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Bitter Winter, Better Thanksgiving,
the story of Miles Standish
by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson
“Then the sicknes begane to fall sore amongst them, and the weather so bad …. the Gov/r and cheefe of them, seeing so many dye, and fall downe sick dayly, thought it no wisdom to send away the ship….”
Capt. Miles Standish had been much at his wife Rose’s bedside. As much time, that is, as he could spare from stalking game, guarding against savages, and felling trees to construct crude homes on shore.
A bitter wind whistled through chinks and cracks in the Mayflower, anchored in Plymouth harbor that winter of 1620-21. Rose’s chills would turn to uncontrollable shaking. Then just as suddenly, her body would be ablaze with fever. Herbs from the surgeon’s chest did little to relieve her. By spring only five wives remained out of the eighteen who had sailed to Plymouth. Rose was not among them.
Thanksgiving? What was that? The golden dreams of a New World that Miles and Rose had cherished together had evaporated into hollow hopes. And yet that fall Capt. Standish joined other bereaved Pilgrims in the first Thanksgiving celebration.
The real test of thankfulness is whether we can give thanks from the heart for what we do have, despite the wounds and pains of yesterday’s struggles. Ours is not some fair-weather faith, but a resilient trust in the midst of pain. The Pilgrims lived close to the edge of survival. Perhaps that is why they were so thankful.
How about you? Does your material bounty cause you to neglect thanks? When your clan gathers this Thanksgiving will a prayer of thankfulness be forgotten between moist turkey and pumpkin pie? Will your children see you bow your head to give thanks, or merely ask for another helping of dressing and cranberry sauce?
Children will be watching, you know. And their little faith is being formed by what they see. Your family’s Thanksgiving celebration will instruct them about thankfulness, for good or ill.
Will they see you too wealthy to be thankful? Too independent to need God any more? Too bitter, perhaps? Or will they watch you truly give thanks for God’s blessings on this special day? And maybe as they watch, they’ll catch a hint that mom and dad and grandmother, in spite of painful seasons they have faced, have seen these bitter winters bear fruit in better thanksgiving.
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“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!”Happy Thanksgiving from the Laces!!!
It has now been just over a year since our petition to you for assistance in our adoption of Bethlehem and Tewdrose. Through those many months, God has been shaping and molding our family in many ways – ways we never could have expected. Growing your faith, by definition, isn’t a comfortable undertaking. Nonetheless, it is a basic part of existence for every believer pursuing a life lived to honor our Savoir. In light of that truth, I’d like to share some of what God is teaching us.
Every day, I grow, in ever so small increments, to understand on a deeper level God’s pursuit of His glory. As I first wrestled with this idea, I struggled with its seeming contradiction. On one hand, we have a God who loves us very much. A God who loved us so much that he planned the cruel, suffering death of His only Son as a payment for the sins of His adopted children. Peter preaches at Pentecost, “This Jesus, [was] delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God,” Acts 2:22-23. And Paul writes to his Roman converts, “We were reconciled to God by the death of his Son,” Romans 5:10.
On the other, we have a God who appears to be a megalomaniac – obsessed with Himself! The Bible depicts a God who will pursue His own glory at all cost. “I am the Lord, that is my name; my glory I give to no other nor my praise to carved idols.” Isaiah 42:8. Even humans made in His image were ultimately created for this purpose. “Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made,” Isaiah 43:7.
The more I read Scripture, the bigger my God gets. If God is who He says He is, and He has done what He says He has done, then ascribing our deepest affections and sincerest praise to anything other than Him is entirely empty. I can’t imagine an endeavor any more void of significance than for God to command our passionate pursuit of any other end than Himself.
So when God says that we are created to worship Him, is that really megalomania or is it just another facet of His perfect love. The most loving thing God can do is command our avid admiration of Himself.
In light if this truth I’d like to challenge you, “How big is your God?” Does He merely desire us to live comfortable lives in pursuit of the American dream? Or, does He, amid all the ups AND downs of life, desire us to be satisfied in Him? John Piper, senior pastor of teaching at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota, says it best: “God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him.”
Secondly, God is teaching us, through the process of adoption, how he views His children. Through his sovereign grace He chose us to be His. It was grace because there is nothing in us that would make us choose God or earn His salvation: “For all have sinned and fall short…” and we “were dead in our trespasses and sins…” Romans 3:23 & Ephesians 2:1. Grace by definition is “unmerited favor,” getting something that you haven’t earned. Bethlehem and Tewdrose have done nothing to earn our favor. They bring nothing to our family equation that we don’t already have – except their love and devotion! And honestly, as we are just about to celebrate their fourth month as part of our family, they are still learning to set their affections on us. A perfect picture of our relationship with our adopted Father!
So my second challenge to you is to see yourself as an adopted child of God: “for you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons [and daughters] by which we cry out, ’Abba, Father!’” Romans 8:15. Before our adoption, our master was sin, Romans 6:16-18. We obeyed it and we were devoted to it. But now, as God’s children, the most obedient we can possibly be is to set our deepest affections on Him. For, He has created us for His glory and, after all, He is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him…
Hickory Horned Devil in Autumns Hand
Have you ever held a Hickory Horned Devil in your hand? I have – granted, it was a gloved hand.
This is a rather fascinating creation that brilliantly displays the attention to detail and creativity of Jesus Christ, the author of the Creation event! Jesus, the Word, was not only with God in the beginning, but as John 1 and Colossians 1 tells us “all things came into being through Him,” and “all things have been created through Him and for Him.” (John 1:2 & Col 1:16)
Cedarmore never fails to provide natural entertainment. This caterpillar helped our family pass a couple of hours the past two nights. We played with it, observed it and researched it.
Here is a link to some more detailed scientific information. Unfortunately, this type of caterpillar doesn’t form a cocoon (or chrysalis) in the open so we can’t observe the metamorphosis. This type burrows into the ground to do its business. You can see a picture of what the moth counterpart looks like here.
We also discussed the clear evidence of God’s desgin in such a creature. It never ceases to amaze me how eager some are to ignore the lack of evidence for the gradual change over time to produce such a beautiful, complex and unique creature. It’s also interesting that at the root of the word “creature” we find the word “create.”
Hanging from a stick - click for larger image.
Autumn - click for larger image.Eli - click for larger image.
Eli - click for larger image.
It seems James 1:27 is the most influential and claimed verse of scripture for the family called to adopt. I must admit that it speaks to the core of our family’s hope for how it will change us. We had become entirely too comfortable in our religious routine. We are eagerly expectant of the plow this process of adoption will be to the hardened soil of our lives.
“Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” I can’t say for sure what this verse does for everyone who is challenged to adopt by it. It must, however, have something to do with seeking to practice “pure and undefiled religion.”
For me, a cursory reading of the word “religion” most often raises a red flag. It conjures images of cold, empty, hygienically routine practices. After a deeper look though, the word speaks of deep devotion born out of a set of convictions. The dilemma is that the habits and practices of professing believers that are void of conviction are what typically get associated with the word.
In Colossians 2:18 the same Greek word (threskeia) is used and is translated “worship.” It is not the Greek word used when the healthy worship of God is what is meant. This word is actually used in the negative sense in Colossians as Paul exhorts the believers there not to give credence to any who practice the “worshipping of angels.”
It is in this sense that I believe James uses this word. The avoidance of defiled and impure religious practices is the goal. To keep the exercising of our beliefs and convictions from becoming empty and shallow, James issues a challenge to see to the needs of those less fortunate than ourselves. By definition, religion is the outworking of inward convictions. In other words, what you look like as one who is living a life of faith and repentance in Jesus Christ.
This message falls right in step with the overarching theme of his letter that faith void of works is dead. Only here, James seems to take it a step further. Not only is true saving faith accompanied by visible fruit, but certain disciplines can guard you from becoming spiritually sterile.
So, what application can you make for yourself out of this verse? It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to drop $30k to bring two orphans into your home. There are many opportunities for you to help meet the needs of widows and orphans. Your family can adopt a grandparent at your local nursing home. You can also investigate sponsoring an orphan through organizations like Kingdom Vision International who runs the orphanage in Ethiopia where we found Bethlehem and Theodore.
Regardless of what you do, I encourage you to do something to guard the daily outworking of your and your family’s convictions from becoming “stained” and sterile by this world. A world we are merely passing through…
I have just begun to reread a book by John Piper titled “Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ.” The first chapter is aptly titled “Seeing and Savoring the Glory of God: The Ultimate Aim of Jesus Christ.” As indicated by Piper’s choice of words, the book opens by laying a foundation for the ultimate aim of Jesus Christ. Have you ever considered that Jesus’ coming as God in the flesh to reconcile our relationship with our Creator was not the ultimate aim of his earthly mission?
In this article, I will reference the first chapter of Piper’s book. I believe it to be foundational in our understanding and practicing of healthy worship. I am also convinced that without a proper perspective of the ultimate aim of Christ, we run a serious risk of holding a skewed view of some core doctrine. So let’s investigate Piper’s claim of Jesus’ ultimate aim.
Piper begins by explaining how everything we see is created for God’s glory. Psalms 19:1 says that “the heavens declare the glory of God.” That’s why we have a universe where the planet earth is a mere speck. It isn’t to make a point about us – it is to make a point about our Maker. Contrary to what the world would have us believe, man is made for God’s glory as well. Isaiah 43:6-7, “Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth… whom I created for my glory.” Consider this for a moment. How many of our daily decisions are truly made with our true created purpose in mind? Practically everything our lives revolve around is ultimately for our own glory. Too many times even our well intended humanitarian acts are executed for our own glory – so we can feel better about ourselves. Romans 1:23 says that we have “exchanged the glory of God” for worldly things.
Piper says, “The deepest longing of the human heart is to know and enjoy the glory of God. We were made for this.” He explains by asking, “Why do we go [to the Grand Canyon]? Because there is greater healing for the soul in beholding splendor than there is in beholding self. Indeed what could be more ludicrous in a vast and glorious universe like this than a human being, on the speck called earth, standing in front of a mirror trying to find significance in his own self-image? It is a great sadness that this is the gospel of the modern world.”
So if all of creation, including man, is for God’s glory, why would the gospel event be anything else but for His glory? What do we think Jesus meant when He prayed, “Father, I desire, that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory…” John 17:24? Hebrews 1:3 says of Jesus, “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.” One of the core issues undermining the soundness of the emergent church movement is that they are more concerned with how their “gospel” is received by man than they are concerned with how effective it is in securing God’s glory. II Corinthians 4:4 describes it as, “…the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” The good news is ultimately about and for His glory.
Why is it important to understand the ultimate aim of Jesus? We talk frequently of proper motivation in our worship. That motivation should be rooted in gratitude for the provision of Christ’s righteousness gifted through faith. We should adore Jesus for his willingness to be obedient to the death – the perfect sacrifice to atone once for all our sins. God should hold the ultimate place of affection in our hearts because “He saved us not on the basis of works which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy,” Titus 3:5. This is, without doubt, a healthy motivation. The danger is that we, without a proper understanding of Jesus’ ultimate aim, will ultimately find ourselves as His aim. Ultimately, the gospel event was for the glory of God – not for us. That is precisely why we no longer sing the song “Above All” in our corporate worship. Jesus did think of me when He “took the fall” for my sin. He, however, was not above all else obedient to death thinking of me; He did it to secure His glory!
Let there be no mistake, we are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26) and prepared before creation for His glory (Romans 9:23). We are to rule over His creation (Genesis 1:26). So we are more than just a temporal creation to bring glory to God – we have an eternal element shared by no other part of His revealed creation. Our souls are the only things that will survive the coming Day of the Lord where the earth and all its works will be burned up (2 Peter 3:10). However, we are still purposed for His glory – not for ours. That’s why Piper says that our deepest longings will only be satisfied when we are filling our role as God glorifiers – it is what we were made for! That is why understanding the ultimate aim of Jesus is important for maintaining healthy worship of Him.
Now, for the same basic reason, I firmly believe this understanding can help keep our view of certain doctrine from being skewed. When we study the Word of God with this truth as a backdrop, it helps us see essential doctrines, such as God’s sovereign plan and His just wrath, in proper context.
First, this view will help to reconcile a God that has chosen a people from the foundations of the earth to be His children with the biblical exhortations of human responsibility. The Bible without question, demands that man exercise human responsibility. Scripture is riddled with verses about exercising godly wisdom in our decisions. Additionally, when Jesus said, “whoever believes will be saved,” John 3:16 (and others) I believe He intended for us to conduct ourselves as though any and every person we come into contact with is His image-bearer and is a potential child of His. It is totally beyond the realm of human understanding, however, for God to choose who He will draw to himself. To ignore such a doctrine, though, is to ignore over 100 passages in Scripture that speak frankly of God choosing, electing, calling or drawing His children. More amazing, many times He specifies that this choosing or calling was before creation – as if it had been a part of His plan from the beginning! In Titus 1:1-2 Paul explains his letter’s purpose, “…for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth… in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before time.”
Secondly, this understanding of God’s ultimate aim also helps us to see how a good God must be just. The God of the Old Testament was consistently punishing those who refused to acknowledge His position and power. Scripture also describes a God who will design beforehand, through His sovereign election, some vessels for destruction to demonstrate His wrath and others for His mercy but all ultimately for His glory (Romans 9:22-23). In the Bible, we are shown a picture of both a God of wrath, who didn’t let sin go unpunished as well as a God who used unfathomable means to secure His glory. Do we think that His character has changed today? He is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He will ultimately pour out His wrath on all sin – but the same grace that saves us today has saved all of His children from the beginning. God’s goodness will not – cannot – let sin go unpunished; that is what makes His grace and mercy so magnificent.
So, how does a grasp of the ultimate aim of God reconcile His sovereign electing grace and man’s human responsibility? How does it help answer the question of why He will execute a punishment we all have earned but all will not have to endure? Let’s face it, no one finds it difficult to accept man’s responsibility in making decisions but the idea that God could choose you from before the foundation of the world to be His child for all eternity is hard to swallow. If you don’t grasp that all of creation (including you and me), as well as the cruel murder of the incarnate Son of God, is all for His glory, then you’ll always struggle with God’s sovereign decision not to save all from the final judgment of His wrath.
I don’t want to mislead you by pretending to have completely understood the deep implications of His sovereign will and His saving grace. I can assure you, however, that I find immense peace there – I haven’t always, but I certainly do now. I can absolutely find comfort in a God who I can’t completely figure out. The single thing that has helped me see these difficult doctrines more clearly is viewing the challenging teachings of Scripture with the backdrop of God’s ultimate aim being to glorify Himself.
How can I say that we are called to exercise our human responsibility through godly wisdom? The Scriptures teach it. How can I say that through God’s sovereign plan He has chosen some from the foundations of the world to be His eternal children? The Scriptures teach it. How can I say that we all deserve to suffer the wrath of God for eternity, but He has provided a way for some through faith and repentance to escape it? The Scriptures teach it. How do I reconcile all of that? I can by understanding that He is God, and I am not. I reconcile it by knowing that whatever happens, no matter how things turn out, no matter what I choose to do with whatever responsibility I do have, God will not have His glory stolen. God will ultimately be glorified by whatever means He wills, and I will only be satisfied when my God is glorified through me.
God, help me not to merely grasp this truth, help it to shape my decisions and actions.
Peace thru Grace,
Bert
