God has always dwelled among his people.

Think back to the Garden of Eden. Where was God? Walking in the garden with Adam and Eve. Sin broke this perfect fellowship, and so humanity was cast out from Eden. But God did not forget them.

God came to Abraham and made a covenant with him, promising to make a great nation through him -- a people that in turn would bless all nations. And even when the descendants of Abraham were enslaved by Egypt, God did not forget them.

Through Moses, God led his people out of Egypt. He guided them through the desert as a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. He gave them instructions to build a tent -- a tabernacle -- as a way for his presence to in the midst of his people.

Later, Solomon built a temple in Jerusalem, and God's glory filled that place, the center of worship for his people. And even though that temple was destroyed by the Babylonian army, God did not forget his people.

In a tiny town named Bethlehem, a virgin girl named Mary did the seemingly impossible -- she gave birth. Her son was named Jesus, and he was Immanuel ("God with us"). In the most powerful and poignant display of his love, God came to us in a human body: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) among us..." [John 1:14]

This Jesus is "the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature" [Hebrews 1:3]  Since we could not get to him, God came to be with us.

Jesus Christ lived a perfect life in complete obedience to God, then offered that life as a sacrifice to God. He did this to atone for sins, and since he had no sin of his own, God accepted his sacrifice. On that Friday, as Jesus hung on the cross, the wrath of God was poured out on him instead of me.

"...though he [Jesus] was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." [Philippians 2:6-8]

But Jesus did not stay dead. On the next Sunday morning, that same Jesus was triumphantly brought back to life, showing once for all that death no longer has any victory over his people! As 1 Corinthians 15 stated above, if there is no resurrection, then our faith is meaningless. It is only because of Jesus Christ that any can have hope of heaven.

One of the most powerful songs in recent years concerning the victorious resurrection of Jesus is the Keith Getty/Stuart Townend hymn "In Christ Alone." Take a look at the third verse:

I wonder if you (yes, you!) can speak those words with agreement and assurance of their truth. Can you? It is my prayer that you can. That on this Easter, you can know that Christ has saved you -- not because you earned it or deserve it -- but because he has intervened in your life. Even though you may have forgotten God, he did not forget you. When you could not reach God, he reached you: "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." [Romans 5:8]

For those of us who have the assurance that Christ brings, let's think about the great meaning Easter has. As usual, Scripture says it best:

I have the privilege of being part of a men's Bible study on Monday nights, and last night we spent our time looking at some passages from the book of Isaiah. One passage in particular resonated with me, and I'd like to share it with you:

It's amazing to see such a clear, powerful explanation from God about his own nature and character. God is the one who chooses, He is the one who declares, saves, proclaims, and acts. There is no other God but Him, and no one can undo what he has done.

Perhaps one of the greatest applications of this truth is concerning our salvation. If we are genuinely saved, it is "by grace, through faith" [Ephesians 2:8-9] on the merit of Jesus Christ alone. We do not earn our salvation. We cannot work hard enough to earn it, nor can we work hard enough to keep it. Fortunately, we do not have to.

As Charles Spurgeon so aptly said: "What a mercy it is that it is not your hold of Christ that saves you, but his hold of you!"

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Time Is Fiction
Edison Glass
MUSIC
Release date: 02.05.08
44 mins. / 12 tracks

Following their debut effort, A Burn or a Shiver, Edison Glass is back with a sophomore project that showcases their musical creativity and puts them right in the middle of the modern music scene. 

Having said that, I will be the first to admit that I don't "get" this kind of music. I'm not a poet by nature; I tend to be more concrete than abstract, and this music seems to lean heavily in the abstract direction.

Overall, it's a bit moody for my tastes, but I can recognize talented musicians, and these guys definitely fit the bill. Each song is a quirky blend of various instruments and vocals. It certainly sounds different from most of the stuff in my collection.

Lyrically, there are no overt references to Christ or "churchy language" which will most likely appeal to a larger audience. On the other hand, it also makes it very hard to understand exactly what they are singing about. Again, it might just be me -- I'm not poetically-minded enough to "get" this more abstract type of art.

But the word "art" is a good description of this disc. It elevates the musical prowess of this band and opens the door to even more creativity. From a marketing standpoint, they might have some trouble finding hit radio singles, but the album sure is crafted well. C+

Obedience
Will Lavender
BOOK / FICTION
Release date: 02.19.08
304 pages

Students in Winchester University's Logic and Reasoning 204 are presented with a unique challenge: use clues from the teacher to solve the mystery of a missing girl named Polly, or she will be murdered by her kidnapper on the last day of the term.

Member of the class soon find themselves entangled in a mystery that reaches beyond the limits of the classroom as reality begins to tie in to Polly's story in unusual ways. Not only must the students solve the puzzle, they must figure out what is real and what is fantasy.

According to the book jacket, this is Lavender's first novel, which is amazing considered how well-written this is. He has an intrinsic understanding of pacing and dialogue (although a few characters ramble on from time to time) and although some might find the ending and explanation a bit too convenient for the sake of the story, he tends to avoid the majority of genre clichés. 

There is some random profanity that pops up throughout the book, but it's not a constant barrage. There are also a couple of sexually explicit scenes, the first of which shows up out of nowhere. It caught me so off guard that I actually stopped reading for a moment to think about why such an obviously gifted author would resort to such gratuitous means. They really do nothing to advance the story that couldn't have been done in a less graphic manner.

All things considered, Lavender does a decent job of writing tension and suspense, and this book will be a hard one to put down. Like its characters, you'll find yourself thinking about the puzzle within its pages, trying to figure out the mystery before you reach the end. And isn't that part of what mystery books are supposed to do? C-

REVIEW ARCHIVE

Snow!

The Louisville area was hit with a major snowstorm last night through this morning, with totals ranging from anywhere between 8" and 14" depending on where you live. It looks like we got close to 10" or so at the house, but it's hard to tell with snow drifts. The 6" ruler didn't stand a chance of reaching the top, though!

The other thing that makes it hard to judge is the fact that it's still snowing (as of 9:00am) and there might be another 2" dropped on top of this. It's the most snow the Ville's had in years, and it brings back some memories on that 1994 storm that dropped 16" overnight and shut down the city for a week.

I was a senior in high school that year, and I woke up on a Monday morning to a foot-and-a-half of snow. I didn't go back to school until the next Monday. It was a few days before we could even get out of the house. That storm, more than anything else, is why this city salts the roads way before the snow starts falling.

To give you an idea of just how much snow we've had, check out this side-by-side comparison of the tree right outside our front door. The picture on the left is from the snow/ice storm we had last month, and the picture on the right is from this morning.

TOP

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Unbreakable
Fireflight
MUSIC
Release date: 03.04.08
35 mins. / 10 tracks

Fireflight is back with their sophomore release, and while it's good to have more music from a talented band, it fails to live up to expectations. Which I'll admit might be a bit unfair, since my expectations were so high for this disc based on how much I liked their debut.

Musically, the album puzzles me a bit: there are places where it rocks hard (like You Gave Me a Promise), but never quite as hard as I think it is going to. And when it seems like time for a slowdown (like Forever), things build to a crescendo and start driving again. Most of the album seems to be stuck between all-out ripping (The Hunger) and radio-friendly rock stylings (Brand New Day). It's not a horrible blend, but doesn't seem to be quite right either.

Also (at the risk of sounding like a broken record) here is another band that gives us the minimum tracks and minimum time. If you're going to ask me to drop close to $15 to get your CD, I'd like a bit more than a half-hour of listening time.

I didn't like any single song on this disc as much as my favorites from their first record, The Healing of Harms, but I have to admit that the overall album is a bit better. It won't be my favorite of the year, but it has earned a spot in my rotation for a while. B

What shall we say when we see events produced in the world for the good of God's chosen, by those very hands and means which were intentionally employed for their ruin? These things are as much beside the intentions of their enemies as they are above their own expectations; yet such things are no rarities in this world.

Was not the envy of Joseph's brethren, the cursed plot of Haman, and the decree procured by the envy of the princes against Daniel, with many more of the same kind, all turned by a secret and strange hand of Providence to their greater advancement and benefit? Their enemies lifted them up to all that honour and preferment they had.

                                                   [John Flavel, Mystery of Providence: 31]

* * *

God truly does work in amazing ways. Just think of the life of Joseph: beaten and sold into slavery by his own brothers, imprisoned in Egypt for crimes he did not commit, forgotten in his jail cell for years, and then suddenly granted the highest position in the land, second only to Pharaoh! When famine struck Israel, it was Joseph who allowed his family and people to receive the food they needed.

How can we not see the hand of God's providence at work in this life?

Another example (one I recently learned of in my Church History class) is Protestant reformer Ulrich Zwingli, who nearly died from the bubonic plague. And yet it was this experience, perhaps more than any other, that led him to question the true depths of sin and their eternal consequences. It drove him to the Word of God for answers...answers which were much different than the ones he had been taught.

I wonder if Zwingli, had he been asked in later years, would speak of these trials with thanksgiving and joy. Would he have remained bitter about his near-death pain and suffering? Or would he have cheerfully acknowledged the providence of God at work?

Better yet, what will I do? When trouble comes my way, will I give into my base instinct which tells me to end the pain at whatever cost, or will I listen to the Spirit within me and ask God to deliver me through the trial, shaping my character as we go? I may seek comfort, but what if there is something better for me to desire? Comfort is temporary, fleeting; character is eternally-based. God is always more concerned with character than comfort.

* * *

Things we never foresaw nor designed, but much better for us than what we did design, have been all along ordered for us. The way of man is not in himself. God's thoughts have not been our thoughts, nor His ways our ways.

Among the eminent mercies of your life, reader, how many of them have been mere surprises to you! Your own projects have been thrust aside to make way for better things designed by Providence for you.

                                                [John Flavel, Mystery of Providence: 165]

Another Time, Another Place
Avalon
MUSIC
Release date: 02.26.08
60 mins. / 15 tracks

Avalon's latest album is a collection of 15 classic songs from the annals of Christian music. While their vocal prowess is unmistakable, they sound a bit too reserved and the songs tend to fall flat. I don't know if it's a production issue, but they never really seem to "let go" and really shine on their vocals. (All this "vocal" talk makes me feel like Randy Jackson.)

The song choice is interesting to say the least. There are some clearly obvious choices here (like the title track, Steve Green's People Need the Lord, and even Twila Paris' God Is In Control) and then a few head-scratchers as well (most notably the Winans' Addictive Love, and Crystal Lewis' People Get Ready...Jesus Is Coming).

Plus, you have to lose points for including one of your band's own songs on the list of "timeless classics." (Although, to be fair, none of the original members of the group still sing with Avalon, so I suppose it is sort of like covering someone else's song.)

In the final analysis, this CD is a bit too safe and serviceable. I guess Avalon has always been about radio singles, and this will definitely cater to Christian radio's proclivity to play 15-year old songs in heavy rotation. This is not an awful disc, but it really just made me want to listen to the original songs again, not these cover versions. C-

We Need Each Other
Sanctus Real
MUSIC
Release date: 02.12.08
40 mins. / 10 tracks

Sanctus Real has come a long way. Go back and listen to Say It Loud, their debut release from 2003, and see if you can hear any hints of the band Sanctus Real has become. (Don't get me wrong: I actually liked that album; I just would not have predicted that this is the path the band would take.) 

So, here, on their fourth release, Sanctus Real continues its maturation process with amazing results. Turn On the Lights is nearly a perfect opener, and We Need Each Other is one of the best anthems I've heard in a long, long time. Listen to this disc more than once and both these songs will get stuck in your head (in a good way).

There are a couple of songs on the album that don't really click with me, but the overwhelming majority (including Sing, Lay Down My Guns, and Legacy) are solidly done -- musically and lyrically. All of which means that Sanctus Real is transforming from good band to great and that they have turned out an album to match. A-

One of the things I've been thinking about since finishing John Flavel's book The Mystery of Providence (click for review) is just how much of God's work in my life that I am unaware of.  There is much that I don't see, and there are also things I do see that I don't attribute to God's providential hand.

On the other hand, there are things I do see and acknowledge as the mercies of God on my life. As I've been teaching the youth about prayer on Sunday nights, we've been talking about giving God the proper credit for his merciful blessings and providence.

How often I've been guilty of this! I pray for many things -- help when studying for a test, calm nerves in stressful times, that a doctor's visit will go well, etc. -- but how often do I pray about these things after the fact, to thank God for hearing and answering?

Even when the answer isn't what I was expecting or wanting, the faithfulness of God and the trustworthiness of his promises should prompt me to "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." [1 Thessalonians 5:18]

From Flavel's Providence: Whoever finds a careful and a thankful heart to record and treasure up the daily experiences of God's mercy to him shall never lack new mercies to record to his dying day. [177]

For the Love of the Game
Pillar
MUSIC
Release date: 02.26.08
38 mins. / 10 tracks

One of the bigger concerns has to be how similar Pillar sounds to themselves of years past. There is some musical evolution, to be sure (especially if you go all the way back to their debut release Above), but the overall styling is too similar. Throwdown, for instance, sounds like it could easily fit on the album Fireproof, which is already 6 years old.

Ultimately, the issue is a combination of the lyrics and the vocals. You pretty much know what you're getting with Pillar when it comes to the lyrics: nothing too deep, profound, or all that original. That's not always a horrible thing, since I certainly don't want them to get all emo on us.

Vocally, lead singer Rob Beckley still remains more of a talker than a singer. (Which makes sense when you think about Pillar's origin in the rapcore days of the late 1990s.) But it does have the unfortunate side effect of making virtually every song sound alike. And when he does try to sing (as on Smiling Down) it actually sounds a bit out of place.

That said, those issues are more with the band in general. And (believe it or not) I am actually a fan. This album is still a big improvement over The Reckoning and should please long-time fans of the band. It also marks their first release on Essential Records, which hopefully will continue to cultivate the growth this band is capable of. B

The Mystery of Providence
John Flavel
BOOK
Release date: 1678
221 pages

Everything happens for a reason. Everything.

Even some of the most seemingly trivial aspects of our lives are direct results of God's initiative and action on our behalf. No one has ever been born in the wrong place or at the wrong time. Not one person has slipped through God's fingers or escaped His notice. Every canvas we mistakenly label "circumstance" or "coincidence" is in reality awash with the strokes and colors of God's design.

This work of God is known as providence. It is by providence that God creates our lives and existence and through providence that God draws people to himself, and conforms his children to the image of Christ. Think about your life for a moment. Can you read? Walk? Talk? Are you aware of God's existence? Can you see evidence of His hand at work in your life? If so, the question is this: do you believe these things are accidental?

One year ago, for instance, I had no idea that Tricia and I would be having a child in 2008. But God did. Ethan's birth is no coincidence or cosmic fluke on the whim of fate. God created my son at the exact time and place of His choosing.

Although this book can be a bit difficult to read in places, I have found myself thinking about its subject matter more than I anticipated. My mind is so naturally self-centered that it is difficult to truly see things from God's perspective. Flavel's excellent book helps pull back the shroud of selfishness and gain a deeper appreciation for the God who grants such underserved mercies.

To a person who does not believe in Christ (and perhaps even to some who do), the notion that God orchestrates every area of life may seem nonsensical or foolish. And yet, as Flavel points out, a careful examination of our lives will only reveal God's merciful providence in ways we could not have expected and did not choose. A

REVIEW ARCHIVE

If you are interested in Timmy Brister's Puritan Reading Challenge for 2008 (and it's not too late to get started!), visit his site by clicking here. March's book is The Godly Man's Picture by Thomas Watson.

Here are some quotes from The Mystery of Providence:

If the admirable adaptation of the means and instruments employed for mercy to the people of God are carefully considered, who can but confess that as there are tools of all sorts and sizes in the shop of Providence, so there is a most skillful hand that uses them, and that they could no more produce such effects of themselves than the axe, saw, or chisel can cut or carve a rough log into a beautiful figure without the hand of a skillful artificer? [32]

He that lives idly cannot live honestly. [75]

Providence is wiser than you, and you may be confident it has suited all things better to your eternal good that you could do had you been left to your own option. [80]

Ah, sirs, let me tell you, there is not such a pleasant history for you to read in all the world as the history of your own lives, if you would but sit down and record from the beginning hitherto what God has been to you, and done for you; what signal manifestations and outbreakings of his mercy, faithfulness and love there have been in all the the conditions you have passed through. If your hearts do not melt before you have gone half through that history, they are hard hearts indeed. [118]

One word of God can do more than ten thousand words of men to relieve a distressed soul. [127]

God will not lose my heart, if a rod can prevent it. He would rather hear me groan here than howl hereafter. His love is judicious, not fond. He consults my good rather than my ease. [131]

Beware therefore you do not lean too much to your own reasonings and understandings. Nothing is more plausible, nothing more dangerous. [142]

Whoever finds a careful and a thankful heart to record and treasure up the daily experiences of God's mercy to him shall never lack new mercies to record to his dying day. [177]

It is our folly to engage this instrument and that for us, to attempt this way and that to achieve our end, and all the while forget Him upon whose pleasure all instruments and means entirely depend. That which begins not with prayer seldom ends with comfort. [183]

The Lord does not compute and reckon His seasons of working by our arithmetic. [191]

If we duly examine our own hearts about it, we shall find that these sinkings of heart are the immediate effects of unbelief. We do not depend and rely upon the Word with that full trust and confidence that is due to the infallible Word of a faithful and unchangeable God. [192]