Throwing CD’s out the Window

I have spent some time reading through the Gospels and recently I came across a verse that stopped me in my tracks.  I considered the context and what it really meant.  When taken by itself, I found this verse could be grounds for giving up parts of our lives that are not necessarily labeled “Christian”.  This standard felt so restricting to me as I consider the implications.  However, when viewed in its context, I saw freedom from any standard that we set for ourselves in order to glorify God.  The only imperatives that we must live by are the one’s outlined in Scripture.  Apart from what God’s word tells us to do directly, we have freedom to act and to will, insomuch as we are within God’s moral and revealed will.

The verse is John 3:30:

He must increase, but I must decrease.

This is John the Baptist speaking here and he has a point that I know I personally have taken out of context.  He is responding to a comment some men made when they realized that Jesus was across the way doing the exact same thing that he was doing (baptizing people).  It’s almost like they were saying “Hey bro, that guy over there is doing your thing…what are you gonna do about it?”  I could be totally off in my assumption of the attitude, but it seems like they are saying it to challenge him.  They said (v. 25),

…’Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.’

So John responds with a humble explanation of the fact that he has no ministry apart from that which God has given him (Hey! Now that’s an idea!) and ends it with the above quote, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

What does John mean by this?  Does he mean that every part of my life that is not directly labeled “Christian” must be done away with?  Certainly we are to put to death anything that is considered “earthly” (Col. 3:4-6) and we are called to not love the world (1 John 2:15-16) but does this mean that we need to give up parts of our life that Scripture does not outline as sin?  That could very well be the case.  (I’ll let you decide… search the Word).

Anything we do that takes the place of God in our lives is idolatry.  Deuteronomy 6:5 commands us to love Him above all else.  So therefore anything that we love above Him is idolatry and is therefore sin.  Some of those things are outlined in Scripture explicitly and we have no defense for our actions when it comes to these specific sins.  Yet many times we take something in our lives and get rid of it because it doesn’t have ANYTHING to do with the Gospel.  We are not called to do that.

Consider my experience as a young Christian:

I was about 17 years old and I had just started to drive.  Of course, like any good teenager with a car, I bought a nice sound system and I loved listening to music…really loud.  When I was gripped with the Gospel at that age, it began to change my desires and the way I lived.  I began to develop new convictions and that even flowed over into my choice of music.  I would still bump to my two 10″ JBL’s powered with about 1,000 Watts at 8 ohms in a large band pass box, but I was so zealous to purge anything from my life that did not “honor God” that I started throwing out some of my old music.  I distinctly remember one day driving out of my neighborhood and excitedly throwing out multiple CD’s…yes, out the window…. and I distinctly remember coming across a Jack Johnson CD and I flicked it out the window along with the likes of Pennywise, AFI, Outkast, St. Lunatics, Jay-Z, etc.

My ambition to rid my life of anything not labeled “Christian” was in no way wrong!  It was an honest action rooted in a desire to please God.  Yet what was wrong with Jack Johnson?  I’ll leave that up for you to decide.  The point is that my actions were not necessary, nor commanded by Scripture.  They were a decision that I made with great intentions yet I had no Biblical defense for why Jack needed to go out the window.

How many times do we give things up in an effort to please God and forget that in Christ, because of the cross, we can afford certain liberties that do not dishonor the Lord?  Now before I go any further, I am NOT saying that we have a “get out of jail free” card that we can waive around when our lifestyle is questioned.  We should not look like the rest of the world and we should not go flaunting our freedom in Christ.  Suffice it to say that when we run with our liberties, we are stripping the Gospel of its power and using it as a defense for something that is ungodly.

Now, how does that all tie back in to John 3:30?  Good question.

What struck me when I camped out in this passage was the context of verse 30.  John was not speaking of his lifestyle.  He was not saying, “Oh, I need more Jesus in my life.  Well, I guess I should give up watching the NFL and maybe I should only listen to KLOVE.”  John’s response wasn’t like this at all.  He was not speaking of his personal life, but rather he was speaking of his ministry (read all of John 3).  So, if I may, I will render the text to say this (my emphasis added) “His ministry must increase, but my ministry must decrease.”  I make this change because if you read this verse alone you don’t get the full meaning (ANOTHER reason why context/Greek/Hebrew MATTERS!) and you can incorrectly render this text as “I need to take things out of my life that are not Christian”.  Once again, let me emphasize that taking something out of your life for the glory of God is NEVER a bad thing.  My point is that we are not required by God to let go of our hobbies, interests or passions insomuch that they are not idolatry.  He gave us these things to enjoy His creation and life!  As long as we realize that earthly pleasures (watching your favorite NFL ream dominate their opponent for example) are NOTHING compared to knowing God in this life and the life to come, there is freedom.

This freedom comes only when we enjoy life’s pleasures in their correct context.  Anything in life, used in the context in which it was made for, is SO much better!  Just as a fire outside of the fireplace (on your couch for example) is not enjoyable, neither are life’s pursuits enjoyable (or even God-honoring) apart from the context in which they were made for.  While they may bring temporary satisfaction, the joy derived from misused pleasures is NOTHING compared to that which you experience when you partake of something in the context it was made for.  Use your own example here…. disagree with me if you want…but everything in life is so much better when God is put first.  I can attest to that time and time again.

Back to my point though…. I don’t think John the Baptist is telling us to give up all of our pursuits in life and become monks.  He is simply, and humbly, saying that Christ’s ministry must increase and his own ministry must decrease.  In light of the fact that John knew he was nothing more than a messenger, he knew that once the One he was speaking about came on the scene, his services were no longer needed in that capacity.  Just as a herald doesn’t keep blowing his trumpet once the king has arrived to speak, John knew that his King had arrived and he no longer needed to tell people about His coming.  He knew that now his focus had to switch to being a herald of the fact that the Messiah was there with them!  Likewise, our job today is to be a herald of what Christ has done on the cross and what He is coming to do!  Life’s pursuits are not meant to be given up and we are not called to be boring, simple people who have unattractive lives.  Enjoy the pursuits that God gave you and use them for His glory!  Use them to be a herald of the Kingdom that is to come!  The only things we need to give up for the sake of the Gospel are those things that are outlined in Scripture.  All else is fair game, insomuch as it is not idolatry.

John the Baptist wants us to understand that our lives are not meant for us to build up pleasures and possessions.  He led by example, whether or not he knew it, and we can learn a lot from this simple statement.  So in closing, to say that God must increase in us is to say that our lives should be effectively furthering the ministry of Christ.

When You Don’t Feel Like It, Take Heart – from DesiringGod.org Blog

I am taking this word-for-word from the DesiringGod.org Blog.  This is essential for anyone to grow in Christ.

When You Don’t Feel Like It, Take Heart
November 12, 2009  |  By: Jon Bloom  |  Category: Commentary

Did you wake up not feeling like reading your Bible and praying? How many times today have you had to battle not feeling like doing things you know would be good for you?

While it’s true that this is our indwelling sin that we must repent of and fight against, there’s more going on.

Think about this strange pattern that occurs over and over in just about every area of life:

* Good food requires discipline to prepare and eat while junk food tends to be the most tasty, addictive, and convenient.
* Keeping the body healthy and strong requires frequent deliberate discomfort while it only takes constant comfort to go to pot.
* You have to make yourself pick up that nourishing theological book while watching a movie can feel so inviting.
* You frequently have to force yourself to get to devotions and prayer while sleeping, reading the sports, and checking Facebook seems effortless.
* To play beautiful music requires thousands of hours of tedious practice.
* To excel in sports requires monotonous drills ad nauseum.
* It takes years and years of schooling just to make certain opportunities possible.
* This goes on and on.

The pattern is this: the greater joys are obtained through struggle and pain, while brief, unsatisfying, and often destructive joys are right at our fingertips. Why is this?

Because, in great mercy, God is showing us everywhere, in things that are just shadows of heavenly things, that there is a great reward for those who struggle through (Hebrews 10:32-35). He is reminding us repeatedly each day to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Each struggle is an invitation by God to follow in the footsteps of his Son, “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

Those who are spiritually blind only see futility in these things. But for those who have eyes to see, God has woven hope (faith in future grace) right into the futility of creation (Romans 8:20-21). Each struggle is a pointer saying, “Look! Look to the real Joy set before you!”

So when you don’t feel like doing what you know is best for you, take heart and don’t give in. Your Father is pointing you to the reward he has planned for all who endure to the end (Matthew 24:13).

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (1 Corinthians 4:17-18)

Propensity for Pride

One of the greatest dangers that I see in growing in our understanding of theology is the propensity to lose  joy in our relationship with God.  Could it be that this is the exact thing that our enemy wants?  As we move on in pursuit of truth, trying to make sense of the Scriptures and apply them to our lives, the chance of moving from a joy-filled walk with Christ to a drab regime may increase.  You may totally disagree with me, but I personally have found this to be true in my life.  The danger in trying to understand God more is that in doing so there is an increased chance of putting Him into a box, expecting Him to work only in certain ways, and thus removing the sense of Father-Son relationship that brought me so much joy when I started walking with Christ.  We are told that if we dont have the faith of a child that we will not enter the Kingdom of God (Mark 10:15).  Why is it so easy for us to be removed from this clear truth?  I submit that as pride slips into our thinking we forget who enabled our minds to know the mystery of the Gospel (Ephesians 3:4-5) and thus our mind is filled with thoughts about who God is, how He operates and how He saves yet remains void of how He has done those exact things in our lives.

I see so much truth in the fact that we were dead in our sins and trespasses (Ephesians 2:1-5) and totally unable to respond to God’s gift of grace apart from His Spirit “regenerating” our souls, making us “born again” (John 3:3), and enabling a response of faith.  This belief no longer makes salvation contingent upon man’s decision.  The commands given to us in Scripture to believe and repent, etc. (Mark 1:15) are all made possible through the regenerating work of the Spirit.  He predestined us (those who know Christ) before the foundations of the world for salvation (Matthew 25:34, John 17:24, Ephesians 1:4), made us alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:5), and thus we are free to come to Him boldly (Hebrews 4:14-16).  (Side note: These reformed ideas speak of God’s love, not His condemnation!  We dont deserve to have life or salvation. Men who insist that these doctrines are not true insist that man is deserving of grace because of some inherent “goodness”).  Yet in light of such amazing grace why is it that I have begun to decrease in my joy for what God has done?  Could it be that my pursuit of such truths I have loved the theology more than the Theos of which it speaks? (Theos = “God” in Greek).  I can only speculate that this is the cause of my lack of joy.

Let me take a stand here though, because I dont think that reformed theology is the cause of this.  At the root of this I see how my pride has taken over and corrupted this knowledge.  It may be safe to say that the enemy doesnt like the pursuit of truth and wants to slowly slip lies into my thinking to corrupt my pursuit with pride.  Maybe that is so.  Regardless, pride has a great propensity to corrupt knowledge when it goes unchecked.  Just as if I speak truth without love (1 Cor. 13:1), gaining head knowledge that is tainted with pride is nothing but noise.  It produces no good fruit and it only stagnates my relationship with God.  Reformed theology (the idea that man has absolutely no part in his salvation) is not to blame here.  Rather there needs to be caution for myself, and others who find themselves in the same boat, that as we increase in our knowledge of God that we need to check it to make sure we are not gaining knowledge for the sake of knowing, but rather that we are gaining knowledge for the sake of making the One whom we study more glorious to the world around!

Let it be said of us that as we increase in head knowledge that we would increase more in a heart knowledge.  In light of the truth of the Gospel what can we do but respond in humility and say with Paul, “…Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”? (1 Timothy 1:15).  I more than ever realize that if there is not a shift in my thinking that this will become my downfall.  Should I run from reformed theology?  No, for I see the same propensity in liberal theology as well (as freedom in thought increases, man’s view of God decrease, and thus so does God-centered joy).  No matter which side of the fence you fall, conservative or liberal, contemporary or traditional, the same problem exists.  We are mortal people who have a problem called sin and as we try to understand the One who can free us from that sin we can either decrease in our thoughts of Him and dishonor Him or we may end up growing in head knowledge rather than heart knowledge and decrease in joy.  Let it not be so!  I pray that we would increase in right thinking of God and remove man-centered worship and theology and at the same time remain humble to recognize that our knowledge of Him is given by grace, not because we are great enough to know such things.  Sola gratia, soli Deo gloria!

Engagement Photos!

My good friend Dana Laymon (check out her blog!) took our engagement photos.  She did such a great job!  Dana is a great friend of mine that I met back in my high school days.  Here are just a few of the photos.  Thanks Dana!

A few photos from Copper Mountain

I had the opportunity to spend a week in Copper Mountain, Colorado earlier this month. I was there for a training conference and had a day off to go explore the slopes. I went up with some friends on the one lift that was open to eat some lunch and enjoy the view. When I got to the spot where we ate lunch I couldnt help but notice that there was more mountain above us. Being my first visit to the Rockies, I wanted to take advantage of my day so I started hiking. I was wearing jeans and didnt plan on taking the four hour excursion, but I am so glad that I did! I went solo most of the way until I ran into three other guys who just happened to take another route toward the top before our paths crossed. Here are a few photos from the day hike.

The Proposal Video

The Cove (a documentary) – Watch this trailer

Im on a boat

The students at UNCW got pretty creative to advertise for this year’s Fall Getaway.  Enjoy.

Love and Knowledge: One Cannot be Loosed from the Other

It’s no wonder to me that many have turned from religion and turned toward philosophies and ideologies that are self-serving and provide politically correct, non-invasive doctrines.  The use of the word religion has even become neutered by a world which no longer holds close the idea that truth is accessible.  Contrary to today’s post-modern view of truth stands the idea that God is real, that Heaven and Hell exist, and that there is such a thing as a non-relative, absolute truth.  Many find this a hard concept to grasp.  Rightfully so, for nobody would believe in such absolutes if they have no reason to.  From the world’s eyes, this worldview of absolute truth is held only by “religious” people.  The word “religion” has simply become a set of formalities and regulations and those who subscribe to it are many times viewed as out-dated and living a dream.  Yet I wish to stand against the tide, against this false view of religion.

A.W. Tozer writes about true religion:

[True religion is] the total of God’s work in a man and the total of man’s response to that inner working…[and it is] the power of God at work in the soul as the individual knows and experiences it.

(The Pursuit of Man, xvi)

Religion is not the set of rules and regulations established by man as a means of controlling a population. Nor should it be confused or related to a dogma which is set up as an authority or truth without proof of its validity. Religion is in and of itself the means by which man experiences God and God enters into the life of man. This experience, by necessity, cannot leave a man unchanged. Five years ago I experienced this change. It seemed at the time that there was something within me that changed me but later I learned that it was SOMEONE (not someTHING) that changed me from within. What I am getting at is this: I did not chose to follow God. While it may have seemed that way, that I made a conscious effort to devote myself to religion, my effort was only put forth as an after-effect of something so life-changing that all I could help to do was be changed. This change was as impulsive as a knee that quickly jerks forward after it is knocked below the patella with a soft hammer. Doctors use this technique to check your reflexes. You dont think about whether or not you will cause your knee to jerk forward. It is an inward impulse that is caused by an outside force. You respond not according to your will but according to the force that exerts pressure on the tendon causing your knee to involuntarily jerk forward. In the same way, yet in a much more eternal way, being a Christian and having true religion is not a result of logic or intuition but rather an impulse of the love of God entering the heart of a man and reviving him from death to life.

Many today are void of that life. Religion becomes nothing more than having good doctrine or knowing how to study and pick apart the Bible. It becomes void of good works and can leave a stale taste in the mouth of those who encounter such people. On the flip-side religion can become so self-serving that it is void of doctrine. Truth moves from an absolute to a relative idea that is subject to each person’s will. The two camps are where many people find themselves today. Both are not true religion and both are void of God. Rather than knowing God, as many in either camp would claim, they have set up for themselves idols and gods that are pleasing to their ears.

I have lived much of my life fluctuating between seeking an emotional experience with God and seeking to find the most truth and most correct doctrine. This cycle of living one way or the other has taken its toll on me and I write this today as a plea to those who call themselves Christians to stop setting up idols in doctrine and stop chasing emotional experiences.  We need both doctrine and experiences in order to enjoy God the most in this life.  If a husband tries to love his wife without first learning how she best receives love he has done nothing but look like a fool.  At the same time if a husband gains incredible knowledge of how his wife responds best to love and fails to actually act that love out, he is a hypocrite.  God is going to return for his Bride, the Church, and we have been given all that we need to await His return.  Let us then devote ourselves to studying His Word and knowing it, that we may experience Him and know Him in a deep way that brings about life-change.  Any religion void of doctrine and life-change is not true.  Both of these must be coupled together and if one is loosed, the other is by necessity loosed as well.  My plea is that Christians would take up in arms both love and knowledge of God without abandon. To love and to know God in this life is the goal of our existence now and it is the means by which man will know God in eternity.  We have been created for this, let us not loosen our grip in the winds of change that this world brings.

I’m engaged!

This past Saturday, August 8th, I asked the love of my life, Sarah Brooke Sherard, to marry me. Here is how it happened from my perspective and hers.

Tyler’s Story:

I knew I wanted to propose to Brooke so I started ring shopping. After a few weeks I finally found the ring! I bought it and began to think of ways to give it to her. I had recently taught her how to surf so I thought that having it at the beach would be pretty cool. I decided that I would give it to her in a bar of surf wax. Here is how I did it: I cut out a hole in the bar of wax using a knife, wrapped the ring in a piece of plastic, set it into the hole and then I wrapped the wax back into its packaging so she would have no idea the ring was in there. To start the day off right, I had her over for lunch and I made a mandarin-orange, chicken salad. I didn’t eat too much because I was starting to get nervous. After lunch we packed up my truck and left for the beach. Fast forward 30 minutes. We got our stuff on the beach and I pulled out my camera to take a video of Brooke waxing the surfboard. I had done similar things like this before so I figured she wouldn’t think it was too weird. I started filming and I told her to grab the bar of wax and unwrap it. I got on one knee, still holding the camera, and asked her to marry me right as she finished unwrapping the bar of wax. I was nervous and didn’t really wait for her to process what that shiny thing wrapped in plastic was before I asked. She looked at the little object embedded in the wax and after I asked her she squealed, “ARE YOU SERIOUS!?!” I said, “Of course! There is a ring in there!” She looked at me in disbelief and excitement and said, “Of course I will!” Well, she then proceeded to ask me TWO MORE TIMES if I was serious! Each time I affirmed that I was in fact serious. After we talked for a few minutes we went to get Trolley Stop hot dogs…I was so hungry!

Brooke’s Story:

Tyler asked if he could make me lunch on Saturday, and of course I accepted, thinking he was being really sweet. I showed up to the house at noon and he’d prepared everything, and it was wonderful, but he hardly ate anything. First time I’ve ever out-eaten him! And I thought that was weird, but we proceeded to the beach, normal small talk, really enjoying one another as usual At the beach Ty pulled out his camera and asked me to wax the surfboard. I didn’t think anything of it, just thought he would be in Sweden soon so he probably wants some shots of me. I couldn’t really unwrap the wax well and he told me to just tear it off. I did, and it didn’t look like a normal bar to me. There was a hole, and something that looked like a ring in plastic stuck in there, and then I looked up and he was on one knee. He asked me to marry him, and I think I was still trying to comprehend what was happening–that morning I had mentally prepared myself for waiting at least another year for engagement, so this was NOT on my radar at all. I didn’t really process what I was saying, all I could think was “is this really happening?!” which is why I had to ask him 3 different times if he was serious! When I finally could comprehend what was going on I gave him the only response I could–OF COURSE YES!!! And that was it. It took a good hour to stop shaking and laughing and crying…well, I’m still laughing but that was our day.

Here are a few photos from later on that afternoon. We went downtown to celebrate over some sushi and after that we walked along the riverfront.