Attention parents and grandparents: there’s still time to pick up a few more Christmas presents for the kids, so let me recommend two great gifts that require no assembly, no grooming, and that make no noise!
If you have time, go here and read my final article for Christian Today Australia. It’s entitled, “Augustine, the Hippo: Theological Tools for the Tots.” The article tells you about a couple of fantastic books for your children.
You can find both books for a decent price at amazon.
The Gospel Coalition has just published an excellent post by Barnabas Piper entitled 7 Things a Pastor’s Kid Needs From a Father. If you are a man in ministry, it is definitely worth reading. You can access the full article here. One of my favorite sections:
Yes, you are called to pastor your family, but PKs want a dad—someone who plays with them, protects them, makes them laugh, loves their mom, gives hugs, pays attention, teaches them how to build a budget and change the oil and field a ground ball. We want committed love and warmth. We want a dad who’s not a workaholic. It’s hypocritical to call your congregation to a life of love, sacrifice, and passionate gospel living while neglecting your own family. If a mortgage broker or salesman works too much at 60 hours a week, so do you. Leave work and be present for your kids. Your children will spit on your pastoring if they miss out on your fathering.
Well I finished my first New Zealand marathon and lived to tell the tale. The time was a bit disappointing: 3:53:00. Definitely not a personal record. We got off to a great start; hit the half-way point at 1:45:00. But my knee injury flared up around the 22 mile mark, so we came in at a much slower pace. But it was a perfect day, a beautiful course, and I finished it with a good buddy.
I’ve been out of touch (blog-wise) for a while. We’ve been pretty busy lately, and, well, New Zealand is not really a tech-driven kind of place. As the t-shirts here say: “No cell phone, no email, no problems.” I tend to agree. But I figure it’s time for a brief update on life over here in Dunedin. July has been a great month for us: the second chapter of my thesis was accepted, I was asked to teach Greek at the University, we got Aidan on the waiting list for kindergarten, and best of all we had our first visitors.
My parents, Larry and Pam Thornton, stayed with us for three weeks and we all had a blast! Of course, it’s winter here and summer in the U.S., so they had to get adjusted when they first arrived–they went from almost 110 fahrenheit in the States to about 3 celsius in New Zealand. Additionally, they had to get accustomed to the chilly housing in New Zealand; this time of year only two rooms of our house stay warm and the rest of the abode is quite cold (about 48-50 fahrenheit). I think my parents wore two pairs of socks, two pairs of pants, and two or three shirts the whole time they stayed with us! I have to admit, it was funny watching them as they tried to get used to the cold.
They also had to get used to the fact that we drive on the left side of the road here, and the roads are extremely windy and hilly, nay, mountainy–with no guardrails. Sometimes all it takes is a mere meter to the left and you plummet down a jagged cliff. Not much room for error. I tried to get them to take a shot at driving while they were here, but neither of them felt ready for that just yet. I can’t say that I blame them. It does require either bravery or insanity to drive here. Maybe next time they visit they’ll dare to drive, and I won’t have to serve as the chauffeur for the length of their stay.
Though I did all the driving, mom and dad helped pick the destinations, and we got to see so many beautiful places while they were here. We took them to all of our favorite spots: Aramoana, Sandfly Bay, Tunnel Beach, Orokonui, Long Beach, St. Clair, the Botanical Gardens, the Otago Museum, and the list goes on. We also got to explore new spots with them; we took our first ever trip to the west coast, visiting: Manapouri, Te Anau, the Fiordland National Park, and Milford Sound. We also went about an hour north of Dunedin and visited Moeraki for the first time. I’ve included some of the best photos we got from the many breathtaking places we saw. New Zealand is teeming with gorgeous beaches and majestic mountains, and the country has the greenest grass and the bluest water you’ll ever see. There’s really no way to fully describe the beauty. You probably just need to come visit us and see for yourself.
But visits, by definition, are temporary. Sadly, we had to say farewell to mom and dad yesterday. It was wonderful having them with us for three weeks, and they did so much to help us while they were here. We are so very grateful. The Lord has truly blessed me with godly parents. They have taught me so much over the years, and they continue to guide me today. I am thankful for the way they love each other, and for the way they love me, my wife, and my boys. I am thankful, most of all, that from the time I was a small boy they have pointed me to Christ. Thank you, mom and dad, for your faithful example.
We miss you already and we eagerly await your next visit. In the mean time, I’ll work on warming up the house for you…
My wife’s grandmother passed away yesterday. It’s been a bit difficult for Jamie. Losing someone you love is always hard. It’s even harder when you can’t be physically present with your extended family during a time of loss like this. Jamie’s grandmother lived in Forth Worth, Texas. We currently live in Dunedin, New Zealand. Almost 8,000 miles separate us. And teardrops sting more when family is not there to catch them.
But we are not overcome with grief—we have hope. Jamie’s grandmother was a believer. Therefore we mourn, not as the world, but as God’s children: “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (I Pet. 1:3). As believers, we have in us the hope of resurrection. Far from being the end, death is the transition from this life to a better one. Christians do not fear death; the grave is the gateway to things far greater.
But what are these “far greater” things? What does the Bible tell us about life after death for the believer? Much. Here I will highlight only two realities.
The first reality is that when a believer dies, his or her soul goes immediately into the presence of God (Phil. 1:23; Luke 23:43). Heaven awaits us. There is no standing in the corner of purgatory nor is there some hibernation of the soul. Death is the breaking apart of body and soul, and when a believer dies the body goes in the ground and the soul goes to God. This is the way it is now, though it is not the way it will always be…
What I want to say here is extremely important, so listen closely. Heaven will be great, but it will not be the end. The old hymn needs some tweaking: “This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through…” should be, “Heaven is not my home, I’m just a passing through.”
You see, the second reality is that believers will eventually receive new bodies and live eternally on a new earth. Heaven, then, is a sort of lobby before entering the theater. To truly understand this, we must see the pattern established on Easter Sunday—the pattern of the cross and the empty tomb. Do you realize that what God did for Jesus that explosive Easter morning is what He intends to do for the whole creation? Just as Jesus was physically raised, so will His followers be physically raised (Rom. 6:5-9). And, not only does Christ provide the pattern of resurrection for us, He also provides the pattern of resurrection for the earth (Rev. 21:1-4).
When Christ returns as conquering King, we will receive our new bodies, our physically resurrected bodies. Those who do not understand this will not long for home as they should. For whatever reason—probably because of the way the afterlife is portrayed in movies and in Pearly Gates jokes—we tend to think of our eternal resting place as some ethereal environment—a “floaty” place where the saints swirl about. Who wants to spend all their time with fat little cherubs, playing golden harps on fluffy white clouds? Not me. I’ll pass on the kindergarten playground after death. Thankfully, our eternal home will actually be nothing like this! We will not be spirits in the clouds; Scripture tells us that we will one day receive new bodies and we will live on a new earth. Since we will have bodies, it is right to think that the creative capacities God has given us will be retained in the life to come. We will paint, and build, and craft, and sing, and play. We will still have all of our senses: sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch. So get the ghostly existence out of your mind.
And what of our new and eternal home? Revelation 21:1-4 tells us:
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Note the resurrection language: the “passing away” of the old heaven and earth and the “new heaven and new earth” that replaces it. We see the Easter pattern yet again. This will be the final resting place of believers. A real, physical earth where we will have real, physical bodies. But with one very important difference—everything will be perfect. God will be present and sin will be absent. Everything will be “just right.” So think about this earth, and all the things you love and enjoy about it, and know that all the beauty and majesty of this present world will not even begin to compare to the new earth.
All of us have had moments on this earth where we think to ourselves, “It just doesn’t get any better than this.” Perhaps it’s the moment where you snuggle up with your family and drink hot chocolate next to a warm fire on a cold winter night. Maybe it’s that moment on a beautiful white-sand beach where the sun just begins to sink down behind the water. Perhaps it’s that moment when you reach the peak of a majestic mountain and feel the cool wind on your face knowing that you are higher than you have ever been before. But I have great news for you, fellow believer. The most ordinary moment on the new earth will be greater than the most remarkable moments in this life. It can get better, far better, and it will.
With no fear that life will ever end or that tragedy will descend.
With no fear that dreams will be shattered or relationships severed.
With bodies that experience no pain, no suffering, no disease.
There will be no more infections, no more heart-surgeries, and no more cancer. Our bodies will be perfected and we will live in a radically renovated and perfected earth. And best of all, we will be with God—forever. When we truly understand this, our prayer can only be: “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”
I once scorned every fearful thought of death,
When it was but the end of pulse and breath,
But now my eyes have seen that past the pain
There is a world that’s waiting to be claimed.
Earthmaker, Holy, let me now depart,
For living’s such a temporary art.
And dying is but getting dressed for God,
Our graves are merely doorways cut in sod.
–Calvin Miller
I realized it’s been a while since my last New Zealand update, so here’s an account of some of our recent happenings.
We bought a car and Jamie and I are both pretty accustomed to driving on the left side of the road–we haven’t hit a sheep yet anyways. We’ve learned a good bit of the Kiwi terminology: everyone says “no worries,” “good for you” is “good on ya,” “cookies” are “biscuits,” “coffee” is “tall black”, “tea” is “a cup’a,” “fries” are “chips,” “chips” are “crisps,” “flip-flops” are “jandals” (not that you’d ever wear them over here; it’s too chilly), “gas” is “petrol,” and the list goes on. I’ve been working around the house a bit on perfecting my Kiwi accent, but Jamie says I just sound like the Indian convenient store owner from The Simpsons. I’ll give it a rest for now.
Aidan has learned all of his letters, and can make the right sound for most of them. We were walking through the grocery store just the other day and out of the blue he yelled: “Hhhhh-aaaaa-mmmmm!” Ham was on sale. He is also getting better and better about walking long distances on our family hikes/excursions, which we do every weekend. In the past few weeks we have been to Long Beach, Sandfly Bay, and Tunnel Beach (the pictures in this post are of these locations). The scenery here is absolutely breathtaking.
Cullen is walking! He can take a good ten steps or more on his own without losing his balance. His 1st birthday is coming up on April 7th and Aidan’s 3rd birthday on April 20th. We’re planning on taking them to the Orokonui Ecosanctuary to see the birds to celebrate. Maybe Cullen can chase down a Shining Cuckoo.
Jamie is not nearly as home sick as she was our first month here. Though we all still miss our family and friends from the US, we are starting to get at least somewhat settled now. Jamie has been cooking up a storm (and from scratch at that!): shepherd’s pie, homemade pizza, and an assortment of stews are our weekly favorites. Sometimes she even cooks up something for second breakfast and elevenses. She has also entered the world of blogging; you can check out her blog here. It’s much more creative than mine, I assure you.
My studies are going swimmingly. I feel a bit monkish at times; I stay locked in my office all day: translating, reading, and writing. I have established a pretty decent work routine. I never get as much done in a single day as I’d like, but I suppose getting a little done today is better than hoping to get a lot done on the morrow. “Plod” is the key word for a Ph.D. student, I think.
I have gotten to know my supervisor, Paul Trebilco, pretty well in these first few months. He’s been so very helpful, and I am glad to be under his tutelage. This past Sunday, my family and I visited Leith Valley Church, where Paul attends, and we had a wonderful day worshiping with our Kiwi brothers and sisters. I was thrilled to see that Paul is very involved in ministry at Leith Valley. What a blessing it is to have a supervisor of international renown who is also wholeheartedly devoted to local church ministry.
Not only have I been blessed with an excellent supervisor, but the University of Otago as a whole has made a great first impression on me. This is an outstanding place to do doctoral work. The faculty in my department is like the A-team, some of the top theological soldiers of the day. The University is also very generous to postgrad students. Not only are we funded while we do our work here, but the University will also fund us for a national and international conference during our course of study. So, I hope to head to Auckland for a conference in December of this year and maybe Scotland for a conference in 2013.
I am grateful to the Lord for providing us with this opportunity to live in such a beautiful place, to work under some of the top biblical scholars in the world, and to engage in serious study of His Word. I pray that it will all be for the glory of His name and for the good of His church.
Many thanks to all of our family and friends who have been praying for us.
Here endeth the update.
My in-laws pointed out an interesting text the other day–Matthew 18:10. Let’s have a look, shall we?
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven…”
The curious part is the reference to “their angels.” Does this verse teach that each child has his or her own guardian angel? Does my son, Aidan, have his own “Clarence” up there somewhere? Maybe, but probably not. I’ll tell you how I arrive at this conclusion, but I’ll do it in a roundabout way.
Let me begin by saying that there are a lot of misconceptions about angels. If misconceptions about angels were guardian angels we’d each have a dozen defenders. We have popular culture to thank for this. Victor Hugo was wrong; it is not “by suffering that human beings become angels.” Humans never become angels. When you hear a daughter speak at her mother’s funeral and say that “momma’s an angel now,” you don’t need to stand up and protest (have some respect for the grieving), just know that the daughter is mistaken. There are also a lot of angelic movies out there: It’s a Wonderful Life, Angels in the Outfield, City of Angels, the list goes on. I don’t need to say much here. Just know this: don’t get your theology from hollywood–ever.
Let’s return now to the guardian angel question. The problem is that the Bible never specifically speaks of individual guardian angels. Wayne Grudem, in his Systematic Theology, refers to angels playing a “zone defense” rather than a “man-to-man defense.” Grudem is probably right. The Matthew passage above is the closest thing we have to a guardian angel text, but “their angels” does not necessarily imply that each believer has a “Clarence.” It could just as easily be a reference to the collective angels the Heavenly Father uses to care for His child-like disciples (Heb. 1:14), and this interpretation seems to mesh a bit better with other passages that speak of these heavenly messengers. God certainly uses angels to minister to His people in a number of ways (communication, protection, etc.), but I don’t think the Bible gives us enough material to support the guardian angel theory–so don’t jump to “Clarence” conclusions just yet.
There seems to be a great movement today of people who want to study angels. The Bible never tells us to study or to worship angels, but the Bible does tell us that angels are studying us. The angels stoop to study salvation (I Pet. 1:12). Angels know a great deal about salvation. After all, they were present to announce the birth of Jesus (Luke 2) and they were present at the tomb to announce the resurrection of Jesus (Luke 24). But angels have not experienced salvation. They are, in a sense, outsiders to salvation. Angels do not know what it is like to experience God’s grace. God didn’t spare the angels who followed Lucifer and fell from heaven. And so, angels are fascinated by salvation. They rejoice over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:10).
So when you think about angels, don’t dwell on the speculative stuff. Rather, trust in the sovereign God who controls the heavenly host (however many there are) and let these messengers remind us of how thankful we should be that God has spared us.
Here are two new theological/pastoral resources. The first is a case study paper. What should a pastor do if a couple in his church requests to be married without filing the appropriate paperwork with the State (aka: the marriage license)? In other words, the couple wants to be married “in the eyes of God,” but not “in the eyes of the government.” This is more common than you might think.
In the Eyes of the Lord-A Pastoral Case Study
The second is a list (including Scriptural examples) of some of the figures of speech used in the Bible. If we desire to interpret the Bible accurately, we must learn to interpret figures of speech–the Bible is jam-packed with them!
A good friend and former professor of mine is fond of saying that all Christians are called not only to salvation, but to service, sacrifice, and simplicity. Simplicity is the one we’ll focus on for now. We can’t find simplicity these days. It’s lost–buried somewhere beneath all our stuff. Well, let’s see if we can dig it up… Of course, it’s been so long since we’ve seen it, we might not know what to look for. So, as we rummage through the piles of our possessions, here are some of the things we might want to keep our eyes open for.
Simplicity is not buying a bigger house, madam, just because your tennis partner just bought one. Simplicity is not taking the new job with twice the salary, mate, if it means that you’ll have to spend half as much time with your kids. Simplicity is increasing the amount you give away, rather than skyrocketing your standard of living when the Lord blesses you financially. Simplicity is knowing the difference between necessity and luxury, and choosing to do without luxuries because so many lack necessities.
I’m a selfish man, but I’ve been digging a little lately, and I might have caught a glimpse of simplicity. It’s all because of an exercise we’ve been doing. It’s called: cram everything you’ll need for the next three years into seven suitcases! As we’ve been getting ready for our upcoming globe-trot, we’ve gotten rid of a lot of stuff. We’ve sold both our cars, almost all our furniture, half our clothing, barrels of toys (and not just monkeys either), and who knows what else. Turns out, you don’t even need most of this stuff. Who knew? I haven’t found simplicity yet, but I’m committed to finding it. It’s important, you see. Because simplicity and good stewardship are blood-relatives.
As the Southern fella sang: ”Be a simple kind of man.” Life is short, and we can’t take our suitcases with us–not even seven.
As per usual, Mark Driscoll has people talking. I’m not even going to take the time to read Real Marriage and write a review of it. I’ve read and heard enough of Driscoll’s stuff to know what’s coming. He’s a broken record. If you haven’t read the book yet, I would urge you not to–not if you are looking for a great book that will help you have a godly marriage. I’m not saying the book is terrible (again, I haven’t bothered to read it). I’m not even saying the book isn’t decent (which it might be). I’m just saying that life is too short to read a bunch of substandard stuff, so go with something like Kostenberger’s God, Marriage, and Family, Piper’s This Momentary Marriage, or Keller’s The Meaning of Marriage if you want a truly great book on marriage.
But, if you feel you must read Real Marriage, then at least be aware of some of the problems with the book. I’ve listed some notable reviews/opinions for you. If you have the e-book version of Real Marriage, pay special attention to the review by Challies.
