Lord, Lord

There once were two men who survived a plane crash over the ocean.  Far from land, their only hope of survival was to be rescued by a passing ship.  Thankfully, they had both been told by the pilot that such a ship was nearby.  So, with no other viable options, both men set out from the wreckage in hopes of reaching the ship. 

     The first man, recognizing that time was not on his side, quickly fastened a makeshift raft out of a piece of wreckage. Grabbing some supplies, he immediately began rowing in the direction that the pilot had indicated.  The trek was grueling and tiresome, but the man knew that the only way he would be rescued would be to follow the pilot’s directions toward the other ship. 

     The second man likewise made a makeshift raft.  But when the plane went down he had been in the middle of watching a fascinating movie.  So, his first priority after making his raft was to find his laptop (which had somehow stayed dry), and the beverage cart from the plane.  He then wrestled one of the first-class seats onto his rickety raft, and rewarded himself for all his hard work with a Sprite, some peanuts, and the remainder of his movie.  Every now and then, he would remember about the passing ship and would row haphazardly in its direction. 

     Needless to say, as the passing ship drew nearest to the wrecked plane, only one survivor was pulled from the water.  The other one was nowhere to be seen. 

     Unless you’re reading this in the middle of the ocean balancing on a rickety homemade raft, we might see this fictitious story as absurd.  After all, it seems rather silly for anyone to miss being rescued because they were more concerned about their own temporary pleasure and comfort than they were about their own survival. 

     And yet, there are many good people whose lives mirror the efforts of the second man. They know about salvation, and they even desire to be rescued, but they are not willing to make such survival a priority.  They are unwilling to set aside the comforts of their busy lives in order to gain salvation.

     Throughout the Bible, Jesus is described as being both “Savior” and “Lord” to His followers.  The concept of “savior” is simple enough – Jesus is someone who rescues us from something really, really bad.  Even casual church-goers recognize the value of such salvation.  And so, many throngs of people claim to believe in Jesus so that they can escape the really, really bad possibility of hell. 

     The problem is that most of these casual church-goers don’t really understand the second title of “Lord.”  They see it as just another title for Jesus.  It’s like His first name.  The term, however, implies much, much more.  Someone who is our “Lord” is our absolute master and ruler; someone who has total authority and control over us.  Anyone who truly wants to follow Jesus must acknowledge that He is more than just a Savior, He is the absolute Lord of their lives. 

     This idea, however, doesn’t sit well in our “me-centered” culture.  We like to picture ourselves as independent, self-made bootstrap-picker-uppers.  It goes against our “Made-in-America” persona to give up control of our lives – especially if that involves laying aside our Sprite and peanuts (or our movies!). 

     As a result, our churches are full of well-intentioned people who believe God enough about heaven and hell to desire the former and escape the latter.  They realize that life is fragile and fleeting, and so they desire assurance of salvation.  So they strive to add the “Savior” part of Jesus to their American-Dream-driven lives. They might even claim that Jesus is their Lord, but in reality, all control remains with them. 

      Jesus knew this type of half-hearted follower well.  In Matthew 7:21, he confronted them with these sobering words: “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”  In these words Jesus reveals the heart of the issue: Obedience. 

      Unlike the man in the story, it impossible for us to work (or row) hard enough to earn salvation.  It is only by God’s grace that we can be saved (Ephesians 2:8).  But, in order to know Jesus as Savior, we must also accept Him as Lord of our lives.  This requires obedience.  This requires submission.  And this requires relinquishing control of our comforts, our pleasure, and even our dreams.

      But, even though this submission might be contrary to our nature and seem totally undesirable in light of our culture, those who know Jesus as Lord soon realize that He is an infinitely better master of our lives than we are.  In Him we find a love, joy, fulfillment, purpose, peace, and hope that we could never discover on our own.  In other words, our best life, both presently and eternally, occurs when we truly know Jesus as both Savior and Lord. 

Soli Deo Gloria

Tim Cotten

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Dad's in Control

    Recently, our household entered a new, hyper-inquisitive phase of existence.  Every 4.6 seconds or so, our four-year-old daughter asks some random question or another.  Often, these questions are simple: “Daddy, is it going to be hot today?”  Other questions require answers that far exceed the patience of the inquirer: “Daddy, why did God make it so hot today?” As I contemplated how to sum-up my viewpoint on the supernatural impact that God has on the global climate, she quickly moved on…

      “Daddy, why did God make rain?”  Now this one I could answer.  I replied, “One reason is that rain helps the plants and flowers grow.”  “Ooooohhh!” she replied.  Now, this was not new to her.  We’ve talked about it before.  But I’ve learned that many of her questions are not asked out of a desire to gain knowledge.  She knows why rain is important to plants. Instead, she asked the question in order to be reassured of what she already knows.  And she asked so that she could be reassured that I knew the answer. 

      A clear example of this occurred a couple of weeks ago.  While driving to the Darlington Co. Relay for Life, she asked, “Daddy, do you know where we are?”   “Yes, Micah, I know where we are,” I replied.  Fast forward 17 seconds… “Dad, now do you know where we are?”  “Yes, sweetie…” I said as I told her both our current location and our destination.  She repeated the question a few more times before she was satisfied. 

      Later, as I pondered over her questions, I realized that Micah is at an age where she wants to know everything about what’s going on around her, and she wants to be a part of every conversation, no matter the subject.  And yet she is still young enough to not be able to really understand adult conversations (or tall enough to see out of the backseat!).  Then a profound thought hit me:

When your viewpoint is always from the backseat, it’s good to know that the driver knows where he’s going. 

     For Micah, the quest for knowledge and understanding begins with trust.  One morning recently she told me, “Daddy, I think I’ll understand that when I’m 16.”  I smiled and tried to reassure her that it’s ok not to understand as long as you know someone who does.

     Like many lessons that my children are learning these days, the instruction does not cease when we leave childhood.  As adults, we have much greater capacity for knowledge and understanding, but there are still some very real and often very frustrating limits to our comprehension. Try as we might, we will never fully understand everything about the world around us.  Most of us, for instance, probably have no clue as to exactly how the air we breathe interacts with our blood to sustain our lives.  Likewise, while we all feel its effect, very few of us are likely able to fully explain how earth’s gravitational field keeps us from floating up into space.  More personally, we may never truly understand why bad things happen to good people (or vice versa).  Or why some people seem to be blessed more than others.  Or how is it that, no matter what checkout line we choose at Wal-Mart, the other lines will move faster?

     And should we try to understand God, our limitations are only magnified.  How is it, for instance, that Jesus can be both fully God and fully man?  Or, more to the point, how can one God be three distinct persons simultaneously?  And how is it that a perfect and fully righteous God could love such unlovely and detestable sinners like us?

     When faced with the limits of our own understanding, it is vital that we remember the lesson that Micah is learning now:

Trust the One who knows the answers.

Our God is omniscient (all-knowing).  He knows our limitations.  He is aware of our challenges. He recognizes our weakness.  But, He also knows the plans that He has for us, “plans to prosper [us] and not to harm [us], plans to give [us] a hope and a future…” (Jeremiah 29:11).  Our role is to always trust, not to always understand. 

      The problem is that this sort of absolute trust is really, really difficult for us.  It gnaws against our “pull-yourself-up-by-your-own-bootstraps” mentality which is applauded and encouraged by our culture.  Every one of us loves control.  We like to control what we do, where we go, and how we do both.  To give up control is an offence to our selfish natures.  Yet we all recognize that proper control requires knowledge and understanding (which is why we don’t let four-year-olds drive cars!).  And if we’re honest with ourselves, we have to admit that we’re sorely lacking in both knowledge and understanding – and we also have to admit that, ultimately, we’re not really in control at all. 

      So, at the start of each new day, we’re faced with a choice:  Do we persist in our selfish ignorance by clamoring for control of our lives?  Or will we place our trust in the One who actually is in control (and who knows all there is to know)?  In other words, as long as we’re in this world, our knowledge and understanding will be limited.  We will always be stuck in the backseat, forced to either pretend to have control, or to trust the One who actually does.  My prayer is that we all might “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your understanding; In all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight.”  (Proverbs 3:5-6) 

Soli Deo Gloria

Tim Cotten

Divided Faith

     Drive through nearly any section of our town of Hartsville, SC, and you will likely pass a church.  Our small city is home to more than 120 churches of nearly every conceivable size, shape and flavor.  But have you ever wondered why we have so many churches?  After all, don’t the majority of them believe basically the same thing?  And, more importantly, if Hartsville is so saturated with churches (and church-going people), why is there still crime?  Why is there still addiction, abuse, and despair? Why is our community not a better reflection of the hope that these churches represent?

     Unfortunately, the troubling diversity of our churches stems from a long history of division and dissention among Christians.  For nearly 500 years, Protestants have been separated from Catholics.  Yet the Protestants are far from united.  Baptists differ from Methodist, Presbyterians differ from Lutherans, and a new crop of non-denominational churches seek to be different from just about everyone. 

     What could cause such division?  Often, the root cause is embarrassingly trivial.  I know of some congregations who have literally split over the proposed color of their sanctuary’s new carpet.  Other groups have parted ways because of differences of preference regarding worship and music style.  Some have divided because of differences regarding church leadership and structure.   Sometimes, division is the result of theological differences. 

     So now we have a city (and nation) filled with differences of opinion regarding what it is to do church.  But, there is a deeper issue than this.  The unfortunate diversity reflected in our churches is simply a symptom of a more serious disease.  The real problem is that we often fail to focus on that which unites us – we fail to focus on Jesus Christ.

      As a result, we often place great emphasis on nonessential things and miss our primary calling.  We focus on attending church and on participating in various ministries.  And while this is indeed important, church membership is of little value in and of itself.  Think of it this way: someone who is sick should not be content to simply be in a hospital building.  Healing comes from the care given by the medical staff, not from merely entering the building. 

     To take this idea further, there is really nothing special about a church building at all.  In fact, to put it simply:

Church is not something you do,

or some place you go.

It is who you are.

If you claim to believe in Jesus, than you are the church.  “You are the Body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it” (1 Cor. 12:27).  In fact, every reference to “church” in scripture refers to a group of people, not a building.  They were a group united by their faith in Christ

     Sadly, every church in our town, including mine, has some participants who view church as little more than a spiritualized country club.  They attend church out of habit, ritual, or out of a desire to be seen – as if their mere attendance in the building could merit some sort of righteousness.  These are the ones whose behavior on Sundays is vastly different than it was on Saturday night.  While every church-goer will bear some mark of hypocrisy at some point or another, these people flaunt their duplicity. And ultimately, they fail to be united in faith because, in reality, they do not possess such faith. 

     Why is our city not a better reflection of Christian values?  Because we have far too many church-goers who are not actually a part of the Body of Christ.  Some perhaps have trouble accepting the inexplicable truth that Jesus is both fully God and fully man.  Perhaps they selfishly think that their sins place them outside of God’s desire or power to save.  Perhaps they have become calloused and cold-hearted so that they no longer desire to know their Creator.  Perhaps they have simply convinced themselves that they don’t need God, and that their career, their money, or their stuff is sufficient.  Regardless of their reasoning, such masquerading “Christians” are a plague not only here in our town, but across the nation. 

      But, it doesn’t have to be that way.  If we, as individual residents of Hartsville, would repent of our sins, recognize and accept God’s grace given through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and commit to live for Him, then our city will indeed be changed.  We may not be blessed economically, but we will be blessed.  We may not share identical theology, but we will be united.  We may not worship the same way, but we will indeed worship the same God.  Peace and joy will erupt in every household.  Kindness will become standard, and love will be our native tongue.  Our problems will not disappear overnight, but as every church building begins to overflow with true members of the Body of Christ, we will be truly united in faith.  “My goal is that [we] may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that [we] may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that [we] may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ” (Ephesians 2:2).

Soli Deo Gloria

Tim Cotten

A Resolution

     Today is a special day.  I know because I'm wearing a suit (which is rather a rare occasion).  Today, along with a dozen or so other men from our church, I will be signing "The Resolution" inspired by the movie Courageous.  This resolution is not composed of fresh ideas.  Indeed, its composition is ancient.  Nor is this resolution something new to me.  I resolved long ago to follow after Jesus Christ and to honor Him with my life.  But this resolution is special because it places renewed emphasis upon being the man, the husband, and the father that God has called me to be.
    If you've seen the movie, you know the fictitious story of how this resolution was born out of tragedy.  So many times, the greatest examples of faith only arise after God allows such tragedy to shift our focus solely upon Him.  Today, one of the things I'm resolving, is to seek that same absolute desire to follow God even without (thankfully) a tragedy.  I resolve to praise Him now.
    Below is the resolution that I am making.  I share it not to boast, for I know that apart from God's strength, I am totally incapable of living up to it. Instead, I share it to encourage everyone to join with me in resolving to be the person whom God has created you to be.

• I do solemnly resolve before God to take full responsibility for myself, my wife, and my children.
• I will love them, protect them, serve them, and teach them the Word of God as the spiritual leader of my home.
• I will be faithful to my wife, to love and honor her, and be willing to lay down my life for her as Jesus Christ did for me.
• I will bless my children and teach them to love God with all their hearts, all their minds, and all of their strength.
• I will train them to honor authority and live responsibly.
• I will confront evil, pursue justice, and love mercy.
• I will pray for others and treat them with kindness, respect, and compassion.
• I will work diligently to provide for the needs of my family.
• I will forgive those who have wronged me and reconcile with those I have wronged.
• I will learn from my mistakes, repent of my sins, and walk with integrity as a man answerable to God.
• I will seek to honor God, be faithful to His church, obey His Word, and do His will.
• I will courageously work with the strength Go provides to fulfill this resolution for the rest of my life and for His glory. 

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
                                                                       Joshua 24:15

This is the resolution I make today.  I pray that it might encourage you to find new resolve to follow God wholeheartedly as well.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Knowing the Unknowable

      When I was a kid, my parents had a relic of a TV.  With its unsightly box and tiny 13 inch screen, I was certain that it was the first TV ever made.  Not only was the picture in grainy black and white, this fossil only had four channels.  And changing the channel resulted in a sickening “k-thhhunk” (a process that required needle-nose pliers since this poor veteran lost its knob during the war).    

      Trying to watch a program on this ancient machine was always an aerobic exercise, since an adjustment to the antenna was needed every few seconds.  Once the antenna was set, however, it was indeed possible to watch a program.  You could actually understand the plot of a movie or follow the progression of a ballgame.  But even back then, at a time when “1080p” was meaningless, we were fully aware that this tiny TV did not deliver a realistic viewing experience. 

     Recently, I received one of those “1080p” TV’s.  I’d seen glimpses of high definition in the stores, and friends had tried to tell me of the glories of “HD,” but until I saw it for myself, I had no concept of just how much clearer the picture could be.  Suddenly, all the actors seem a little older as more wrinkles come into view.  And if I ever had the desire, I could now count the blades of grass during a slow football game. 

     But even the most incredible TVs still lack the all-encompassing sensation provided by actually being there.  For example, no TV, no matter how many combinations of letters and numbers are stickered to it at the store, can match the experience of attending an actually football game.  The overwhelming sound engulfs you, the sight overwhelms you, the smells intrigue you, and the taste disappoints you (I paid $17 for stale nachos?!).   No matter how good TVs get, nothing will compare to actually being at the game.

     Whether we realize it or not, every one of us are given an opportunity to know about God.  By looking at what He created, we can see the results of His power, His ingenuity, and His creativity.  By recognizing the perfect balance necessary to sustain life, we can see His grace at work.  Romans 1:20 reminds us that “His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has made.” But if all we know of God comes from His creation, then our understanding of Him will be severely limited – like watching a game on an antiquated 13” black and white TV. 

     What is more, such limited knowledge of God does not bring with it any hope of redemption.  Instead, as the last part of verse 20 tells us, it removes any excuse.  Knowledge about God cannot make us right with God.  A different knowledge is desperately needed.

     Enter Jesus – fully human and yet fully God.  (No, I don’t understand how that’s possible, either…)  Jesus provided a way for us to actually know God, not just know about Him.  As a result, we gain a vastly better understanding of who God is – like watching a game on a modern high-definition TV.  Unfortunately, like the TV, there is really no meaningful way to fully explain the difference.  You have to see with your own eyes; you must experience His grace for yourself.  

      But when we take that step, place our faith in Jesus as our Savior and Lord, and enter into a relationship with God Himself, the result is absolutely jaw-dropping.  Suddenly we see God’s hand at work in ways we’ve never realized.  Suddenly we recognize that He loves us far more than we could understand.  Suddenly we gain a better understanding of who we were meant to be.  2 Corinthians 3:18 puts it this way:

We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory.

There simply are not enough words to even begin to describe the glorious transformation that occurs when we know God personally. 

     And yet, the best is still to come.  If we know God, if we believe that Jesus is His Son and accept Him as our Lord (or master) and Savior, then we can trust that this world is not our true home.  We have the incredible hope of actually seeing God face to face – like actually attending the game (no TV necessary!).  1 Corinthians 13:12 says,

Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror, but then we shall see face to face.  Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Can you imagine it?  Seeing God face to face – seeing that which is infinite – seeing the hands that created the universe – seeing the majesty of the King of Kings – seeing the scars that purchased my redemption and paid for my ticket to heaven…  Even then I doubt that we’ll be able to fully know or comprehend how great and glorious He really is.

     No one these days would ever choose to watch a sad little black and white 13” TV when a massive HD screen was freely available.  Look around.  You know God is real.  You can see His handiwork.  But please don’t be content with that limited knowledge.  Instead, I pray that you will accept His free gift and get to know God personally.  Not just for this life, but for the next as well.                

Soli Deo Gloria

Tim Cotten

Saving Christmas...

I couldn't do it. 

I claim to love people, and I genuinely do care for those around me, but I don't think there's any way in the world that I could bring myself to do what He did - God gave us His only Son.

I couldn't do it. 

I'm just not that compassionate.  I love my girls too much.  Actually, more accurately, I simply don't love others as much as them.  If I were God, the world would be out of luck.

But, thankfully, I am definitely NOT God.  And the salvation of the world does not rest on my shoulders, or upon the shoulders of my children. 

Meanwhile, God demonstrated His absolutely incredible, totally amazing, and perfectly unselfish love to us - that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  While we were still ungrateful, rebellious little clods of nothing, the Creator of the Universe gave up His Son for us.  And most of us carry on without a clue - focusing instead on the thousands of sparkling good things that so often overshadow the best.  Like I said, I couldn't do it.

This Christmas, my prayer is that we all might recognize the jaw-dropping sacrifice that the day represents.  God sent His perfect Son out of Heaven to be born to a poor Jewish couple in a remote Roman province.  And, He did it for one purpose: so that His Son could die for people like you and me.  Did I mention that I couldn't do it?

Jesus came to earth so that we might be saved through His death.  God gave up His Son so that sinners like you and me could know Him.  Suddenly, all the presents, the get-togethers, the decorations and the food seem quite trivial, don't they? Christmas is about the greatest gift ever given: the gift of a Savior.  And I pray that you might know His saving grace and selfless love personally.