The Importance of Redeeming Time

Have you ever noticed how swiftly time passes? I never did, until I had children. Before our kids arrived time’s passing was like flying in an airplane. When we look at the ground from 30,000 feet it is difficult to tell one is moving at 600 plus mph. On the other hand, speed is perceivable if we fly at 500 feet. Kids provide the same effect as flying in an airplane at 500 feet. With the ground as a reference speed is more apparent; and after the kids come, the swift passing of time is equally apparent. Children are born and then they are grown, just like that~zero to 20 years in a flash. This reminds us the Bible really is right when it says, “What is your life? It is only a vapor, which appears for a little time and then fades away.” As their years pass, we are growing older just as rapidly. Time passes~fast~and before we know it, our time on earth will be done.

This was one truth men of old understood. Richard Baxter, writing in the 1600’s, warned about the tragedy of loosing time, and went so far as to speak of how Satan steals men’s souls by filling peoples time with lesser things, until alas, the time of ones life is passed and people leave this life~having given no thought to the state of their souls. He writes in his classic, A Christian Directory:

“Do not allow the devil to divert or hinder you from serious consideration [of your time] through peoples company, pleasure or worldly business. The devil has only two ways to procure your damnation. The one is, by keeping you from any sober consideration of spiritual and eternal things; and the other, if you think of them, is to deceive you into false or erroneous thoughts. To bring to pass the first of these (which is the most common, powerful means) his ordinary way is diversion~finding you something else to do, putting other thoughts in your mind, and other work into your hands, so you cannot have leisure (old English for ‘free time’) for any serious thoughts of God; so that whenever the Spirit of God knocks at your door you are so busy with other people, or other business that you cannot hear or will not open to Him….until you never have any thought of heaven until you have lost it nor sober thought of hell until you are in it.”

Another way to say what Baxter means is to say a favorite strategy of satan for stealing mens souls is he hijacks their time by helping them focus on everything accept eternal things, until they are lost forever~and with time passing as fast as it does, this is an easy task especially in the 21st century. We live in a day where people have immediate access into our lives via email and cell phones. In addition, we have the internet, computer games, blogs, Twitter, social network sites such as Facebook or Zorpia, and any number of other time consumers which can be used to keep the mind occupied with and the eyes focused on everything other than the things of God.

Baxter’s warning is relevant for more than securing the of salvation of our souls though, for it applies to all areas of life. Death comes to us all, and comes very quickly. Thus, we only have so much time to prepare for eternity, to honor our parents, to love our siblings and friends, to serve neighbors, to feed on Scripture, to follow Jesus, to love and cherish spouses, to raise our children, to influence our grandchildren, to impact our communities for the gospel, to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, and to bring health to the sick. Time is as a vapor. It waits for no one and before we know it, is gone.

So, the question I am asking myself these days is, “How well are you using your time?” And at 55 years, I have no time to waste~nor do you. We must invest our time wisely while we have~you guessed it~time~for soon, time, for each of us, will be passed, and what was done will have been done~for better or for worse, for all eternity.

The Cross and the need for Soul Preparation: Samuel Rutherford

Samuel Rutherford, a Scottish pastor who lived in the 17th century (1600-1661) is one of my favorite Puritan divines and his letters, available through Banner of Truth Trust, are rich in insights and encouragement. One of Rutherford’s letters, dated March 13, 1637, and written to his friend John Ewart, Bailie of Kirkudbright, was of particular interest to me recently. Rutherford wrote to encourage his friend to bears the cross and to lay a sure foundation for his salvation. I was motivated and challenged by this letter because it is fitting for Christians of our day to contemplate. Of particular note is Rutherford’s comparison of the cross to a birds wings or a ships sails, as well as his cal to work out our salvation with an eye on the day of Judgment. If more people were to take Rutherford’s advise there would be less people ashamed on that great and terrible day. May you be encouraged by this letter, written 372 years ago, to run with patience the race set before you, looking to Jesus all the way.

To John Ewart:

“MY VERY WORTHY AND DEAR FRIEND,—I cannot but most kindly thank you for the expressions of your love. Your love and respect to me is a great comfort to me.

I bless His high and glorious name that the terrors of great men have not frightened me from openly affirming the Son of God. No, His cross is the sweetest burden that ever I bare; it is such a burden as wings to a bird or sails to a ship, to carry me forward to my harbor. I have much cause to fall in love with the world; but rather to wish that He who sits upon the floods would bring my broken ship to land, and keep my conscience safe in these dangerous times; for wrath from the Lord is coming on this sinful land.

It were good that we prisoners of hope know of our stronghold to run to, before the storm come on; therefore, Sir, I beseech you by the mercies of God and comforts of His Spirit, by the blood of your Savior, and by your future appearance before the sin avenging Judge of the world, keep your garments clean, and stand for the truth of Christ which you profess. When the time shall come that your eye strings shall break, your face grow pale, your breath grow cold and this house of clay shall totter, and your one foot shall be over the border, in eternity, it will be your comfort and joy that you gave your name to Christ. The greatest part of the world think heaven at the next door, and that Christianity is an easy task; but they will be misled by craft. Worthy Sir, I beseech you, make sure work of your salvation. I have found my experience, that all I could do has much difficulty in the day of my trial; and therefore lay up a sure foundation for the time to come.

I cannot repay you for your undeserved favors to me and my afflicted brother. But I trust to remember you to God. Remember me heartily to your kind wife.

Yours in his only Lord Jesus,

Samuel Rutherford

This letter may be found on page 262 of Letters of Samuel Rutherford, printed by Banner of Truth Trust, first published 1664, reprinted 1984 and 2006.

Helping the Hungry~what can we do?

My last blog post, The Real Face of World Hunger, may have left those who read it wondering what many posts or sermons or articles leave us wondering~”Okay, we see the problem, but it is so huge~what can people really do, grassroots?” We know we should take action, but how? Well, in truth, it isn’t as difficult as one might think. Here’s how to take action in four simple steps:

First, keep in mind that the problem of hunger in our world involves real people~real children~who have faces and names and, if given the chance, real futures~but without food, the future for many will never be realized. Case in point is the picture to the right. Possibly the grossest picture I have ever seen, of a starving child, nearly dead, and a huge vulture awaiting his demise that he (the vulture) might feast, the picture hits home~that real children die due to lack of food. This child had a name and a future never realized. He had parents who at one time held aspirations for him~but these were never realized for he starved. This is shocking~but shock is good for it leads to tangible action.

Second, realize that if we focus on the gargantuan size of the problem, we will probably never take any action. The problem of world hunger is staggering~so much so that it is hard to get ones mind around it. However, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and a journey of 1000 miles starts with one step. Instead of being overwhelmed with the scale of the problem, purpose to take one small step to help real people today. Don’t wait.

Third, investigate opportunities. There are numerous organizations already involved where individuals or churches can partner, by giving money, or giving time and talents, or both in order to help the hungry in the name of Jesus. Some of the organizations are international and some are local. A few reliable international groups seeking partners are Compassion International, Food for the Hungry, and Feed the Children. Action Ministries, where I served as a missionary, has ministries in Africa, Asia and Central and South America working with at risk children. There are also local ministries involved, such as Second Harvest Food Bank. And through some churches (Love Haiti More is a ministry of Hollister Christian Fellowship) people can sponsor children financially or even play more vital, hands on roles, helping to alleviate hunger in the name of Jesus. Finally, there are many volunteer opportunities in our own local area for those who desire to do more than write checks.

After investigating opportunities, the fourth step is easy. Choose where  you want to help and how and DO IT. You know, for a few bucks a day or  week~perhaps the cost of one or two lattes or mochas or other specialty  coffee  drinks~a child such as the one pictured here can be fed~and in some  cases clothed. This is a very small price to pay to feed one child.

For a bit more, the same child can be educated (contact Debbie Kenyon at WHCC re educational sponsorships). And through actions such as this, many of these children will come to know Jesus as  well, for the agencies listed above carry out humanitarian work as a medium for the gospel.

The problem of world hunger is indeed huge. But even gargantuan problems are conquered one step at a time, when individuals choose to take small steps~at the grass roots level. When Jesus followers do there are temporal gains on earth~as children are fed and clothed and Jesus is honored in real ways. So, just do it !!!

The Real face of World Hunger

When I viewed this short video for the first time tears came to my eyes. When I viewed this video with Rachel again, nearly two months after first embedding it on my blog, I cried again. The question is, “Why”, and the answer is two fold.

First, I know the theme depicted by this video is reality~for I’ve seen the same scenario more than once while serving in the Philippines among the urban poor from 1983 to 1987. The video presents our worlds reality and I know~these scenes happen, every day, all over the world~and I cry.

But I also cry for another reason when I watch it. Tears also come to my eyes because the reality here in the west is, many will watch this or similar videos and even comment on the contents, but then go on with life as usual without taking any steps even to ask what might be done. This, after all, isn’t OUR reality. WE have plenty and our kids eat WELL. And so, our lives go on in luxury and over abundance as we over endulge.

It is indeed tragic that 25,ooo children die each day for lack of food. But even more tragic is the fact that so many who have so much are so unmoved by the reality of what the world is really like. This video really makes one think~and will hopefully spur us on to fight world hunger by prayer, giving and advocating for the poor. Jesus calls his followers to this. How can we say the love of God dwells in us, if after seeing this reality we do nothing?

View this movie at cultureunplugged.com

A Genesis moment !!

On May 2, 2009, our second son David was married to his bride Alisha~and as I watched as he kissed her I marveled at how fast the years had gone by. I was there when this guy was born, after all, but now, he was grown, and had taken a bride. This was no surprise. We knew it was coming~for it had been developing for quite a while.

Samuel David and Alisha Jeannine first met at church, and since both are very musical, they were asked to lead songs for the church college group. It was here the first heart connection was made, for immediately there was ‘chemistry’ ~as was seen by the fact that text messages flew~fast and furious~until wiser voices prevailed. “Hey, slow down~stop~cease and desist, will ya!” They did (sort of). But, it’s near impossible for a young bee to stay away from a flower in bloom. And so, the bee kept hovering until one day, the bee stated his intent~and the flower stated hers~and the rest is history. And so, our second son, and the Friske’s first daughter but second child, were joined in covenant before the Lord of Heaven. And we rejoice for it is the way of all peoples on earth. Marriage, after all, is God’s design as Genesis 2: 24 states clearly~and so shall it be until the end of time.

an ‘insider’ looks at ‘Slumdog Millionaire’

Recently, my wife and I along with two friends took in the movie Slumdog Millionaire, after reading a review of it, written by an Indian national. The movie was, well, stunning in more ways than one. Having worked in the slums of metro Manila, Philippines for some years back in the ’80’s, among squatters and with street kids, there was a lot in the movie that brought back a flood of memories. As we left the film, my wife, a Philippine national, commented, ‘Life is like that all over the developing world; and those kinds of events take place every day in Manila, too’. 

Just prior to our viewing the movie, another friend sent me a review of ‘Slumdog’ written by an Indian national; and to be honest, it was this review that prompted me to see the movie while it was still in theaters, paying $7.50 for entry  instead of waiting until I could rent it for $3.99 through i-Tunes. And so, having seen the movie, I felt compelled to post the review here on Mikespot. The review appears below, with credit where it is due. I believe this movie is a must see for everyone, and especially for those who have compassion for the poor and for human rights.

See the movie; read the review; tell others; and hopefully, some will be moved to action toward some or all of the social ills which are illustrated there.

Slumdog Millionaire – Reflection by J.N. Manokaran

As an Indian I am proud to know that Slumdog Millionaire has brought laurels to the country. Danny Boyle the director with Loveleen Tandon has produced a master piece.   A.R. Rahman deserves full praise and commendation for his world class contribution.

The script writer Simon Beaufoy has woven the story in a very attractive style that the audience are not bored but taken along the
narration.  The film has brought the stark realities of India before the global audience.  The elite of the country has spoken against the movie as it brings the other side of India, which is not IT superpower
urban India but real India.

1. Slums:  25 to 40 per cent of urban population in India lives in slums.  The movie brings out the pathetic life in slums.  The narrow streets, lack of health and hygiene, tin roofs, open sewerage, garbage heaps …etc.

2. Lack of human dignity:  Jamal (Dev Patel) who appears in the Kaun Banega Crorepati (Who wants to be a millionaire) is ridiculed by the anchor Prem Kumar (Anil Kapoor).  It is shown as selling tea is ‘mean’ job and publicly ridicules him.

3. Children:  Children do not have opportunity for education.  In fact, they are kidnapped, maimed and sent to beg on the streets.  The money that is collected by begging is taken by the gang leader Maman. ‘Missing children’ in India mostly end up as child beggars in big cities.

4. Children and starvation:  The starving children steal food in a moving train, roughed up and thrown from the running train.
Miraculously they escape.  The way the children are treated for this crime is horrific.

5. Human trafficking:  The stark reality of human trafficking especially of woman is also brought out well in this movie.  Women exploited to be dancers and sex slaves is open fact in India.

6. Violation of human rights:  The hero Jamal is picked up when he comes out of the show and is tortured to know the truth.  How did he know all the answers when more educated could not even the first few rounds.  Police are brutal and violate all laws of the land.

7. Attitude of upper class:  Prem Kumar (Anil Kapoor) informs the police that Jamal could have cheated because he wanted no body in the show to win.  He could not tolerate a socially lower class (caste) boy winning the prize of million rupees.

8. Riots:  riots are a common feature in India.  Minorities are attacked with impunity, with the help of law enforcing agencies from time to time.

9. Underworld:  The mafia gang operates in cities like Mumbai with impunity.  They could violate human rights, bribe police and escape. Many teens are getting attracted towards these elements.

10. Karma: At the opening scene, a title card is presented: “Jamal Malik is one question away from winning 20 Million rupees. How did he do it? A) He cheated, B) He’s lucky, C) He’s a genius, D) It is written.” At the end of the film, the answer is given as ‘D’ - written.  This promotes the idea of ‘karma’ where everything is predetermined and nothing could be changed.

Thus the film has opened the window to view the ground realities in India.  Instead of contesting the portrayal, leaders should work to address it.

Rev. Dr. J.N. Manokaran, Managing Director,
Trainers of Pastors International Coalition (TOPIC)

Presidents as Saviors

I find it interesting how so many people seem to view our new president, Barak H. Obama, as a sort of savior. During the run up to the elections, it was clear that many were looking to him as Princess Lea did in a galaxy far, far away when she pleaded, “Help me, Obi wan Kenobi, you’re our only hope”. If I was Mr. Obama, I don’t think I would enjoy this sort of pressure…but I’m not a politician, nor a president; and he is not only a politician and a president, but a history making president, complete with wealthy supporters, overwhelming charisma and polished eloquence. He has a plan, after all; and so, many are looking to him with much hope. I hope he can produce. It would be a shame for the masses to be disappointed. This may happen though, because presidents and Caesars never make very good saviors. 

Around two thousand years ago, there was a man on trial for failing to conform to the expectations of the religious powers of the day, a man who had proclaimed himself the king from heaven. This man was clearly innocent of all charges brought against him. The religious authorities wanted his head, nonetheless, and so clamored for his death. The Roman procurator at the time knew the man was innocent and so tried to convince the crowds and the rulers of the man’s innocence, even proclaiming, “I find no fault in this man”. They responded, “Crucify him, crucify him.” Making no headway, the religious leaders finally leveraged Pilate’s political loyalty, proclaiming to the procurator, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar”. At this, the procurator chose to have the innocent man crucified, but before turning him over to death, he cried to the crowd once more, “Shall I crucify your king?” The crowd responded strongly, “We have no king but Caesar”, sealing the man’s fate; and he died.

The crucified man was of course Jesus Christ, who claimed to be savior of the world, with miracles, signs and teaching to back up the claim. He later rose from the dead and has become the most influential man in history, being that he really is the savior of the world. The men who clamored for Jesus’ death, on the other hand, finally died and were long ago forgotten. And the Caesar they chose over Jesus would later do the very thing they feared the most. He sent his armies to destroy their capital city and also took away their place and nation.

Caesars (and presidents) don’t make very good saviors. They have a funny way of disappointing people, and sometimes even enslaving them. Jesus, who is called Christ, on the other hand, makes a great savior. He is good news to the poor, brings liberty to captives, opens the eyes of the blind, frees the oppressed, and brings in the Lord’s favor. He did this while here. He has done this for two thousand years. He will continue to do so in the future. He is the savior and sets people truly free.

Mr. Obama on the other hand, isn’t. He may promise liberty, but can he really provide it? At best, some may end up with more money in their pockets, or even with a job, but four years later, the rich will be still richer and the poor will still be poor. It is the way of history. Presidents, and Caesars, don’t make good saviors. Politicians never do. But who really cares? After all, it was time for a change!!

In Search of the Historic Calvin…

With July 10, 2009 being the 500th anniversary of the great Genevan reformer John Calvin, there are many conferences planned as well as new books being written in Calvin’s honor. And so, in keeping with the flow, I have decided to attend one conference (Desiring God National Conference in September, 2009) as well as read as much as possible by or about the Genevan reformer in hopes of learning more about Calvin’s life and his work. I think, by doing this, the conference will be more meaningful to me, too.

Along those lines, I recently read a work by William J. Bouwsma titled John Calvin: A Sixteenth Century Portrait (Oxford University Press, 1988. For those looking for a compelling biography of Calvin’s life, look elsewhere, for Bouwsma’s work is surely not it. The work is thorough regarding Calvin’s thought, however, as Bouwsma attempts to discover and interpret the historic Calvin (as opposed to the Calvin of tradition) through literally hundreds of quotes taken from Calvin’s sermons and writings. The strength of this book for me was in chapters 1, 13 and 14, covering Calvin’s life, his view of church government and his understanding of the church. These chapters were interesting and compelling.

The assessment given fell short of it’s goal, however, because Calvin’s writings are not John Calvin, and  to miss this point is to misunderstand the man, despite the amount of knowledge one may have of his times and his writings. At the end of the day, one would have to be present with Calvin to truly assess the man. I got the impression that Bouwsma would interpret Calvin’s commitment to and use/understanding of Scripture through what we know of his life and background. In other words, because he had such and such a background, he came up with the view of scripture that he had, right or wrong. It seems this is backwards. Rather, to understand Calvin it must be acknowledged that first, his conscience was captive to scripture as the living Word of God and second, scripture was molding him, and not visa versa; and so this grand attempt, complete as it is, is limited by the fact that the man lived 300 years ago, and our knowledge of him must be drawn, not from him, but from hard texts which he wrote.

I do recommend this book, but only for those who desire to wade through Bouwsma’s detailed analysis of Calvin’s life, based on hundreds of quotes. The book is not for the casual reader. It is written in such a way, and is sufficiently thorough, so as to make one think deeply about the man John Calvin, comparing Bouwsma’s conclusions to those from one’s own studies. It is a remarkable work in it’s detail; and as the late M. Howard Rienstra, former director of the H.H. Meet Center for Calvin Studies said, ‘future students of Calvin will be hard pressed either to ignore or refute Bouwsma’s theses’. Hopefully, some will try.

The Prodigal God-a review

There is an old saying which rings true so often. The saying is: ‘Familiarity breeds contempt’; and this is especially true about parts of the Bible which are very familiar, like Jesus parable of the prodigal son. Many of us have read this parable or heard it taught, preached and explained so much that it has lost it’s luster, and it’s power to impact our lives.

A new book by Timothy Keller is designed to reverse this. The book, released in October and titled The Prodigal God, takes this all too familiar parable and opens it up in such a way so as to help 21st century readers grasp it in it’s power and point; and the result is a fresh understanding of it which recaptures the heart of the gospel message. I found The Prodigal God compelling for many reasons. Let me explain three of them here.

First, the title of the book is captivating in and of itself. Most of us understand what is meant by a ‘prodigal son’ or daughter. But Keller applies this term, which is usually understood in a negative sense, to God. Some readers may be put off by this, but don’t jump to conclusions too quickly. As the meaning of ‘prodigal’ is defined more clearly, I came to see how God is indeed prodigal, in the best sense of the term; and the good news of Jesus flows to us because he is. For more detail on that point you will have to read the book. This is only one of many gems found within the pages of this short work.

A second gem gleaned from this book is in the books first chapter. Keller shows how, when Jesus was here on earth, his teaching and life consistently attracted those who were not religious at all while offending those who prided themselves on how religious and righteous they were. After showing this, Keller makes the point that “if the preaching of our ministers and the practice of our parishioners do not have the same effect on people that Jesus had, then we must not be declaring the same message that Jesus did” (page 16). Being the pastor of a Bible centered evangelical church, this statement caused me to stop and think about the kinds of people we draw to our churches; and I concluded that Keller was onto to something important in his book. And desiring to see people know Jesus, I was compelled to read further.

A third gem, which was particularly helpful to me as I read Keller’s explanation of the parable was what he draws out as Jesus’ main point. Having been a Christian for near forty years, I have heard the point of this parable explained as being the love of the Father for sons gone astray, the awesome forgiveness which the Father extends, and even the sacrifice the Father makes to receive his son back into his fellowship despite the norms of the father’s culture. I have even preached this parable from one or more of these angles. But Keller shows how all of these truths, true as they are, are only the back drop to Jesus main point. 

And what was Jesus’ main point? Who was this parable really directed to? Jesus focus in the parable, according to Keller’s understanding, was not so much the younger son, nor even the Father and his forgiveness but rather the prodigal’s older brother; and his purpose was to shock the Pharisees and anyone else who carries the attitudes of the older brother in the story into realizing that, as wrong as the prodigal was, they, too, are in a seriously bad position before the Father. Further, the position of ‘older brother’ types is made worse by the fact that, trusting in their own righteousness, the ‘older brother’ doesn’t even grasp his own eternal danger. The parable is an appeal to ‘the righteous’ to grasp that their ‘righteousness’ is really unrighteousness-their good is really bad-and in realizing this, to grab by faith the salvation which even they need. Keller then expands this and makes relevant applications of Jesus’ parable to people and churches today.

When all is said and done, Keller’s book The Prodigal God is a home run in my view!!! The book is short and yet thorough; it is easy to understand and yet profound; and it carries a much needed message for the church, and for those outside the church today. 

I recommend the book highly and see it as a ‘must read’ for anyone desirous of understanding the real Christian message, or for those who want to see the good news that is Jesus Christ spread to the masses or even to the neighbor next door. Often, we Christians make the faith complex. Timothy Keller, in The Prodigal God puts the heart of the gospel down low on the bottom shelf and makes it easy for anyone to grasp. May the Lord use this little book to draw many people to Jesus, for their good and for His glory.

Single Issue Politics

A friend recently sent me an email with a couple of links, one to a sermon and the other to a blog, about single issue politics. In other words, the focus of the sermon as well as the blog post centered on voting for candidates based on their pro-life stance. I suppose there is nothing wrong with basing a vote solely on where a candidate stands on a single issue. There is good reasoning behind doing so.

For example,  I think the idea of ’single issue politics’ is always broader than a single issue. What I mean is, support for abortion is an indicator that said candidate most likely supports other practices/policies that go against what I, as a Jesus follower, can accept. And it is the broader, underlying philosophy that is the concern to me. If one supports abortion on demand, he/she will most likely be pro euthanasia, pro fetal tissue research, pro genetic engineering, pro planned parenthood, anti family, supportive of placing limitations on parental rights, etc, not to mention states rights issues and issues revolving around the nature of marriage. Likewise, opposition for abortion is usually opposition to these other things too. From this standpoint, single issue politics is really ‘multi issue’. 

On the other hand, how about consistency? I have always wondered how those ‘pro-life’ can at the same time be pro-war. Now, I admit, there are some wars which are unavoidable. The last I remember (from history, not from being there) was WW II. Clearly, that war was both necessary and unavoidable, fitting Augustines criteria for ‘just war’. None since have, although I am sure those in South Korea are glad for the ‘police action’ of the fifties. So, why doesn’t the pro-life philosophy of life extend to things like the war in Iraq? In my view it should and is also a factor in my decision about the next president.

And this is what makes American politics difficult for those who try and seriously follow Jesus. We in the U.S. face a dilemma due to the two party system that controls our political landscape. What we need is a strong, viable third party choice that would do more than split the vote of the conservative camp. This will probably never happen, however, so we’re stuck with what we have.

The hope in all this, though, is that the most high does rule the kingdoms of men and places over it whoever He chooses. He also controls their lives and how far they can go in enacting policies. This is a great comfort to me. I remember before the Clinton’s were elected for their first term hearing one speaker say that if Bill Clinton was elected it would be sodom and gomorrah for four years. They were in office for eight, and it wasn’t ! Besides, it is the gospel ultimately, and not politics, that holds the key to real societal change.

As Jesus followers, we live, in the end, for another kingdom–the kingdom of our God and of His Christ. It is this kingdom that I live for at the end of the day, with or without Washington’s support.