God Ruined My Dinner

Last night my wife and I had a friend over for dinner. We don't have any children yet, and so we have the luxury of entertaining company in the cozy confines of our little apartment. Cindy made pork loin, roasted potatoes and mixed veggies; the table was set, the company had arrived and we were gathered around our sturdy, pine Ikea dining room table to pray. As I lead us in the prayer I thanked God for the food and acknowledged Him as the giver of all things good, I thanked Him for the company of friends and community, then I prayed that His hand would be on our time and that He would use it to bring glory to Himself by way of His Spirit. In Jesus' name I prayed, Amen.

Pork is not something we make often and Cindy, forgetting that it is "the other white meat" kept asking, "Babe, is it done? I'm not sure if it's done. Is it done? Look at it, is it supposed to be that color?"

"Babe, it's done," I said poking at the meat, "It's the other white meat. That's the right color and--Mmmm. Yea babe, it's really good. This is good." Our dinner guest agreed, but noted that it was a little salty. In a few seconds, the salty quality of the meat or its color wouldn't matter at all.

As I reached for a bit of my taters I heard a weird cracking noise, a loud pop and Cindy yelling, "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" Now the details are a little fuzzy for me because everything happened so fast, but I do remember one thing distinctly; looking up at the ceiling fan above the table, seeing its light bulb explode and then saying something like, "WHAT IS THAT! WHAT IS THIS?! WHAT?!" It wasn't the pop, or the bulb that caused my quizzical expression. It was the steady stream of water coming out of the ceiling fan, around the bulb's glass cover, plummeting onto our dining room table and into the lovely sodium filled pork loin my wife had prepared.

By this time Cindy and our dinner guest had scurried into the kitchen with the plates, and I followed close behind with the other white meat in hand. Once the food was safe, like a good husband, I walked back over to the scene of the crime to investigate. What was I supposed to say or do really, water was coming through the ceiling at a place I never expected to see water come from. I couldn't fix it, and didn't want to touch it because I remembered hearing somewhere that water and potentially live wires filled with electricity don't go well together, especially when a person is involved. I called maintenance.

"Yes, hello. Yes, I'm--Oh my name? Anthony. Yea, well there's wat--my apartment number? One-one-zero-six. You see the problem--My building? I'm in the first building and there's water coming through my ceiling fan and onto our dining room table." A few minutes later a portly gentlemen came knocking on the door and we got to the bottom of our dining room now turned water wonder land amusement area. There was a leak in the kitchen above us that managed to make it's way through the floor and eventually through our ceiling fan onto dinner. The leak was fixed but dinner was not, and we frankly had lost our appetites.

We made our way into the living room where for the next couple of hours we spent time talking about the Gospel's work in our hearts, we challenged each other to live out the Gospel in areas we noticed were in need of growth and sought ways to help one another in those areas, we brainstormed and made plans for how we could as a community group serve a newly married couple who is in need of some encouragement in their first few months of marriage, and we prayed for them, one another and our local church community. God had taken plans for dinner and used them solely for His purposes. I am certain that none of that would have happened had it not been for the unlikely leakage on dinner. Praise God, for He does all things well.

For from him through and to him are all things. To him be glory for ever. Amen.

Rom 11:36

And he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, "What have you done?"

Daniel 4:35

See the Grace of God, And Be Glad

Every other Tuesday night I work out with a friend and afterwards we head to Starbucks to talk and pray. Right now we're going through this book, so far it's been very helpful and one of the reasons is because there are questions at the end of each chapter. One question that guided a lot of our conversation was, "Whom have you seen changed by the outworking of God's grace, and how?" We talked about this and why being intentionally involved in others lives makes this kind of question easier to answer. One of the passages I brought to the conversation was Acts 11:22-24, it talks about this very thing.

The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.

The people at Antioch that Barnabas was going to visit had just endured persecution, traveled out of Jerusalem to Antioch, and established a church. Barnabas goes to visit and encourage them, and when he gets there he sees the grace of God and it makes Him glad, he rejoices. Why? What did he see that made him rejoice?

He sees them glad and growing, and being sanctified by the very same grace that saved them. He sees them doing what God’s grace does in others: Trains them to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our (their) blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of God and Savior Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:11-13) He sees them doing, increasingly, the good works that they’ve been created, by grace, in Christ Jesus, to do; and all of this after they just had their lives threatened. That’s why they were called Christians (Acts 11:26), not because of their conversion, but because of the grace of God manifested in their lives post conversion—their conversations, their motivations, their happiness, their free time—all of it changed and changing for God’s glory, because of God’s grace.

We’re so prone, in our pride (I know I am) to think at times that because we know so much about the doctrine of grace (or pick anything) that we some how have arrived at some sort of spiritual plateau--we’re mature now. Maybe you struggle with the idea that suggests, if someone can’t articulate their understanding of grace the way that we can, or even the way the people we know can, well, then they just aren’t very holy or spiritually mature.

The real question isn’t, can they articulate it with eloquence, but can you see it, in their life? Do you see it!? Does your looking for God’s grace in the lives of others stop at how well they know something and can articulate it? Let me assure you, and you probably already know this but let me just assure you, if someone can give me facts about grace, or a detailed outline on the doctrine of grace and say, “See I know that.” And then, they can cut someone down with their words or look down their nose at them because they don’t know the name of some theologian or don’t subscribe as tightly to a particular doctrine, then they don’t know grace. Because that’s not grace. That’s not the grace that they we’re given by God, in Christ—that’s arrogance, and grace doesn’t make arrogant people, it makes humble people.

Now, can knowledge be evidence of God’s grace? Yes. Is it something to be glad about when we see it gained by someone else? Yes. But what should make you really glad is the manifestation of that knowledge into the actual life, actions, words and motivations of another person.

Here’s another thought: Someone lives with perpetual guilt and depression because of their sin, feeling like every sin they commit and every time they miss “quiet time” is a rung that they’ve dropped on the ladder of God’s love and acceptance towards them and another step they have to take back to God’s loving embrance—they don’t get grace. Because that’s not grace, that’s a lie called legalism. You were saved by grace, through faith in the finished work of Christ alone, not your works.

Do our sins cause grief? They should? Do they cause a feeling of distance from God? Yes. Should that grief disable us to the point of, “God hates me now. . .He hates me! No! Grace says with Micah:

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression

For the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. (Micah 7:18)

Rejoice not over me, O my enemy;

When I fall, I shall rise;

When I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me. I will bear the indignation of the LORD because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light; I shall look upon his vindication. (Micah 7:9)

Embracing the cross where Jesus died, as your payment for your sin. Debt paid! That’s a good work of grace.

So, what are you focused on? Are you looking for it in others? Are you like Barnabus, “God, I’m going to Antioch and I know they’ve been enduring persecution, I pray their still strong and I hope when I see them they’re still enduring and bearing fruit and growing in the midst of loss and suffering . . .show me your grace in their lives!” Barnabus saw them inside the sovereignty of God’s grace. He understood how they got to the point they were at—by God’s sovereign grace and choice. We ought to as well.

Death of A Young Egg Shocks Neighborhood

It was a tragic scene yesterday at the corner of the 52^nd block of Chestnut street in West Philadelphia. Humpty, a young egg walking home from school with his friends as usual, fell victim to a horrific accident. He, along with his companions thought it might be fun to climb a wall in the backyard of Philadelphia resident James Kingcrumb. “I didn’t even know the kids were out there, not until I heard the noise,” tells Kingcrumb. The noise Kingcrumb heard was Humpty, who lost balance along the wall and plummeted to the pavement, his hard shell and gooey insides leaking out into the street. Kingcrumb hastily tried to assemble the pieces, but it was too late.

Kingcrumb relayed his feelings to reporters with a mixture of anguish and aggravation, “I knew he was gone when I could smell him cooking on the hot summer pavement--that’s when I called the police. It’s sad you know, because this stuff happens too often in this neighborhood; just the other day a young piece of cheese was sliced to bits up on Baltimore Avenue, right outside the pizza place. It just really upsets me. . . makes me sick, because. . . you know. . .we all have to live here and nobody wants to live like this. I feel for the young kids in this neighborhood, they’re the ones who have to grow up in this environment and, well. . . it’s just horrible. Something needs to be done, this is just ridiculous…this can’t go on.”

Humpty’s friends declined to comment for reporters but have been seen entering and exiting the Humpty home all day, more than likely to offer their condolences and express their sorrow for the tragic accident.

“You never expect this kind of thing to happen right in you’re own backyard,” said Kingcrumb, “I guess now that it has, it’s not going over very easy for me. It’s just hard.”

The Story of Conversation

Someone recently asked me the question, "What is effective Gospel-centered conversation?" I had to think about it, in fact, I'm still thinking about it.

My wife and I lead a home community group in our local fellowship and conversation is part of what drives the group, you might say that without conversation the group would falter. Why? Why is conversation so important? What kind of conversation is important? What kind of conversation is most effective? I thought, if I'm going to get my understanding of this from Scripture I have to read "backwards" in God's story to get a better understanding of conversation and where it comes--what is the "story of conversation"?

The Great Announcer: God as the First Initiator of Conversation

God has the first conversation with Himself (Gen 1:26) and the next He has with Adam and the basis of conversation is announcing Adam's privilege(s) (Gen 2:17). God is proclaiming to Adam, "This is what I have for you to enjoy. Enjoy it!" So, it seems to me that if conversation is going to be understood properly we have to understand that it started with, comes from, and was first initiated by God.

The Questions of Conversation: Deviating From the Plan

The next conversation is not so helpful. There's no announcing or proclaiming, nothing said that can be stood on or trusted in. In fact, all that has already been proclaimed is now being called into question (Gen 3:1). All the questioning and debating about what has already been affirmed is really just temptation to throw out what God has already said in the name of, "good, thoughtful, intuitive conversation". Nothing good can come from this, right?

The Gracious Confronter: God as the First to Confront, Convict and Give Hope

The next conversation God has with man is unlike the first in that it is an actual conversation; meaning there is dialogue involved. Once again, it is initiated by God (Gen 3:9a). There is some questioning (Gen 3:9b; Gen 3:11, 13), all of which is done by God and all of which leads Adam and Eve to realize the weight of the error and the foolishness of their "intuitive conversation" and dismissal of all that was announced and proclaimed to them. Then, God does some more proclaiming and promising (Gen 3:14-19). Part of this announcement is a curse on a now fallen world, but in the midst of the curse there is a promise (Gen 3:15). So, to answer my previous question--Yes! Good can and did come from Eve's interrogative conversation in Genesis 3:1-7. In the midst of His promise to curse, God promises to redeem and in doing so He gives hope to an otherwise hopeless Adam and Eve. This hope is of coarse found in the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Our Conversation

God's conversation with Adam, Eve and the serpent in Genesis 3 is the Gospel. He confronts, which is what the Gospel does to us, He convicts them of sin, which the Gospel does, He promises a redeemer and victor over sin and death, which the Gospel does also, and all of this is done to lead Adam and Eve back to the God that they doubted and distrusted.

Shouldn't we pattern our conversation after this? If our most important moments of conversation are going to truly be effective and helpful then taking opportunities to lead one another to our Redeemer and King is crucial. This doesn't mean every word we speak to someone has to be about the Gospel but it should be driven by the Gospel. Are we loving enough to confront with grace when confrontation is needed? Do we believe in the power of the Gospel enough to rebuke and correct with gentleness when we know it is necessary. Is Christ's atonement and the hope of the coming Kingdom such a reality to us that we are eager and able to encourage others with its truth?

Does the history of our conversation mirror His-story of conversation?

The Bible is written to show us the true nature of reality. Scripture will either affirm or confront the stories by which we make sense of the details of our daily lives.

- Michael R. Emlet, CrossTalk: Where Life & Scripture Meet