Stars in the Night Sky

When suffering comes, it is easy to see only darkness. And yet, God’s hand is clearly ordering and upholding all things. Including us.

I don’t say this lightly — even you have likely suffered greatly at the hands of others, in moments of sheer time, or in seasons of draught.

But, as the darkest skies are not without the brightness of stars, so even our darkest days are bright with God’s providential care: that he intends for our good (Genesis 50:20).

Therefore, as a Christian and as a pastor, here are 5 quotes that have gripped me and continue to shape my trust in God’s darker providence I’ve discovered over the years:

1. “What shall I say? A holy and good God has covered us with a dark cloud. O that we may kiss the rod, and lay our hands on our mouths!”

   — Sarah Edwards [after losing her husband, Jonathan Edwards; and writing this to her daughter, Esther, who lost her husband, Aaron Burr.

   1. Job 1:21, “And he said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.’”

   2. Lamentations 3:31-32, 38, “For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love…Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come?”

   3. Matthew 11:26, “yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.” [Jesus’ prayer concerning why God sovereignly hides or reveals truth to some and not others]

2. The hymn God Moves in a Mysterious Way [italicized-portions have shaped me]:

   “O fearful saints, fresh courage take: the clouds you so much dread

   Are big with mercy and will break, In blessings on your head.
   Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, But trust him for his grace.
   Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face.

   …The bud may have a bitter taste,
   But sweet will be the flower.

   1. Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”

   2. Hebrews 12:11, “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

   3. James 5:11, “Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.”

3. “Fiery trials make golden Christians.”

   — Thomas Watson

   1. Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

   2. 2 Corinthians 1:9, “Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.”

   3. 1 Peter 4:12, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.”

4. “Our little time of suffering is not worthy of our first night’s welcome home to Heaven.”

   — Samuel Rutherford

   1. Psalm 73:25-26, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

   2. 2 Corinthians 4:17, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.”

   3. 1 Peter 1:6-7, “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

“I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.”

— Charles Spurgeon

1. Romans 5:3, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance.”

2. Romans 8:35, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?”

3. James 1:2, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.”

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Capturing Biblical Truth

One of the crucial gifts of a pastor-teacher is the ability to make big, biblical truth shaped into portable, bite-sized portions (cf. Ephesians 4:8-14).

Therefore, as a Christian and as a pastor, here are 5 quotes that have gripped me and continue to shape my prayer life that I’ve discovered over the years:

1. “Everything we do in the Christian life is easier than prayer.”

   — Martyn Lloyd-Jones

   1. Luke 11:1, “one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray.”

   2. Luke 18:1, “And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.”

   3. 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “pray without ceasing.”

2. “Anything is a blessing which makes us pray.”

   — Charles Spurgeon

   1. Hebrews 4:16, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

   2. James 1:2, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.”

3. “All of us would be wiser if we would resolve never to put people down, except on our prayer lists.”

   — D.A. Carson

   1. Matthew 5:44, “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

   2. 1 Thessalonians 5:25, “Brothers, pray for us.”

4. “God will either give you what you ask, or something far better.”

   — Robert Murray McCheyne

   1. 1 John 5:14-15, “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”

5. “Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer.”

   — John Bunyan

   1. Matthew 26:41, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

   2. Ephesians 6:16, “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.”

Buy Me a Coffee

Explaining the greatest news ever told shouldn’t be a matter of courage, but of obedience. And yet like the Apostles, because of sin we need boldness in God.

1 Thessalonians 2:2, “we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict,” (see also Acts 4:1-31; Ephesians 6:19-20; Colossians 4:3-4).

So, each week, you can find this week’s opener to use to open the door with unbelievers, a few reasons why I recommend it, and some encouragement along the way. And, Lord willing, in very brief articles.

The opener: “Hey, can I ask you an interesting question? What do you think happens after we die?”

Reasons it works well:

1. This sets the tone for what evangelism should be: a conversation. Framing it as "an interesting question" immediately lowers defenses

   and earns attention — even from the most apathetic. Yes, to repent and believe the gospel is a command (Mark 1:15). But the realm in which we have these discussions is a conversation.

2. The majority of the world loves to give their opinion on everything (hence, social media). Therefore, you have handed over the microphone and can listen and ask follow-up questions as they give answers and opinions.

3. Jesus himself asked questions over and over in his ministry to draw out answers and to set the stage for teaching the truth of Scripture (Matthew 16:13-20, 22:31-46; Mark 10:17-18; Luke 13:1-5).

Gospel encouragement: Scripture teaches that God “has put eternity into man’s heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Thinking about eternity is part of our imago Dei.

Everyone you meet, look at, and encounter will fulfill this verse: “it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,” (Hebrews 9:27).

Wherever you go — Christ goes with you and before you (Isaiah 41:10; Matthew 28:20).

Most of us read Genesis 1–2 as a creation account. And it is. But: the Garden of Eden was a temple. God’s dwelling with his people, face to face “the LORD God walking in the garden,” (Genesis 3:8).

It is the testimony of Scripture from beginning to end: God’s dwelling with his people.

The World God Built Was a Sanctuary

When God created the heavens and the earth, he did so with the kind of ornate, beautiful wisdom a craftsman pours into a masterpiece (cf. Psalm 8). The heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1) and his divine excellence (Romans 1:19-20).

So much so, the structure of creation matches, almost exactly, the structure of the tabernacle Israel would later build in the wilderness (Exodus 25-31)

• Creation has three spheres: the outer world, the garden, and Eden itself.

  • Eden was on a mountain (as water flows from Eden; Genesis 2:8-10). Later, Solomon’s temple was built on a mountain (2 Chronicles 3:1)

• The tabernacle, similarly, has three spheres: the outer court, the holy place, and the most holy place. Remember that man was cast out, Eastward (Genesis 3:24)

The furniture of the tabernacle echoes Eden’s garden: lampstands shaped like trees, bread for God’s presence, cherubim woven into the veil, the entrance facing east — just as Eden’s gate faced east (Genesis 3:24). The instructions for building the tabernacle follow a seven-fold pattern in Exodus 25–31, with the final instruction being the Sabbath rest— because God’s house is built by God’s rhythms (Genesis 1-2).

And what was Adam’s vocation in this garden-sanctuary? He was to work and keep it (Genesis 2:15): the same two Hebrew verbs (abad and shamar) are used in Numbers 3 and 8 for the work of the priests and Levites. He was also to subdue and have dominion (Genesis 1:28) — the language of a king. Adam was, from the beginning, a royal priest in God’s sanctuary, a priest-king to God’s (cf. Psalm 110:1-4).

What Sin Did to the Sanctuary

Nothing unclean could enter the tabernacle. That was not an arbitrary rule — it reflected a deep reality. God is holy, and his presence cannot coexist with sin.

The serpent slithered into the sanctuary (an unclean animal, Leviticus 11). Adam and Eve sinned. And the whole world came under the curse of God’s judgment.

In Adam, there is none good, none righteous, all we are unclean (Romans 3:10-12)

This is David’s question: “Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully,” (Psalm 24:3-4). None of us.

The One Who Is Greater Than the Temple

This is why the announcement of Jesus Christ is not merely good advice. It is good news — the best news ever spoken. The Head Crusher has come (Genesis 3:15).

In Matthew 12:6, Jesus says something staggering: “I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.” He is not speaking hypothetically. He is making a claim about himself.

The eternal Son of God entered his own creation. He “became flesh and dwelt among us” — and the word translated dwelt in John 1:14 is literally tabernacled. The Word became flesh and tabernacled, dwelled, among sinners. His body was the true temple (John 2:16-21) — the place where the fullness of God dwelled bodily (Colossians 2:9).

As the second Adam, he succeeded where the first Adam failed. The first Adam fell in the Garden of Eden; the second Adam remained faithful in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36ff).

As king, his word carried absolute authority: over lepers, storms, demons, and death itself. As priest, he offered the one sacrifice that actually satisfied God’s justice: himself, the spotless Lamb (John 1:29). Hebrews 9-10 shows that Jesus is:

• The final prophet, priest, and king (Hebrews 1:1-4, 8-13; 10:11-13).

• The offering and the offer (Hebrews 9:13-14, 9:23-26 “offered himself.”)

• The temple, the veil, the intention of the laver, sprinkled blood (Hebrews 10:19-25)

Spurgeon, “When Jesus died on the cross the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom so that big sinners like me might fit through.”

Picture it this way: the second Adam walks back into Eden, takes upon himself the full weight of God’s righteous judgment, and throws open the gates of paradise to all who will bow to his authority and trust in his work — imputed righteous righteous and holy as priests and sons of God united to Christ the Son (1 Peter 2:4-6).

What He Has Made You

Here is the gospel: “Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30). His perfect righteousness is credited to the believer by faith alone (2 Corinthians 5:21). The most impure, unholy sinner who comes to Christ is declared clean (Hebrews 7:25-28).

Paul’s list in 1 Corinthians 6:9–11 is worth sitting with. He names sins that disqualify — and then says: “such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

• Now, God’s people are the temple collectively (the Greek = y’all, in 1 Corinthians 3)

• And we are God’s temple individually (1 Corinthians 6:18-20)

You are the temple. Not the building in Jerusalem. Not a designated sacred space. You — the sinner washed clean by Christ, are where God now dwells (Hebrews 3:4-6).

The Mandate That Follows

The garden-sanctuary was always meant to expand. Adam was called to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and have dominion — a missionary mandate wrapped inside a creation command. That is the fullness of the Great Commission:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:18–19).

The church goes into the world as the advancing kingdom of God, proclaiming the priestly work of Christ with kingly authority, that sinners from every nation would be washed, sanctified, and made into temples of the living God.

The Dwelling to Come

So that one day, forever: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them,” (Revelation 21:3).

Notice the shape is of the temple measurements (Revelation 21:10-21): the beauty, precious stones, the rectangular ‘temple’ shape — all of it, God’s dwelling.

But in glory: “I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty,” (Revelation 21:22). And this time, forever — “nothing unclean will ever enter,” (21:27).

God shows us the better Eden: the water of life, the tree of life, and we will see God’s face forever and ever without end (Revelation 22:1-4).

One day, forever — 10,000 years from now, we’ll sing his praises as if we’d just begun.

Dear children,

As parents, we know and feel, every day, that we are worse sinners than you.

And as such, how often we parents fail to remember that before we are your parents, we are children of the blessed God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:3).

As our Father, God has a way of ruling the universe and unfolding his sovereign will in our lives without our input, often against our selfish desires, and at times causing us to question whether or not he truly does love us — how often do I make you feel that way? Yet, his ways are not my ways, nor are his thoughts like mine (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Not a day goes by that I, though a follower, am reminded of my own foolishness and of the necessity of the incarnation of Jesus — the eternal Son who took on flesh for us (John 1:1–3, 14). His perfect life of obedience and suffering, absorbing the Father’s wrath, means that by grace alone, through faith alone, I can have peace with God (Romans 4:22–5:2). In Christ alone, I am fully known and fully loved, despite having countless reasons to deserve his judgment (2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:1–6).

God does not remember my sins, though I continually see them (Hebrews 8:10–12).

My dear children, I hope you sense my attempts to imitate God. Despite your failures, sins, and reasons you may have to think you are not fully loved because we fully know you. My heart yearns for you. I will never sacrifice truth for love, because I love you.

I love you — and yet I know that because God is love (1 John 4:8), he loves you more than I ever could, and he loves you better. He is more committed to your eternal good than I am.

Maybe that’s why he put us together: God’s sovereign love arranged my story, for his glory, so that I might become more like his precious Son (Romans 8:29).

My greatest desire is that in Christ, you, my beloved children, would become my brothers through the gospel and in Christ.

You, my beloved children, are God’s great gift to me, to make me less like myself and more like Jesus Christ, the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15-17) so that, I would be a better father, and begin to imitate him better, too (Ephesians 5:1-2).

I know you see my inconsistencies…better yet, I hope you see my continual need, dependence, and weakness that shows how strong, patient, and good Jesus is.

Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost (1 Timothy 1:15).

With love, for your joy in Christ,

Dad

The Deception of Jealousy

Jealousy doesn't announce itself. It just quietly convinces you that God gave everyone else the better portion.

In a time where we can see everyone’s blessing online or across the street, it is easy for that green-eyed monster we call jealousy and envy begin to growl in our hearts.

We are no match for our sinful flesh sailing in the winds of jealousy. Proverbs 27:4 agrees: “Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?”

• The Israelites grumbled so much as they wandered, that they missed slavery because of the apparent provided life they had (Numbers 11:1-6).

• Our envy is so depraved that it loathes God’s freedom and goodness to others while only making our “bones rot,” (Proverbs 14:30).

How do we dismantle and slay the giant of jealousy and envy in our hearts? The gospel.

Before Time, Before Your Envy

The Father’s sovereign, electing love is the death-blow to our deceitful hearts. Christian, have you considered that God overlooked others, as he freely chose you?

When we feel over-looked, we pass by the weightiness of God’s love in choosing us. Next time your flesh rises up, look to the sword of the Spirit to slay it (Ephesians 6:17).

1. Ephesians 1:3, “[God] has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” The Christian’s everlasting possession is an unshakeable kingdom. What prince, while occupying his father’s kingdom, would envy the sandcastles?

2. Ephesians 1:4, “even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world…in love.” Before you would have any thoughts of God, he was mindful of you. God has had more and better thoughts about you, than you ever will. How many other smarter, wealthier, or more influential undeserving sinners has God left in their willful rebellion — and yet, God in his eternal love chose you and passed by others?

3. Ephesians 1:5, “he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.” He who is infinitely wise, powerful, and who exists as a Triune community of love has greater purposes than we. Could it be that God’s God-centered purposes are better than what you and I plan? Though we may have to wade through a sea of blood, Christ is our reward.

4. Ephesians 1:6, “to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” This is the only glory that will be celebrated in eternity. Every other earthly glory are but drops to the ocean, scattered beams but God is the sun (Jonathan Edwards, Heaven is a World of Love). God’s chief concern is his glorious grace: that is why he chose you, fixed your lot, arranged your life, and raised you to spiritual life (Ephesians 2:1-9).

Whenever our hearts pulsate in envy, remember God’s lavishing of every spiritual blessing in heaven’s store.

When you feel unnoticed, lose your self in the eternal praise of God’s glorious grace.

When your flesh rises up in empty complaining, remember that Jesus went to Calvary without a single complaint (1 Peter 2:22) so that you would receive his earned rewards.

The Son of God on the Word of God

The world rejects, doubts, and discredits God’s word. But what about the eternal and risen Son of God? The Son of God loved, treasured, and trusted the word of God.

1. Scripture is God’s very word:

   1. “Have you not read what was said to you by God?” (Matt. 22:31; cf. Matt. 19:5).

   2. Inspired by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 22:43; Mark 12:36)

   3. Even individual the words (Matt. 22:32; John 10:34)

2. Scripture is historically reliable:

   1. Jonah and Queen of Sheba (Matt. 12:40-42).

   2. Adam and Eve (Matt. 19:4-6).

   3. Noah’s Flood, Sodom and Gomorrah (Luke 17:26-32)

   4. Moses’ burning bush, wilderness wanderings (Mark 12:26-27; John 3:14, 6:32)

3. Scripture is morally grounding:

   1. How to love God and neighbor (Matt. 22:37-40)

   2. The 10 Commandments (Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20)

   3. The heart of lust and hatred (Matt. 5:21-30)

   4. Marriage and divorce (Matt. 5:31-32, 19:1-6)

4. Scripture cannot be broken or lost:

   1. Not even the slightest letter or pen stroke (Matt. 5:18)

   2. It endures forever (Mat. 5:17; Luke 16:17;

   3. It cannot be broken (John 10:35)

5. Scripture is Christ-centered:

   1. All of Scripture is about Jesus (Luke 24:26-27, 44-46)

   2. The writings bear witness to him (John 5:39, 5:46)

   3. It was being fulfilled by his life (Matt. 5:17, 26:54-56; Luke 4:21, 18:31)

Is your view of Scripture as high as Jesus’ view?

Get into God’s word. And get God’s word into you.