The Ministry of Presence

"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8

This promise was first given to Moses and was renewed to Joshua when he took over the leadership of the children of Israel. It is repeated in various ways and forms throughout the Scriptures. It is the essence of what Paul writes in Romans 8:31 when he says: "If God is for us, who can be against us?" The writer to the Hebrews quotes it in Hebrews13:5. It is the promise that Jesus gave to His disciples before He ascended back into heaven in Matthew 28:20: "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” God promises to be with us at all times and in every situation.

We know that God is faithful and He keeps all His promises. So how does He keep this one? He does so in numerous ways! He does so through His Word, as we read His promises in Scripture and hear of His faithfulness to the saints down through the ages. God does so through answered prayer, as He faithfully hears and answers our petitions. He does so through the ministry of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us to comfort and to guide us. God keeps the promise of His presence with us through His holy angels who are ministering spirits sent to serve those who are being saved. God manifest His presence with us through His faithful servants who declare His Word and administer the Sacraments, just as He has done for His people through the prophets and apostles in the past.

I could go on and on about how God is faithful to never leave us or forsake us, but since becoming a caregiver for my wife Diana as she is battling Stage IV Lung Cancer, I have become acutely aware of how important it is for us to exercise the ministry of presence on behalf of those we love, so that God may use us to fulfill His promise never to leave us or forsake us.

There are many aspects to the role of caregiver. Certainly there are the things that I do for Diana directly, like helping her with her personal care, managing her medications and making sure that she takes them all as he should. Part of caregiving is getting her to all of her doctor appointments, treatments and procedures. Another aspect of it involves all of the household tasks that Diana used to do for our family that I have taken over like cooking, cleaning and laundry. There are also the errands that I run outside the home that Diana used to take care of herself, like a trip to the drug store.

While all of these aspects of caregiving are important, I am convinced after more than a year in this role that they pale in comparison to the importance of the ministry of presence. What do I mean by the ministry of presence? I mean simply being with Diana whenever she needs me. There have been many occasions over the past year when Diana has asked me to remain home with her because she didn't feel well. It's hard to be alone when you are sick. You want someone to be there with you when you are suffering. Many times Diana has asked me to stay with her in the bedroom just to be by her side. Frequently we will linger at the table after a meal just to look at each other and rejoice in the company of being together. The ministry of presence also involves the hugs that I give her, the touch on the cheek, the squeeze of the hand, or sliding my fingers through her hair just to let her know that I love her. Rarely is it necessary to speak when exercising the ministry of presence. Just being there is enough.  But it is crucially important.

Frequently, when I am just being there for Diana I sense the ministry of God's Holy Spirit speaking to my spirit.  It is His assurance that in being there for Diana I am being used by my Lord to fulfill His promise, "Never will I leave you.  Never will I forsake you."  It is a wonderful feeling to know that you can serve the Lord in such a simple way, just by being there for someone you love when they need you.

Sometimes people are afraid to visit a friend or loved one who has a terminal illness.  "What will I say? What can I say?"  The truth is, you don't need to say anything at all.  Just being there will bless your loved one in countless ways.  It will be a manifestation of the presence of God in that person's life.  You will become Jesus "with skin on."  You will be His hands and His feet, and yes, maybe even His voice.  When you get a chance to exercise the ministry of presence for someone you love, don't pass it up.  You will be used by God to faithfully fulfill His Word, "I will never leave you or forsake you."  

The Indignity of Death

The other day I read with interest an article about a 29 year old newly wed woman who moved to Oregon in order to end her own life through physician assisted suicide.  Her story was truly a tragic one.  Married just a little more than a year, Brittany Maynard was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and in April was given just six months to live.  In her blog she wrote: “I’ve discussed with many experts how I would die from it, and it’s a terrible, terrible way to die. Being able to choose to go with dignity is less terrifying.”

Is there any way of dying that is not "a terrible, terrible way to die"?  How does choosing to die in a certain manner or at a certain time and place make death any less terrible?  How does choosing one's time or manner of death give death any more dignity? "Death with dignity" is a lie of the devil. There is no dignity in death. Death is the last enemy. Death robs us of dignity because death is sin's wages paid in full, and sin robs us of our dignity because it prevents us from being who God created us to be.

In the face of death, our only dignity comes from God who chose us from eternity to be His own in Christ Jesus. Jesus understood that there was no way to make death dignified.  Hebrews 12:2 tells us that He, "for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame." Jesus didn't choose to "die with dignity" as though death could somehow be made less horrible by choosing when or how or where to die.  In fact, Jesus chose the cross to show us just how hideous sin and death really are.

Nevertheless Jesus did dignify death in the only manner possible.  He dignified it by robbing it of its power to destroy.  In 1 Corinthians 15:55-56 Paul writes: "'Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." Jesus dignified death by His resurrection. In His resurrection victory over sin and the grave we find the only real dignity in death, since because He lives, we shall live also.

Almost one year ago my sweet wife Diana was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung Cancer.  It was shocking to hear the oncologist tell her on October 29 of last year that without treatment she would only have a few weeks to live.  It was difficult to hear him tell her that her form of cancer was incurable.  It was painful to hear that it could be treated and managed for an indefinite period of time, but ultimately it would claim her life.  It was no easier because Diana and I had been married for 43 years, not one year.  It was no easier because she was 65, not 29.

If I thought there was any way that I could help her cheat death out of its victory I would!  But I can't do that, only Jesus can, and she trusts in Jesus! If there were any way that I could bear her weakness and discomfort for her I would, but I can't. I don't even want to think about what this disease will do to her in the months ahead as it runs its course. Barring a miracle, she will become just a shadow of the woman I've known and loved for a lifetime.  However, I love Diana not for who she is suffering from the ravages of cancer.  I love her because of who she has been to me for a lifetime. I love her regardless of who she may become as a result of her illness. I love her because I have made a commitment to love her, no matter what, and I will love her to the end.

We will not seek to make death more dignified than it really is by choosing to end her life in our own time or place or manner.  I have promised her over and over again that although I cannot take away her suffering, "I will be with you every step of the way, and I will walk you all the way home to Jesus." So I will be by her side and hold her hand until she slips from my hand into the arms of Jesus. But for both of us, trusting Jesus is the only way to cheat death. The issues of life and death belong in the hands of God, who is the Giver of Life. We trust His perfect love, because He has given us life eternal through His Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior. And when that day comes that Jesus takes Diana home to heaven she will experience her real dignity, worth, yes, even her true glory in His presence as she shares in His glory. What a contrast it will be to the indignity of death!

The Righteousness of Faith and the Righteousness of New Obedience

The teaching of “the goal of the gospel” is not the gospel in service of the law.   It is the gospel in service of righteousness, first the imputed righteousness of faith, an alien righteousness, God’s declaration upon the believer through the obedience and merits of Jesus Christ alone — then an imparted righteousness of new obedience, a life transforming righteousness, endowed by the Holy Spirit through the Gospel power of the Means of Grace, Word and Sacrament, informed, instructed and trained by God’s Law, but motivated, empowered and equipped by the Gospel.

Both of these kinds of righteousness are the will of God for all people.  Paul writes: “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim.  2:3-4).   “ This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Rom.  3:22-24).  

But Paul also writes, “Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.  For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.   It is God's will that you should be sanctified ... (1 Thes.  4:1-3a).  And, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

The imputed righteousness Luther calls “alien righteousness,” or “passive righteousness.”  It comes by faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is not a future goal but a completed one — a legal declaration and a fact — resulting from the great exchange by which Christ assumes my sins and bestows his righteousness on me (justification).  The imparted righteousness Luther calls “proper righteousness,” or “active righteousness.”  It is the result of this “alien righteousness,” and flows naturally from it.  The Confessions also refer to it as “inchoate righteousness,” or “incipient righteousness,” since it is imperfect and incomplete as long as we remain on earth with our sinful nature.  Nevertheless, it effects our sanctification and is the express intent of God in bestowing his “alien righteousness” upon us through the gospel.  In this sense, thus, it is the goal of the Gospel.  These two must ever be combined but must never be confused or co-mingled.  We must carefully distinguish between them, but we should not separate them, as one cannot exist without the other.

God’s goal for us is our righteousness.  But the picture is incomplete if we see only the imputed, alien righteousness of Christ and forget the imparted, life-transforming righteousness of the obedience that comes from faith.  God has given us the first by grace through faith, and because of it we shall live forever in perfect righteousness and holiness.  Why would he neglect to begin that good work in us right now, conforming our wills to his will and transforming our lives into the image of his Son?  He has not neglected to do so, for all righteousness is the Goal of the Gospel!

Father's Day... Again

Both the joys and challenges of being a father are overwhelming.  I know, because I've been one for 37 years.  Though they change through the years, the joys and challenges of fathering continue for a lifetime.  I have new joys and special blessings now through my grown daughters and the grandsons they have blessed me with, that I could never have anticipated when my girls were little.

Father's Day was especially meaningful for me this year, in part, because of my ten year old grandson, Elijah.  Elijah has grown up living in my home with my daughter, Rebekah.  This was the first Father's Day that Elijah expressed sadness over not having a father.  Elijah's father wanted Rebekah to have an abortion, but I thank God that my daughter chose life.

I have a confession to make, however.  I am thankful now that my daughter chose life, but at the time I was angry.  Not because she decided not to abort her baby.  I was angry because I knew that her pregnancy would impact my life in many ways.  It was a selfish kind of anger, indeed, a sinful anger, and I am ashamed of it now.  I had no idea what a blessing her "choice" would be to me.

Elijah's sadness on Father's Day was a result of his father's decision not to be a part of his life.  His father was present the day he was born, but has only seen Elijah on one occasion since, when Elijah was only 18 months old.  They have had no contact since.  This has left a hole in Elijah's life that no one else can fill, not even me.

Yes, it's true, Elijah has grown up in my home and I've been a part of his life almost every day since day one, but nothing can change the fact that I am his grandfather and not his father.  I sense that time and time again.

Several years ago I was on my way to a pastor's conference and was listening to Focus on the Family on the radio.  The program featured a book about the devastating effects of being fatherless, especially on boys.  Gangs, drugs, alcohol, and crime rates are all dramatically higher for boys without fathers.  As I listened, I was brokenhearted thinking about Elijah.  Then Dr. Dobson asked the author if there was any substitute that could make a real positive impact on the life of a fatherless boy.  The author said that there was only one.  It was to have a resident grandfather, meaning a grandfather who lived in the same home as the boy without a father.  I was so moved by the privilege God had given me to have Elijah in my home and in my life everyday, that I had to pull over to the side of the road because I was crying so hard I couldn't see to drive.

After ten years of being Elijah's resident grandfather, he now seems more like a son than a grandson.  I've had the joy of taking him to school, to soccer, basketball and baseball games, going camping together and on "man dates" to the movies or swimming at the Gulf of Mexico.  We've built Legos together and played catch. We've ridden hundreds of miles on bikes together and shared lots of experiences that fathers and sons get to share.  Each year, he is more and more my "son."  What a blessing it has been to be a "father" again, and this time to experience that joy and challenge with a boy instead of with girls.  Believe me, boys live in a whole different universe than girls!

At the same time I've discovered that it's a special challenge being both "father" and grandfather at the same time.  I find myself constantly changing hats.  Much of the time I have to wear the "father" hat which means setting boundaries, upholding rules, managing and helping with homework, and meting out punishments for infractions, along with his mother, Rebekah.  But sometimes, some wonderful times, I get to put on the "grandfather" hat and just lavish love and spoiling on my grandson like a grandfather is supposed to do.  And sometimes I put on the wrong hat, spoiling when I should discipline, or getting tough when his mother has already handled the situation.

Father's Day meant so much to me this year because I have the privilege of being a "father" again at a stage in life when I have much more wisdom, insight, patience and love in my heart than ever before. I pray that God gives me many more years to be Elijah's surrogate father, so that at an appropriate age for him I can share with him some of the wisdom God has imparted to me through the years on subjects too delicate for a ten year old.

Yes, being a father the first time around was a huge blessing, and it's still a blessing to have my daughters in my life.  But there's a special blessing to being a "father" again.  I know that I can never replace the father Elijah longs for, but what an honor to try and make up for that loss in whatever way I possibly can.  As Father's Day drew to a close yesterday, Elijah and I were celebrating the Spurs victory and putting away the lego tank that we have been building together for the past couple days.  I wished him goodnight and said, "You're like a son to me, Elijah.  I love you."  My heart almost burst as he replied, "You're like a father to me, Papa.  I love you."  I am blessed!

Supernatural Information

Yesterday I spent much of the morning watching a debate between Bill Nye (“The Science Guy”) and Ken Ham (of Answers in Genesis).  Beforehand the debate was billed as being about creation versus evolution.  Sadly, the whole debate ultimately missed the point. 

Most of the debate between these two men related to the age of the earth/universe.  Ken Ham argued repeatedly for a young earth, approximately 6000 years old, while Bill Nye offered many different arguments about why such a young date for the age of the earth was scientifically untenable, and that holding to such a position would hold back science.  Ken Ham argued that the authority of Scripture as the inspired Word of God demands a young earth creationist point of view. 

The fact is that there are many Christians who uphold the authority of Scripture as the inspired Word of God, and who accept the idea that God created the earth/universe, as well as living things according to their "kinds," but who do not believe in a young earth/universe.  John Lennox and Hugh Ross would be two examples.  In his book Seven Days that Divide the World John Lennox argues: “It is Scripture that has the final authority, not our understanding of it.” 

While I believe that it is possible to interpret both Scripture and the scientific data as pointing to a young earth creation, I don’t believe it is absolutely essential to do so.  It is just as possible to interpret both Scripture and the scientific data as pointing to an ancient earth/universe, which was created by God.  There is more than one way to interpret the scientific data that we observe.  There is more than one way to interpret what Scripture has to say about creation and the age of the earth/universe.  Reasonable, Bible-believing Christians can differ and have differed about these issues. 

There is a different issue that Ken Ham touched on in yesterday’s debate that I wish would have consumed the full attention of both debaters.  That is the issue of scientific naturalism, the belief that there is no possibility of the existence of anything supernatural.  While Ken Ham brought this issue up, he allowed himself to be completely sidetracked by Bill Nye’s attacks on the age of the earth.  As a result, this issue was never addressed by Mr. Nye.

I am convinced that it is possible to prove that the supernatural exists, because information is "supernatural," in that it is not material or physical. Those who deny the supernatural, and claim that everything is only material or natural ignore the supernatural aspect of information.  All information (including conscious thought or mind, as well as natural law which is discovered through observation, but which, nevertheless, is not material or physical) exists beyond the physical realm in which we live.  While information can be transmitted by physical or material means, it is not dependent upon those means of transmission for its existence or function.  Many different kinds of physical means can be used to transmit the exact same information.  The human genome can be encoded in DNA, on a CD ROM, or in printed form on paper with ink.  It represents exactly the same information. 

To claim that information, thought, mind, will, or even natural law (such as the laws of physics) must have a "natural" or "material" cause is absurd.  Mind, thought, information and knowledge must originate from a supernatural source, since they are not material or physical, but immaterial and thus, supernatural.  This reality is, I believe, the strongest argument against a purely material or physical universe to be found outside of Scripture.  Those who would argue that the material universe, the “cosmos” is all there is must deny the existence of information, since information is not material. 

We know from everyday experience that information always has its source in the mind of a conscious agent.  Information never arises spontaneously from a purely material or inanimate object.  When God created the universe, He did so to reveal His glory.  His wisdom and power are written not only the physical wonders of the universe such as galaxies and stars, but also in the laws that govern nature and the information that makes life possible.  This supernatural aspect of creation reveals the Supernatural source of all creation, God Himself. 

The Fear of God

I recently read an article stating that active shootings in public settings, where the primary motive appeared to be mass murder and at least one of the victims was unrelated to the suspect, have tripled in the past few years.   This confirmed my impression that there was not just more coverage of such events, but that there actually has been an increase in the number of such crimes taking place.  

This rise in such incidents has led to cries for more gun control, and the enactment of actual gun control measures in certain jurisdictions.  I am convinced, however, that these measures will not bring an end to such evil outbreaks.  

What is it that motivates someone to commit mass murder? In some cases mental illness may be involved.  But Scripture tells us that there is a more basic problem that causes such crimes to erupt.  Psalm 36:1 says, "concerning the sinfulness of the wicked; There is no fear of God before his eyes." 

The trend has been documented towards more and more unbelief in our culture.  The percentage of people answering "none" to the question of religious preference is on the rise.  And while most unbelievers are fine, upstanding citizens, there is an evil that lurks within everyone of us which must be contained.  It is the fear of God that helps us do this.  Proverbs 16:6 says, "through the fear of the LORD a man avoids evil."  Fearing God is the very definition of wisdom and righteousness.  "To fear the LORD is to hate evil" (Proverbs 8:13).

What is the fear of God?  It consists of three things, awe, dread, and trust.  God has given us the wonders of creation to enable us to stand in awe of His almighty power.  He has given us His law to reveal His righteousness and justice and to make us dread His wrath and punishment.  He has given us the Gospel, the Good News of salvation through Christ's life, death and resurrection to enable us to trust in Him. When these three work together to instill the fear of God in our hearts, we have His power at work to reign in sin and overcome evil.  

Without the fear of God, a person bent on perpetrating violence on others has nothing to restrain him.  He views death as a better end than a lifetime of incarceration, and will not stop the murder until he is stopped, or despairing any hope of redemption, takes his own life.  We need the fear of God!

Trying to eliminate such crimes through gun control will be no more effective than trying to eliminate poverty through welfare.  Just as Jesus told us, "The poor you will always have with you," there will always be wicked men who do not fear God and whose hearts are set on violence.