

Mom and dad grew closer together during this time. Praying earnestly and fervently for God to give them a happy and healthy baby girl. Dad was called into full time service every day after a hard 8+ hours of labor. He found joy in taking care of his wife and unborn child. She was humbled and appreciative at his consistent display of love.

One sunny Sunday afternoon upon returning from the worship service, dad remarked on how unashamedly the preacher taught on sexual immorality and pornography. Mom was not amused. She was not at all happy that the preacher man had put ideas and thoughts in the ears and minds of her little boys that she felt like they weren't ready for. Dad, on the other hand, being a big lover and advocate for expository sermons, defended the preaching and threw out the trump card: God is sovereign. No need to make a big fuss.

The line was drawn. On one side was mom and the freedom of parents to choose what their children are influenced by. On the other side was dad who said that the only way to compromise would be to take the boys out of the worship service or the family out of the church all together. The walls got bigger and the voices got louder.

Dad became increasingly worried about the health of their marriage. He went to his pastor one night at a small group meeting. He laid it all out for his pastor, seeking counsel. Pastor told him that dad was right and mom was wrong, therefore there could be no compromise. Mom must submit and obey. This is exactly what dad wanted to hear. Now armed with the backing of his biblically defined argument and the support of his elder thereby making him feel like he was on the side of truth and Almighty God, he went back to his wife and stood his ground.

Now, mom was tired of yelling over walls and she was not willing to have her boys subjected to adult content in a teaching setting against her approval. She threw her own trump card: divorce.

Dad was crushed. He felt confused and betrayed. That word had never been spoken between them. Suddenly it occurred to him, things were getting worse and any light at the end of the tunnel was nothing more than a train coming his way. Now was high time for him to seriously consider if he (his elders and his understanding of scripture) had been wrong. He was faced with a decision. Which came first in order of importance: his marriage or obedience to his church authority and the value of expository sermons.

Neither of them have sat in a pew and heard a sermon ever since. Dad put mom first, even if it meant he had to forsake the whole world and everything else he valued in order to have her. They have been living happily ever after since.

So that's my story, the cliffnotes version anyway. I'll come back and share how God has used this experience to lead me through a deconstruction and overhaul of many of the ideals that shaped me.  Stay tuned.  Same bat time, same bat channel.

Complex emotions over the death of Bin Laden

The death of Osama Bin Laden is big news.  It is very likely we will not forget the day we heard this news just as we will not forget the day his masterplan killed thousands on 9-11.

With this news comes mixed emotions for me.  On one hand I cannot rejoice in the death of someone I am almost certain died apart from Christ.  So many verses come to mind like loving our enemies and not rejoicing in the death of the enemy.

There is another part of me that wants to rejoice in the justice that has been dealt.  Surely the governing authorities bear the sword of God in overcoming evildoers.  After all, God is sovereign, right?  He was in control of the events of 9-11 and He is in control of the capture and death of Osama.  

Bin Laden will face real justice at the hands of our holy and just God there is no doubt about that.  As for me, I would have been much happier to rejoice if the news reported that he had embraced God's justice poured out on Jesus Christ rather than on Bin Laden Himself.