Archives for August 2006

ESV Malachi 3:18 Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

In studying this verse, I came across this paragraph by E. Ray Clendenon in his excellent commentary on Malachi from the New American Commentary series [Broadman & Holman]:

Jesus’ parable [of the wheat and the tares] suggests why God may say ‘you will again see the distinction.’ When a garden is first planted, it is easy to see the difference between it and the surrounding countryside. The difficulty only arises after the onset of weeds. Likewise at the beginning of Israel’s history the difference between God’s people and the nations, especially Egypt, was clearly visible (1 Kgs 8:53). Beginning with the fourth plague, God would ‘make a distinction between my people and your people’ (Exod 8:23), as was the case in all the remaining plagues (Exod 9:4, 11, 26; 10:6, 23). Finally, the tenth plague against the firstborn would cause unimaginable anguish, ‘but among the Israelites not a dog will bark at any man or animal. Then you will know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’ Afterwards the Sabbath would be a ‘sign’ of Israel’s distinction (Exod 31:13, 17), as would the laws of the clean and unclean (Lev 10:10; 11:47; 20:25). But in spite of the object lesson at Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal teaching Israel the consequences of obedience or disobedience (Deut 27:12-13; Josh 8:30-35), Israel soon lost their visible distinctiveness and became like all the nations (Deut 17:14; Ezek 20:32). Where God’s repeated discipline had failed to restore his people, his coming to purify the priesthood (Mal 3:1-4) and destroy the wicked on that final day will succeed (3:5; 4:1, 3). The situation of the prosperity of the wicked and the suffering of the righteous will no longer exist after the day of the Lord brings judgment and vindication. [pp. 448-449]

The verb ‘see the distinction’ is the normal word for ‘to see’ in the OT. Sight, or seeing, is the ability to distinguish differences visually. It is interesting that Clendenon picks up on distinctiveness as a theme for God’s people through the Old Testament. God has always desired his people to be visibly distinct from the world. Part of that distinction is in a clearly distinct mode of worship and a distinct lifestyle.

Today it seems that the church generally seeks to erase distinctions more than emphasize them or at least accentuate them. In Malachi, clarity comes in “the day” when God “makes up his jewels [precious treasure]” out of those who fear Him. This is a reference to the Day of the Lord and the judgement of the world.

Is it possible for God’s people to regain distinctiveness apart from the judgement of ‘the day’?

Today, one of our deacons and I spent the day putting some of the finishing touches on a sound booth we built in our auditorium some month’s ago. The work involved cutting three boards to top off the half wall we built, sanding and installing them, and cutting four more boards of trim to match the other trim in the church. Not very much physical material, but because of the angles we built into the booth, very finicky in the finishing. We spent the morning talking through and cutting the angles of the booth toppers.

My deacon knows more about construction than me, but having had a stroke almost two years ago, he sometimes forgets things. If I don’t understand what he is telling me to do, I make him talk me through it until I get it. He usually is right, but this is the finishing job, and my saw cuts exactly what I tell it to… so I want to be right when I pull the trigger.

After a successful morning, we set out to buy a few needed materials and the trim. The trim in our church is simple 3/4 by 1 1/2 strips of wood, sanded and stained. We purchased some rough red cedar strips for the job, sanded them down, and then went to work cutting angles again. The trim was a little less finicky than the topper, but still, with measuring, cutting, sanding, and then staining, the afternoon was occupied.

The end result is quite pleasing to us. The sound booth looks like part of the building now, like it’s always been there.

As I think about a day of satisying physical labour, I thought of the man that I was working with. I can’t remember how long he has been a Christian, but I was in his kitchen when he surrendered to the Lord and began a long road of growth from a former drug addict to a deacon in our church. I know the Lord isn’t finished with him yet, but he ‘looks like he’s always been here.’ This is the real joy of the ministry.

3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

Regards,
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3

We decided to be politically correct and save the salmon. I’ll pick some up at the grocery store later!

Actually, we had a great day on the water. The brother who took me is an older man who became a Christian later in life but is a sincere believer now. He and his wife are real encouragments to us. We spent the day mostly on the water, stopping for lunch at a remote, private little beach. He has a portable stove which we quickly set up to perk a pot of coffee [perked coffee in a camp pot is absolutely the best coffee in the world].

The fish are safe (from us), but the day was good. We saw all kinds of activity on the water, a cruise ship heading in (which we passed under the bow when we came in to dock), numerous whale watchers heading in and out, our navy doing exercises with a couple of boats and some helicopters, a crew of citizens heading out diving, seals sunning themselves on the rocks, and NO SALMON.

I did have a soft ice cream cone on the way home as a consolation prize. We have the best soft ice cream I have tasted anywhere in a special store right here in Victoria. If you come visit, I’ll treat you to some.

Regards,
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3

And others are like today: Sunshine, Strait of Juan de Fuca, maybe up close and personal with a salmon or two…

Heading out for a few hours on the water with one of our men. One on one discipleship, you know.

It’s a tough job but…

Any other cliches I can think of?

I’ll let you know how it works out when I get back.

Regards,
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3

The Daily News: Emily Shearhouse and her music

This article is about my lovely and talented niece who lives ‘back East’. Aside from being related to me, she is quite a wonderful person.

Hmmm… I see, however, that the Daily News has misspelled her last name… typical media types!!

For an actual article rather than the slide show, here is the link.

A number of years ago (in the dawn of time, before there was a blog, boys and girls), I was talking to my brother-in-law about writing. I asked him if he ever would like to write a book. He replied, “I would have to have something to say.” His answer kind of floored me. I had never known him to be at a loss for words!

But writing is not the same as speaking. One does have to have something to say in order to make it fresh and interesting. (And one does have to be ruthless in the writing process in order to make it readable!)

My greatest fear about getting involved in the “front end” of blogging is having nothing to say. My earlier attempt was rather sporadic. I think some of the earlier posts remain on this site, but I deleted a good many of them. They really were just a spewing of opinion, not much substance.

Here is how I think I will succeed this time, if I make it past the practice round of blogging:

1. Always be reading: reading brings fresh ideas for commentary, and blogs are essentially commentary.
2. Read and write in your area of expertise: There are subjects about which I am interested and have an opinion, but about which I don’t know ‘nuthin’. Don’t bother exposing the ignorance, the rest of the world will ignore it too.
3. Write something daily: This is for the practice of the craft. It doesn’t necessarily mean publish something daily, but write, write, write. Preachers are writers, they write usually three or four sermons a week. Blogging or longer and more formal writing are a different genre, but the principles are the same. If you would be a writer, always be writing.
4. Be motivated by one big idea: the blog itself should be centered around a major concept about which the blogger is passionately interested (to use a word I hate). The defining philosophy of a man’s life and work should be the center of your blogging world. For me that would be the promotion and defense of Christian fundamentalism. (… although I suppose some of my fundie brethren would just as soon I didn’t bother!)

Well, I guess that is enough for now. I have a number of ideas from Pickerings book that I want to write about in the future. I also have a number of ideas from Murray’s bio of D M Lloyd-Jones, so these are areas where I will be writing and commenting in the future. I am sure there will be more, because I’ll always be reading.

Regards,
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3

Show documents atheist’s month in Christian home | LJWorld.com

An article describing a ‘reality’ TV show I had heard about somewhere else. We don’t get this channel up here, so I doubt I will see it, at least initially. The premise is certainly interesting. But….

But the ‘atheist’ is a lapsed evangelical. A university educated (Ph D!!) clinical psychologist who gave up her career to be a stay at home mom. This isn’t usually the image I have of an atheist, although I suppose there are lots of people like this. (Well, perhaps not all Ph Ds!!)

I suspect that the so-called atheist had less of a shock than the ‘fundamentalists’ she lived with. She is a former evangelical, after all. She has walked away from it, so what she saw again would be no surprise to her.

It will be interesting to read reactions from peopel who have access to this programming, although I don’t know I would recommend watching it.

Regards,
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3

Reading a little further in Pickering, I encountered this paragraph:

It is the nature of the flesh to want recognition and greatness. The sons of Zebedee were supremely concerned about their status in the coming kingdom. ‘Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory’ (Mark 10:37). On another occasion the disciples enquired, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ (Matt. 18:1). Their question sounds hauntingly familiar, similar to the present-day scramble among evangelicals for ‘bragging rights.’ The Scriptures give an antidote for this problem: ‘And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not’ (Jer. 45:5). How many of God’s servants today are spending much thought, time, and energy seeking ‘great things’? Our goal should be the honor and glory of the blessed Lord. ‘For I know that the Lord is great’ (Ps. 135:5). [Ernest Pickering, The Tragedy of Compromise, 136-137]

Dr. Pickering’s words sound like an echo of my last post. I am afraid, however, that it is not just evangelicals who scramble for bragging rights. The phenomenon is all too familiar in fundamental circles as well, although perhaps our self-promoters are less interested in the applause of the world than the applause of the brethren.

Whatever the focus of the lust for recognition, it is a Spirit-deadening ingredient in Christian ministry. It is a major component of the fuel of wood, hay, and stubble Paul speaks of in 1 Cor 3.

May our ambitions be to please Christ, and let Him give us recognition, or not.

Regards,
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3

On the side-bar, you might notice that I am reading Ernest Pickering’s book, The Tragedy of Compromise. In blogging, my plan is to interact with the things I am reading in order to think out, to my satisfaction at least, the fundamentalist philosophy.

Dr. Pickering quotes a Michael Horton several times in his book. On p. 135, he cites this statement:

There is something exalting about being a part of something that is respected by society. If we can build larger buildings, have larger gatherings, create larger enterprises, and compete with other mass-produced products, we will be a part of something powerful, something relevant, and the world will have to sit up and take notice of us.

The quote comes from Power Religion, an anthology with various fairly well known evangelicals as writers, including Packer, McGrath, Sproul, etc. and lists Charles Colson and Michael Horton as editors. Horton’s quote comes from p. 333, in a chapter entitled “The Subject of Contemporary Relevance”.

This business of ‘something exalting’… Preachers are all too familiar with the exhilaration of something exalting, even if we are occupants of pulpits in small works. This has to do with the ‘ego’ business I mentioned in the previous post. A crowd of ten listening to a preacher is somewhat exalting, because now I, one man, is heard by ten others. A crowd of fifty is even better, and the higher you go, the more exhilarating it is.

But Horton is not simply talking about the satisfaction of being in front of a large crowd, he is speaking about the satisfaction of being a part of a large crowd, and especially a crowd that is respected by society. This satisfaction is the satisfaction of being affirmed, of credibility and legitimacy because your voice is one of a larger group of respectable, acceptable, and esteemed voices.

The desire for legitimacy and credibility drives us to join ourselves to larger organizations. To some extent, this could be considered a good thing. For example, missionaries who join themselves to a board led by respected individuals have more credibility than those who are simply sent out by a local church. That is, while the missionary may be an unknown quantity, if he has been appointed by a well known board, he gains some instant credibility. The non-board missionary may have equal or superior integrity, ability, and potential, but he has to earn his credibility (at least initially) by other means. Thus, the desire for credibility is not all bad.

Where Christians go off the rails, however, in seeking credibility is when they are seeking the approval of the world. This is at the heart of evangelicalism, and I am afraid it is a temptation indulged in by many ‘young fundamentalists’. We hear cries about the ‘lack’ of scholarship in fundamentalism and the need for more scholarship. We hear complaints about the isolation of fundamentalists. The list goes on.

I think every pastor should be scholarly. I think fundamentalists should do everything in their power to engage the lost in meaningful ways in order to bring them to Christ. I think (given my educational background) that fundamentalists should ‘get out of Greenville’. I think we need to understand the thinking of the worldling and learn his lingo (think Acts 17).

But what we don’t need is the world’s approval. We don’t need to be impressive. We need to get over this part of the ego, that I am somehow affirmed if the world likes me and doesn’t think I am a redneck hick because I believe, live and teach the Bible.

We don’t need worldly aggrandizement. We need the approval of heaven.

Regards,
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3

I am preaching through Malachi this summer. My pace is a little too fast for me, I’d like to take side trips down word study lane, repeat myself by repeating the themes in a pericope several times from different angles, and milk at least six months to a year out of four chapters. As it is, I will end up with a total of twelve messages, covering the book in about two and a half months.

G. Campbell Morgan has a book of outlines out called The Twelve Minor Prophets. I have been hammering home his two word theme for the book: unconscious corruption. His point is that the people of Judah were self-satisfied and believed God to be the cause of their difficulties, not themselves. They are unconscious of how low they have sunk and of God’s true opinion of them.

As I think about this theme, I have also been thinking about the complaints of many against fundamentalism. Accusations fly fast and furious from the disgruntled know-it-all set, claiming all sorts of sins starting with ancient accusations of legalism and Pharisaism on to much more serious charges which I’ll not repeat here.

I have tended to be reactionary to these charges. While fundamentalists have been guilty of all kinds of sins, I doubt that their guilt (proportionately) is any worse than any other group of sinners, and perhaps better than most. The evangelical sinners, for example, are not immune to scandal and there are the notorious priests of recent fame as well.

But let’s pause in our reactionary mode. Truly, are we unconscious of our corruption? Who of us truly knows ourselves and if we do, how honest are we about ourselves to ourselves, much less to others?

Take this whole blogging phenomenon, for example. What is the point of the numerous blogs (which I will continue to read) and who do these bloggers think they are (and I plan to remain one of them)? What motivates blogging? Why must men publish their thoughts and invite the world to comment?

At the heart of a good deal of it, there must be ego. Are you conscious of ego in yourself? Do you realize how much it drives what you say and do? On a parallel track, how much of the ‘call to preach’ is simply ego? A good deal of it, in my opinion. Leadership involves ego. Very few leaders are in their positions because they are the humblest and godliest of men.

It is possible to be godly while driven by ego, but the challenge of any spiritual leadership is to find the right balance, subordinate and subdue the self, and harness the ego for godly pursuits. The challenge of the blog is the challenge of leadership. Blogging is a kind of leadership. Therefore, be conscious of your corrupt human nature as you blog. Be conscious that you are motivated largely by what you want to do. Be conscious of ego, and conquer it, subdue it, and control it in order to accomplish wider purposes than your own, the purposes of God.

Regards,
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3

PS, to those whom I notified about the arrival of this blog, I especially want you to see the post “My second attempt at blogging” … just scroll down.