An Intimate Struggle

When I first did weapons training about two decades ago the emphasis was on long distance accuracy. I remember shooting tiny targets 100 yards out and we never even considered close range targets.

Then, I read that most altercations with a firearm happen within 1 yard or 3 feet. At some
training a few years ago the trainers recognized this – though not fully – and we did some training where we put our hand on the target to simulate holding it away, and fired from a close position being cognizant not to shoot our self in the hand.

But at my most recent – and most likely last (Chaplains can’t handle firearms per the Geneva Convention) – training we really grasped what an altercation within 3 feet means. We went into a scuffle where only one person had a firearm, the instructor said, “In a situation like this, your weapon becomes ‘our weapon’.” It was really an eye opening and humbling experience to think that I had the upper hand because I had a holstered M-9, only to end the altercation by getting shot (simulated) with my own gun.

I keenly remembered that training a month ago when Rayshard Brooks was shot in Atlanta after taking and using a police TASER during a scuffle. This sort of close quarters combat tends to raise the blood pressure to dangerous levels. In the Air Force we often refer to this condition as “pinging” where you get extremely focused, unable to consider alternate options, and become downright unreasonable. Other agencies call it “tunnel vision”, “sensory exclusion”, and “code-red”, among other terms. The worst part is that it is practically impossible to recognize this in yourself, and unless someone/something outside of you reminds you to take a deep breath, consider the alternatives, and take a step back, you can exist in this condition of hyper-blood-pressure for minutes making unquestioning decisions all the while.

This is why, in my previous article, I was (and remain) critical of the camera-person and the standing police officer in the George Floyd event. I’m as certain as I can be from this distance that Dereck Chauvin, the most responsible police officer in that event, was in a heightened blood pressure condition because of his close quarters scuffle with Mr. Floyd and that led to his inability to consider that he was literally suffocating someone. This does not excuse his actions, but I want you to at least try to realize that an intimate struggle with deadly consequences can lead to bad decision making and sinful response.

It is unfortunately easy to be an onlooker and completely miss the deadly consequences and stressful nature of combat. Nothing is easy in combat. Our police officers make tunnel vision decisions that more often than not are right because of their excellent training, but sometimes they are deadly wrong.

But there is a more intimate warfare that takes place in us every day. Some of us don’t realize it, because we’re not struggling, but that battle is against sin and the battle between righteousness and unrighteousness.

Paul put it this way,

I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? ~Romans 7:21-24

Our struggle is so near, so intimate, that it is vital that we have intervention; someone to help when we cannot help ourselves or see our need of help. “The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.” (Proverbs 18:17) How often does our first action seem right? Perhaps the only condition worse than pinging is self-righteousness, of thinking we’re right simply because we’re in too deep a struggle to take a second look. How often are we drowning in sinful decisions and not even realizing it?!

How embarrassing to have our own thoughts taken captive by sin to be used against us!

I recently found myself in a sort of tunnel vision situation where I could only consider two options, that of myself and of my wife. After discussion we decided to seek godly council and the counselor - our pastor - shared an intermediary option which made so much more sense that either I or my wife were considering.

Job was so sure of his goodness and righteousness that he was ready to condemn God. (Job 40:8) Many will enter eternity sure of their own position. (Proverbs 20:6) Our greatest enemy is not 300 feet away, he’s not 3 feet away, he’s not even 0 feet away. He’s inside of us, he is us, and without help we’re helpless and hopeless. But,

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. ~Romans 7:25

Love the Southern Baptist Convention

With all her faults [JC Ryle] loves the Church of England still, he loves the souls of men much more, and most of all the gospel of their salvation. ~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon

I have always loved JC Ryle’s passion to love and transform his church from the inside out. For the many disagreements Ryle had with the established doctrine of his church it would have been easy for him to run into the dissenter and/or Baptist camps, but because he stayed he did much good to the souls that were entrusted to him.

As a Southern Baptist I have attempted to model JC Ryle’s commitment to his church. It is far easier in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) because we do not have an underlying cancer in our doctrine like the infant baptism or church/state melding of the Church of England, but the SBC is far from perfect. Unlike Ryle and his church’s doctrinal statement, there is nothing for me in the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 (BF&M2K) that I have to explain away or hope that the authors meant something different than what they wrote. It is thoroughly biblical, and if we only allowed our creed to comprise the SBC, we’d have a perfect SBC. Where we go wrong is by allowing human beings to join our membership (obvious sarcasm intended). If there are heresies, moral failings, scandals, coverups, shameful biographies, and deviations from God’s Word in the SBC (and there are!) they were not birthed in the BF&M2K, but stand in stark contrast to what we profess to believe and preach.

What the SBC does so well is provide a framework which unites likeminded believers worldwide, and defers to conscience to hold true to what we say we believe. If there is a slide towards complacency and worldliness (and there is!) a church can return to godliness by believing what is written in the BF&M2K as it points the church back to Scripture, right theology, and saving faith. Our president does not define us nor drive our practices. He should be setting an example to follow, stating with a good conscience, “Be imitators of me as I am of Christ”, but the churches of the SBC vest no special authority in him and can choose individually to glean from his preaching, teaching, and leading, or not.

By far the most important part of the SBC is that nowhere do we profess that a convention can go to Heaven, nor that just by being a member of an SBC church grants you favor with God. No-one should be deceived into thinking that by their affiliation with the SBC they have a special standing in God’s eyes. Be not deceived: Conventions, Sees, Synods, Presbyteries, Seminaries, Parishes, Chapels, nor Fellowships will have any inheritance in the kingdom of Heaven. Christ came not to save institutions, but to seek and save the lost. It is the duty of any assembly to point their people to the saving work of the Living Christ. So many have failed, some because of a flawed dogma, and others because of a lack of doctrine, but I am sure that membership bodies like the SBC will be judged not on the faithfulness to their creeds, but to their faithfulness to the Word of God.

So for these reasons and more I remain a Southern Baptist. Not all Southern Baptist Churches are faithfully pointing to Christ, but that is their sin, because they have professed to believe the BF&M2K, and it repeatedly gives all glory to God. There is no SBC Inquisition – nor should there be – to ensure that all churches are faithful, because our head is Christ and our helper is the Holy Spirit. Are there wolves and tares in our midst? Absolutely, because there are human beings in our midst. Show me a perfect church and I will show you a creed with no members.

On a tangent, I must say that the name of the Southern Baptist Convention is a hindrance to world evangelization. I cannot imagine calling a church “Southern” in North Sudan or North Korea; it even has bad connotations in New England. There has been talk in recent years of changing the name and – while I enjoy the tradition of the SBC – I wonder if a name change should be something we are willing to reconsider. As an unashamed graduate of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) I understand the sentimentality, but is world evangelization worth holding to our regional and founding title? Regardless, a faithful adherent to the BF&M2K will point towards Christ and away from institutions as the only hope of salvation. SBTS (and other SBC schools/seminaries) and the SBC exist as tools in the Redeemer’s hand: they must decrease, and he must increase.

May it be said when we are examined by faithful preachers yet to come,

With all her faults they loved the SBC, loved the souls of men much more, and most of all the gospel of their salvation.

Be Angry about Injustice in the World...and Sin Not

I’ve been privileged to conduct classes for the Air Force on “Bystander Intervention.” The basic premise of the training is to prepare to intervene in bad situations in whichever way you are most likely to intervene if you actually see a bad situation happening. These situations range from sexual assault to domestic violence to child abuse to suicidal ideations. It’s not a Christian training, per se, but it is one of the only workplace violence trainings that is quantifiable in its results, decreasing workplace violence by 17% on average in the first year.

I appreciate this training because it is taking an active role in people’s lives to train them to be courageous and to be peacemakers in their world. Because of this training the tragic death of George Floyd makes me all the more angry.

The Untimely Death of a Human Being

All of the facts have not come out yet, so I cannot and will not speak on the toxicology or resisting of arrest allegations. I suspect more to this story will come about in future days from body-cameras and the autopsy. However, the life of George Floyd was not valued by the police officers at the scene, and this should make all of us angry. Putting pressure on someone’s neck for a prolonged amount of time is never acceptable outside of them trying to kill you. We’ve heard from several police officers that this violated safety training that all police officers should have received. In the military we speak of proportionality of using the right amount of force to accomplish the objective. The reason that this is such an important concept is because we don’t want to cause undue damage or suffering, and we certainly don’t want to kill someone we weren’t intending to kill.

When we see blatant safety violations and excessive force being used on a person who is made in the image of God we should be angry. We should be more angry in this case that George Floyd lost his life. Floyd’s pastor (whom I’ll address more farther on), said it well, “Even if he was a capital criminal he deserved to be treated as someone created in his image.”

The Bystanders are Culpable in their Cowardice

What makes me nearly as angry as the death of George Floyd is the video of his death, the pictures of the person holding the camera, and the uninvolved police officer standing nonchalantly listening to a man be assaulted. This will be what I think about in the future when I think about spinelessness.

This has long been called the “bystander effect” by secular psychology. The Bible calls it cowardice. Cell phones and portable cameras are purportedly making it worse, as holding the phone makes it feel like you’re doing something. 

Further Reading: People Are Filming Accidents Instead of Helping

But just because everyone is sinning by not helping doesn’t mean you are innocent of the blood that was shed. In the long list of sinners in Revelation 21:8 that will be thrown into Hell, cowards are at the top of the list. I am further and further convinced that this is on purpose, there is not a sin on earth that can’t be made worse by bystanders refusing to speak up for the truth or intervene.

All that the standing police officer had to do was tap his buddy and say something, anything, maybe, “He’s done resisting, let’s get him up.” or, “Hey, don’t forget to keep your knee on his shoulder.” Or, “Hey, let me tap you out.” Or the camera-coward could have said, “He’s not breathing, can you let him get a breath?” Or to save a life would you physically remove someone from an asphyxia situation?

The False Gospel Preached to George Floyd

While a Minneapolis police officer murdered George Floyd, a false gospel murdered his soul. Members of his “church” in Houston have testified to how faithful Floyd was in attendance, but a brief search of their doctrine shows them to elevate social justice far above salvation. Their gospel is no gospel and their peace is no peace.

Do you hate the police officers and bystanders who contributed to Floyd’s death? As awful as their sin was, it could only kill Floyd’s body, but could do nothing to his soul. But when Floyd met the judge of the universe he faced a Saviour spurned, and Floyd’s hope – if congruent with his pastor – was in social justice and self-worth, not in the blood of Jesus Christ nor the justification of his resurrection.

Get Angry

Dear Reader, there is sin in this world and it is going from bad to worse: people hate and hurt people. This is one reason that Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” We worship a God who takes peace and justice so seriously as to make peace by the blood of the cross.

So I am calling you to hate sin, and rage against it, not with worldly weapons, but with the love and forgiveness and peace of the blood of Christ. Love your enemies by taking the gospel of reconciliation with God to them. Declare his hope to a lost and dying world. Who do you hate the most? Might I suggest that there is your missions field?

Then, act as a righteous bystander who opens your mouth for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy (Prov 31:8-9). A friend of mine pulled into a gas station a few years ago to see the unthinkable, a man was on fire in the parking lot! My friend ran into the store to ask for their fire extinguisher but was told the fire department had been called and that he could not take the fire extinguisher. My friend was able to extinguish the flames with a rubber mat, but it was far too late, and he laid on the ground and prayed with the man as he died. The gas station had a fire extinguisher to satisfy legal code, not to extinguish fires. I’m calling you today to make the determination in your heart that you will be prepared, that you will act when action is due, that you will be a bystander who intervenes, not a coward who watches or films or walks by. That you will, to the best of your ability, use your life to extinguish the hatred and violence in the world.

And finally, loved ones, I’m calling you to love the gospel and hate imitations. Proclaim to the world forgiveness of sin in Christ’s sacrifice. Declare the only hope of Heaven found in the Prince of Peace. Stand firm in loving your enemies as Christ loved his enemies and died to give them a seat at his table and transform their lives from hatred to peacemaking so that they may be called sons of God.

Anything less is the murder of souls, and God will not hold those that love sin, preach falsehood, spread division, or watch injustice without acting, faultless on judgment day.

The Power to Destroy

Introduction

Raising boys has made my wife and I realize that there are many differences between little boys and little girls. Indeed, as the old adage says, “A little boy is the only thing God can use to make a man.” One of the blessings of children is the theological truths you learn as you watch them grow. I want to share one such truth I’ve learned through my sons, I’m going to post it in three installments.

Little boys crave power. They want to feel powerful, be powerful, and be recognized for being powerful. Knowing this truth has changed the ways we’ve watched our sons grow and how we try to channel their energy for good. Titus Haddon, our littlest boy, is a perpetual sermon illustration, especially concerning power. He loves to destroy things, he loves to use words that hurt, but he also loves to help in meaningful ways, and – when he understands what the final purpose is – he loves to build things.

I would like to introduce you to three stages of power and how they relate to us, and how they relate to our Creator, and how we can grow in each of these. These three are the power to destroy, the power to preserve, and the power to create. This first installment will focus on the power to destroy.

1. The Power to Destroy

All children – especially boys – realize early that they have the power to destroy order and hurt people through their actions. Kicking, biting, and smashing are all ways which children can express their anger and frustration. As they grow they will also start to use words. “The tongue truly is a small member, yet it boasts of great things! How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness” (Jas 3:5-6).

It is no surprise that the power to destroy is the first thing little sinners learn and grasp. A tiny person who feels like they have no power sees their parent reel when they use a hurtful word, and they realize they do have a tool to inflict as much rage as they are feeling. Studies on troubled children – specifically those with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) – also point at the power children feel is using excrement and fire to multiply their power.

The power to destroy is established in the antithesis of what God is doing in the universe, “the thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10).

But even in this role our power is limited, for Christ warned, “do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt 10:28). God’s power is perfect, but it is not capricious, for when you see God destroying something it is after much patience that he executes judgment, and it is never solely for the sake of demonstrating his power: but as a warning, as a means of blessing his church, and to purify his creation (cf Gen 6:13, Lev 23:30, Ps 58:10-11, 2 Pet 3:10-11).

Being made in the image of God we also have the power to destroy for good. We have the power, given through the Holy Spirit, to cut off sin, such as John Owen warned, “Be killing sin, or it will be killing you.” We have the power to discipline sinful habits out of tiny people and to administer correction when they err. And while we have the power to lash out, we must restrain ourselves like God, and leave vengeance up to him, for he is far better at it than we ever could be.

Finally, destruction should be used to clear the path for rebuilding. We should not – like certain nations have recently done – topple the government of a warring nation only to watch the populace devolve into anarchy. We must rebuild and maintain, which are topics for a future discussion.

The gospel in this is that we were without peace and without hope in the world when Christ laid down his life for us. He faced the full destructive power of his Father on the cross which otherwise would have been directed at us, and in our place he faced the crushing pain that we deserved.

He himself is our peace, who has made us both (Jews and Gentiles) one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility... ~Ephesians 2:14

So the next time your boys demonstrate their power through destruction you have two options:

1. Encourage them to voice their anger/disapproval in a different way.

2. Redirect their energy to destroying something that needs to be destroyed (cardboard is a great target!). 

Grandfather Mincaye

I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers... ~ Romans 9:3

More than 64 years ago a tremendous tragedy happened in Ecuador. Five young missionaries were reaching out to the Waodani (also called the Auca) people of the Amazon River basin. For a great number of reasons - namely the violent nature of the Waodani people, the invasion of their space by the Shell Oil Company, and a terrible lie told by a man named Mincaye - these five missionaries were murdered on a river bank in 1956.

But the story does not end there, the wives and sisters of these five men continued to reach out to the Waodani people and soon saw the conversion of many of them, including Mincaye, who became like a father for Nate Saint's son, Steve Saint, who has spent his life as an incredible missionary aviation pioneer.

I am not an expert on the Waodani people, but I have heard that they did not have a title for grandfather because Auca men just did not live that long. Mincaye was one of the first to change that; because of the violence brought through the cross of Christ, and the violence at Palm Beach in the Amazon, the love of God to make peace, and the perseverance of God's saints Mincaye found life in the midst of so much death.

Grandfather Mincaye died today and I cannot imagine the reunion between him and Nate Saint and Jim Elliot and Roger Youderian and Pete Fleming and Ed McCully and Elizabeth Elliot and Rachel Saint and many others. What rejoicing they must have had!

So beloved, on this somber and yet glorious day, I want to ask you a few things:

1. Would you be willing to die so someone else could go to Heaven? At least one Man has died for you, maybe many more, will you resolve in your heart today to make someone's eternity more important than your life?

My three oldest and I in
2016 with a real Waodani spear

2. Will you take the gospel to a lost and dying world? The deaths of those five missionaries sparked a missionary movement that cannot be quantified on earth. So many missionaries have directly attributed the events of January 8th, 1956 to how they arrived on the missions field. It was certainly at the forefront of my mind when I traveled farther down the Amazon near Manaus to preach Christ to another unreached people group.

3. Will you pray for missions in the Amazon region and elsewhere? The Waodani people had their first martyrs in 2015 as they sought to evangelize their neighbors, "The Downriver People". The work of world evangelization is far from finished!

We speak of the second coming of Christ, half the world has never heard of the first. ~ Oswald J. Smith.

4. Will you forgive your enemies and pour out love on them that they may be saved? I cannot fathom the courage and love required of women like Elizabeth Elliot and Rachel Saint to take the gospel to the very people that deprived them of their loved ones. But the reward has been great, and the testimony continues.

5. In memory of so many witnesses who have gone before, who expected great things from God and attempted great things for God, will you continue to publish the peace of Christ to the world?

May there be many more like Mincaye in the Kingdom of Heaven, who were liars, murderers, sexually immoral, but who are washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God!

Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. ~ Romans 10:1

The "Just Say No" Game

I’m reading a tremendous book by Robert Wolgemuth right now called, She Calls Me Daddy. I recommend this book for all of you with daughters. My biggest takeaway (and there have been many) is something he calls the “Just Say No” game. This has borne fruit in my life already and I hope it bears much fruit in the lives of my family.

What this game is is the opportunity throughout the day to just say "no" to something, whether good or bad or indifferent, because it’s teaching your flesh that it’s not in charge. Wolgemuth bears witness to the game's work in his daughter’s lives, that they would regularly report as young girls that they had purposefully said no to a snack or a fit of anger, and that it had grown with them to resist larger and larger temptations. He makes an excellent point that you should always praise an act of willpower, no matter how ridiculous it might sound, in youngsters.

So I’ve been trying it and encouraging others in my family to try it. I’ve been amazed, I have a bag of trail mix on the upper shelf of a cupboard right now. In the past this trail mix would not have lasted a day or more. Just because it’s there it seems like I have to eat it. But this week (yes, 7 days), I have only gone to it a few times for energy, which is what I intended it to be for when I bought it! Multiple other times I’ve found myself heading that way but questioning my intentions along the way and asking, “Do you need energy?” No. “Are you hungry?” No. “Are you on a hike?” No. Then the answer to the trail mix is “No.” The god that is my belly (Phil 3:19) screams at me, but you know what? He’s not the boss of me…at least not all the time…and hopefully less from this day forward. There are better things out there than a trip to the trail mix cupboard: for one, staying in some semblance of shape, but two, the weight of glory that I’m being prepared for through sanctification, and three, setting an example for my children to follow with this utterly biblical game.

If I have one minor quibble with She Calls Me Daddy is that though a lot of the principles are firmly found in scripture, Wolgemuth doesn’t give a scriptural reference for many of his principles. But even that has been a blessing for me because it’s caused me to think of my own prooftexts on why this little game is so powerful.

You know who else played the “Just Say No” game? Lots of great saints throughout history, that's who! Look at how Moses is described, “when he was grown up, [he] refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward (Hebrews 11:24-26).” He played the "Just Say No" game with some really ornate and valuable temptations, but we know he's received his reward (Mark 9:4)!

Who else? Paul, “I discipline my body and keep it under control (1 Cor 9:27, also pretty much the whole of chapter 9).” And “while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come (1 Tim 4:8).”

Others, like Saul, have good intentions at the outset, but every time a temptation comes around, they jump right into yes. Read 1 Samuel for dozens of examples, here’s one:

Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan [regarding the loyalty of David]. Saul swore, “As the LORD lives, he shall not be put to death!”…and David was playing the lyre…and Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear. ~2 Samuel 19:6,9-10

Think of others who failed at the “Just Say No” game: Demas (2 Tim 4:10), Judas (Matt 26:15), Solomon (Ecc 2:10-11),  Samson (Judges 14:3), Esau (Hebrews 12:16-17), Cain (Jude 1:11), Eve (Gen 3:6), Adam (Genesis 3:17), Lucifer (Isa 14:12-14)…

Time would fail me, beloved, to name every person we should emulate who said "no" to a fleeting pleasure, and every person we should use as a warning who gave in and said "yes."

But time must allow for the greatest example of this game. He reminds us that this game is not a game of competition. I’m not going to gloat over my wife if I say "no" to an egregious sin and she only says "no" to a smaller one. This is a race that we’re running together, when I discipline my flesh, she wins, and when she disciplines her spirit, I win, and vice versa. Because, if this were a competition we would all lose terribly to someone who played it perfectly.

Jesus of Nazareth was offered the whole world and an escape from the suffering that he was preparing for, “All these [kingdoms] I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me (Matt 4:9).” He was also tempted with salvation from the cross, “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels (Matt 26:53)?” But he said "no" to the opportunity to gain the world without enduring the cross. And do you understand why he said "no?" Because if he had said "yes" to those temptations, not only would he have failed in his mission of perfect obedience to his Father, but he would have left us without a propitiation for sin. We would still be dead in our sins and trespasses, and without hope and without God in the world!

So he said "no," and the immediate pain and suffering and separation and cost were more dire than any of us can comprehend or ever will comprehend, but “for the joy that was set before him [he] endured the cross, despised the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2).” Because Jesus said "no," to a temporary fleeting pleasure, you now have a perfect sinless Saviour who can wash away every one of your sins, make you complete, and give you his Holy Spirit to war against the flesh, and who is glorified forever as both Creator, Man, God, and Saviour.

Beloved, you are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, so "Just Say No" to every sin…those sins will cling tightly and easily, but you have a race to run, discipline to subject yourself to, an example to follow in Jesus, and an example to set for your imitators.

I love that Wolgemuth asked for weekly updates from his daughters. His reasoning was that if you can say "no" to a second cookie today, tomorrow you are prepared to say "no" to a besetting sin that will rob you of your joy and quite possibly your eternity (He didn’t quote it, but John 10:10 comes to mind).

I look forward to hearing ways that my children, my wife, and myself "Just Say No" to temptation in our lives. And beloved, if you play, and I pray you do, I’d love to hear your victories as well!

Hope in the Loss of a Baby

When a child dies the world is often left without words or hope. The loss of potential, of unconditional love, of the glimpse of innocence in a baby’s life is unfair, tragic, and unfathomable. Not only is the world left speechless, but so often is the church. Untimely death in a little one can leave us scrambling for words and shrinking back from support.

I hope to never see another tiny coffin, beloved, and I hope you never have to see one either. But at the same time, this world is broken and sin has ravaged every part of creation, and hope in the loss of a baby is far better than no hope! There is an estimate that 1 in 6 women have experienced a miscarriage, so this is far more prevalent than you may realize.

I am making this outline available because when confronted with this topic I could not find an outline that provided adequate hope for what I longed to give to the families. I am publishing this for two reasons, first, for ministers to know where to begin in this process, and second to provide hope for those who have no where else to look. If you are looking for hope the message begins just below, consider copying it over to your computer and inputting your child's name in all of the appropriate places. If you need prayer or counseling or anything please comment or send me a message on Facebook.

Ministers, please, by no means just print and preach this manuscript; rather personalize it, study it, verify the scriptures, believe it, and then use it to administer the healing power of the gospel to a mourning and distraught family. If you are led to strengthen it then I'd love to hear your changes.

Every situation is going to be different, but I hope and pray that this outline provides you with scriptural salve and hope and direction for your message. I have [bracketed] places where I think alternate readings or comments may be appropriate. Remember always that the resurrection of the living Christ is the only lasting hope that we can give, so if you take nothing else from this, remember that Jesus is the comma at the end of the death sentence.

This outline draws heavily from:

• Alcorn, Randy. Heaven. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2007.
• Criswell, W.A. Criswell’s Guidebook for Pastors. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1980.
• Edwards, Jonathan. “Youth is Like a Flower Cut Down.” Sermon preached twice, Northhampton, MA, 1741, 1748.
• MacArthur, John. Safe in the Arms of God: Truth From Heaven About the Death of a Child. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2003.
• White, James. Grieving: Your Path Back to Peace. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1997.
• Wickert, Dan. Infertility and Miscarriage. Lecture given at the Biblical Counseling Training Conference at Faith Church, Lafayette, IN.

MacArthur and White's books are both excellent resources to leave with the grieving family.

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“I shall go to him.” (2 Samuel 12:23)

Parents – [Write the father and mother’s name so you can easily remember them]

Siblings – [Write the sibling’s names and ages]

Prayer for Comfort: Father God, we are here to mourn the loss of such a gift as this baby [Replace baby with child’s name as often as appropriate]. We are heartbroken and our spirits faint within us, we beg you to give us comfort in this time and to weep along with us. Help us to remember our loved one fondly and to rejoice in the time we spent with him/her. Speak to us today and tell us your will, set our hope on the resurrection of the dead secured in the raising of your Son, Jesus Christ. Bless [Mother & Father] and [Siblings] and give us each an opportunity to grieve with them. Above all, set our affections on Heaven, where you promise to wipe away every tear. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Homily: It is only right when we face a tragedy of these proportions that we look to God and seek for answers, for truth, and for reasons for the death that exists in the world that would take such a beautiful life as this. The tragedy is magnified in the loss of a baby because the unfairness and brokenness of it all is keenly seen and understood by all. What’s worse, this is not a rare event, and all in this world are vulnerable to the pain we are feeling today. 

But God has not abandoned us in our time of need, he has given us answers and hope in the darkest of times.

One example that gives us hope is found in King David, an early king of Israel, when he had a newborn son. The child became very sick, and David fasted for him and prayed for his life for seven days, but on the seventh day, the baby died.

The servants who were caring for the child were whispering amongst themselves because King David did not yet know the terrible outcome, and they were afraid of what the news might do to the already distraught father. But David discerned their change of heart and asked if the child had died, and they confirmed. So David arose from the ground and washed himself and changed his clothes and ate. His servants could not believe it, because just moments before he had been weeping. David said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.” (2 Samuel 15:15-23)

Repeat for Emphasis “I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”

Another example that gives us hope is from the mouth of Jesus himself. Parents began to bring children to Jesus that he might lay his hands on them and pray, but his disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away. (Matthew 19:13-14)

Repeat for Emphasis “To such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

In another place Jesus said in order to enter the kingdom of Heaven you have to become like a little child. (Matthew 18:1-6) The way I read those passages is that little children certainly go straight to Heaven. But why, then, did the child die? Was he/she being punished, were the parents being punished, was anybody being punished?

Someone asked just this question of Jesus regarding a man who had been born blind. He had suffered and been afflicted for his whole life, but Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.” (John 9:1-3)

Sometimes God acts in events like this not as a punishment, but so that his glory may be shown in the power of his gospel and in the redemption of his love. He promises to work all things together for good to those who love him and are called according to his purposes. Not that all things are good, this is certainly not good, but that he will work all things for good. A funeral is a place to be reminded of the preciousness of life, and the ever present overshadowing of death, but it is also a place to realize that God has overcome death and provided a way to Heaven, where I am certain that this little baby has entered.

But not everyone agrees with my interpretation of these texts. Some have seen David’s comments about going to the child as only David consoling himself apart from the authority of God, or simply the gloomy outcome that David would soon be dead and laid in the grave himself. Others have seen Jesus’ comments about little children as saying that you’re never too young to trust and obey him. While it is certainly true that you are never too young to know Jesus, I’m certain Jesus and David were looking forward to the glories of Heaven.

Because, David had another son, his name was Absalom. He turned against his father and became an enemy of Israel. Absalom embraced lying, murder, rebellion, and he died in a war against his father and against God in which 20,000 men lost their lives. When David heard the news of the death of Absalom, he was inconsolable. (2 Samuel 18:33-19:7)

Repeat for Emphasis When David heard the news of the death of Absalom, he was inconsolable.

David knew that by the grace of God he would see his infant son again in Heaven, but he also knew that by the righteous judgment of God that he would never see his wicked son Absalom again.

Let me take you to another passage that gives me great hope. Isaiah 11, biblical scholars agree that this is a picture of Heaven; the new creation brought on by the ministry of the Messiah.

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,

And the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,

And the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;

And a little child shall lead them.

The cow and the bear shall graze;

Their young shall lie down together;

And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,

And the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.

They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain;

For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:6-9)

This beautiful picture of the peace, safety, and comfort of Heaven is not expressed as a possibility, but as a fact. It’s not that a child could lead a lion, or could play with deadly snakes, but that a little child shall lead a lion, a nursing child shall play over the hole of a cobra, a weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.

So beloved we have this great hope that this little one is in Heaven, we do not mourn as those who have no hope…but we do mourn…but we do have hope…and now we have a job to do.

[Parents], you have one precious child in Heaven, but you have [siblings] here on earth. Raise them with a fond memory of their departed [name] and point their eyes towards Heaven.

Dearly beloved gathered here, take care of this grieving family. Thank you so much for your love and support so far. I have heard from those who have been through this and they are always thankful for the support they received, but they likened it to ice-cream cones given on a hot day. Dozens of ice-cream cones on a hot day is a nice sentiment, but there is no way they can all be appreciated at once! Reach out over the coming weeks, months, and years to continue to offer your support and show your love!

We are assured that this little baby is certainly in Heaven. Beloved, above all I want to be sure that one day you can go to him/her. Many promises were made about the offspring of David, but we’ve seen the need for hope, not the source of it, in all of his immediate sons.

But far down the lineage another baby was born, a son of David. When he was born he was given three gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:11) Gold and frankincense were gifts that made sense to give at a baby-shower, not only were they valuable, but many have seen in them the representation of earthly wealth and worship of the newborn king, but the gift of myrrh was a completely inappropriate gift to give at a baby shower, it was very foreboding…because myrrh was a funeral spice. The equivalent today would be giving a tiny coffin to new parents. It foretold the suffering and death of that child, but it also represented the exchange of his life for ours.

The Presentation of the Baby Jesus to Simeon - Artist Unknown

A few days later the parents of this baby, Mary and Joseph, were in the temple to dedicate the boy to God. They were met by a very wise and godly man named Simeon. He took the child and prophesied over him and worshiped him as the Messiah. But then he said something which would echo through the mind of Mary, the mother, for the rest of her life, “A sword will pierce through your own soul also.” (Luke 2:35)

This baby, Jesus of Nazareth, grew in wisdom, and stature, and favor with God and men. But those prophecies were fulfilled when he went to a cross to die for our sins; he was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief; as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised and we esteemed him not. He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows, we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:3-6)

When David said he could not bring his son back, but he could go to him, a way needed to be opened to Heaven. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) All of those promises made to David and his offspring were fulfilled in Christ and the answer to all of them is “yes” in his resurrection.

We cannot bring this sweet baby back, but we can go to him/her. If he/she could send us a message from Heaven it might sound something like this:

[For a Baby who died after birth]

My life was full of love and joy,

Every day was wonder filled with smiles and new experiences

But, the love and joy and awesome wonder here is beyond compare

I cannot come to you, but you may come to me after your work on earth is done.

I love you and miss you and I remain,

Your little baby,

Safe in the arms of Jesus

[For a Baby who died before birth]

I so looked forward to meeting you,

Of seeing your face and feeling your touch,

But the first face I saw was the face of God

His embrace is tender and strong

I cannot come to you, but you may come to me

Our creator has loved us and made a way

And we may yet meet,

Your little baby

Safe in the arms of Jesus

Prayer for Hope Father God, we trust in your Word that this little one is safe in Heaven. We thank you for the love and comfort expressed in your words and for the great love by which you loved us by sending your Son to die in our place. We pray that you would show us the way not just back to peace, but to Heaven, and that we would not mourn as those who have no hope, for we have a great hope in the resurrection of your Son. But Father, we need your Spirit to put this hope in our hearts, to help us to love one another, and to remember fondly our sweet little baby, made in the image of God, loved and lost but not forgotten, until we may see him/her again. May his/her life bring great glory to your name and show many the way to Heaven, through Jesus’s Name, Amen.

Graveside Committal

Jesus said, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” “I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.” He continued, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:1-6, 27)

Augustine wrote, “We have not lost our dear ones who have departed from this life, but have merely sent them ahead of us, so we also shall depart and shall come to that life where they will be more than ever dear as they will be better known to us, and where we shall love them without fear of parting.”

Prayer for Committal Father, we have gathered here to commit to rest the body of our beloved [name]. We are thankful for his/her life and we mourn for him/her. We trust your Word that he/she is safe in Heaven, and though we long to go and be with him/her, we will wait on your providence to reunite us. Father, as we gather in this solemn place we do not sorrow as those who have no hope, for our hope is in Jesus Christ. We ask that you would comfort each family member and friend. May they be comforted by your Word, encouraged through happy memories, and sustained by the hope of the resurrection in the final day. In Christ’s Name, Amen.

Exploring Baptism During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Most baptisms don’t receive a lot of thought: a pool, a minister, a new convert. If we’re fortunate we’ll get a message and a testimony, maybe a meal afterwards. But what have we really done? Have we accomplished anything for eternity in most of our baptisms? Painfully, many baptisms are not baptisms at all: someone just got wet.

In keeping with God using all things for good to those who love him and are called according to his purpose, the current restrictions have provided us with an opportunity to think about and work through things that have become mere tradition.

The history of baptism is not so clear cut as many of us might think. As the gospel found its way into desert places water could become a scarcity, in other places local traditions sought to drown out the symbolism of the event, and sometimes circumstances don’t allow for a full immersion.

When Philip met and explained Christ to an Ethiopian court official, they were in a place devoid of water. After some traveling they came to a place with enough water, and the Ethiopian immediately requested baptism.

[Engraving Credit: William Carey University]

When William Carey and the Serampore mission saw their first converts, they held a baptism at the river Hooghly, the natives in attendance deduced that this new religion worshiped the river just like many other religions in the North of India.

The Swiss Brethren in Zurich wrestled with the idea of baptism for months before any of them were baptized (or as the Catholic and Presbyterians in the area decreed – anabaptized/rebaptized). Because of the close church-state relationship in the area, biblical baptism had been completely lost. There were none who had been baptized previously to administer baptism to those seeking it, so after his confession of faith before the group, George Blaurock was baptized by his friend Conrad Grable. After which, Blaurock baptized Grable and the rest in attendance. Because they did it secretly, they chose the method of effusion (of pouring) rather than of immersion.

[Photo Credit: Steve Sanchez]

The Didache, an early church manual, recognizes that baptism will not always be a simple matter. It records, “Baptize thus: …in living water; but if you have not living water, baptize in cold water; and if you can not in cold, in warm. But if you have not either, pour out water thrice upon the head in the name of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit.”

My friend Steve Sanchez, pastor of Community Church of the Hills in Johnson City, Texas, had the privilege of leading a man to Christ in the Veteran’s Administration Hospital just days before he died in 2016. There would be no way to immerse this man, so Steve baptized him by effusion in his hospital bed. The testimony is powerful, and the mode of the baptism is following in obedience to the commands of Christ and beautifully displays the hope of resurrection in his life.

[Photo Credit: SBC IMB – Siberian Baptist Church]

In very cold places, where it seems prohibitive to immerse new converts, it is common to see baptisms on Resurrection Sunday or earlier where the ice has had to be cut to make a baptismal pool.

During the Civil War the preaching of chaplain Willie Ragland led to the conversion of a soldier named Goodwin. Goodwin sought baptism, but everyone knew the Union army was close. Finally they were given permission to traverse to the Rapidan river unarmed. As they began to sing, "There is a Fountain Filled With Blood", the Union soldiers rushed to the opposite river bank and joined their voice in chorus with the Confederates and witnessed the proclamation of the gospel in Goodwin's life. The danger to lives for observing baptism was huge, but obedience to their God - and declaring his saving power - was more important to the members of the 13th Virginia.

Painting Credit: Resurrection Morn - Hong Min Zou

So this leads to you, dear reader, how are you going to fulfill the command to baptize new believers? Of course you’re not keeping someone out of Heaven if they die before being baptized because you waited for COVID-19 to subside or see a vaccine, because baptism is only an outward proclamation (not a sign, and never a seal) of the inward work Christ has done.

But now you’ve been introduced to some ways the church in the past has baptized its new converts and the struggles they have faced. My brother Scott was recently baptized by our pastor in Ohio, only him and the pastor were present, but the protestari (forward testifying) of the gospel was made via video, and I posit that the intention of the ordinance is fulfilled in this baptism, as the church and world witness it. Take a look:

[Video Credit: First Baptist Church, New Lebanon Ohio]

Regardless, dear reader, now is the perfect time to proclaim the gospel through the symbolism of baptism, buried in death with Christ, raised to walk in newness of life, and invite all who hear it to repent of their sins and place their faith in Jesus Christ.

In the present crisis, you have the opportunity to show the varied and sundry ways that baptism may be administered, that it is not a rite, but a testimony to the saving work of God through Jesus Christ.

I look forward to seeing and hearing how you can make much of Christ in these times of trouble!

The Fictional Gospel of C.S. Lewis

Introduction

I am hearing the name of Clive Staples Lewis more and more these days lauded as a Christian hero. Years ago I considered writing this article, but anticipated his name and influence would fade with time. However, I recently sat in a class with about forty-people, and at least eight (20%) of the class referenced C.S. Lewis as one of their favorite authors.

Therefore, I am writing this article to warn against reading Lewis for spiritual edification, and to cease recommending his resources, with rare exceptions, as helpful to the Christian life.

What’s Good about C.S. Lewis?

C.S. Lewis has some excellent points and is undoubtedly a wordsmith, but he is not a theologian and his version of Christianity is not a helpful one. I will start this article by stating that his “Lord, Liar, Lunatic” argument, from Mere Christianity, is a phenomenal resource and should be catechized into all of our young people, not because C.S. Lewis said it, but because of the power behind the argument.

Likewise, the depiction of Christ as Aslan in the Chronicles of Narnia as a powerful and dangerous, yet meek, lion is also something that should be emphasized in the present world. In Mere Christianity he also calls God “the supreme terror: the thing we most need and the thing we most want to hide from” which is a lost doctrine in most churches.

’Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. – Mr. Beaver

Finally, The Screwtape Letters is a powerful look at how people are tempted and there is great value in reading this book to consider the wiles of the devil. An incredible quote comes from a demon’s perspective describing the Christian’s service to God (whom he refers to as the 'Enemy'),

If the Enemy appeared to him in bodily form and demanded that total service for even one day, he would not refuse… He would be relieved almost to the pitch of disappointment if for one half-hour in that day the Enemy said, 'Now you may go and amuse yourself'. Now if he thinks about his assumption for a moment, even he is bound to realize the he is actually in this situation every day.”

Despite these great points—having read much of C.S. Lewis for seminary and pleasure—this is where my appreciation ends. As I continue to read Lewis I continue to grow more and more apprehensive towards his strange views of the Father, the Son, the atonement, and the Scriptures.

Atonement

In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the atonement that Aslan makes is not to God for sin, but to the Witch as a replacement. It would seem to imply that Christ’s death was a payment to Satan for the redemption of mankind. The Bible clearly teaches that Christ died to save us not from Satan, but from the wrath of God. The old adage says, “Christ saved us from himself, by himself, for himself.”

Matthew Hall said, “[Lewis’s] understanding of the atonement is biblically problematic…and misses the heart of the gospel.” Martyn Lloyd-Jones was no fan of Lewis either, he said, “Lewis had a defective view of salvation and was an opponent of the substitutionary and penal view of the atonement.” (Both Quoted from Mere Atonement by Ariel Vanderhorst)

Other articles have pointed out that Lewis didn’t just miss this in this one spot, but in many other places misunderstood, and even rejected, penal substitutionary atonement. These discrepancies went unchecked because Lewis had a deficient view of the Scriptures.

Inspiration of Scripture

In Reflections on the Psalms, C.S. Lewis says that the psalmist was “blatantly wrong” for his use of imprecatory psalms. C.S. Lewis shows himself most clearly in this book to reject the plenary inspiration of Scripture. But, if you have this hermeneutic of Lewis then you’ll see, though more subtly, that he rejects the truth of the Bible in many other places, no-where so clearly as in Creation.

Creation

The first book chronologically of The Chronicles of Narnia, The Magician’s Nephew, shows a sort of Molinistic universe in which Aslan (Lewis’ God figure) creates a multitude of universes and gets a different result in all of them.

Further, one of the most troubling lines in all of the cannon of Lewis is from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, when Aslan implies that there is something of creation that is outside of him,

Do not cite the deep magic to me, witch, I was there when it was written.

This directly contradicts everything the Bible speaks of when it says, “By him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things were created through him and for him (Col 1:16).”

Lewis, as far as I have read, did not speak definitively on evolution, however, he almost certainly never affirmed young-earth creation. BioLogos has latched onto this and lifts Lewis up as a banner of open-minded Christians who go where the “science” leads rather than what the Scriptures teach.

This is keeping in line with what I discovered in Mere Christianity.

Mere Christianity

Mere Christianity was a book I was overjoyed to get to read in seminary, having heard so many good things about it. It was to my surprise and horror, then, when I found very little Christianity in Mere Christianity. For all of the great notable quotables of Lewis, his gospel is not the gospel of God. I do not intend to ever read Mere Christianity again or intend to refute every point, but if you liked this book I’d encourage you to reread it with a critical eye towards its usefulness; there are plenty of articles that have torn this book apart. If I were a contemporary of Screwtape intent on destroying faith, I would write a book thoroughly destroying Christianity and title it something to the effect of Mere Christianity.

Universalism / Inclusivism

*Major Spoiler Alert* Almost every reader of The Chronicles of Narnia is shocked to find out that Emeth, in The Last Battle, is welcomed into Aslan’s heaven even though he was an avowed worshipper of the false-god Tash. Lewis implies that good worship of a false god is counted as righteousness to the true God. The issues with that belief are too myriad to list, but one thing is clear, it misses EVERYTHING the gospel teaches. This is not Lewis’s only indication of inclusivism, but it is the strongest. If you read Lewis with this hermeneutic you’ll notice it everywhere, the god of Lewis and the gospel of Lewis is not in keeping with the Scriptures or God’s plan.

Providence

In The Chronicles of Narnia the Christ figure, Aslan, is frequently absent for hundreds of years. The idea that God is working all things for good to those who love him and are called by his name is absent from Narnia, and it’s only when Aslan remembers Narnia is there any goodness done there. Esther and Mordecai would be confused with the lack of providence in Lewis’ Narnia, so would Paul (compare Romans 8:28).

On Listening

Finally, I’ll include this only because my dissertation is on teaching the church to listen. Most of the resources I found on listening were helpful across the board, it is almost a universal truth and common grace that listening is important to humanity. I was already an avowed enemy of C.S. Lewis, but I was shocked when I came across this:

They had been listening well (to the sermon) up to this point (when the application contradicted the preacher’s life). Now the shufflings and coughings began. Pews creaked; muscles relaxed. The sermon, for all practical purposes was over; the five minutes for which the preacher continued talking were a total waste of time – at least for most of us. (From The Sermon and the Lunch)

I will grant that the sermon Lewis was listening to did have some serious flaws, but Lewis’ reaction was not because the preacher was misusing God’s Word or showing himself to be a false teacher; Lewis gave a completely worldly reason for his stopped ears that the hypocrisy coming from the pulpit negated the message. According to this logic, if every preacher who ever ascended the pulpit were seriously compared to his perfect obedience to the Word he preached, then every listener would have ample excuse to stop listening. But God’s Word remains true even if the devil himself were preaching it.

Conclusion

So now, beloved reader, I do call you to stop listening to C.S. Lewis, not because I dislike his message personally, but because his message is contrary to the Word of God; Lewis disparages who God is, what his Son accomplished, and what Christianity is.

Lewis delivers very well polished stories and messages, but they are of his own making, not expounding or building on the Word of God. To believe Lewis’s god is to follow a false jesus and to render the cross of Christ empty of its power.