Jon Bloom is the Executive Director of Desiring God.

Luke says it so quickly, so matter-of-factly: “[Herod] killed James the brother of John with the sword” (Acts 12:2). In the flow of the story this little phrase sets the stage for Peter’s dramatic prison rescue by the angel. So that’s what we remember. When Peter later wrote, “The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials” (2 Peter 2:9), this is the sort of rescue that easily comes to mind.

But the night that James sat in prison the angel didn’t come. I’m sure he prayed for an angel. He knew God could send one if he wanted to. An angel had already rescued him and the other disciples once before, in chapter 5. But this night there was no bright light, no chains falling off, no sleeping guards. Just desperate prayers and fitful dozing—if he slept at all.

In the morning James was still in jail when the dreaded voice of the captain of the guard shouted, “Bring out the prisoner!” There was an anxiety-filled, prayerful walk to the place of execution. There was a pronouncement of guilt. Possibly there was an offer of pardon in exchange for recanting, followed by a refusal. There was a raised sword. There was a wince of fearful anticipation. No deliverance.

Or was there?

Jesus allowed the sword to fall on James as intentionally as he opened Peter’s prison door. So the death of James is as crucial for us to remember as the rescue of Peter. Why did God let James die?

This question is relevant because at some point most of us will find ourselves facing death, pleading for deliverance, and not receiving what we think we are asking for. And it points to a difficult lesson that all of Jesus’ disciples must learn: Jesus often has different priorities than we do. What may feel desperately urgent to us may not be urgent to him—at least not in the same way.

Remember how Jesus slept in the boat during the storm? The disciples panicked at the fear of drowning and cried out, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38). He calmed the storm and then said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”

Jesus’ lesson was clear: you’re afraid of the wrong thing. Don’t fear what or who can kill your body, but fear and trust me because I rule over storms and death (Matthew 10:28). Jesus knew that there were more dangerous “storms” ahead for the disciples, ones that would kill them. They needed to know whom to fear.

And so do we. Unless Jesus returns first (maranatha!), every one of us will face a storm that will kill us. And our initial response may be similar to the disciples’ in the boat: Jesus, don’t you care that I am perishing? In that moment we need to remember that he cares deeply. He who wept beside Lazarus’ tomb will weep with us—and he will raise us. And we need to remember that he knows what death is like and will be with us and help us say as he said to the Father, “Not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39).

And we also need to remember James, who faced death “refusing to accept release that [he] might rise again to a better life” (Hebrews 11:35). There is the real key to understanding Acts 12:2: Jesus let James die because he had a better life to give him. James was not being neglected by Jesus. He was in fact the first of the Twelve to experience what Jesus prayed for in John 17:24: “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me from the foundation of the world.” Peter’s deliverance from prison was remarkable. But he lived to die another day. James experienced the true deliverance: death being swallowed up by the Resurrection and the Life.

And that is what Jesus longs and intends to give to us too. That’s what he endured the Father’s wrath on the cross to purchase for us. He wants us to see and enjoy and rejoice in his glory forever.

There will come a time when Jesus’ prayer for us to be with him will overrule our prayer for prolonged earthly life. And when it does, we will experience a life so far better, richer, fuller, purer, and more joyful that we will shake our heads in wonder that we were ever reluctant to leave here.

May God cause this reality to become more real to us all.

* * *

Recommended related resources:

• "What Happens When You Die: At Home With the Lord" - John Piper
• "Joy's Eternal Increase: Edwards on the Beauty of Heaven" - Sam Storms

Last week I pointed to an article by an Eastern Orthodox professor describing how 2nd century church leaders struggled to determine who had the authority to determine doctrinal orthodoxy. In his descriptions I saw an early precursor to what the Reformers in the 16th century termed “Sola Scriptura” (Scripture alone is authoritative), namely that fidelity to the apostles’ teaching, not holding a position that claimed an apostolic succession, was the gauge of authority. But some readers accurately pointed out that the author isn’t making that assertion. That’s true. The author doesn’t hold to Sola Scriptura and that’s not the main point of his article. So why did I find it helpful?

In the 2nd century, a consensus for what writings were authoritative was still being established—finalizing the New Testament canon would continue for another couple of centuries. A growing number of documents were circulating claiming authority. What was becoming increasingly important was whether or not it could be shown that what was being taught by a leader was faithful to the apostles’ teaching. 2nd century church leaders were recognizing the dangers inherent in bestowing on an office of bishop the authority to declare doctrinal truth by virtue of claiming some kind of apostolic succession. It was the doctrines of the apostles, not a title bestowed on a leader, that mattered most.

By the 16th century, the NT canon had been established for well over a 1,000 years. And the subsequent doctrinal distortion and corruption of church leaders resulting from claims of apostolic succession and tradition so horrible that the Reformers were compelled to declare Sola Scriptura, because Scripture was the only clear, objective record of apostolic teaching that existed. They did that because of their conviction that it was the doctrines of the apostles, not a title bestowed on a leader, that mattered most.

So in this article on the issues that faced 2nd century church leaders I saw the precursor to Sola Scriptura. In my original post I should have been more clear on that point.

Read a helpful article by John Behr, an Eastern Orthodox professor, on how second century church leaders understood apostolic authority. Here’s an excerpt:

Today we tend to think of apostolic succession in terms of the laying on of hands: The church confers an office on a consecrated bishop, who can thereby trace his authority back to the apostles. Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican churches each claim their own unbroken line of ordained leaders. Most Protestants deny the importance of a continuous succession of bishops altogether.

But in the second century, apostolic succession meant something more simple. Two main concerns were at stake: What is the true faith? And how has it been passed on from the apostles to us?

The gist: fidelity to the apostles’ teaching, not holding a position that claimed an apostolic succession, was the gauge of authority. The conviction that was termed “Sola Scriptura” during the Reformation is as old as the church and functions as her rudder.

Strangely enough, prosperity can be a huge obstacle to prosperity, as the rich young man discovered.

Feel overwhelmed with everything you have to do? Me too. Philip Ryken offers a helpful article on dealing with the overload of options and details that are just a part of living with advanced technology.

After Jesus rescued the adulteress from stoning in John 8, have you ever wondered what it was like for her to go home?

As 2007 comes to an end (already?) my heart is full of gratitude to God for three remarkable groups of people that by God’s grace made the ministry at DG happen this year. They are gifts from the Father to me and to all who benefit from this gospel outreach.

The first are my precious partners in the day to day work at DG. The DG staff, about 35 full and part-time people, are some of the most godly, creative, resourceful, and life-giving people I know. I’m simply spoiled. The DG office is like a taste of heaven because these folks are so wonderful. I love these dear friends.

The second group is the DG Board of Directors. Sam Crabtree, Peter Hedstrom, Mitch Pearson, and John Piper are men whose prayer-soaked wisdom guides the ship of DG. I don’t deserve to have such leaders. And I am doubly-blessed to have John Knight step off the board to join the staff this January. I love these men.

The third group are the donors whose prayerful financial partnership underwrite all the spreading strategies that the board and staff undertake. Every year God provides our needs through these friends. I’m writing and you’re reading this blog entry because of the graciousness of each supporter. I love these generous partners.

Father, I feel compelled to give you public thanks for these people you have raised up to support Desiring God. Through them you have blessed me so far beyond what I deserve that I simply bow my head in worship. Millions of people have been reached this year because you chose these 3 groups of people to work together to reach them. From you and through you and to you are all things. To you belong the glory forever and ever. I love you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Each year Christmas night finds members of my family feeling some melancholy. After weeks of anticipation, the Christmas celebrations have flashed by us and are suddenly gone. And we’re left standing, watching the Christmas taillights and music fade into the night.

But it’s possible that this moment of melancholy may be the best teaching moment of the whole season. Because as long as the beautiful gifts remain unopened around the tree and the events are still ahead of us, they can appear to be the hope we are waiting for. But when the tree is empty and events are past, we realize we are longing for a lasting hope.

So last night, as Pam and I tucked our kids into bed, we talked about a few things with them:

• Gifts and events can’t fill the soul. God gives us such things to enjoy. They are expressions of his generosity as well as ours, but gifts and celebrations themselves are not designed to satisfy. They're designed to point us to the Giver. Gifts are like sunbeams. We are not meant to love sunbeams but the Sun.
• Putting our hope in gifts will leave us empty. Many people live their lives looking for the right sunbeam to make them happy. But if we depend on anything in the world to satisfy our soul’s deepest desire, it will eventually leave us with that post-Christmas soul-ache. We will ask, “Is that all?” because we know deep down that’s not all there is. We are designed to treasure a Person, not his things.
• It is more blessed to give than receive. What kind of happiness this Christmas felt richer, getting the presents that you wanted or making someone else happy with something that you gave to them? Receiving is a blessing, but Jesus is right—giving is a greater blessing. A greedy soul lives in a small, lonely world. A generous soul lives in a wide world of love.

It’s just like God to let the glitter and flash of the celebrations (even in his honor) to pass and then to come to us in the quiet, even melancholic void they leave. Because often that’s when we are most likely to understand the hope he intends for us to have at Christmas.

Read about the new offices DG will be moving to in 2008 and how you can help us meet an important financial need.

This morning my assistant, Bryan DeWire, found out his father, who 24 hours ago seemed in fine health, didn’t make it through emergency heart surgery. This afternoon, my wife called me in tears to update me on a very difficult day trying to raise and teach 5 young children. Very different, yet real and painful experiences of God’s providential reign in lives of Christians I love.

Also this morning I read this sentence in a pamphlet titled, “Honey Out of the Rock,” by Puritan Thomas Wilcox,

“Judge not Christ’s love by providences, but by promises.”

Experiences are very powerful. They often feel more powerful than promises. So it's tempting to interpret prosperity and ease as God’s blessing and tribulation as God’s displeasure. And sometimes they are. But often they are not.

Actually, what we see all the way through the Bible is the Lord training his disciples to trust his promises more than providences. Think of Abraham and Sarah waiting for Isaac, or Jacob losing Rachel, or Joseph in slavery and prison, or Job’s suffering, or David running from Saul. Think of Lazarus and the heartbreak of his death and the constant tribulations of Paul. And of course Jesus set the ultimate example by looking to the joy set before him as he endured the cross (Heb 12:2).

Strange, isn’t it? In the Bible pain is often the path to unspeakable joy and prosperity is often an obstacle to it. What’s going on?

Simply, God wants us to treasure what we can’t see more than what we can.

“For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Cor. 4:18).

And we find out that it’s pain more than prosperity that makes us look for what our eyes can’t see, and long for a satisfaction that doesn’t exist in this world.

So Thomas Wilcox’s advice is worth heeding. For those of us who are experiencing a bitter providence, Wilcox goes on to say,

Bless God for shaking off false foundations, for any way whereby He keeps the soul awakened and looking after Christ; better sickness and temptations, than security and superficiality.

Here are 5 “Ds” that I have made part of my daily prayers:

Whatever it takes, Lord, give me...

• Delight in you as the greatest treasure of my heart.
  
  Delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)
  
  
• Desire to know you, be with you, and seek your kingdom above all else.
  
  Delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)
  
  
• Discernment that comes from a renewed mind that I might know your will.
  
  But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:14)
  
  
• Discipline to plan for what I discern as your will.
  
  Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:15-16)
  
  
• Diligence to do your will with all my heart.
  
  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (Deuteronomy 6:5)

Sam Storms describes himself as a Calvinistic, charismatic, complementarian, Christian hedonist. Strange breed. May God make such creatures as you, Sam, less strange, if you know what I mean. 

“Spatial disorientation” is what an aircraft pilot experiences when he flies into weather conditions that prevent him from being able see the horizon or the ground. Points of reference that guide his senses disappear. His perceptions become unreliable. He no longer is sure which way is up or down. It can be deadly.

The only way a pilot can overcome spatial disorientation is to be trained to read and trust his cockpit instruments to tell him what is real. That’s why flight instructors force student pilots to learn to fly planes by the instruments alone.

There is a spiritual parallel. I’ve experienced it. On a spring day in May 1997, I flew into a spiritual storm.

The details are too lengthy. But what I experienced was a crisis of faith. I entered a tempest of doubt like nothing I had ever experienced before. God, who I had known and loved since late childhood, suddenly became eclipsed in my spiritual sight. I couldn’t see him anywhere. The Sun of my life disappeared and everything became dark in my soul. Swirling winds of fear blew with amazing force. The turbulence of hopelessness was violent. I found myself in a spiritual state of spatial disorientation.

I was panicky at first. I swerved back and forth desperately trying to get my bearings. But one day the thought hit me, “Jon, fly by the instruments. That’s what they’re for. Don’t trust your perceptions. Trust what the instruments tell you.”

Now over the years God had trained me to trust his Word. And to that point it always been reliable. So now in the raging storm, when everything seemed uncertain, I had to choose: would I trust my doubt-filled perceptions or trust God’s Word?

In very simple terms, since my doubts were leading me deeper into confusion, and since God’s promises had given me more hope than anything I had ever known, I decided to steer by the Bible’s direction until I had enough evidence to determine that it was a faulty instrument.

I continued devotional Bible reading, prayer, church and small group attendance. I opened my heart to trusted friends and mentors and asked for counsel. I remember John Piper saying to me: “Jon, the rock of truth under your feet will not long feel like sand.” It was very hard to believe when he said it, but he proved right.

After months of darkness, light pierced the clouds. My storm didn’t stop suddenly, but it gradually lost power and dissipated and I flew into clear skies. God’s promises again proved reliable instruments. I didn’t crash. In fact, the storm served me very well. I learned more than ever before how to “walk (or fly) by faith and not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7). I thank God for every minute of that frightening storm.

Jesus really understands what stormy darkness is like. His storms, from Gethsemane to Golgotha, were far worse than anything we will ever know. And he entered them willingly for us, so that we would be rescued from all of our storms, particularly the ultimate storm of God’s wrath against our sin. That’s why he came. His storm crushed him so that our storms would become redemptive for us. What a wonderful reason to celebrate Christmas!

This Advent, remember that Jesus came “to give light to those who sit in darkness” (Luke 1:79). If you or a loved one is flying in a storm and despairing, remember your own perceptions, as real as they feel, are not reliable. As one who has tested them in a number of storms I can say with confidence: fly by the instruments God has provided you. They will not prove faulty.

Related free resources:

• Battling the Unbelief of Despondency
• Job: Five Sermons on Suffering
• Ruth: Sweet and Bitter Providence
• Biographical messages on Charles Spurgeon, William Cowper, and David Brainerd

Related books:

• When the Darkness Does Not Lift
• The Hidden Smile of God

Fifteen minutes before discovering the treasure in the field, the thought of selling all that he owned to buy it probably never crossed the man’s mind. Fifteen minutes afterward he was off to do it with joy.

Read what made the difference.

Read an entry my wife, Pam, wrote for the Girl Talk blog and discover a unique way that the heavens can declare the glory of God. God has a great sense of humor and perfect timing!
 
I am unashamed to say that Girl Talk is one of my favorite blogs. And Pam is my all-time favorite girl!

Great summary reviews of The Future of Justification are available at The Shepherd’s Scrapbook and The Discerning Reader.

Also, Adrian Warnock has a series on his blog that is surveying the themes of the book and makes some observations regarding the tone of the justification controversy in the wider evangelical church.

To be fair to Bob Allen in my previous entry, here’s me in 1976 in the 4th grade. (If you’re a mom reading this, yes, I did wear a mask during a game!) That was back when real hockey was played outside. Of course Bob’s options in Tennessee are limited.

Hey, Bob, I dare you to wear a mitten on your stick hand!

This week Olive Nelson passed away at age 94. Olive and her husband, Arnie, were members of Bethlehem for decades until 1994. From 1978 to 1994 (16 years), Arnie and Olive faithfully operated Bethlehem’s tape ministry as volunteers. They diligently ran a tape library for BBCers and they managed a tape subscription service that began to grow significantly during Pastor John’s first 14 years.

Arnie would come in every week and duplicate tapes. I can still see him. He was tall and slim and dignified and had a head of thick, silver hair. He was soft-spoken, and I loved to listen to him. Olive was bright, assertive, and organized. She managed the tape ministry administration by hand-typing all the tape labels (for probably 150-200 tapes per week), and hand-typing all the mailing labels, and she and Arnie would package and mail the tapes. Olive’s database was a black notebook where she meticulously hand-recorded every transaction for every person.

It was the Nelsons' decision to retire in 1994 that prompted John to pop into my office and say, “We need to do something with the tape ministry. I’d like you to make it happen.” The birth of Desiring God as we know it has its genesis in that statement.

Arnie and Olive were the forerunners of DG. Olive’s notebook was the basis for our first electronic database. I modeled our first labels after hers. And our whole electronic audio distribution of John’s sermons grew out of the tape ministry that the Nelsons nurtured and grew.

Thank you, God, for the lives and faithful labors of Arnold and Olive Nelson. It is an honor to remember them this week.

Bob Allen, the “other” voice of our radio and “Ask Pastor John” programs, has a hobby that I doubt many fellow Tennessee residents share. No wonder he feels at home with a Minnesota-based ministry! Bob is a man after my own heart (I played this position all the way up through school).

Our good friend, Rick Gamache, pastor of Sovereign Grace Fellowship delivered a fantastic sermon last Sunday on the nature of true worship. Pure Christian Hedonism!

[Links fixed] 

I love reading biography. I usually have my nose in one at some point during the day. Someone asked me the other night what is the best biography I’ve ever read. Though I often find such questions difficult to answer, this one was not. George Marsden’s Jonathan Edwards: A Life is my favorite. (Updated link.)

And it’s not just because Edwards’ theology, largely through John Piper, has had such a powerful influence on me. Marsden’s insights into what made Jonathan Edwards tick are simply extraordinary. It’s the best guided tour I’ve yet had through the inner and outer worlds of a remarkable person. If you haven’t read it yet, you’re in for a treat.

It is with a mixture of sadness, deep gratitude, and joyful trust in the sovereignty of God that I inform you that Matt Perman, our Director of Internet Strategies, is leaving the staff of Desiring God.

Matt first joined the staff of DG in 1998 as a Resource Consultant and was, along with Justin Taylor and others, a part of the remarkable first TBI class. He also ran the bookstore at Bethlehem Baptist Church for a season, which was sort of like giving a junkie the job of a drug store manager. In 2001-2002, Matt worked for DG remotely from Louisville while, in typical Permanesque fashion, cramming a 3-year MDiv degree from Southern Seminary into 2 years. In 2002, he came back on staff full-time as Director of Radionet (radio-internet) Strategies. Our radio program first aired in February 2004. That same year he began to address the "net" side of things and the rest is history.

On August 30, 2006, our new website went live and on September 30, 2006, we laid our traditional radio strategy to rest. Pursuing radio and internet strategies simultaneously was crucial to our understanding the nature and scope of the change occurring in media communications. It is simply hard to overstate the importance of Matt's leadership in helping us navigate these waters, and especially his vision for internet spreading. In two years, Matt went from barely a superficial knowledge of internet strategy to becoming a leader in our ministry field.

So why is he leaving? Believe me, John Piper and I did our level best to keep Matt. But dating from his college days, Matt has discerned what he believes is a calling to integrate spreading a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples with vocational work in the secular marketplace. Through the summer Matt and I talked about this and a potential future at DG (which we both saw as bright!). After much prayer and counsel, Matt and Heidi determined that the Lord's time for them to transition is now. After pondering numerous position offers, they decided on a position at a large company in Des Moines, IA.

So today is Matt's last day. After 9 years it's hard for me to believe. We are sending Matt and Heidi off with our blessing. We wish they could stay, but the Lord has treated us far better than we deserve to have been able to have them so long and we have all been the beneficiaries of tremendous gifts through them. Thank you so much, Lord, for the gift of the Permans.

“Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved. Jesus had just asked him for the third time if he loved him…

Read the rest of our September ministry letter.

When Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple, gave the 2005 Stanford commencement address, he essentially challenged the graduates to not waste their lives. Although his conclusions about how to not waste life fall short, it is interesting that Mr. Jobs tells his listeners to 1) trust in Providence, 2) see purpose in their suffering, and 3) reflect every day on the reality of death.

About 2,000 feet of one of the most trafficked bridges in Minneapolis collapsed into the Mississippi River during rush hour at 6:05 this evening. Reports are still coming in. The bridge is located only about a mile away from the DG office and supports the busiest freeway near the city. Many of us cross this bridge frequently. There are no clear estimates regarding how many vehicles were on the bridge or how many deaths have occurred. We expect there will be many.

Pray for those who are injured and for families of loved ones who have perished. And pray that God will guide us in responding to this tragedy in a way that points to the mercy and patience of God the way Jesus did in Luke 13.