Eph 2:8-10: For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

In a church so gospel oriented, focusing on works can almost feel wrong. Many of us are recovering fundamentalists who bore the burden of works-based religion. We have felt the soul-crushing pressure to perform and the frustration of our constant failures. Works triggers our ecclesiological PTSD. I suppose that is what drove the reformer Martin Luther to rip the book of James out of the Bible, an overreaction if there ever was one.

But this shouldn’t be the case. The Apostle Paul felt no disharmony in preaching gospel grace followed by a life of works. Ephesians 2:1-9 is well known here at CCF. We were dead in our trespasses and sins (vv. 1-3), but the grace of God made us alive with Christ (vv. 4-7), and we have been given the gift of faith and salvation (vv. 8-9). Paul is emphatically clear – this is all by the grace of God, NOT of works (v. 9). Yet, far too often we don’t connect the first 9 verses with verse 10: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus FOR GOOD WORKS, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. In point of fact, verses 1-10 are a single run-on sentence in the Greek. To leave off verse 10 is to not allow Paul to finish his thought. So, no, we are not saved by our works; We are saved by God’s work, and he has predestined us to live a life that honors him.

Here’s how I like to think of it: There is no way a person can meet Jesus by grace and not live a changed life, a life for his glory. The grace of God in our lives not only produces faith and repentance, it also produces fruit and works. Now, let’s be clear: These works earn us zero merit before God. My assurance of salvation does not rest in my works – it rests solely on the finished work of Jesus. Whatever fruit and works my life produces is for the edification of the saints and the glory of King Jesus. Nevertheless, to some degree, they vindicate our testimony (cf. James 2:24).

So, Beloved, live a life that honors God. Yes, you will fail. Yes, you will falter. Despite the errant theology of triumphalism (i.e., Keswick theology), we will never feel as if we’ve conquered the spiritual mountain top. But, can I be honest with you? Our faith is not dependent on our feelings. One day our faith will be turned to sight, and we will rejoice at the throne of Jesus forever knowing that He has done it all. In the mean time, may our lives be lived to the honor of our Lord.

Pastor Matthew

Col 3:1-3: If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
 
The Pharisees were experts at appearing holy. In fact, Jesus told the crowd, “…unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 5:20). If you were a first century Jew, that would’ve been a shocking statement. How can our righteousness exceed the Pharisees? These guys are professionals! Of course, his point was that we need HIS righteousness – because on our own, the best we can muster is the self-righteousness exemplified by the Jerusalem elite, and that’s clearly not enough.
 
In his letter to the Colossians, Paul had told the church to reject the outward practices of pseudo-holiness, not unlike that of the Pharisees: “These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh” (Col 2:23). For centuries, people have been practicing the art of looking holy. Austere and serious, these men and women appear to be sanctified, endowed with the discipline of the saints. Yet, Paul says that these practices “are of no value” especially as it regards the lust of the flesh.
 
True holiness, rather, isn’t so much what appears on the outside as much as an inner disposition of obedience and devotion to Christ. Holiness is what happens when we “set our minds on things that are above” (Col 3:1-3).  Twice, Paul urges the Colossians to do this, and both times they are in the context of our union with Christ. We have been “raised with Christ,” and our “life is hidden with Christ in God.” So, what does it mean to set your mind on things above? It means to set your mind on Christ. It means that we should marvel at the realities of our union with King Jesus – We have died to sin, we have been raised with our resurrected Savior, and we are seated with Christ in heavenly place (cf. Eph 2:6). Beloved, holiness is what happens when we are consumed with the glory of Jesus. As Moses radiated the glory of God, so we shine with the glory of Christ (cf. 2 Cor 3:18).
 
From there, Paul moves on to give practical exhortations… “put away obscene talk… don’t lie to one another… forgive one another…” (Col 3:5ff). But do see his point? Reject self-righteousness and false-holiness (Col 2:23), set your heart and mind on Jesus and our union with him (Col 3:1-4), and then learn how to live in covenant community with one another (Col 3:5ff). Beloved, Christ is the center. If we want practical holiness in our lives, then we must behold the glory of Christ. The world can keep it’s self-righteousness. Give us Christ!


The Lord Bless You and Keep You,
Matthew

Heidelberg Question 2: “What must you know to live and die in the joy of this comfort?”
Heidelberg Answer 2: “First, how great my sin and misery are; Second, how I am set free from all my sins and misery; And third, how I am to thank God for such deliverance.”

Guilt. Grace. Gratitude. This is the paradigm that has had a profound effect on my life and ministry. In fact, it’s not too much to say that my entire understanding of the Christian faith can now be summarized in these three words. Of course, this trifold summary did not originate with me; It is more or less the outline of the historic Heidelberg Catechism (1563). And while as a Baptist I do not ascribe to every point, I do believe it offers a very fair summary of protestant theology, the Gospel, and the Christian life. The second question of the catechism builds off of the first: What is our only comfort in life and death? (Q1) Answer: That we are not our own but belong (both body and soul, in life and in death) to our faithful Savior, Jesus Christ… Question 2 then asks, “What must you know to live and die in the joy of this comfort?” In other words, how does this bring us joy now? Answer: First, (we must know) how great my sin and misery are (GUILT); Second, how I am set free from all my sins and misery (GRACE); And third, how I am to thank God for such deliverance (Gratitude).” Since I’ve never met a Christian with too much joy, I share this with you in the hopes that it will encourage you…

Guilt: The Gospel is good news for sinners. That is to say, it is only when we understand the depth of our depravity and the grievousness of our sin that we rejoice in the sight of a substitutionary Savior. Our transgressions are not “mistakes” or “oopsie-daisies” – they are an act of rebellion against a good and Holy God. Adam didn’t just take a bite out of a forbidden fruit – he blatantly rejected the command of his Creator. All sin is sin against a perfectly righteous and holy Lord. And though Adam blamed his wife who blamed the serpent, they knew immediately that they were guilty. Beloved, Paul says that God’s natural law is written on the heart of every man, woman, and child (Rom 2:15). We are guilty and without Christ we stand condemned. The law of God was given to expose our sin so that we might see that we are morally deficient and spiritually bankrupt. Now, this is not a popular message (it never has been). But in order to live in the joy of Gospel grace, it is absolutely essential that we see ourselves as we truly are: Sinners (and to quote Lewis, “Rebels that need to lay down our arms”). “We must know how great our sin and misery are…”

Grace: It is into this hopelessness that God speaks the good news: JESUS. Even in the wake of their sin, God promised our first parents that the seed of the woman would someday come and conquer the serpent. Though they clothed themselves with their own self-righteous fig leaves, God shed the blood of an animal and clothed them with the promise of a sacrifice. From the very beginning, the Gospel has been the answer. Jesus satisfied the law’s legal demands of perfect righteousness and he suffered the judicial consequences as our representative substitute. Not only has the penalty been paid for my transgressions, but I’ve also been credited with the righteousness of another, viz., King Jesus. In Christ, there is no more condemnation! What wonderful news for those who know the wickedness and deceitfulness of their own hearts! What joy fills the hearts of those who have been acquitted through the finished work of Christ! Beloved, we are saved by grace alone – “we have added nothing to our salvation except the sin that made it necessary” (Jonathan Edwards). We must know how we are set free from all our sins and misery…

Gratitude: Finally, the Christian – the delivered, justified, free, adopted, loved, forgiven, Spirit-indwelled Christian – lives in gratitude, status-forward. That is, my status in Christ will never change. I can never become more delivered, more justified, more free, more adopted, more loved, more forgiven, more Spirit-indwelled than I am right now. The legal demands of the law have been satisfied for me forever. FOREVER. So, wait… shall we continue to sin that grace may abound (Rom 6:1)? AH-HA! NOW Paul makes sense! Grace is so radical, so freeing, so amazing that Paul anticipates that his audience will ask this very question. Of course, the answer is no. Gospel grace doesn’t lead us into disobedience, but rather an obedience to God’s natural law that flows from GRATITUDE (Rom 6:14). In other words, I want to live a holy life for the glory of God precisely because I have been declared righteous. Or, as the Heidelberg puts it: Doesn’t this teaching make people indifferent and wicked? Answer: NO. It is impossible for those grafted into Christ through true faith NOT to produce fruits of gratitude” (Q/A 64). We are to thank God for such deliverance…

Guilt. Grace. Gratitude. And we do not dare rearrange the order – there is no grace until there is guilt. There is no gratitude until there is grace. Beloved, I echo the voices of our spiritual forefathers and I invite you to live in the joy of this comfort.

“O let the words I speak
Be pleasing in your sight;
And may my inmost thoughts
Be in your judgement right.
O Lord you are a rock to me;
You have redeemed and set me free.”
 
These are the words of Psalm 19 (v. 14) that we sang together yesterday. I absolutely love the fact that Jake is leading us in singing the psalms. Besides being a direct instruction from the Apostle Paul (Eph 5:19, Col 3:16), it helps us to meditate and consider the Psalms in ways that maybe we haven’t before. Music helps us to process the words slowly and contemplatively. In doing so, the Holy Spirit uses the Word of God in our lives to sanctify us, convict us, encourage us, and speak to us.

Yesterday, these words stuck with me long after our worship gathering had ended. “Let the words I speak be pleasing in your sight… may my inmost thoughts be in your judgement right…” I’ve been considering my thoughts and my words as a result – Do I take every thought captive? Do I speak in edifying ways? How is my thought-life and my speech different when I am not among my brothers and sisters in the Lord? For me, I am convicted. I freely confess that very often I take off my “pastor hat” and put on my “regular-life hat.” This is to my shame. I desire that my thoughts and my speech be consistently God-glorifying and Christ-exalting. Nevertheless, I tend to allow myself to be influenced by the godless world around me. Vanity of vanity! All is vanity!
 
Yet, the last line gives me hope: “O Lord you are a rock to me; You have redeemed and set me free!” I am set free. I am set free from the condemnation of the law. I am set free from the bondage of sin. I am set free from the burden of my guilt. Yes, I fail; But, I am redeemed! The law of God has been written upon my heart and I long to live for the glory of King Jesus. He knows my most inner thoughts! He hears my every word. Lord, conform the hearts of your people to think and speak Christ! When frustration and stress and anxiety and doubt encroach upon my mind, Lord, help me to take them captive. When my speech is bitter or snarky or unbefitting, Lord, silence me! Beloved, the heart of every Christian is to grow in holiness (this is part of the New Covenant). But, never forget that we are changed from one degree of glory to another by looking at Christ (2 Cor 3:18). We so often focus on change rather than sanctification. What I mean is, we often want to change for the sake of the thing we want to become – but, this is actually idolatry. We aren’t looking and longing for Christ. Sanctification comes by beholding Jesus, and being conformed to HIS image. I want to become LIKE JESUS. As the old saying goes, “I want to be so full of Christ that if a mosquito bit me, it would fly away singing ‘There’s power in the blood!’” 
 
Beloved, as we sing the Psalms, think about what we are doing – we are collectively praising God by singing his Word. These songs are unlike any other, for God is the divine author. The Holy Spirit specifically uses the Word of God to accomplish his purposes. And for me, that means reminding me this week that God knows my inner most thoughts and hears every word. But, as the psalm says, I am redeemed and set free! I am set free, not to glory in my sin and failure. No, I am set free to behold Christ and to pursue him without guilt or condemnation. There’s only one word I can speak on that: Hallelujah!

Have a blessed week!
Matthew

“The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.” Matt 11:19

The Church isn’t pretty, but she is beautiful. It’s been said a million times that the local church should look more like a hospital for sinners than a museum of saints. This is true (at least in part). Yet, more often than not, the ethos (or, the feel) of any given local church can sometimes be spiritually suffocating because of the unvoiced expectations of the membership. To belong here, one must look a certain way, speak a certain way, think a certain way, be a certain way. Yes, “we’re all sinners”, they’ll say, but what they really mean is that we’re all respectable sinners. Struggle is not allowed. Questions are forbidden. Sanctification is less “conformity to Christ”, and more “conformity to post-Victorian evangelicalism.” For those who begin their Christian walk on the lower rungs of life, this type of environment will slowly drain the spiritual fervor out of those who truly see themselves as tax collectors and sinners.

Simul Justus et Peccator, on the other hand, is a Reformation mantra. It means “simultaneously sinner and saint.” At CCF it is both a doctrine and a culture. This means that, yes, we have been declared righteous through justification by faith alone. It means that in Christ, we are positionally holy. But it also recognizes that sin is still very much a struggle. It understands total depravity to be just that – we are sinners to our very core (our hearts, minds, will, actions, feelings, reason). There is no such thing as a respectable sin. We’re not good people made better; We’re dead sinners made alive. Therefore, the tax collector, the glutton, the drunkard, the white collar business man – we’re all the same, viz., sinners saved by God’s grace alone. No one is better than the other. No one has the market on holiness. No one has it all figured out. Jesus did not come for the righteous, but for the unrighteous. Jesus intentionally and purposefully sought out the ragamuffins and the vagabonds.

The church isn’t pretty – we’re all people who desperately need a Savior. As such, we fail. We falter. We stumble. We screw up. And let’s not sell ourselves short – we sin. We sometimes hurt people and people hurt us. Coming to Christ begins a lifelong journey of growth into holiness, but if you’re anything like me, I feel like I still have a very long way to go. No, the church isn’t always pretty, but she sure is beautiful. Think about it – a group of tax collectors and sinners, justified completely and wholly by the blood of Jesus… a group of formerly wayward souls given a desire to worship and honor the King of Kings… a group of people who gather regularly to encourage one another and hear the Word of God proclaimed… a group of spiritual criminals shown grace by God and eager to show grace to one another… a group of people who can all testify about the Man from Nazareth who completely changed their lives… a group of people that welcome’s everyone that enters the doors because we are all beggars who are coming to feast on the Bread from Heaven.

No, the church isn’t pretty – But she is certainly beautiful.

Have a blessed week! I’m so thankful that I get the privilege to serve as your pastor…
Matthew

Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows out again to the sea. 8 Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content. Ecc 1:7-8 NLT

Nothing ultimately satisfies the flesh. Nothing. Pick your poison – food, drink, entertainment, vacations, drugs, careers, etc. ad Infinitum. The flesh craves more – another hit of pleasure that eventually wears off, leaving us feeling empty again. Food will satisfy hunger… until we’re again hungry. The buzz wears off, the show ends, every shiny new thing that we buy ends up in a landfill. We build identities out of our career only to be replaced within a month of our departure. And so the world turns, billions of people every day trying to find identity, purpose, value, and satisfaction. If only I could just have ________________, I’ll be satisfied

Jim Carrey famously said, “I wish everybody could get rich and famous and have everything they ever dreamed of, so they will know that its not the answer.” Sound familiar? It should, because King Solomon said something very much like this in the book of Ecclesiastes. “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity!” As Christians we know this. Yet, on this American treadmill its so easy to lose sight. We work, we slave, we play, we eat, we drink… and we get so lost in all of it. Don’t misunderstand me, there’s nothing inherently wrong with any of this (Except drugs. Drugs are bad!). But, when we live as if these things will bring a sense of ultimacy or identity, then we are putting too much value into them. We are ascribing to them Savior-value when they are not our Saviors.

Beloved, Jesus changes all of this. In Christ, we are free from the vanity of our hedonistic pleasures and pursuits of self-worth. Many of these things can be enjoyed, but only as God’s gracious gifts. But Jesus offers something more, something greater. He offers living water which will quench our spiritual thirst eternally. Jesus offers himself as the Bread of Heaven who will satisfy our spiritual hunger. He alone quiets the soul, renews the mind, and offers us real, experiential rest. I no longer need to find my worth in what I do. Jesus offers us a way to live outside of the rat race.

Why then, do we (read: I) fall back into Vanity Fair? Simple answer, it’s shiny and we like pleasure. Everything we see and hear is an invitation for us to shift our allegiance. Like Solomon said, “No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content.” The solution, if I may be so bold, is to turn off the TV, turn down the noise, log off social media, open your bible (not on your phone) and sit. Read (even just a little). Pray. Listen to what God is saying through his Word.

Over the past month or so, I’ve been utterly overwhelmed. I found myself on the American treadmill – wanting more from my career, and zoning out to the endless streams of noise that is all around us. But on Saturday, I went to the church, sat in the quiet, read and prayed through a few psalms, laid face-flat on the floor and just talked to the Lord. And you know what… it wasn’t ‘work,’ it was rest. And, ya’ll, it felt good.

Love you all!
Pastor Matthew

Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you, the land shall keep a Sabbath to the Lord… Lev 25:2

This weekend we rolled back the clocks from sunshine and joy to dark and depressing. There is an old apocryphal saying often attributed to the native Americans that says, “Only a foolish man will cut the top of a quilt and sew it to the bottom and think it is longer.”

While I do love that “extra hour” of sleep, daylight savings is the foreboding precursor of a season of darkness. Christmas is often festive and enjoyable, but the twinkling lights soon give way to the drudgery of Jan and Feb. The curse of Narnia was described as “Always winter, never Christmas.” What's more, many people feel the weight of seasonal affective disorder, appropriately acronymized as “SAD.” We leave for work in the dark, spend the day in the office, and return home… in the dark. 5:30 feels like midnight and the cold winter air certainly does not invite us outdoors. Dark. Cold. Bare. Indeed, bleak…

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.
- Christina Rossetti

Some years ago, however, my perspective of winter changed. Sabbath, as you know, is a biblical concept that begins in the days of creation and runs throughout Scripture, ultimately culminating in the eternal Sabbath of the New Heavens and Earth. Israel was commanded to keep the Sabbath, a day of rest and refreshment – it typified so much more than a day of rest – It points us to Christ, who finally and fully gives us the rest our weary hearts so desperately long after. But, not only was Israel to keep the 4th commandment, they were also to let the ground rest every 7 years. Moses writes that, “the land shall keep a Sabbath to the Lord.” The earth, the ground, was to keep a Sabbath! The Israelites were not to “sow the field or prune the vineyard” (Lev 25:4). Yahweh told them to let the ground rest.

Spring is a season of life and resurrection. Summer is a season of joy and work and daylight. Autumn is a time of harvest. And winter, well, winter is a Sabbath. It is a season that slows us down and almost forces us into a time of contemplation and longing. As humans, we like to go, go, go. Winter says, “stop.” Winter says, come away and sit with me for a while.” Winter turns down the lights and leaves us in a season of quiet, unseen meditations. “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease” (Gen 8:22). In God’s kind providence, is it not possible that he has given us winter as a gift of common grace, allowing us to slow the rhythms of our life? And what would he have us do in this season? Rest. Pray. Meditate. Read. Abide.

Yes, winter is dark. Yes, winter is cold. But winter is also a blessing. Soon, Spring will come bringing Resurrection Day and all of the joy of life and rebirth. But until then, we let the ground rest.

May the Lord Cause His Face to Shine Upon You This Week,
Pastor Matthew

11  If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” 12  even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you." Ps 139:11-12

I pulled in the driveway and killed the ignition. It was dark, it was cold. My heart felt as if it was going to explode within my chest. I grabbed the steering wheel and slowly began to take a few deep breaths. Inside, my beautiful family was waiting on me to eat dinner - they had no idea.  But there I sat, alone in the dark - scared and shaken.
 
For those that have never had to wrestle with anxiety or panic attacks, it's difficult to describe the   nightmare that it can become. Nothing was 'wrong.' I wasn't worried about anything specific. Yet, my body was full throttle on the fight-or-flight response - rapid breathing, racing heart, sweaty palms, dizziness, confusion. To be overwhelmed with an impending sense of terror (with no discernable reason) can be debilitating. I have never been suicidal, but that particular winter, I had the passing thought that I could understand why people would want to take their lives - and it scared me to death.

Twice in my life I have had a major bout of anxiety. Both times, the Lord brought me through by showing me the riches of his Word and his sustaining grace. Ps 139 became life to me - This cannot be overstated. I discovered that in my darkness, the Lord still sees clear as day. Darkness had utterly overtaken me for a season, yet the Lord was just as good, just as faithful, and just as loving as he had ever been. It was in the darkness that I learned that he could be trusted to uphold me as I took one small, unsteady step at a time. He sees when we are blind. The darkness may terrify us, but it doesn't hinder him in the least bit.
 
This might sound strange, but in some ways I'm thankful for my anxiety. The Lord's power and love was made so real to me during those seasons of palpable darkness. I could not see, yet I was sure that he was with me. Those moments have become insanely precious to me as I remember his covenantal faithfulness, his steadfast love, and unending mercy.

Beloved, should you ever find yourself in the midst of a deep, foreboding darkness, please know that the lights will never be shut out on the Lord. He sees. He knows. He's there. What may be the darkest moment of your life could very well become one of the most treasured moments. Hear the words of William Cowper (1731-1800) (who also struggled with anxiety):

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
the clouds ye so much dread
are big with mercy and shall break
in blessings on your head.

May the darkness lift, the light shine through, and your joy return -
 
Pastor Matthew

PS - If anxiety is something you've struggled with, I highly recommend this book from Pierce Taylor Hibbs. It is far and above the best book that I've read on the subject.

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. Romans 8:20-22

This past weekend a total of 13 tornados ripped through 11 TN counties causing catastrophic damage, destruction, and sadly 6 fatalities. These storms passed by our small town, both to the north and to the south. While we are thankful that Portland was spared, we certainly mourn with our neighbors who have suffered the loss of property and the loss of life. These events are difficult enough by themselves, but with Christmas just two weeks away I imagine that another layer of stress is added to the already chaotic circumstances. So, we pray – we help – we donate – and we pray some more.

Tornados, hurricanes, mudslides, tsunamis – These events are often called ‘natural disasters,’ nothing more than mother nature in a bad mood. Yet, Scripture takes us beyond the nihilistic view of ‘mother nature.’ The Bible describes the earth as “subjected to futility,” “in bondage and corruption,” and “groaning” for new creation. Why? Because we read in Genesis 3 that the earth has been subjected to the curse because of sin: “…Cursed is the ground because of you, [Adam]; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you…”(Gen 3:17-18). So, these natural disasters are in reality a consequence of the curse, the meteorological outworking of corruption and depravity. Sometimes, natural disasters can be an act of judgement (cf. Gen 6:17, Jonah 1:4, etc.). But more often than not, these things occur as a natural consequence of living in a fallen, depraved, and cursed world.

So, why does God allow these things to occur? Well, that’s the real question isn’t it? And no, we can’t blame everything on the devil (as tempting as that may be). The short answer is that God allows what he hates to accomplish what he loves. Whatever the storm or natural disaster, God can and will providentially work through it for his glory. John Piper famously wrote, “[God] has hundreds of thousands of purposes, most of which will remain hidden to us until we are able to grasp them at the end of the age.”  I can’t give a single answer for why God providentially allowed tornados to slam Hendersonville, Madison, Clarksville, and Springfield. But, instead of becoming angry or blaming God for natural disasters, we are encouraged to run to him when disasters occur: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2  Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, 3  though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.” (Ps 46:1-3). God has promised to the preserve the earth until the time of the end (Gen 8:22). But, the earth still groans under the curse – every landslide, typhoon, tornado, earthquake, and volcano eruption is the groaning of the earth for Christ to come and set things right. As we celebrate Advent, as we long for King Jesus, these tornados remind us that so too the earth is anxiously awaiting her glorious redemption.

To those who have suffered through these storms, know that Christ weeps with you. These disasters are not ‘natural’ to God’s original design. One day, we will not need to fear the dark clouds or strong winds. The New Heavens and New Earth will be a paradise delivered from the curse – it will be a glorified earth made for glorified bodies. Until then, we pick up the broken pieces of our lives, knowing that this isn’t all there is. We walk through the debris fields praying, ‘Come, Lord Jesus.’ Advent takes on a different feeling when all is not ‘jolly and bright.’ So, pray – groan with the earth this Advent season. One day we will be delivered from the curse… and that will be a glorious day.
 
Love you all, 
Matthew