The month of May has certainly been one to remember! Before it comes to a close, I thought I'd add another of my top 20 hymns to this list...otherwise I'll still be counting these down when Ethan is graduating high school! (You can keep track of the complete countdown on this page.)

This song, like so many others, is more well known for its tune than its lyrics. The tune comes from Beethoven's 9th Symphony and is almost instantly recognizable. And yet there is a depth to the lyrics (which I was quite surprised to learn are only 101 years old) that rings even truer.

The evidence of God is everywhere. All of creation -- "field and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea" -- works together to not only reveal the existence of God but to "call us to rejoice" in him. This is why David wrote "the heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork" [Psalm 19:1] and Paul echoed him by saying "his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made." [Romans 1:20-21]

But God is not content to let creation speak for him. As the writer of Hebrews says: "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son..." [Hebrews 1:1-2] God makes himself known through his Son.

This is why God is referred to as the "giver of immortal gladness." God is a giver, and a very generous one at that. He is the giver of "every good and every perfect gift" [James 1:17] which happens to include wisdom [James 1:5]; the Holy Spirit [John 16:7-15]; victory over death [1 Corinthians 15:50-57]; reconciliation and peace [Colossians 1:19-20]; mercy, life, and grace [Ephesians 2:4-7]; and the list goes on.

God's gifts are eternal, and they do provide gladness -- a joy that cannot be thwarted by circumstance or suffering. Of course, all of these gifts are made possible through God's ultimate gift, his Son Jesus Christ. Christ gave himself willingly [John 10:18], humbling himself to the point of death on a cross [Philippians 2:5-8], and redeemed his people from the curse of sin [Titus 2:11-14].

Because of Christ's finished work, God is "giving and forgiving." For anyone who puts their faith in Christ alone, their sins are transferred to Jesus (who paid their penalty in full) and the perfect righteousness of Christ is transferred to that person. We are able to stand innocent before God because our representative (Jesus) credits his innocence to us. "For our sake [God] made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." [2 Corinthians 5:21]

With this transaction complete, those who trust Christ are adopted into God's family as his children [John 1:14, Galatians 4:4-7] making God "our Father, Christ our brother." And it is this new reality that gives us true joy: to know that we belong to God; we are his children. Although we still live in the "midst of strife" the song of our lives is the "triumph song" for Christ reigns victorious, and we belong to him.

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Life with Ethan is great! He is such a good baby, and he remains absolutely adorable! I love watching his little eyes move back and forth, and he is already trying to hold his head up on his own. (And he's got a pretty strong grip already too!) He is very alert and curious and something tells me that Tricia and I are going to have a hard time keeping up with this little guy once he gets mobile! 

We took him to church last Sunday, and he did great. We kept him with us during Sunday School (which he slept through) and then Tricia stayed with him in the nursery during the service.

He was worn out by the time we got home, but it was nice to let everyone at church get to see him and it was good for Tricia to get out of the house (and go somewhere besides the hospital) for the first time in a week.

He got a little taste of a bath on Saturday night, which he did not like at all. It was basically just Tricia wiping him off with a wet cloth, but you'd never be able to tell it from the way he was screaming. Although, in fairness to my son, I do have to say that he only fusses when we change his diaper or clothes. Other than that, he is very content. He has a little cry that he uses when his diaper is dirty or wet, and a bit stronger cry when he gets hungry, but he very seldom just cries for the sake of crying.

One other note: our good friends Seth and Anita welcomed a baby of their own into the world last Saturday! Elyse Yasmin was born at 12:38 in the afternoon, and weighed in a 6 lbs, 15 ozs and was 19" long. As you can tell from the picture, she is a beautiful little girl! Her mom and dad are very proud and doing quite well. I think it's neat that she and Ethan share such close birthdays, although Seth already warned me to keep my son away from his little girl!

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Today is Memorial Day here in the USA. It's a day to remember those who have given their lives to preserve the freedoms of this country. On this memorial day, I want to remember three people:

1. The military. I am extremely thankful for all the men and women who have paid the ultimate price to protect this nation. I am thankful that so many have heeded the call to serve knowing that the cost might be the highest they could pay. I am thankful for men like my father and my grandfather who served in combat for this country, and I am thankful they both came home from it. And I am thankful for the thousands of others who left these shores never to return.

I am also thankful that God allowed me to be born in America, a nation where I can worship Him openly without fear of imprisonment, torture, or death. Though this is far from a perfect nation, it is one where I have been able to get an education, supply basic needs with ease, and enjoy a manner of living that the rest of the world would consider very luxurious. (Not everyone on this planet can wake up and fix coffee, read a paper, or browse the Internet.)

2. The martyrs. It only struck me this week that while we have a day to honor those who have given their lives for America (and rightly so), we have no such day or time set aside to remember those who have given their lives for a "kingdom that cannot be shaken" [Hebrews 12:28] in service to Christ. Literally every single day, more people are killed simply for identifying themselves with Christ. Although those of us in America are often unaware of it, the rest of the world remains a generally hostile place toward Jesus and His disciples. 

When the church first began, it did so amongst a Roman empire that scorned and ridiculed them and drug them out of their homes to be graphically tortured and murdered or fed to lions in the arena for sport. There are times when I wonder what would happen if the freedoms we enjoy in America were suddenly taken away. As great as this country is, it has only been around 200 years, and as an earthly kingdom, it will not last forever. Am I more attached to this kingdom or to God's eternal one?

As I think of the martyrs, I wonder: would all who profess to know Christ remain faithful if it were harder to do so? It is a difficult question, and I am thankful for the godly example of men and women who refused to deny Jesus, counting even their own lives as forfeit for the gospel.

3. The Mediator. In Paul's first letter to Timothy, he reminds us that "there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." [1 Timothy 2:5]  The only way that sinful humanity and holy God could ever be reconciled is if a God-appointed Mediator stood in the chasm between us. Jesus is that Mediator.

As fully God, Jesus had no sin and no inclination to sin. Thus, he was able to offer his perfectly righteous blood on our behalf and it was a sacrifice acceptable to God. As fully human, Jesus was able to serve as the representative for other humans. While every human is initially represented by Adam (and thereby guilty of sin against God), those who come to faith in Christ are now represented by Him.

Because Jesus died a perfect death, those He represents have the debt of their sin cancelled, Christ having paid that cost on the cross. And because Jesus lived a perfect live, those He represents get credit for His righteousness and are declared innocent before God.

So, on this Memorial Day, remember the military. But don't stop there. Also remember the martyrs who have spilt their blood for the gospel, and above all, remember the Mediator, the one who "made peace by the blood of his cross." [Colossians 1:20] 

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It's hard to believe that Ethan isn't even a week old yet. In some ways it feels like he's been a part of our family forever. He is a wonderful, wonderful baby boy. He only fusses when he needs a diaper change or food, sleeps very well, and eats like a champ! (Especially now that we've figured out the right style and flow of nipple for him.)

From the very first moment I held him, when he opened his eyes and looked at me, I knew that I would do anything for him. I would sacrifice time, sleep, money, energy -- and I would do so gladly. That's part of what love is: to willingly give of yourself for the benefit of someone else.

So one of the immediate things that being a father has done is give me an entirely deeper perspective on what God did by allowing his only Son to die. While I would gladly give up anything of mine for my son, I could never give up my son for someone else. The very thought of it goes against every fiber of my being. I would, without hesitation, give my life to spare my son's. But God did not spare Jesus.

This is how we know the depth of God's love for us. While we were his enemies, while we had nothing of any value of worth, God sent his only Son, Jesus Christ. And although he had no sin of his own, Jesus took on my sin and died a horrible, torturous death in my place.

So as I hold my boy, I am reminded of the great, great love of God and the great lengths he has gone to save a wretch like me. In a display of love that has no equal, the Father gave his Son for me.

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He's here! The Countdown to Ethan^TM ended on Monday at E+3 as Tricia and I welcomed the newest member of our family! Here he is:

	Ethan Isaac Powell   Monday, May 19, 2008   2:50pm   8 lbs 0 ozs, 20 inches
	"I praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Psalm 139:14

What can I say? He's adorable (and obviously gets that from his mother) and very well-mannered. He's eating good and is very healthy! Thanks to everyone for your prayers, encouragement, and support. Please keep praying for Ethan, Tricia, and myself as the three of us get used to our new lives together.

There really isn't anything that compares to holding your child for the first time. Standing in the delivery room, cradling him in my arms, I watched him struggle to open his little eyes and look at me. Words honestly fail to describe that feeling.

Now I know that there will be nights when the crying gets a bit frustrating and days when his attitude will need some work, but (and you can hold me to this) I will be just as blessed to be his father then as I am now. God has truly given Tricia and I a precious gift in our son, and our daily prayer is that we will be good and wise stewards of him.

Things are obviously a bit busy to type too much more right now, but here is my favorite picture from the week so far. It's right when we brought him home earlier today, and it's the two loves of my life:

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Although we made a trip to the hospital, we were sadly sent home, making the Countdown to Ethan^TM now at E+2.

At this point, we're just hoping he's here by summer...

In the meantime, here's another book review:  

In effect, Ferguson has helped us answer his own question by creating a helpful, much-needed book that aims to keep our life and teaching centered on the good news of Jesus Christ. A

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I should also mention that Dr. Ferguson serves as the senior pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, SC. This church graciously provides audio from his sermons at no cost. You can check out their website here for more information.

Back to the book: here are some of my favorite quotes from In Christ Alone. They tend to be less pithy and more profound, yet still in an easily-accessible manner. And, yes, it was hard to narrow it down to these ten:

Worldly thinking -- however much it employs Jesus-language -- is not to be confused with Biblical truth. (16)

Faith, by definition, excludes all contributions on our part. But how can this be, when faith is an activity in which we consciously engage? It is not God who believes for us; it is we who believe. The genius of the divine way of salvation by faith is that in it we are personally, actively united to Jesus Christ, but in a way that contributes nothing to His work. Faith is by definition noncontributory; it is the reception of Christ, not an addition to His finished work. (43)

Do you know the Christ of the Gospels? Or have you fallen into the trap to which Christians (especially, perhaps, Reformed Christians) who love doctrine and systematic theology are sometimes susceptible (unlike John Calvin, it should be said): fascination with dogmatic formula at the expense of love for the Savior's person? (67)

God's revelation truly is a revelation, a personal unveiling of Himself. He is not different from who He reveals Himself to be. Yes, our understanding is creaturely and limited; yet, even finite knowledge of the true God is still true knowledge. (82)

This is what we still need: power to witness. The truth is that nothing would as readily silence gainsayers against the Reformed faith as would this. Far more important, it is only through such empowering that we will get beyond witnessing to fellow Christians about the Reformed faith and start witnessing to non-Christians about saving faith. (95)

Sometimes God does things quickly. But His ordinary way with His children is to work slowly and surely to make us progressively more like our Lord Jesus. Trees do not grow overnight; they grow over long periods of time, and experience sun, rain, and wind to help them in the process. So it is with the trees of the Lord's planting. (108)

Christ took what was ours so that we might receive what was His. (123)

True contentment means embracing the Lord's will in every aspect of His providence simply because it is His providence. (187)

If I insist on knowing exactly what God is doing and what He plans to do with my future, if I demand to understand His ways with me in the past, I can never be content until I am equal with God. (191)

Perhaps we recognize the intellectual fascination and challenge of the gospel and devote ourselves to understanding it, perhaps for its own sake, perhaps to communicate it to others. We measure our spiritual vitality in terms of how articulate we are, even how "correct" our theology is. But no position, influence, involvement, or correctness can expel love for the world from our hearts. Indeed, they may be expressions of that very love…the root of the matter is not on my table or in my neighborhood, but in my heart. Worldliness still has not been expelled. (224)

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Yesterday was Ethan's due date...and still no Ethan! That means the Countdown to Ethan^TM is now officially at E+1.

Also, I'm in the process of upgrading from FrontPage (which Microsoft discontinued) to Expression Web (their new product). So far, the change seems pretty easy to adjust to. Of course, I'm not exactly blazing any new internet trails here, so I'm a bit easier to please.

One thing I'm not pleased with is my web hosting provider. I've been with them since 2003, with little or no trouble. Over the last month, however, I've only been able to access my server space about 50% of the time, and been able to update the site far less. I've contacted tech support on four different occasions, and each time they tell me the same thing -- which obviously hasn't solved the problem.

Here's hoping I can get it fixed soon. If I'm not able to post pictures of my son when he's born, I will be finding another web hosting company.

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Since we're pretty much just waiting on Ethan these days, I thought I'd go ahead and add another of my top 20 hymns to this list. (You can keep track of the complete countdown on this page.)

There are so many great Christmas songs. But I think we do it (and many others) a disservice by only singing them once a year. While this hymn may be most clearly identified with Christmas, it speaks a message that we would do good to hear year-round.

Although the identity of this hymn's original author has been lost in the tides of history, it's clear that he knew the Bible well. The entire song is full of references to God's promises -- made in the Old Testament and fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The mentions of "Rod of Jesse, Root of Jesse, and Key of David" are all reminders of God's promise to David that one of his descendants would be on the throne forever. [2 Samuel 7]

Even the word "Emmanuel" comes from a prophetic statement in Isaiah 7:14, foretelling the coming of Christ, who would indeed be what Emmanuel means: God with us.

In fact, the entirety of Scripture is about God and His desire to be with His people. When Adam and Eve were created, God walked with them in the garden. It was only when sin destroyed the fellowship between God and humanity that they were forced to leave His presence.

Even then, God would not abandon his people. When the Israelites were delivered from Egypt, God came to Moses on Mount Sinai and "gave the law in cloud and majesty and awe." As His people lived in tents while crossing the desert, God dwelt in a tent (tabernacle) with them. When the Israelites settled in the Promised Land, God's glory was in the Temple, once again right in their midst.

Then, in one of the deepest mysteries and most profound acts of love ever known, Christ "became flesh and dwelt among us." [John 1:14] The word John uses for dwelt is literally translated tabernacled. Just as God's glory lived in a tent of fabric centuries before, God's glory was now living in a tent of flesh. Once again, God was with His people.

Christ died on the cross to atone for our sin. Having satisfied God's righteous judgment on sin, God's people are now freed from "depths of hell" and have "victory over the grave." But even after Christ returned to heaven, God did not leave His people alone. He sent a Helper, the promised Holy Spirit to dwell within our hearts, making those who are saved by God's grace "the temple of the living God." [2 Corinthians 6:16]

And what of heaven? It is the promise for all who belong to Christ. Although John paints beautiful word pictures of what this place will be like, I believe its true beauty lies in the fact that "the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God himself will be with them as their God." [Revelation 21:3]

So the promise of God is to one day permanently restore what sin defiled in Eden -- perfect fellowship with Him. Through Christ, God has "death's dark shadows put to flight" and made "safe the way that leads on high." And that's a message we need to hear more than once a year.

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My wife has created her own blog! Check it out here.

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Not too long ago I started thinking about my favorite hymns. There are some magnificent songs out there, and it's been hard, but I've narrowed it down to my top 20. Over the next few months, I'll count down the list of these hymns and give a little explanation why they made my list.

One other note: you might notice that many of these hymns read differently than their hymnal versions. Often times, hymnals will remove or rearrange verses for space, but whenever possible, I've printed the author's original, unedited lyrics. So let's get started with...

Like so many other hymns that you will see on this list, this one speaks most powerfully to me because it speaks of the Gospel. It tells me about what God has done on my behalf through his son, Jesus Christ. Not only that, but it also speaks of the struggles and difficulties I still experience.

For me, the line "prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; prone to leave the God I love" speaks volumes. Even though I have been set free from the curse and eternal consequences of sin, there is still a struggle within me between the old way of life and the new life brought by the Holy Spirit.

Like the apostle Paul in Romans 7, I find conflict within. This struggle is what led Paul to ask "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? [Romans 7:24]. Of course, he already knew the answer: "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" [Romans 7:25] Only Jesus can save us from sin; can "rescue us from danger."

Jesus accomplished this as he "interposed his precious blood," his sacrifice coming between our sin and God's wrath. But what made his blood so precious? Since Jesus had no biological father, he did not receive the sinful nature that has been inherited by all of humanity since Adam. There was no sin in Jesus, nor any desire to sin. He lived a life of complete, perfect obedience to the Father and then willingly chose to offer that life as a payment for our sin debt.

In this, Jesus became both the perfect high priest -- the only one who could enter God's presence without sin -- and the perfect sacrifice -- untainted by evil. He did what we could never do (satisfy God's wrath) in a place we could never go (the very presence of God) and redeemed his people from destruction.

In other words, it's only through God's direct intervention and divine help that any of us can be saved. In 1 Samuel 7:12, the prophet Samuel sets up an altar to the Lord following a defeat in battle. He calls this altar "Ebenezer," which literally means "stone of help." After he cried out for God's help, the tide of the battle turned and the Philistines were driven back. Samuel understood that the victory of God's people would only last as long as God was their help. Left to their own power, they could do nothing but be destroyed.

And that, my friends, is the message of the Gospel. Apart from God, we are hopeless and helpless. And yet God, the one with whom we are enemies, is the very one to offer us all the hope and help we need. God would have been correct to condemn us all, but instead he chose to offer salvation. Praise the Lord! While we were each "a stranger, wandering from the fold of God" he showed "his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." [Romans 5:8]

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We've just about got his nursery finished. There are only a few wall decorations left to hang, but all the basics -- crib, changing table, rocking chair, car seat, stack o' diapers -- are in place and ready to go!

I have to thank all of the family, friends, co-workers, and church members who have helped us out with wonderful, thoughtful gifts. It truly is a blessing to have so many generous people in our lives, and Tricia and I are both humbled by everyone's giving spirit.

With all the preparation just about done, now it's mainly a waiting game. I've found myself watching parents with their babies a lot more recently. I wonder what Ethan's personality will be like: will he be naturally curious? happily content? borderline crazy? a mix of all three?

I think a lot about how I'll be as a father. Will I have as much patience as I think? Will I know what to do when he starts crying? Will I be able to change a diaper, prepare formula, and figure out the stroller?

Will he cry when I hold him for the first time?

Will I cry when I hold him for the first time?

Will I make enough time for him? Will I set a good example? Will he learn about the love of Jesus from the way I love him and his mother?

Somewhere deep within I have a strong feeling that being a father is one of the most important things I will ever do. I know I won't be a perfect dad, but I pray that God will help me be the kind of dad my son needs me to be: an earthly father that tells him and shows him the love of the Heavenly Father each and every day.

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