So Much to Say

SO MUCH TO SAY

There is so much I want to say right now about the San Francisco Giants that I had to write this all down. 

Travis Ishikawa is an amazing story.  And first and foremost he gives all the credit to our Lord. He said last night after the game.

 “There was a point in Fresno this year in Triple A when I was struggling.. going in to the game o for 4s with no chance of getting hits. I called a buddy from back home in Seattle crying cuz I just didn’t know what I was supposed to do.  I didn’t know if God was telling me this was a big trial I was supposed to be going through, or if this is time to quit and do something else. And he just continued to encourage me and gave me some scriptures to kinda help uplift me. So I stuck with it.” Andin another interview Ishikawa said, “I’m just so thankful that the Lord Jesus Christ let me stay; gave me the perseverance to keep playing.  And I just thank this organization.  Best organization I ever played for giving me this opportunity”

What an example in his trials he looked to the Lord and in his triumphs he gave Him the praise.

Also as the son of a Chinese Father and White Mother myself last night was not just a great night in San Francisco History and in Baseball History, but also in Half Asian History.

I’m buying a used car today and I think I’ll name it Travis IshiCorolla in his honor.

This team went through such a terrible time this summer.  The Giants went through a two month stretch without winning a series against a team with a winning record.  And now they’ve gone 8 for 10 against the best the National league has to offer.  There were times when I hated this team this season.  There was a time when I gave up on their hopes for this year because I couldn’t talk myself into thinking that they’d make it to the play offs.  Or if they did manage to stumble in actually win a series.  There were numerous games when the Giants hit so poorly they made mediocre opposing pitchers look like Clayton Kershaw.  I remember hearing that Buster Posey said something this summer about the Giants just needing to find a way to get into the play offs, and once they were in they knew what to do.  I guess  Buster was right.   

With the Championships in 2010 & 2012 and at least the National League pennant this year people are asking if it’s too soon to call it a dynasty.  I say it doesn't matter what we think now because it is already a forgone conclusion.  Twenty years from now people are going to look back at this decade and see the Giants dynasty.  I can understand the argument that they aren't on that level because they aren’t a totally dominant team.  In these three years the most wins they’ve had in the regular season was 94 (2012) which was the 3^rd best record in the NL that year.  And last year they weren’t even in contention finishing the season 16 games out of first place.  So it is fair to say that over the last 5 years the Giants haven’t been far and away the best team in Baseball.  But in the end the October is what matters. And when it comes to post season these guys are the best.  Summer was a bummer but these are the boys of Fall. 

There are 4 things that the 2010, 2012, & 2014 teams have in common as far as personnel: Buster Posey, Madison Bumgarner, a big chunk of the bullpen, and Bruce Bochy.  And that’s been a formula for success.  First Buster is a, best of his generation, Catcher who makes an impact at the plate and behind it.  He’s the most valuable single player on the Giants roster.  With pitching being even more of a priority in these best of 5 and best of 7 series than in the regular season having one solid ace and a lights out bullpen with some combination of Affeldt, Casilla, Lopez, & Romo can take you along way.  And having a manager that can keep the whole team pulling together, and outsmart the guy in the opposing dugout makes The Giants awfully tough to beat.  There have been other huge contributors of course.  Without Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain 2010 & 2012 would probably never have happened.  Not to mention Cody Ross, Brian Wilson, Aubrey Huff, & Marco Scutaro.  But without them this time Buster, MadBum, Bochy and the “Formidable Four” are headed back to the World Series. 

I think the Giants are about to do it again.  World Series starts Tuesday in Kansas City. 

THE GIANTS HAVE WON THE PENNANT!!!

Eyewitnesses of his Majesty John 2:18-22

The Jews questioned Jesus' authority.  He had just walked in to the Temple, the heart of Jewish religious life, and literally turned the tables.  The Jews that day desired an answer; how could he do this? They wanted a sign to authenticate his authority. 

Jesus gave them what they asked for, but not at all how they expected.  He didn't give them a sign they could see that day, and he didn't explain his actions.  He spoke to them of the ultimate sign.  A sign that would show he had authority over the temple, and over much more: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” (John 2:19)

In his death and resurrection of Jesus Christ accomplished many things he "ransomed people for God" (Rev 5:9), he the Devil and all his spiritual enemies, and he answered the Jews question from John 2.  This was the sign of his authority.  By his resurrection he was,"declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead." (Rom 1:4).  It demonstrated that Jesus was the judge of all men, "he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:31)  

That day Jesus pointed the Jews towards his own death and resurrection.  For all men and women this is still the most important thing for them to pay attention to. 

"But he was speaking about the temple of his body." Jesus body was a temple.  Jesus was the reality that the temple was a shadow and a picture of.  In the post about Jesus cleansing the temple I described the purposes of the temple as worship, prayer, and sacrifice for reconciliation. 

The temple was the place for the name of God to be exalted.  Now, "God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth." (Phil 2:9-10)

The temple was where people drew near to God.  Jesus instructed his disciples to pray in his name, "whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you." (John 15:16)

And Jesus body was the sacrifice that truly made reconciliation between God and man. "And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (John 6:51)

"When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken." (John 2:22) These men heard him say these words, and the saw him risen again.  We can see the authority these eyewitnesses attributed to Christ by reading what they wrote about him.  John wrote, "every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God." (1 Jn 4:3)  And Peter wrote that his readers were chosen "for obedience to Jesus Christ." (1 Pet 1:2)

We must be mindflul of the authority of Christ which has been demonstrated so definitively in his resurrection.  Let us take his Commandment to heart knowing that he is the Lord of heaven and earth. "You shall love your neighbor as yourself. " (Matt 22:39) And, "do not be anxious about your life" (Matt 6:25) And, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." (Lk 9:23)

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Matthew 28:18

Man's Failure & God's Goodness Matthew 19:16-26

In this passage the Rich Young Man shows he's coming at things the wrong way from the start.  The way he phrases his question when he comes to our Lord.  He doesn't ask, "How can I be saved?"" instead he asks,  "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?" 

Jesus answer showed as usual that he was interested in dealing with he heart of the questioner not just answering the question.  He starts by giving a question back to the young man: "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good."  In Mark's account Jesus said "No one is good except God alone." This correction should have gotten the young man's attention Jesus was showing him where he needed to be looking for goodness: in God alone. 

Jesus went on to point him to the law.  The law is a reflection of God's goodness, and one of the purposes of the law is to show us how sinful we are, and how much we need a savior.  "Through the law comes knowledge of sin" (Rom 3:20). 

But the young man doesn't take it that way.  He makes the bold claim: "All these I have kept."  He was still seeking to justify himself.  People seek to justify themselves in many ways.  That is to think or say there good deeds make them right with God. They may or may not refer to the 10 Commandments.  But this man still knew he lacked something.  That is why he came to Jesus and why he continued to question him.  And all people who seek to justify themselves should doubt themselves because they are lacking.  "For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight." (Rom 3:20)

And when Jesus offers him the way of salvation it is to great a cost to him.  There is a always a cost to following Jesus.  As he told the young man to repent & believe means turning away from your sins.  It means giving up something.  But what we have to gain is so much greater as Jesus told him "you will have treasure in heaven."  But the poor rich man after seeking Jesus and approaching him with his question preferred his possessions to eternal life. 

Jesus declaration that, "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God", shocked his disciples.  And they asked their own question "Who then can be saved?" 

Jesus responded to their question to him with what I think is the most important message of the passage "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."  This passage ended the same way it began with man's failure and God's goodness.  With man it is impossible to be saved, but with God it is possible.  The young man was unsuccessfully seeking a good deed he could do to have eternal life, and Jesus pointed him to the only one who is good. 

Man can not save himself.  A man in love with sin can never turn away from it to love God.  "For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot." (Rom 8:7) But with God it is possible only God the Holy Spirit can grant men the repentance that leads to life.  


The rich young man is a tragic figure in History.  He stood face to face with the Savior of the world and went away sorrowful.  Don't be like him. Don't try to justify yourself before God.  Don't refuse the great offer extended to you.  Look to him for goodness and the one whom he has sent.  Jesus Christ died on the cross for sinners and rose again on the third day.  Throw away your useless sins and flee to Christ.  Fear not.


"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

A prayer for the overwhelmed

2 Corinthians 9:8 Is a great promise from God's word. "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work."
This is an encouragement to those of us who feel overwhelmed, and like we don't have any more to give. We can turn this promise into a prayer: God make all grace abound to me/us so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times I/we may abound in every good work.
We are a needy people and this Scripture shows us where our sufficiency must come from. Not from ourselves, but from God. God can give us the strength, energy patience, or even the resources we need. Remember what he did with five loaves of bread and a few fish.
It also shows us the direction our lives should be directed in. God doesn't give us the sufficiency we need so that we can feel good about it and serve ourselves. It is so that we can abound in every good work.
I hope as individuals, as families, and as churches we will call upon God for this and with the sufficiency from God (see also 2 Cor 3:5) we would abound in service.

Eyewitnesses of his Majesty John 2:13-17 (The Cleansing of the Temple)

Our Lord's agressiveness in confronting the animal sellers and money changers, in this passage, is undeniable: "And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple". Only here at the beginning of his ministry and again at the temple at the end of his Ministry do we see Christ act in physical aggression.

We naturally question; Why did Jesus respond so passionately? Why would our compassionate gracious Lord act in this way?

The answer has to do with who Jesus is and what the temple was.

Hebrews 1 says of Jesus "You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;" Christ is the exact imprint of the nature of the Father. And the Father feels indignation every day (Psalm 7:11). It was in Christ's nature to hate wickedness when he encountered the evil in the temple he hated it, and he responded.

Man's anger/hatred is corrupted by selfishness and pride so that righteous anger seems like an impossibility. The Scripture has numerous passages warning against man's anger (James 1:20, Eph 4:31 to name a couple). So we should be very careful trying to follow in Christ's foot steps in righteous anger. We must prayerfully search our hearts and ask what is really motivating us. We must also follow the Commandment, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you." But Christ had a perfect hatred. It wasn't jealousy and selfish ambition that led our Lord to make that whip.

Christ's motivations were pure. He was fulfilling a portion of what he was sent to do. This was prophesied of him, "And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap." (Mal 3:1-2)

Jesus came like a refiners fire because the temple was supposed to be something very different from what it had become.

In Deuteronomy 12:11 the Temple is referred to as, "the place that the LORD your God will choose, to make his name dwell there." The connection of God's name to the Temple is repeated often in the Old Testament. Honoring God's name is of prime importance in the Scriptures. The temple was to be the center of the worship of God. The temple was a place for God's name to be exalted. "Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD, give praise, O servants of the LORD, who stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God! Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing to his name, for it is pleasant!" (Psalm 135:1-3) That was supposed to be the focus of the people in the house of the Lord.

The Temple was also meant to be a place where God's people drew near to him in prayer. When it was first built Solomon dedicated it and prayed, "that your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which you have said, 'My name shall be there,' that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place. " The Temple was meant to be a place of communion between God & Man.

And of course the Temple was where the sacrifices were to be offered. That is what the oxen, sheep, and pigeons were for. These offerings were to be pleasing to the LORD. And were a means for God's people to be reconciled to him.

As I mentioned Jesus loved righteousness and hated wickedness. As we think about this passage we should ask What did Jesus love and what did he hate that day at the Temple. Jesus loved true religion and was jealous for it. Jesus loved the name of God being honored. He loved people drawing near to God and being reconciled to him. Jesus loved what the temple was meant to be, and he hated what it had become. Jesus called the temple a house of trade. The primary purpose of the temple had become profit. The sellers and the moneychangers weren't concerned with the worship of God, with people drawing near to God, or being reconciled to him. They were concerned with Money. Jesus hated this.

Jesus loves the same things now that he did then and he hates the same things now that he did then. Jesus loves true religion and hates the corruption of it especially for profit. This should be a warning to us today.

In our time the physical temple in Jerusalem is no more. But that doesn't meant that there is no temple. Paul figuratively calls both to the Church as a whole and believers individually a temple.

To the individual he says, "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?" (1 Corinthians 6:19). As believers we are to seek to worship God. We must honor the name of our God in word and deed and love him with all our hearts. We are to draw near to him in prayer. And look to Christ constantly for fellowship and reconciliation.

And of the Church he says, " the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit" (Eph 2:21-22) Growing into a holy temple aught to be the purpose of the Church. The purposes of the Old Testament temple were worship, prayer, and reconciliation. The Purposes of the Church are the same. In the church we must honor the name of God in worship. We must seek his face in prayer and encourage people everywhere to call out to him. And we must lift up to everyone God's means of reconciliation Jesus Christ crucified; the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

In our lives as individuals and as members of Christ Church we must put what he loves first, and repent when we do not.

My hope is that we will follow the disciples example and remember what they did.

His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for your house will consume me." John2:17

Sexual Morality in Light of the Resurrection (1 Corinthians 6:9-20)

1 Corinthians 6 is part of Paul's general rebuke against immorality in the Corinthian church. In the following verses Paul brings the focus onto sexual immorality.

Verses 9-10 give a list of multiple kinds of unrighteous persons who will not enter the Kingdom of God. Three of Paul's descriptions have to do with sex: "the sexually immoral..., adulterers..., men who practice homosexuality." Paul addresses the believers with this stern warning, and then verse 11 points to the work of Christ.

"And such were some of you." This is what God's people have been delivered from. Paul focuses on aspects of the salvation we have in Christ and what he has done for us. "You were washed", that is your sin and the filthy stain which it deserves have been taken away from you. "You were sanctified" you were set apart for a holy use. Though some of you lived previously in grievous sin God has a purpose for you and has graciously taken you out of that darkness and brought you into his kingdom. "You were justified" you are not judged by God according to your sins, but are counted as righteous before him. As David said, "Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity" (Psalm 32:1-2) All of the aspects of our salvation we have received because of Christ, "in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ." And this salvation has been applied to us by the Spirit of God. Paul draws attention to what has been done for us because clearly looking to this and meditating on how great of a salvation we have, not of ourselves, but all of Christ should impact our behavior. It should motivate us to not live in immorality, but to live unto our Lord.

In verse 12 Paul states that he will, "not be enslaved by anything". Referencing slavery demonstrates what the reality of a life of unrighteousness is. As Paul says in another place, "Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?" (Romans 6:16) This also should move us to resist sin. What a sad life to live being a slave of sin which leads to death.

In Verse 13 Paul interjects a comment about food and the stomach. I don't know his reason for this for certain, but it may be that Paul is making the point that certain things are meant for each other in this case stomachs and food. And that God has authority over this, "will destroy both one and the other."

Then Paul mentions two more things that are meant for each other namely the Lord and the body. Paul further describes the meaning of this union between the Lord and the body in the remainder of the chapter. In verse 14 we see that as Christ has been raised our body shall also be raised by his power. Our union with Christ, the connection of our body with our Lord, is something eternal. What this says about our physical bodies is remarkable. Our body must be the most familiar thing in the world to us. For good or bad we know them every minute of our lives. Often we are frustrated with our bodies for various reasons. We see and deal with their imperfections every day, and at times painfully. Yet the word of God says wonderful things about our bodies. These same bodies have a purpose beyond this life. This body is meant for the Lord. In the resurrection our bodies will have a union with Christ that we can’t comprehend now. Paul goes on to say that our bodies are members of Christ (vs. 15). Our bodies are members of Christ now and how much fuller will they be in the resurrection. Also we who are joined to the Lord are one Spirit with him. How wonderful to be one Spirit with Christ we experience this now only in part, “then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known” (1 Cor 13: 12). Our body is further described as the temple of the Holy Spirit within you. At the temple God drew near to man and man drew near to God. It is through our body that we now have this union with God.

What Paul says in this passage about the resurrection and our union with Christ is relevant to sexual morality. Sex is about union. What makes sex desirable in part is the desire for intimacy. The word of God attacks this desire for sexual immoral intimacy with a promise of intimacy that blows it out of the water. Look at the contrast he makes with joining with a prostitute in Vs. 15-16. Whatever sexual temptation we deal with involves becoming united. If we become one body with someone in a sinful way it is like being joined to that sinful and shameful behavior. But in this passage, as always, Christ is held up to us as our treasure and our hope. We can disobey and become one body with someone in a shameful way or we can be joined with the Lord becoming one Spirit with him. In verse 18 it says we sin against our own body. We sin against it by breaking the union with Christ our body was meant for. This is why we must flee. Sexual sin with the separation from Christ and destruction it brings should frighten the Christian, and we should flee from it like we are running for our lives.

Sexual sin can be forgiven. Remember what some of the Corinthians were (Vs. 9-11) and they were washed, sanctified, and justified. But it at least breaks our fellowship with Christ. And choosing sexual sin over union with Christ continually leads to death eternal.

Not that sex is in itself sinful of course. A man does not break union with Christ by having sex with his wife in fact sex existed before sin had even come into the world (Gen 2:24).

If we believe 1 Corinthians 6 we should have a radically different view of what our body is than the views that are common in our time. Most people assume first off that their body belongs to them. In fact the certainty of this unquestionable in the minds of most. We here that people can do what they want with “their own” bodies in discussions on morality frequently. But the word says “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price”(Vs 19-20). Furthermore many believe or at least desire that not only their own, but other peoples bodies are their possession and exist for their pleasure. But a Christian view of the body is that it belongs to the Lord and is meant for the Lord. The body’s purpose is as a member of Christ now. The body’s destiny, which we should anticipate with great hope, is to be united with Christ forever.

In this passage the mercy of God in our salvation is displayed for us. The darkness of what sexual sin is in reality is described to us. And a great hope for our bodies of eternal union with Christ is promised to us. In light of all these truths we should use our bodies now and forever in acts of worship to our God. When by God’s grace we live pure lives he is glorified.

“So glorify God in your body.”

The Devil a prodigal?

A while back a friend of mine posted the following question:

When all is said and done, could the Devil be a prodigal son?

I think what is meant by the question was is there a possibility of reconciliation and forgiveness for the devil.

The devil's destiny is clearly stated in Revelation 20:10 as someone else already pointed out.

But I'd like to look at it from another perspective and look at what reconciliation with God is and who it is for.

The example of the Prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) is very useful. It demonstrates repentance (vs. 18) and the compassion of God (vs. 20). The resentment of the older brother is also an interesting subject for another time.

However the parable does not deal exhaustively with the concept of reconciliation. To gain a fuller understanding we have to look elsewhere in the Bible.

In 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 Paul calls his ministry the "ministry of reconciliation" (vs. 18). Here Paul describes the reconciliation offered to man. He says that , "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation...All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself."(Vs.17-18) And that, "in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself"(Vs. 19). But Paul also makes clear in this section that this is possible because the price for this reconciliation has been paid: "we have concluded this: that one has died for all...and he died for all. that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised" (Vs. 14-15) This is a clear picture of reconciliation those that once lived for themselves in rebellion (like the prodigal son) will turn and live for God. But this requires the death of Christ. Paul points to the importance of the death of Christ again in Vs.21 "For our sake he made him sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." Becoming that righteousness is clearly impossible without Christ being made sin.

This also agrees with the rest of the New Testament teaching on reconciliation. Hebrews 9:22 leaves no doubt, "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins."

Whose reconciliation was paid for by Christ in his death is something the New Testament describes in many ways. It is described as "many"(Matt 26:28), "the church of God" (Acts 20:28), "all men" (Rom 5:18), or the "whole world" (1 John 2:2). But one thing that I think is pretty indisputable is that the sacrifice was for people.

The devil isn't a person so it wasn't for him. That is bad news for the devil, but good news for people. Because something amazing is offered to people.

John 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.