Light in the darkness

John 1:4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

When you think of sin, what image does this conjure up? There were two images that come to mind. The first is darkness; sin is seen in the Bible as darkness. When Christ came into the world, John states that he is the light of life. Just yesterday when Pam and I were traveling, we stopped at a service plaza to fill up the car with gas when we saw a dog that had gotten loose from its owners and was running through the parking lot with owners in tow trying to catch it before the dog could be run over by cars coming and going. The dog thought that this was a game but in fact this was very dangerous for the dog. Sin is much like this when we encounter it in the world. Sin is deceitful and crafty and in our natural state we are unable to see sin for what it is. Many times we are like that dog that runs from its owner; God wants what is best for us and He sent His Son Jesus to the earth as Savior.

The reality of the Kingdom is that Jesus is the Lamb that takes the sin of the world so our trust is in God not in our own goodness. This brings to mind another image that I also saw yesterday. Pam and I stayed at some friend's house on the way out to Chicago who had three dogs and a kitten. When I went downstairs while holding the kitten I passed by a hanging string that was swinging, well you can guess that the cat was enamored by the string :) Needless to say I received much joy by watching the cat bat the string around while resting secure in my arms. Can you imagine the joy God receives when we turn in repentance from sin and rest in the arms of Christ as we joyessly live in light of the Savior's goodness. Can you hear the Father lovingly laugh in your ear as you rest in His grace and truth?
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Snow!!!

Sunday is always the highlight of the week because that is when Pam and I can worship corporately with all of you @ KGC. This week we really missed getting together with everyone because of the snow cancellation. We still had a great time together listening to a sermon by John Piper and meditating on deep theological truths, but something still was missing. It got me to think about how wonderful and crucial community is to us who are part of the Body of Christ. Think about it, it is so wonderful to be in fellowship with other believers while growing together into Christ-likeness. The Holy Spirit is always sweetly evident within the church service as we worship in song and in the Word together in community. What does community look like to you? How can we live out Christian community together?

Hebrews 10 gives us a good picture of what this means...

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (verses 19-25)

Let me know what you all think!

Aslan is on the move!

"It's she that makes it always winter. Always winter and never Christmas; think of that!" said Mr Tumnus to Lucy.

One thing that cannot be denied is the fact that stories hold much weight over our attention. When we hear a good story we cannot help but listen. Eugene Peterson once said that for every book written on good theology there should be five novels written illustrating it. We need great minds like Tolkien and Lewis to draw us into the story for the sake of helping us think through how we are living out the Salvation that Christ has purchased at the cross. How are we to Worship Walk & Witness the Gospel in our every conversation? With that said we must think deeper about these stories and others that are written out there.

Any good and sophisticated story can be traced back to an understanding of God and His interaction with humanity. While C.S. Lewis advocated a view of the world that pointed to God, the Golden Compass is the inverse of this view. God is truth and because of the Holy Spirit, we can see (I Cor. 2:6-16) what God has done is marvelous. This is to say the wisdom of the Gospel is not the conventional (natural) wisdom of the world. Pullman, the author of the Golden Compass, has stated several times "I'm trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief." In fact Dr Mohler has dealt with this content in depth on his own blog. If you have the time I think that Dr Mohler's treatment on the subject is well worth the time in order to interact with your friends about the movie. There is an awful lot that can be said about this subject and he has done the work to help us think through this clearly.

Now my question to you is what should we do in response to this movie? How can we allow for discussion amongst our friends who have seen it? What can be said that will make our interactions redemptive and Spirit filled? Are you looking for open doors that God has put in your path as your dialogue with friends? Do you see this movie as an opportunity to witness what God has done for the world by sending His Son?

My prayer is that it would not be always winter and never Christmas! May the truth of the Gospel roar through the land with great joy and jubilation!

“I’ve come at last,” said he. “She has kept me out for a long time, but I have got in at last. Aslan is on the move. The witch’s magic is weakening.”