The Church in the Wilderness

John Calvin - Mentor and Friend

'As the surest source of destruction to men is to obey themselves, so the only haven of safety is to have no other will, no other wisdom, than to follow the Lord wherever he leads. Let this, then, be the first step, to abandon ourselves, and devote the whole energy of our minds to the service of God. By service, I mean not only that which consists in verbal obedience, but that by which the mind, divested of its own carnal feelings, implicitly obeys the call of the Spirit of God.'
- John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 3.7.1

'I call 'piety' that reverence joined with love of God which the knowledge of his benefits induces. For until men recognize that they owe everything to God, that they are nourished by his fatherly care, that he is the Author of their every good, that they should seek nothing beyond him - they will never yield him willing service. Nay, unless the establish their complete happiness in him, they will never give themselves truly and sincerely to him.'
- John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 1.2.1

'It is enough that I live and die for Christ, who is to all his followers a gain both in life and death.'
- John Calvin in a letter to Guillaume Farel on May 2nd, 1564 only a few weeks before his death

I greet Thee, who my sure Redeemer art,

My only trust and Savior of my heart,

Who pain didst undergo for my poor sake;

I pray Thee from our hearts all cares to take.

Thou art the King of mercy and of grace,

Reigning omnipotent in every place;

So come, O King, and our whole being sway;

Shine on us with the light of Thy pure day.

Thou art the life, by which alone we live,

And all our substance and our strength receive;

Sustain us by Thy faith and by Thy power,

And give us strength in every trying hour.

Thou hast the true and perfect gentleness,

No harshness hast Thou and no bitterness;

O grant to us the grace we find in Thee,

That we may dwell in perfect unity.

Our hope is in no other save in Thee;

Our faith is built upon Thy promise free;

Lord, give us peace, and make us calm and sure,

That in Thy strength we evermore endure.

- John Calvin, I Greet Thee Who My Sure Redeemer Art, c.1545, The Genevan Psalter

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Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

In less than two weeks, on July 10, 2009, the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin will be celebrated. I am one who will celebrate by thanking God for the gift of John Calvin. He has been a spiritual mentor to me. Over the years I have gleaned from his pastoral wisdom, learned from his exegetical insight, been warmed by his passion for Christ, and been astounded by his grasp of all things theological. He was an astounding gift to the church. His caricatures have not been fair. He has been maligned and despised in some quarters, but often these mis-judgements have been made by those who haven't taken the time to get to know him. If you'd like a sample of John Calvin may I suggest The Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life found here, http://www.monergismbooks.com/Golden-Booklet-of-the-True-Christian-Life-p-18184.html. This classic will introduce you to the man and his devotion to Christ. If you've never read it I don't think I can commend it highly enough. As Protestants we owe an incredible debt to this man. As a Christian and as a pastor I owe an incredible debt to this man.

I am grateful to God for the men and women who have gone before us and upon whose shoulders we stand upon. I consider John Calvin a dear friend and mentor I've never met.

Pastor Dan

Extending and Receiving Forgiveness

'Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.'
- Psalm 103:1-5

'Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.'
- Colossians 3:12-13

'And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.'
- Ephesians 4:30-32

'…men who love one another kindly and courteously forgive one another, and hence it happens that they willingly bury each other's vices, and each one seeks to preserve the honor of the other…. Who is there who has not many faults? Therefore all stand in need of forgiveness, and there is no one who does not wish to be forgiven.'
- John Calvin, Commentary on 1 Peter 4:8

O that day when freed from sinning,

I shall see Thy lovely face;

Clothed then in blood washed linen

How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;

Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,

Take my ransomed soul away;

Send thine angels now to carry

Me to realms of endless day.
- Robert Robinson, Come Thou Fount, verse 5

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

I need forgiveness. I need to know my many sins have been, and continue to be, covered by Another. Surely, if someone kept a record of my transgressions I would sink under the weight of them. There isn't a day that goes by when I am not acutely aware of transgression in thought, word and deed. And even now, as I look back over 50 plus years, I see the need for forgiveness by others as well. I have broken trust and broken promises. I have mislead. I have not spoken the truth. I have spoken harshly. I have not extended grace. I have judged uncharitably. I have kept a record of wrongs. I have thought unloving thoughts. I have not shown mercy. I have not defended others when I should have. I need thoroughgoing forgiveness, both by God through Christ, and by others. I need to know my many transgressions have been borne by Another.

Over the past couple of weeks God has graciously and kindly brought brothers back into my life that have extended forgiveness to me. They had every right to relegate me to another list than friend, but having experienced the forgiveness found in the gospel of Christ they graciously have extended forgiveness to me. I love Calvin's words, '…men who love one another kindly and courteously forgive one another, and hence it happens that they willingly bury each other's vices, and each one seeks to preserve the honor of the other.' These men have buried my vices...willingly. They have undeservedly preserved my honor. The effectual and operative grace of God in the life of the Christian enables us to extend genuine forgiveness and grace, because this is the character of God. In the life of the church there is abundant opportunity for offense. You will be offended and you will offend, but the Spirit of God gives us the grace and ability to forgive. Trust me, I know this first hand. We all need it.

Grateful for brothers and sisters in the community of forgiveness,

Pastor Dan

Shame, Nakedness, and Being Clothed by Another

"I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself."
-Adam to God in Genesis 3:10

“And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.”
-Genesis 3:21

“And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
-Hebrews 4:13
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“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!".
–Revelation 7:9-10

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

We all have a problem. We know it, others know it, and most importantly God knows it. The problem is nakedness. Ever since the Fall we have been on a dead run, lest our nakedness be exposed. Our answer is fear, running, and hiding. God’s answer is to arrest us mid-stride, show us our nakedness, and then provide clothing for us. Even going back to the Garden, and on the cusp of man’s betrayal, God provided clothing for man. To cover man’s nakedness blood had to be shed. From the beginning God’s initiative was seek to man on the run, reconcile alienated man to Himself by the shedding of blood, and cover man’s nakedness in garments He provided. This has been done gloriously for us in the gospel. The Son of Man came to seek and to save those who are lost (Luke19:10). God provided reconciliation to sinners by the shedding of blood of His Son (Hebrews 9:22-28). And, God has clothed the sinner’s nakedness with the righteousness of His Son (Romans 4:7). What makes the gospel good news is the knowledge that this is God’s doing. He has pursued us when we were running the opposite direction. He will accomplish what he has begun. He has taken away our nakedness and shame. He has clothed us with unspotted righteousness. And, He has reconciled us to Himself. What was lost in a garden was restored on a desolate Cross.

Grateful to be dressed in the righteousness of Another,

Pastor Dan

Charitable Judgments

‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.’
-Proverbs 18:21

"Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.’
- Matthew 7:1-5

‘For we all stumble in many ways….’
- James 3:2

‘If we are not loving our neighbors in the normal course of things, how will we ever do it when the stakes are much, much higher?’
- Paul David Tripp, War of Words, p. 166

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

I’ve seen relationships destroyed because ill thoughts had been harbored from one party toward another. I have jeopardized and lost friendships because of my lack of love and my lack of genial deference toward others. The fact of the matter is that we are sinfully hard-wired to be suspicious and disparaging. More often than not our first thought is not charity, especially for those who are different from us. The corrosive effects of uncharitable judgments are like battery acid to the soul. They eat away at the most tender parts first and then form a callous all around. Soon our thoughts and then our speech become poison both for us and for others. It seems as if there is no escaping it. At points we may think we have a handle on it and then out of nowhere, there it is…an unkind word, an off-handed comment, or a tidbit of gossip. Truth be known we have no inherent power to change. We have no humanly possible remedy for uncharitable judgments. The war against these sinful habits must come from outside us. Thankfully, God has spoken a charitable judgment over us, but this not before he pronounced a severe judgment upon His Son. Christ died as a penalty for our uncharitable judgments. He received the just judgment of God due us and now He pronounces, not judgment, but benediction upon us. And in His benediction upon us He not only calls us to charitable judgments, but He gives us the power to make them for others.

Because of Christ I desire to make all judgments charitable judgments.

Pastor Dan

Abiding and Fruit-bearing

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
-John 15:4-5

“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
- John 15:8

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

Over the last several months we’ve planted a number of trees (both fruit and evergreen}, and a number of blueberries, and in recent weeks a small garden. Each is doing well. The fruit trees have new leaves and blossoms on them. The evergreens have doubled in size and have tufts of new growth at the ends of the branches. The blueberries have new small blossoms. And the garden is now taking off with new growth from planted seeds. Each plant is part of the whole and to remove any parts of these plants from their source is to invite death. A branch can neither grow nor bear fruit by itself. A branch by itself will not only not bear fruit, a branch by itself will die. Living in vital and vibrant union with Christ will bring fruit. The Christian faith is built upon a relationship. That relationship has been won by Christ in His redeeming work for His people, but it looks like a relationship nonetheless. In the gospel God has restored, even surpassed, what was lost in another garden. It was in this first garden that sin brought misery and separation. Man wanted autonomy and aloneness. The vine and branches seemed irreparably severed, but God, the great Gardner, has restored what no man ever could. The vine and branches are once again joined and it is here that relationship and the fruit-bearing of being joined again to Christ exist and blossom and grow. Fruit-bearing is proof that we are connected to Him and we belong to Him. A vibrant relationship with Christ brings fruitfulness in our lives. Fruit-bearing demonstrates we are connected to the life-giving vine. In bearing fruit we prove to belong to Him as His disciples.

Desiring new growth and an abundance of fruit with you,

Pastor Dan

Redemptive Proclamation

‘I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth." And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.’
-Genesis 9:11-13

‘So Moses went down to the people and told them. And God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.’
- Exodus 19:25-20:2

‘In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"
- Luke 3:1-6

‘For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
- Romans 10:13-15

‘The first and greatest work of ministers of of Christ is acquainting men with the God who made them; He is the source of their blessing. We should open up the treasures of His goodness for them and tell them of the glory that is in His presence, a glory that His chosen people shall enjoy.’
- Richard Baxter, quoted in Preach the Word, p. 127

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

Surrounding the redemptive events found in Scripture there is proclamation. Either before, after, or both, God helps us by interpreting the redemptive event through human means. Noah, Abraham, Moses, the prophets, John the Baptist, Matthew, Mark, Luke John, Peter, and Paul were all ‘proclaimers’ of redemptive events. God graciously brings redemption and then interprets it for us so that we may understand. One of the great gifts God gives to the church is that of interpretation and proclamation. We are the recipients of good news proclaimed. God has provided redemption for us and His desire is that we hear the good news about it. Week after week we have the privilege of hearing the proclamation of redemption. God has reconciled us to Himself through the redemptive work of His Son and His ‘proclaimers’ bring us this news. We bear witness, by our hearing and assent, to God’s great plan of redemption.

May we have ears to hear and hearts to believe the redemption proclaimed.

Pastor Dan