God (+ Nourishing Food) => Faith, Hope, Love

Was reminded recently that relationships are built on, inter alia, time. Just like grunting over the morning paper at breakfast doesn't quite make a marriage relationship, so that quick "Quiet Time" before the day starts isn't quite enough for our relationship with God.

While mere silent meditation is unfruitful, there is much nourishment in reading God's word, discussing his thoughts and plans and having them explained. It's instructive that Jesus' compassion for the people in Mark 6:30-56 is not directed at their poor health or demon possession but at their lack of knowledge about God and about himself (Mark 6:34); they were like sheep without a shepherd.

Already in Ezekiel's time, the shepherds of Israel were criminally negligent in caring for God's flock (Ezekiel 34): they had not strengthened the weak, nor healed the sick, nor bound up the injured, nor brought back those who strayed, nor sought the lost. Instead, they themselves were like the wild beasts that attacked the sheep (Ezekiel 34:10), and being themselves sheep, had sabotaged any opportunity for other sheep to know God - "Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture; and to drink of clear water, that you must muddy the rest of the water with your feet? And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet?" (Ezekiel 34:18-19).

There has been much discussion about church leadership in certain circles lately. Leaders, as David Jackman helpfully points out in relation to 1 Thessalonians 5, are not those designated as "pastor" or "elder" or "deacon" and the like. Perhaps first and foremost, they are shepherds of God's people. They have compassion on those who do not know God and, like Jesus the Promised Shepherd (Ezekiel 34:23-29), feed them with the whole counsel of God, encouraging the fainthearted and helping the weak etc (1 Thessalonians 5:14ff). It is to these that we should give our respect.

But the troublemakers referred to in 2 Thessalonians 2 are despicable. Instead of encouraging and strengthening, they discouraged and deceived, causing sheep to wander off the safe path into minefields by telling them that Jesus had already come secretly or that they had special knowledge of the date and time of his coming. Paul's comfort to the trembling sheep was: (i) anyone who claims to have had a secret visit from Jesus or to be able to predict the time and place of The Day is surely a wolf savaging the sheep because Jesus' coming will be really very obvious and (ii) only God knows the date he himself has chosen for this momentous event and Jesus will come suddenly, like a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5).

So we sheep ought not to concern ourselves with trying to predict this future, and we are not to worry about it even when the man of lawlessness, the epitome of human rebellion against God, appears and seems unfettered. God is in complete control (2 Thessalonians 2). Rather, we should concentrate on the fact that this future is certain. Therefore, living in the steadfast hope of such a time of judgment and salvation, we ought to be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation (1 Thessalonians 5:5-10). Proper preparation for the Day is living in imitation of the King who is coming to save his people (cf Isaiah 59:17).

While all the hard work that went into Yio Chu Kang Chapel's Mueller: A Walk of Faith was appreciated, especially in the scoring and costume departments, the script didn't quite grab a big enough chunk of the mind-blowingness and heart-poundingness that is real faith. William Taylor of St. Helen's Bishopsgate though has just completed a series on Heroic Faith and Hebrews 11 which, being too much to do justice in summary, greatly repays listening.

And as we were discussing what this world terms "love" - first "loves", serial dating, the multitude of reasons and circumstances that might cause one to dispose of a dating relationship and the meaninglessness of such relationships in the first place, it seemed that real love (that is, the unselfish patient love first shown by God to us as revealed in Scripture and that we thus show to others) in comparison was a beautiful nourishing thing, patient and kind, brimming with assurance not fear, and headed for a certain and perfect end.

Still, one is reminded time and again of the "both...and" that characterises so much of Christian life: that even if the shepherds aren't feeding frozen tv dinners to the flock or making lamb chops with mashed peas on the side, there will always be those whose sinfulness will excuse their idleness with a misapplication of godliness (cf 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15). Because while the teaching of God's word is God's chosen way of growing his sheep and keeping them on the straight path, it is ultimately not our perseverance but God who perseveres us. For his glory.

And so because God has chosen us to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, calling us through the gospel so that we may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, so then, stand firm and hold to the teachings in the Bible...and also let us pray earnestly that our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort our hearts and establish them in every good work and word (2 Thessalonians 2:13-17).

May we not be like those who do not believe the gospel, refuse to love the truth about God and his Son and so be saved, for God will give them over to their delusion, that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12)!

Earworm of the week:

Jesus, Thank You

The mystery of the cross I cannot comprehend
The agonies of Calvary
You the perfect Holy One, crushed Your Son
Who drank the bitter cup reserved for me

Your blood has washed away my sin
Jesus, thank You
The Father’s wrath completely satisfied
Jesus, thank You
Once Your enemy, now seated at Your table
Jesus, thank You

By Your perfect sacrifice I’ve been brought near
Your enemy You’ve made Your friend
Pouring out the riches of Your glorious grace
Your mercy and Your kindness know no end

Lover of my soul
I want to live for You

© 2003 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (ASCAP)/Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP). Words and music by Pat Sczebel. As recorded on Worship God Live.

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Chinese Lunar New Year, 2 Thessalonians 1

The Chinese Lunar New Year is usually heralded by transatlantic calls from relatives speaking in tongues, the parentals declining to build a spit in the backyard for roasting a suckling pig (why not go the whole hog for the guests, eh?) and a pot-luck of stapleszzz.

Jamon! Chorizo!

On the way for more groceries, the driver mentioned with great glee that a small present, just off the plane from Bilbao, awaited in a cooler bag in the backseat. Perfecto! Hasta la vista suckling pig, the dead Spanish pig for personal consumption cometh!

The soundscape to accompany the peeling and chopping of a molehill of garlic and weeping into another molehill of onions started with The Mountain Goats' Life Of The World To Come, which like many an un-sermon, featured bible verses as inspiration for songs*. Half way through the garlic molehill, it seemed strange that Jack Johnson was singing about being made holy instead of, say, banana pancakes: Chris Rice's Deep Enough To Dream wasn't half-bad musically and fairly reasonable lyric-substance-wise, with a little more variety in Past The Edges and Smell The Color 9.

Trying to understand 2 Thessalonians 1:5 is also like trying to smell the colour 9, though in this case our faculties (and also late night discussions with people touting more well-oiled clogs) are meant to be of help. Perhaps it smells approximately like this:

2 Thessalonians 1:3-4
The Thessalonians' faith, love and hope ("steadfastness", cf 1 Thessalonians 1:3) has grown and increased so that Paul is able to boast about them to the other churches of God. Not that Paul sees them as a good pad for his CV as evangelist and church planter and grower, for he thanks God for this since it is God who has wrought their growth in these things (cf 1 Thessalonians 4 - "more and more").

2 Thessalonians 1:5-10
God considers it just (after all, who else can define "justice") to judge people according to how they respond to him (and his children): vengeance and the punishment of eternal destruction for those who do not know God and who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus (1:8-9); relief to the Thessalonians and to Paul, Silas and Timothy from the afflictions they are suffering (most likely because of the gospel, cf 1 Thessalonians) (1:7); affliction to those who are persecuting those who know and obey God (1:6), who have been called by God to do his work and empowered by him to fulfil their task for which they are being afflicted (1:11). Squeaks of "Oh I thought the vengeful violent God was the God of the Old Testament" would be moot because God himself determines what is right, and since he made the world, it is naturally and necessarily right that he punish the bits of his creation who not only decline to worship their creator but in fact, hinder and afflict those who are trying to tell the world about him (1:10). This is the righteous judgment of God.

The suffering of the Thessalonians (whom Paul has already established are true children of God) for knowing God and obeying the gospel of the Lord Jesus is evidence of the righteous judgment of God (1:5). This sounds as silly as saying that the prison term for the man convicted for breaking into his own house because he lost his keys is manifest evidence of the righteousness of the Singapore legal system. How can the unfair situation facing the Thessalonians be evidence of the righteous judgment of God?

Perhaps in these ways:
(i) in the sense that because this is an unjust situation, therefore, the inevitability of a day when the just God will make all this right, when the wicked and the righteous will get what they deserve (as discussed above);

(ii) in the sense that because of (i), it is proof to the Thessalonians of their current and eventual eternal standing before God - that they will not be away from the glory of his might (1:9) but marvelling at him who will be glorified in them (1:10,12); and also

(iii) in the sense that on the Day of Reckoning, it will show that God's counting them worthy of the kingdom will be right because in their affliction for his work and word, for they would have made it manifestly obvious that they had been obedient to God. Conversely, the righteousness of punishing those who are vexing them for this very reason would also be plain.

(Which would mean that those who preach that peace, prosperity and security now are evidence of God's blessing and approval are dangerously misdirecting their audience.)

Even if we not currently suffering because of the gospel (though rare would be the Christian who never finds himself in tribulation for living out his beliefs and a request for more holiness please usually takes care of that lack!), is the imminence of the Day clouding our waking moments and our dreams?

Are we eager to, boldly without flinching, keep growing in works of faith, in labour of love and steadfastness of hope (cf 1 Thessalonians 1:3, 1 Thessalonians 4)? For we already have great comfort that even if nastiness comes upon our placid lives because of this, it is all the more proof of our status before God now and on the Last Day and the glory our perseverance will bring Him who enables us to persevere.

And whether or not we are amassing questions for the eternal question time in heaven, it would be strange if the desire has not been awakened in us to yearn for the presence of God, if Jesus is not the person we are missing most even if we can avail ourselves to the sentiment of (if not the coupley set dinner menus that inevitably accompany) Valentine's Day; if we are not looking forward to celebrating God's glory in the people who have believed the gospel.



Nick Malgieri's Supernatural Brownieszzz, with some AP flour swapped out for wholewheat, an addition of roasted pecans, underbaked by 20 minutes.

*The Mountain Goats, Life Of The World To Come

1 Samuel 15:23


Genesis 3:23


Hebrews 11:40


Romans 10:9


1 John 4:16


Matthew 25:21


Deuteronomy 2:10


Isaiah 45:23


Ezekiel 7 and the Permanent Efficacy of Grace

Midlake, the Courage of Others Failed. Not Having Faith in the Acts of a Man, the Ruler Ruling All Things

We were discussing a nutritious serving of Mark 4:35-5:43 over an equally tasty lunch. It is already a great comfort that Jesus demonstrates not only that he has authority over all nature (the storm), over all the supernatural/Satan (the legion-demon-possessed man), over life and death itself (Jairus' daughter); even more so that he is not using his great power in arrogant self-sufficiency and selfish showmanship like the flamboyant Samson of Judges 16; and most fantastic of all, that in his demonstration of sovereign rule over all things, he is reversing the effects of the Fall - the rebellion of creation (the storm), the temporary (though doomed) sub-rule of Satan in this world (the violent, malevolent demon-possessed man), and death (cf Genesis 3).

Therefore, if we are in him, there is no need to fear in any circumstance since Jesus has control over everything. And there is no need to fear his unparallelled power either; instead we should have faith in him, because he intends to return all things to their proper order under God.


Random earworms:

Midlake, The Courage of Others - Acts of Man


Midlake, The Courage of Others - Rulers Ruling All Things


The Irrepressibles, Mirror, Mirror - In This Shirt


The XX, xx - Crystalised

"Please, Sir, May I Have More?" or No, I Do Not Appreciate the Untoward Application of Your "Heart"-Shaped Cookie Cutter to My Camembert

No! Don't do it!

"How have you grown in your church?" he asked, over the desecrated cheese.

Christian jargon brain freeze. "Grow"? What about me should have increased in quantity/quality?

1 Thessalonians 1-3 so far has indicated that the authentic message, brought by authentic messengers produces an authentic church. But past performance is no indication of future merit. There have been many whose testimonies of God's grace have brought forth enough tears to wash a fleet of Hummers, who have later rejected his kingship. There has been many a church which has started out loving the God of the Bible and ended up loving only their past reputation as bible-loving church, there have been many a person touted as godly but really only any good at gaining literary insights with a Christian twist in bible studies.

The growth question was therefore valid. 1 Thessalonians 4:1-1 suggests that in the real Christian and the authentic church, gospel qualities will develop "more and more". The authentic gospel/real message, when it came "in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction" (1 Thessalonians 1:5), induced authentic believers to turn "to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come" (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10) = "work of faith and labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 1:3). The real Christian and the authentic church do not move away from faith, love and hope to something else, but grow in these things, in all circumstances and in much persecution keep believing "more and more", keep loving "more and more" and keep hoping "more and more".

The work of faith on view here is hardly anything as glamorous or dramatic as calling upon God to miraculously heal the sick or cast out demons: it is about believing so much in the reality of God, of his wrath because of sin, and of the salvation that Jesus will bring that one goes on preaching this good news despite all sorts of struggles (1 Thessalonians 1); it is about knowing and trusting so much in God's character and instructions and goodness that one desires to please God (1 Thessalonians 4:1), do his will (1 Thessalonians 4:3) and heed his call (1 Thessalonians 4:7). A believer with real faith will not disregard God who gives his Spirit to us so that by knowing he who is holy, we know how to be holy and control our bodies in holiness and honour (1 Thessalonians 4:4); so that knowing that God punishes all sin, are duly warned not to transgress and wrong our brothers (1 Thessalonians 4:6)(loving God and loving neighbour being the Jesus-endorsed pithy summary of the commandments which themselves revealed the character of God); so that we have the ability to live pure lives pleasing to God (1 Thessalonians 4:7). The Thessalonians had great models of this in Paul, Silas and Timothy (1 Thessalonians 2).

Similarly, the labour of love has nothing to do with extravagant displays of affection but the mostly anonymous mundanity of being deeply concerned for the well-being of the other heterogenous members of the same body: praying for each other, strengthening each other, edifying each other, building each other up, admonishing the idle, encouraging the faint-hearted, helping the weak, being patient (1 Thessalonians 5:11,14). This love has been demonstrated ultimately by God in sending Jesus to die on the cross for our sins (cf 1 Thessalonians 1:4) and is something that has been generated naturally within us when we turned to God from idols (1 Thessalonians 4:9, fulfilment perhaps of Isaiah 54:13). The Thessalonians, being genuine believers, were already displaying brotherly love but they were to do so even more and in their context that meant not slacking about and being busybodies while depending on the handouts of others but demonstrating love in leading quiet lives and working to feed themselves so that they would not be a burden to others (1 Thessalonians 4:11), just as Paul, Silas (and perhaps Timothy) too worked day and night so that they would not be a burden to any of them while they proclaimed the gospel of God to them (1 Thessalonians 2:9) though they could have made demands as apostles of Christ (1 Thessalonians 2:6).

And all this is done with eyes fixed firmly on the future, on the coming of the Lord. But more of that distinctive Christian hope in the next chunk of 1 Thessalonians.

It is good to ask ourselves and each other if we are growing more and more:
(i) in works that demonstrate that we really believe in the existence, character and words of God,
(ii) in love for our brothers and sisters,
(iii) in hope of the Last Day,
and if we are hungering to do so.

If we find ourselves rather deficient or feeling rather uninterested in these areas, it is probably worth taking urgent action to clear the rocks, thorns and weeds from our soil, and ensure that we are being fed and watered regularly by the authentic message through authentic messengers. Before it is too late.

"Have you eaten?"
"What shall we eat?"