Meditations from Proverbs 26

As I mentioned in my previous post, I spoke on the connection between the heart and the tongue this past Sunday. Jesus, speaking in the context of exposing the Pharisees’ wickedness, gives some helpful insight about how the tongue works and how our speech reveals what is going on inside. In Luke 6:43-45, He uses the simple illustration that a tree is known for its fruit. Good trees produce good fruit and bad trees produce bad fruit. This is not a deeply profound thought. It is well-known even today. Why would anyone go to a thorn bush looking for figs? Jesus uses this illustration to show, however, that by examining a person’s speech, you can actually see the condition of their heart. James uses a similar illustration in James 3:9-12:

9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God;
10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.
11 Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?
12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.

Our speech reveals what we are inside. If our speech is wicked, deceitful, slanderous, and malicious, it reveals the sinfulness of our hearts. We would do well to remember that sin is not just the behavior of our lives but begins as a condition of the heart. Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.

The majority of Proverbs 26 is devoted to describing the one who works evil with his tongue. The author writes:

18 Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows and death,
19 So is the man who deceives his neighbor, and says, “Was I not joking?”
20 For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down.
21 Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindle strife.
22 The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels, and they go down into the innermost parts of the body.
23 Like an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross are burning lips and a wicked heart.
24 He who hates disguises it with his lips, but he lays up deceit in his heart.
25 When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, for there are seven abominations in his heart.
26 Though his hatred covers itself with guile, his wickedness will be revealed before the assembly.
27 He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone, it will come back on him.
28 A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth works ruin.

This passage has much more than can be covered in one post, but it does provide some helpful insights that cause us to examine our speech.

1) Verses 18-19 speak of the joker. This passage really hits home to me because of my tendency to find pleasure in the confusion of others. People who have spent enough time with me know that it is often difficult to discern whether I am being serious or joking in certain contexts. This kind of cruel deception does not serve to uplift the body but can actually tear down. Out of a desire not to be like the madman throwing about firebrands, arrows, and death, I need to put a guard over my mouth and consider the person I am deceiving before looking to the pleasure I might receive in deceiving them. It really does lend added meaning to the premise behind ”April Fool’s Day.”

2) Verses 20-22 speak of the whisperer. This is the gossip and slanderer who spreads contention and strife through his words. In verse 20, the author makes a direct corrolation between whispering and causing contention. I mentioned this on Sunday, but many would probably dismiss gossip as a sin that “isn’t that bad.” The writer of Proverbs understands its damaging effect and how it really can work to tear down a person and cause contention.

3) Verses 24-28 provide some of the most insightful words in this passage because it reveals the hypocrisy of those who sin with their tongues. They disguise hatred with their lips because they are deceitful in their hearts. They speak graciously but must not be believed because their heart is full of abomination. But this deceit will be uncovered. The hatred will be revealed. Why? Jesus speaks of this in Luke 6:43-45 — bad trees are going to produce bad fruit. If this is what is going on in your heart, it will come out. Just give someone long enough to talk and they will reveal their heart. These are the people who dig a pit for others and then fall into it themselves.

This whole study on the tongue has been eye-opening. There is so much I need to work on myself. I talk a lot! There is no sense hiding what is going on inside in the heart. It will be found out. At the same time, there is no sense just trying to superficially change your speech. If the heart is the source of the problem, the heart is what needs to change. Praise God that He is in the business of changing hearts!

What Does Your Heart Look Like?

This Sunday I’m going to be preaching on the connection between the heart and the tongue. I don’t want to spoil the whole thing by writing everything out here first, but this issue has really been on my heart for a long time now so I thought I’d jot down some thoughts.

Jesus says in Luke 6:45 that the mouth speaks from that which fills the heart. If the heart is evil, the words will be evil. If the heart is good, the words will be good. You can understand the condition of your heart by examining the words that flow from your mouth. Are you a critical person? It is because of your critical heart. Are you a complaining person? It is because of your complaining heart. You cannot excuse yourself by saying you didn’t mean it or that it really isn’t you speaking. It is! The heart is the problem, so it is the heart that needs to change.

Without Jesus Christ in your life, your heart is incapable of true change. He is the only one who can change a person from the inside out. Our society has learned so well to deal with symptoms that I wonder if it cares about real problems anymore. Doctors will prescribe drugs that will treat symptoms but not cure the problem. Psychologists will give counsel that will treat the symptoms but not cure the problem. This is not how God operates. He is not interested solely in behavioral modification. When it comes to a person’s speech, He knows better than to give a person the right words if the heart is not right. God goes straight to the heart because He knows that’s what needs to change.

Once the Lord changes your heart, your words will follow. They can’t help but change because the heart has changed. What’s great about the change in the words is that it flows from an inner change that is lasting. It is not derived from self discipline. It is not just a matter of will power. Those things might change things temporarily, but the person from whom the bad words flowed is still the same person. God changes the person.

There is so much more to say about this, but I want to save it for Sunday. But if you’re reading this, please take some time to consider your speech. How would you honestly evaluate your speech? Is it critical, judgmental, gossiping, slanderous, complaining, or bitter? What is needed is a heart change and only Christ can provide that.

Oxford Genius

I just finished reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe again tonight! This is really going down as one of my favorite books of all time. Who could forget the classic scenes with underlying biblical motifs like Edmund’s first encounter with the White Witch and her Turkish Delight or Mr. and Mrs. Beaver trying to explain who Aslan is to the children or the great Stone Table? C. S. Lewis certainly had a good imagination and I’m so thankful for this pleasurable read. There are even scenes that come up where you think, “Wow, this really serves as a great spiritual illustration!” but then you wonder if you’re just reading into it or if Lewis intended it to mean just that! That is Oxford genius. Regardless, these themes are precisely what the movie versions of the stories are quite often going to miss. There really is no adequate substitute for a good read.

Vamos Argentina!

Argentina 4, Mexico 1. What an amazing game and great seats, too! I got a great video clip of Messi’s goal, but when I got home I accidentally erased it! I found a website that had a video of highlights, though. Enjoy.

The whole match was dominated by Argentina. Before we knew it, it was 3-0. Although the cheering in the stadium was deafening, by the time it was 3-0, the crowd was pretty hushed. When Mexico finally scored, it got loud again. But it wasn’t long before Argentina added a fourth goal.

Our seats were under the overhang so we weren’t getting drenched by the beers and trash people were throwing down from above. People would heckle us because we were proudly adorned with Argentina and Boca Juniors jerseys (except for Vanessa whom we deemed a traitor). The most annoying part of the evening was the group of guys smoking just a couple rows in front of us. A couple times, we needed to call security because it got really bad. I have a pregnant wife to take care of! =) It’s also probably a good thing that most of our group’s Spanish is not advanced! A lot of the cheers were filled with bad words. I only know because I had a lot of Mexican friends in high school who opened my eyes to the colorful Spanish language.

All in all, the game was a lot of fun! In spite of the heckling, we had a great time cheering on Argentina. It was Christine’s and my first live soccer match so I was glad we got to see the Argentine national team. We got a lot of great photos, too. I’ll try to post them soon! Vamos Argentina! Ole! Ole! Ole!

The Theology of Dating

I know I’ve spoken on the theology of dating in the past in various contexts, but I thought I’d write a post on it in case it might be helpful for some. I posted this article on the church blog. Hope it’s helpful!

Our Little Terminator!

Although these photos were taken about a month ago, I thought I would put up some updated pictures of Eden Cassie so that people don’t think the baby is still some little gummy bear in Christine’s tummy. (By the way, all those who commented on the gummy bear pic post with, “mmm…gummy bear” really need to seek help.) =) It’s really an exciting time during the pregnancy. Last night, Christine and I were lying in bed just watching her belly because Eden would shift inside and her whole belly would change shape. It’s like something out of a movie. Speaking of movies, here’s one of Eden that reminded me of Terminator.

A lot of our ultrasound pictures look like this where all we see is her skull. We actually have one that shows her skull and one of her eyeballs, but it’s sort of scary and Christine and I didn’t want people to have freaky images pop up in their heads when they thought of our baby. This picture is a better one of just her profile.

Awww… she’s so cute. If you look closely, it looks like she’s holding a microphone. Maybe she’ll be the next American Idol or at least join the LBC music ministry. Anyway, in case you haven’t heard, the due date has been changed to August 6. That’s my birthday so if she comes on time it’ll be a great birthday present. We are still hoping that she’ll come on her original due date since an 8/8/08 birthday would be sort of cool. Anyway, thanks to all you who have been praying for us. We’re really excited for Eden’s arrival.

Stuck in a Room

Christine is out in the living room with her small group, so I’m sitting here on the floor in the bedroom getting some studying done. Since it was a good time for a break, I thought I’d write a little something in the old “brain.” I was actually studying out at our apartment clubhouse before coming back home because it’s a really great place to study. Just as I was leaving to come home, a couple of teenage gals walked in talking like, “I don’t know why she thinks she’s so awesome. No one likes her, not even Sarah” (I actually don’t remember the name they used). So sad. I told Moon Choi the story and she commented that it’s sad you still hear that kind of talk in college. So sadder.

Earlier today I had lunch with Anthony Ngai at Voltero’s and a couple of people were yelling at each other in their cars because apparently a DHL delivery guy cut off a woman in the parking lot. They were both yelling at each other at the top of their lungs even after the two cars straightened out and were driving off. You could still hear them yelling as they pulled out of the driveway onto the road! So sad once again.

People can be so mean. It’s a good thing the Lord shows us undeserved kindness. Anyway, that was my sharing time. Christine’s small group is gone now and I am free from the confines of the bedroom. Until next time…

Meditations from Psalm 5

1 Give ear to my words, O Lord,
Consider my groaning.
2 Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God,
For to You I pray.
3 In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice;
In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.

The Psalmist entreats God in Psalm 5 to hear his prayer. This is one of my favorite passages about prayer in the Bible because the language is so vivid and the heart of David can be felt. There’s much to learn about how to pray in these words.

1. David shows great reverence for God. In just three short verses, he recognizes God’s lordship, kingship, and deity. He understands lucidly that God is in control of his life and he humbly submits to God’s rule. He does not blame God for his problems. He simply understands that God is greater than his problems and that it would be consistent with the character of God to deliver him from those who oppress him.

2. David’s prayer is in the morning. This is such a difficult thing for me personally. Each morning when I arrive at the office, my first inclination is not to open my Bible and pray. There is always so much to get done at the office that my first thought is usually to check my email or go run errands. Twice in the opening verses, David mentions that his prayer would be lifted up in the morning. David could not help but make it the first thing each day because of his incredible need. He is praying for protection from the wicked who are his oppressors, and he knows that without God’s help he would have no hope for salvation. This leads to the next point.

3. David prays because he needs to pray. There is great urgency in his prayer. The phrase “my words” in vs. 1 is emphatic. “Give ear to my words,” “consider my groaning,” “heed the sound of my cry for help.” He makes three appeals to God in quick succession accentuating his dire need. There is a clear sense of urgency in his prayer, and this is a rebuke on my life that I do not regularly sense that same urgency for prayer each morning.

4. David thinks about what he prays. Literally, the sense in the Hebrew is that in the morning he would arrange his words before God. He doesn’t just throw a bunch of words together and haphazardly present them to God. He carefully thinks through the words and arranges them so as to make his best presentation. Too often, Christians fall into the error of thinking that spontaneity in prayer breeds sincerity. The truth is that spontaneity oftentimes turns our prayers into a thoughtless, unorganized clutter of words. Our prayers are too often shallow, unspecific, self-centered, and overly casual. David thinks through his prayers first before addressing the Lord offering quality prayers and still his sincerity is intact.

It’s amazing how much there is to glean about prayer in three short verses. This isn’t even all that is contained in this beautiful prayer passage! It is humbling to think how much more there is to learn…even more humbling to consider how much more there is to apply.

Eden Cassie

A couple weeks ago, Christine and I went to the doctor’s for the big ultrasound where we could finally know the gender of the baby. You can read Christine’s journal for the details. I just wanted to share that the ultrasound is not the magical experience that some might perceive it to be. It was actually sort of scary. =) The baby looks like a monster on the screen because the ultrasound projects an image of its skeleton, and the way the ultrasound is done the baby comes in and out of the picture fairly quickly (something like a horror movie pop out). You half expect the baby to scream, “Aha!” =)

It was great to see the baby again, though. We got to see all its major organs and its skeletal structure. They even showed us the blood flow through the umbilical cord. The trickiest part of the whole process was determining the baby’s gender because our little one was being stubborn. In the end, just as the doctor was about to give up, we were able to find out we were having a baby girl. Here’s a shot of her foot below (it was the cutest picture we had of the whole experience). Since we’re having a girl, we decided on the name Eden Cassie. I can’t wait to meet her in person!

The Glory of Christ

How much do you value the glory of Christ? I just finished reading The Glory of Christ, by John Owen, and it was a tremendous blessing to read (and tremendously humbling!). The book was written towards the end of Owen’s life and was a record of his personal devotions before his writings were made public. A man with Owen’s reputation of presenting profound truths from God’s Word was sure to bring some of his deepest thoughts in a work written so late in his life and career, and he did not disappoint! You can literally sense the depth of his love for Christ on every page and the strong desire he has of sharing this satisfaction he finds in Christ with everyone who hears his words.

When you think about the glory of Christ, it is easy to simply think about Christ’s glory which will be manifested in heaven. Perhaps the closest thing that anyone on earth would have witnessed of that glory of Christ came at the Transfiguration, where only the select few disciples were able to see Christ in His divine glory and the rest of us are given a description of it that does not do it justice (understandably so!). But Owen reminds us of John’s words from John 1:14, ”And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Here, the Apostle John is not speaking about Christ’s transfigured glory or His divine glory. He is speaking about the glory that was revealed in Christ on earth through His life and ministry. To a degree, we are capable of gaining a glimpse of Christ’s awesome glory in the gospels. Certainly, this view of glory will not be as complete as when we stand before Him face to face in heaven, but it is a true manifestation of glory nonetheless. Thus, Owen writes, “No man shall ever behold the glory of Christ by sight in heaven who does not, in some measure, behold it by faith in this world. Grace is a necessary preparation for glory and faith for sight.” Owen’s point is that the measure to which we behold Christ’s glory now by faith will prepare us for seeing Christ’s glory then by sight. If we fail to see it now, we should not expect to see it then, because if we do not desire it now, we will not desire it then.

The Apostle John explains that this glory of Christ was revealed in that He was full of grace and truth. In no greater way do we see the marriage of grace and truth than in Christ’s substitutionary work on the cross. Christ, in providing a way for God to be both just and the justifier, in redeeming man from the pit of hell and reconciling man to God, manifests the glory of God greater than in any other way. It is through Christ that walking corpses, spiritually speaking, could ever come to have life. It is through Christ alone that sinners in the direct path of divine judgment could experience forgiveness and enjoy mercy. This is the demonstration of God’s love for His glory and it is all seen in the face of Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 4:6).

The glory of Christ is always to be at the forefront of our thoughts and devotion. All believers should strive to say with Owen, “On Christ’s glory I would fix all my thoughts and desires, and the more I see of the glory of Christ, the more the painted beauties of this world will wither in my eyes and I will be more and more crucified to this world. It will become to me like something dead and putrid, impossible for me to enjoy.” It is something for me to concentrate on as I study through the Gospel accounts in the Bible. Not only do we see Christ in the flesh having come not to be served, but to serve, but also we can see His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father. Insomuch as Christ demonstrates divine grace and truth in His earthly life and ministry (culminating in the cross) He manifests to us the glory of God in all its splendor.