"Letters From War"

Win and I just returned home tonight from San Antonio, TX, where we were thrilled to witness our son's (TJ) graduation from his basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base. TJ was an honor graduate (he was in the top 5% of all 500 graduates), and received four ribbons (the most one can earn during BMT). We were soooo proud of him. On Sunday, August 26, at 8:00 a.m. (0800 hours) we attended a "high energy" chapel with him. The following video, by Mark Schultz, was played just before the service began. Among the many guests there today there was not a dry eye in the place! The trainees absolutely love this song, and go "wild" whenever they hear it. Take a look/listen, and I think you will understand why . . .

A man's BEST friend[s]

It's been said that a dog is a man's best friend. Having been a dog-lover all of my life, and a dog-owner for nearly 30 years, I think if I would be honest I must admit there probably is some truth to that statement. Indeed, it was undeniably confirmed for me by one of my dogs in particular - a black lab we named "Shadow." Now, we didn't necessarily give him that name because he was black, but, rather, because of the way we got him. You see, he was a stray that I found back in the mid-90s when we lived in the California desert. Actually, he found me. He was sitting next to my truck one day when I left the church office to go home for lunch. I didn't see any collar or tags on him, and because he seemed friendly enough, I opened both doors to the truck and asked him if he wanted to go home with me. He didn't budge. So, I got into the cab, shut the doors, threw the truck into gear and headed out of the parking lot onto the main road (Bubbling Wells Road, in Desert Hot Springs, CA). When I glanced into my rear view mirror I couldn't believe what I saw. The crazy dog was following me home, running behind me in the middle of the road, keeping pace with the truck. I pulled over to the shoulder of the road, stopped, and once again invited him into the cab with me. He still didn't budge, but he began wagging his tail when I opened the rear tailgate, picked him up and placed him in the back end of the vehicle. The boys were so excited when I pulled into our driveway blasting the horn. They came running outside yelling, "Daddy's got a dog! Daddy's got a dog!" Win followed them out the door, and just stood there giving me a look that said, "What in the world have you done?" Well, to make a long story short, we "adopted" Shadow, and for the next eight years he was not only MY dog, but he was also one of my best friends. He was mischievous, stubborn, self-willed - and absolutely loyal.

Perhaps that is one reason why someone else once said, "The better I get to know people, the more I love my dog." The tragic truth is that many people just don't get the concept of loyalty. Shadow did. For example, it never bothered him if I came home "late" from work - even if I failed to call ahead and warn the rest of the family. He was always at the door waiting for me, and letting me know how happy he was that I was finally home. And if I ever "barked" the commands, "Shadow, sit!" or "Shadow, down!" or "Shadow, go to your room!" he never seemed to hold it against me. But he would wag his tail and lick my face when I finally released him from his confinement. (He was like a Marine . . . Semper Fi!).

(Come to think of it, as an aside . . . I believe my younger son T.J. may have learned loyalty from Shadow, because I have yet to meet a young man more faithful and loyal than him. His heart often goes out to the "underdog" - and he will stick by and defend that person to the end).

Well, I must admit, the better I get to know some people, the more I love my . . . GOD! The prophet Jeremiah declared "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed . . ." And then he went on to add, "Great is thy faithfulness!" (Lamentations 3:22-23). The Psalmist exclaimed, "I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever" (Psalm 89:1). In both instances the English word "mercies" is a translation of the Hebrew term "chesed", which is sometimes rendered "lovingkindess" in our English Bibles, but may be even more literally translated "loyal love." Yes, God is the epitome of loyalty. Indeed, the Apostle John writes in John 13:1 that Jesus, ". . . having loved His own who were in the world, loved them to the end." That is loyalty. Later in that chapter, in the discourse that followed, the Lord said to His disciples, "Greater love has no one to this, than to lay down one's life for his friends . . . No longer do I call you servants . . . but I have called you friends" (John 15:13, 15). His words remind me of an old gospel sing we used to sing,

Earthly friends may prove untrue, doubts and fears assail;
One still loves and cares for you - Jesus NEVER fails!

Then there was this song written by John W. Peterson in the second half of the twentieth century,

I would love to tell you what I think of Jesus,
Since I found in Him a friend so strong and true . . .
No one ever cared for me like Jesus,
There's no other friend so kind as He . . .

It seems to me that when believers demonstrate loyalty, they best emulate the very nature and character of Christ. (And when they don't . . . well, let's just say they best emulate the
"adversary," who doesn't have a clue as to the true meaning of loyalty).

Thankfully, there are a few believers who understand what real friendship is all about. That is why I also need to say that the better I get to know some people, the more I love my . . . TRUE FRIENDS!

Mike Eberstein [a.k.a. Captain Mike], Bill Fikse [a.k.a. Sir William], Marvin Jepson, Steve Lewis, Jim Newman, Earl Radmacher [a.k.a. Dr. R], Marshall Swoverland - these are some of my true friends (along with my wife, of course - who is my very best friend). To be sure, a couple of them are already with the Lord (Marvin Jepson, Marshall Swoverland). Others I would consider my "mentors" (Bill Fikse, Earl Radmacher). None of these men are/were just "fair weather" friends. No, they have been loyal to me and have stood up for me and stood with me through the worst of times as well as the best of times. I love THEM, too, and would do anything and everything I can to demonstrate my loyalty to them.

Moses had Aaron (his brother) and Caleb's young son, Hur (Exodus 17:12) who stood by and supported Moses at a time when he was physically spent and needed help. They didn't say, "Too bad, old man. Maybe you should retire. We need a leader who is stronger. Sorry, but we just can't support you anymore. We're outta here!" No, they stood by Moses' side, held up his arms, and encouraged him in his ministry.

David had Jonathan, who came to him when David's life was threatened by Jonathan's father, King Saul, and "strengthened his hand in God" (1 Samuel 23:16). As the saying goes, "a friend in the time of need is a friend indeed!" I know that I am and will be eternally grateful for my loyal friends.

Finally . . . okay, I need to admit it . . . the better I get to know some people, the more I love my . . . DOGS!

I'm pretty well convinced the Lord brought Shadow to our family so that he would be there for me during one of the darkest times of my life. When some of the people that I loved and trusted the most conspired against me and then betrayed me, and when the accompanying "stress" nearly killed me (see the August 5th blog, "A near death experience"), it was almost as though that dog understood what I was going through and knew what I needed. He was always there for me, at my side from the time I came home, until I went to bed . . . (Actually, he usually was still at my side through the night as well). I started referring to him as my "Old Faithful." Yes, he was loyal! However, he was also old. (We were never really sure exactly how old he was because he was a stray). As I began to heal from my massive heart attack and regain some of my strength, he seemed to be getting weaker and weaker. He began "crying" through the night. We finally took him to the vet, and on Friday, September 24, 2004, we had to give the vet our permission to put him down. He was suffering from and was in the final stages of bone cancer. I am not ashamed to say that I held his head in my lap and cried as he went off to sleep, never again to wake.

The Anglo-Scottish poet Lord Byron (1818-1885) had a fondness for animals, and especially loved a Newfoundland dog named "Boatswain." Upon the dog's death from rabies, Lord Byron wrote an inscription which has become one of his best-known works. He titled it, "Epitaph to a Dog." He wrote,

Near this Spot
are deposited the Remains of one
who possessed Beauty without Vanity,
Strength without Insolence,
Courage without Ferosity,
and all the Virtues of Man without his Vices.
This praise, which would be unmeaning Flattery
if inscribed over human Ashes,
is but a just tribute to the Memory of
BOATSWAIN, a DOG . . .

He also described his dog as "the poor dog, in life the firmest friend, the first to welcome, foremost to defend."

That was my Shadow. He was a "friend" who remained loyal to me to the end. For me, his life serves as an excellent illustration of loyalty.

I know I have some other "people" friends (such as those mentioned before) who have and will remain loyal to me as well. For me, their lives also serve as excellent demonstrations of loyalty.

And then there is Jesus, the ultimate illustration and demonstration of loyalty - indeed, the very incarnation of loyalty. In fact, the thought has occurred to me that one can find no better model of loyalty than the Godhead. Every member of the Trinity - Father, Son and Spirit - is absolutely and eternally loyal to the others. Therefore, it seems to me that when we believers identify with a local church fellowship, and then begin to interact with each other in ministries of leadership, worship, discipleship and stewardship in that local church, we best reflect the very nature and character of God when we demonstrate an unflagging loyalty to one another. But when we don't, we do the devil's work, at the same time dividing, devouring and destroying our brothers and sisters in Christ. May God have mercy on us . . .

Almost exactly five months ago I had an opportunity to travel to southern CA for a one-day conference. I took a few vacation days as well, and when the conference was over I drove my rental car to the Coachella Valley, where we lived for eight years. I parked it on the shoulder of a quiet road not too far from where we owned our home, and then began a short climb into the foothills ahead of me, carefully avoiding the cholla and beaver tail cacti that dotted the landscape. Eventually I came to a large, flat boulder where I used to take Shadow on our evening walks. I remembered how I would sit on that huge slab with Shadow at my side, and together we would look at the lights of Palm Springs ahead of us, and then the thousands of stars in the desert sky above us. I would often talk to Shadow, and he would sit silently, looking as though he was intently listening . . . I refer to that place as Shadow's Rock. That night I missed my friend. I thanked my God for Shadow, for my people friends, and for Jesus . . . and I prayed that when I eventually have to give account of my life to Him, that He will find me loyal - to my wife, my sons, my friends, my Lord - and to His Church and His work.

Semper Fi.

X-Theology

Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA was the venue for X Games 13 last week (August 2-5, 2007). The X Games is an annual multi-sport event with a focus on eXtreme action sports. The games are broken into seasons: the Winter X Games are usually held in January or February in Aspen, Colorado (through 2010), and the Summer X Games are normally held in August in Los Angeles (through 2009). Competitors perform in many different categories and styles, trying to win bronze, silver and gold medals, as well as prize money. The competition often features never-before-seen "extreme" tricks.

Out of curiosity I "googled" the word "extreme." In .14 seconds that "extreme" search engine displayed 298,000,000 matches - identifying every kind of extreme one can imagine - from the extreme sports channel to extreme videos to extreme trivia to extreme pumpkin carving to "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." (Okay, I'll admit it - it is one of our favorite "reality" TV shows that Win and I watch religiously).

One site defined the word "extreme" as . . . "most remote in any direction; outermost or farthest: the extreme edge of the field."

That got me to thinking . . . I've got one to add to the list. I call it "X (extreme) theology." (Although, according to Google, apparently I am not the first one to coin the term).

For example . . . Recently a well-intentioned individual (at least I think he was), who left the church I pastor over major "theological differences" (those were his words), apparently felt led of the Lord to send me some papers written by someone he referred to as his "teacher." One of them had to do with the purpose of the local church. In this paper the author criticized local churches that emphasize the importance of "winning souls," which he called a "misdirected effort" obviously based on what he would deem erroneous statements such as "Jesus loves sinners" and "Christians are to love the lost." Then the author made the following statement: "A careful examination of Scripture shows that Jesus saves no one . . ."

I could not believe what I had just read. So, like the Bereans of old I knew I needed to search the Scriptures to find out whether these things are so (Acts 17:11).

Here is what I discovered . . .

The angel Gabriel said to Joseph, "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).

Then there was this angelic announcement to the shepherds on the hillside outside of Bethlehem on the night Jesus was born, "Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:10-11).

In fact, when He walked this earth, Jesus said of Himself, "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

That is why the Apostle Paul could say in 1 Timothy 1:5, "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." And then the Apostle Paul refers to Him as " . . . our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13).

In the light of these passages - and many others - how could any "teacher" make the statement "a careful examination of Scripture shows that Jesus saves no one?" At best that statement is misleading, even with the following "qualifying" phrase in the context: "He provided the work necessary for salvation."

The truth is that Jesus saves from the penalty of sin. Indeed, the Bible says that "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Jesus also saves believers from the power of sin. Hebrews 7:25 says that "Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost (extreme?) those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."

And one day He will save us from the presence of sin when He comes for His "Bride". The Apostle Paul explains in Philippians 3:21, "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself." (Maranatha! Even so, quickly come, Lord Jesus!).

Jesus saves NO ONE? What kind of convoluted, distorted, perverted and twisted teaching is this?

It is X theology (extreme theology). And there is a lot of it out there today . . . from the old ultra (hyper/extreme) dispensationalism that Harry Ironside warned the church about in the early 20th century to the so-called "evangelical postmodernism" of this early 21st century.

We'll pick up from here in a future blog. But for now, I will soon retire for the night with a song on my heart. It's an old gospel song that goes like this . . .

Christ has for sin atonement made - What a wonderful Savior!

We are redeemed the price is paid - What a wonderful Savior!

What a wonderful Savior is Jesus, my Jesus!

What a wonderful Savior is Jesus, my Lord!

Actually, it would not be an overstatement to call Him an X (EXTREME) Savior!

A near death experience . . .

Three years ago today, August 5 (it was a Thursday), I experienced what some would probably refer to as one of the "defining moments" of my life.

My wife, Win, and my younger son, TJ, and I arrived in Salem (OR) the previous night. I was candidating for the position of Senior Pastor at North Salem Baptist Church. The pastoral search committee had scheduled several meetings for us with various individuals and groups on Thursday-Saturday, and I was to preach twice on Sunday (morning and evening).

At 5:30 a.m. on that unforgettable Thursday I left the motel where we were staying and walked a half-mile north to a family restaurant where I was to have breakfast with the former pastor, the chairman of the deacon board, and the chairman of the pastoral search committee. The former pastor began the morning by reading the devotional of the day from Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening. The verse on the top of the page that morning was "We know that all things work together for good to them that love God" (Romans 8:28). Spurgeon's commentary began with these words, "Upon some points a believer is absolutely sure. He knows, for instance, that God sits in the stern-sheets of the vessel when it rocks most. He believes that an invisible hand is always on the world’s tiller, and that wherever providence may drift, Jehovah steers it. That re-assuring knowledge prepares him for everything." (Spurgeon, C. H.: Morning and Evening : Daily Readings. Oak Harbor, WA : Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995, S. August 5 AM).

We had a wonderful time together, and approximately three hours later I began the half-mile walk back to the motel where Win and TJ were waiting for me. Win and I had a 10:00 a.m. meeting with a realtor in town, and TJ was going to spend the day with one of the families of the church. As I walked I began to feel a strange pain in both of my arms, unlike anything I had ever felt before. I labored up the steps to the second floor of the motel, entered our room and collapsed on the bed, informing Win and TJ that I wasn't feeling well. I wondered if it was something I ate. TJ thought I needed some potassium. Win asked if I had taken my medication for the day (a pill for my hyptertension along with a baby aspirin). I had forgotten all about my meds, and once I downed them I began to feel better. Minutes later I assured Win that I was well enough to keep our appointment with the realtor. We said good-bye to TJ, headed out the door and into our rental car, and were in a matter of moments headed south on the I-5 freeway. Suddenly the pain returned, much more intense than before. My entire upper body felt like it was in a vice. I was beginning to think that I might be having a heart attack. I didn't want to frighten Win, but as soon as I exited the freeway I stopped the car and asked her to drive as I climbed into the back seat. She said, "Where?" All of a sudden I noticed a little blue hospital sign at the side of the road. "Follow those signs!" I yelled. Providentially, we were only minutes away from the Salem Regional Medical Center. Win pulled into the emergency room parking lot, and I managed to walk into the building, where I saw a nurse sitting at a desk positioned under a sign that read "Triage Nurse." I walked up to her and said, "Excuse me, mam. Could you please help me? I think I am having a heart attack." Suddenly I was surrounded by a group of medical personnel, placing me a stretcher, wheeling me into the ER, stripping off my clothes, hooking me up to IVs. The pain became excruciating, for which I was administered a good dose of morphine. I remember trying to answer questions, and feeling rather confused and disoriented. Everything seemed so surreal.

While I was laying there, the thought suddenly occurred to me, "So this is how it happens. This is how people die. I am going to die, and I can't even say 'good-bye' to Win." I was scared. I knew I was ready to meet my Maker, but somehow I felt I wasn't ready to leave my wife and family. I was only 53. I thought the Lord had more for me to do.

To be sure, my near death experience wasn't like others I had heard and / or read about. I mean, I didn't see any bright shining light at the end of some long, dark tunnel. In fact, later I would joke about it and remind people that there is a motel chain that promises to "leave the lights on" for its guests. I would remark that apparently the Lord didn't even "leave the lights on for me."

It was as though time stopped for me and everything became a blur. In reality, it was several hours later when I became aware that I was indeed in a room with bright lights, and several people dressed in white clothes. My first thoughts were that I had died and gone to heaven. I figured that if my body was indeed alive, what in the world was I doing in this room with bright lights and everyone dressed in white? On the other had, I asked myself, "But if I am dead, why do I feel like I have to throw up?" Win tells me that I indeed did throw up all over myself there in the recovery room.

I was released from the hospital the following Monday, after a visit by my cardiologist. I wanted to know how badly my heart was damaged. He answered very frankly and without emotion, "Joe, your heart attack was massive and extensive. When you arrived at the hospital, you probably had no more than five minutes to spare."

Well, I am still here, three years later. I believe with all my heart that the Lord had (and still has) more work for me to do for Him. I preached my candidating sermon on August 15th (instead of August 8th), and the following week the church membership voted unanimously to call me as their Pastor. We accepted the call, sold our home in Michigan, and after an eventful cross-country journey (perhaps that will be the subject of another blog), we finally began our ministry at North Salem Baptist Church in early November, 2004.

The text I preached on my candidating Sunday was taken from Acts 20. I had a whole new perspective on its truth following my heart attack. And now today, three years later, it means more to me than ever: "But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24).