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“…I stood on the island’s ocean shore and saw what there was to see: a pile of colorless stripes. Through binoculars I could see a bigger pile of colorless stripes. It seemed reasonable to call the colorless stripe overhead ‘sky,’ and reasonable to call the colorless stripe at my feet ‘ice,’ for I could see where it began. I could distinguish, that is, my shoes, and the black gravel shore, and the nearby frozen ice the wind had smashed ashore. It was this mess of ice—ice breccia, pressure ridges, and standing floes, ice sheets upright, tilted, frozen together and jammed—which extended out to the horizon. No matter how hard I blinked, I could not put a name to any of the other stripes. Which was the horizon? Was I seeing land, or water, or their reflections in low clouds? Was I seeing the famous ‘water sky,’ the ‘frost smoke,’ or the ‘ice blink’?” It’s probably just the recent cold snap that’s bringing this to mind as I composed this. But this passage from Annie Dillard’s “An Expedition to the Pole” has stuck with me ever since first reading it some fifteen or twenty years ago. The description of her disorientation on her trip to the Pole above the Arctic Circle is evocative of our own feelings of not being entirely sure where we stand sometimes. In her account, it was physical disorientation brought about by her surroundings at the time. But this sense of disorientation can occur to us in other ways.... Keep Reading

At the end of every year I find myself shocked at how fast the year has gone by. As we come to the end of another year, some of you may find yourselves ending this year drastically different than how you imagined. For some this has been a year of unexpected joys and for others a year of unexpected disappointments and sorrows. Wherever we may find ourselves at the end of the year, the Lord reminds us to turn our eyes upon him for he alone is our portion, hope, and life. As we ramp up for a new year, we are all in deep need of God’s wisdom and grace. I’d like to share a few reflections from Psalm 90. Our Refuge (v. 1-2) Moses begins Psalm 90 with the reality of where our true refuge is found. Many of us will tire as we continually seek to find a refuge in this life. We will seek it in our jobs, relationships, money, success, etc. Psalm 90 reminds us that amidst the changing moments and seasons of our lives, the Lord alone is our true, stable, and secure refuge. He alone is a faithful refuge from generation to generation (v. 1) and he is more firmly established, rooted, and unshakable than even the mountains (v. 2). The Lord is our everlasting refuge and we find our truest and fullest rest in him. ... Keep Reading

Every Advent season I listen to Handel’s Messiah several times through. Most of the time I just have it playing in the background while I am studying, preparing for a sermon, or working on email. Occasionally the lyrics or music catch my attention, and I focus on the Messiah. Several pieces are well-loved, like the Chorus singing Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace,” And, of course, the Hallelujah Chorus, “Hallelujah: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Hallelujah!” ... Keep Reading

God is addressed by many different names throughout the Bible. Each name highlights a different aspect of God’s character or work. A name almost entirely unique in the prophet Isaiah is “the Holy One of Israel,” or, simply, “the Holy One.” We first hear this name in the prophet’s opening accusation against Israel: “They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged” (1:4). The significance of the name does not come out in this verse; therefore, the weight of the charge is not fully felt. The significance of the name “The Holy One of Israel” is clearly spelled out in what has been called the Book of the Servant. This Book encompasses chapters 40-55 of Isaiah, where we read the four servant songs. These passages exult the work of the faithful Servant of the Lord, who ultimately is Jesus. For example, Isaiah 42 calls us to “Behold my servant…a bruised reed he will not break.” And the best known servant song is found in 52:13-53:12, where we hear, “Behold, my servant shall act wisely…upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed” (52:13, 53:5). In the Book of the Servant (Isaiah 40-55), we find nearly half of all of Isaiah’s use of the name “the Holy One” (14 of 31 uses in the whole prophet). What is the connection between the name “the Holy One” and the work of the Servant of the Lord? What is the significance of this name? ... Keep Reading

At Oak Hills this year we have been slowly making our way through the book of Genesis. It has been a rich study of the foundations for this world God has created and for the covenant relationship God has established. When we dig into one part of Scripture, however, it is good to take a step back every once in a while to see the big picture. One of the most important guides for interpreting Scripture is understanding the unity of the Bible. From the beginning to the end, God is guiding redemptive history according to the plans he laid out before the foundation of the world. Therefore, we can ask, and benefit from asking, how does Genesis connect with Christmas? Let me answer that with five words. Creation. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1:1). In the Fall, all of creation was subjected to futility (Rom. 8:20). In Christ, there is a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). Jesus was born in a manger to reverse the curse of the Fall in order to bring about new creation. We can be thankful that the Fall was not the final word about this world. ... Keep Reading

Imitation of someone we admire is an effective way to learn. Children learn much by imitation of their parents. Athletes learn their sport by imitating all-star athletes or coaches. YouTube how-to videos have abounded on the principle that people learn best by imitating someone else. This applies to our spiritual growth as followers of Christ. First and foremost, we ought to imitate Christ, especially in suffering (1 Pet. 2:21). Even though humans, other than Christ, are fallible, we can learn by imitating those who are faithfully following Christ. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” So, let’s learn to give thanks by imitating Paul’s example in his letters. For what does Paul give thanks? As we consider Paul’s habits of giving thanks, we can be inspired in thankfulness. ... Keep Reading

The apostle Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” We could not receive a clearer statement that God wants us, even commands us, to be thankful. And yet, if we are honest, thankfulness is not natural. Like a child who is forced to say, “Thank you,” we may feel entitled to what we receive or we don’t see the goodness in what we receive. So, how do we fight a lack of gratitude and grow in thankfulness? Let me provide a step by step how-to guide for growing in thankfulness. Acknowledge that you do not deserve anything good. This is where the battle must start. Entitlement is the belief that I deserve better. Our culture is saturated with entitlement. In fact, it is embedded in sinful human nature. Is it wrong to desire better? Not necessarily. Is it wrong to believe I deserve better? Yes. Am I too harsh? Let’s allow Scripture to define what we deserve. Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Isaiah 64:6 says, “All our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.” And Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death.” In light of our sinfulness, we don’t deserve anything. This reality leads the psalmist to marvel at God, “What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” Recognize that everything you have is a gift. It doesn’t take long to recognize that we all enjoy good things in this life. If we don’t deserve anything good, why do we receive good things? The simple answer is that God is a gracious gift giver. In 1 Corinthians 4:7 Paul makes this point with two rhetorical questions: “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” And James simply states, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (1:17). And God’s gracious gift giving is not limited to people of faith. Jesus explains in Matthew 5:45 that God gives good gifts to all people, “For [God] makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” ... Keep Reading

If you have spent some time attending a Reformed church, like Oak Hills, or have taken time to read theology from a Reformed background, like R.C. Sproul, you have most likely heard people speak about covenant theology. In some conversations, covenant theology may even sound like some special key for unlocking the meaning of Scripture. J.I. Packer has argued that covenant theology is a way of reading the whole Bible. Is this emphasis on covenant theology created by man to promote a certain theological reading of the Bible or does it spring from the Scriptures themselves? I believe the evaluation must begin with what the Bible teaches about God’s relationship with humans. In Isaiah 55:8-9 God says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” This speaks about an incredible gulf between the Creator and the creature. How can a creature ever, on his own accord, bridge that gulf in understanding his Creator? Paul uses this point as an avenue for worship when he extols, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” (Rom. 11:33-34). The gulf between Creator and creature does not even begin to take into consideration the chasm created by sin. David states in Psalm 5:4, “For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you.” John uses the metaphors of light and darkness to make the same point, “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 Jn. 1:5). God is “holy, holy, holy” and “all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.” Who are we to ever presume to have a blessed relationship with our holy Creator? There are ontological and moral barriers between us and God. And we, as sinful creatures, can do nothing about it. ... Keep Reading

For the last couple of weeks, I have been sharing about my sense of God’s calling on my life. The first is to shepherd the flock of Oak Hills to faithfully follow Christ and live for his kingdom. The second is to proclaim the riches of God’s grace, especially to those unfamiliar with the concept of grace. For the kingdom. Get the Word out. These reflections are one of the results from my sabbatical. While I was in seminary there was a discussion about longevity in pastoral ministry. One of the professors used an analogy that has stuck with me ever since. He described pastoral ministry as trying to guide people across a swampy, miry lake. On the other side of the lake is eternal life in the presence of Christ. While navigating the lake, there are many obstacles and hinderances that can swallow up people in unbelief. The calling of the pastor is to build gospel platforms in the midst of the lake for people of faith to find refuge from the mire and muck. The struggle for the pastor, however, is that while he labors in the muck and mire, even he can lose sight of the big picture, the goal. The professor pressed the analogy one step further. He said the pastor needs to get out of the lake at regular intervals and rest on the dock. This “dock time” is for reflection and refocus on the callings and aims of pastoral ministry and provides the pastor clarity and strength to persevere in his calling. This sabbatical this summer was “dock time” for me and offered me time to reflect on God’s callings on my life. ... Keep Reading

For the last couple of weeks, I have been sharing about my sense of God’s calling on my life. The first is to shepherd the flock of Oak Hills to faithfully follow Christ and live for his kingdom. The second is to proclaim the riches of God’s grace, especially to those unfamiliar with the concept of grace. For the kingdom. Get the Word out. Before I share about the third and final calling, I want to use this space to talk specifically about church planting. A couple weeks ago the elders invited Ted Powers to visit Oak Hills for the weekend. For over four decades, Ted has been involved with church planting. He has served as the coordinator for church planting with Mission to North America and presently serves as the Director of the Midwest Alliance, a group focused on supporting church planting. Ted met with the elders on Friday evening and Saturday morning to lead us through a Primer on Church Planting seminar. Church planting is one avenue to live “for the kingdom” and “get the Word out.” Ever since I arrived thirteen years ago, I have desired to see Oak Hills involved in church planting. The elders have shared that desire with the congregation over the years as a long-term goal. To be honest, however, we have done nothing over the years to move that goal from the “long-term” category to an actuality. Furthermore, we have not had any clear idea of what it would look like for Oak Hills to be involved with church planting. Therefore, we decided to invite Ted, who has extensive experience in church planting, to meet with us and walk us through the process of church planting. ... Keep Reading