Science

Three planets snuggle up

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Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest, 
sun, moon and stars in their courses above, 
join with all nature in manifold witness 
to Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

The course of the stars and planets is wonderfully predictable and a reminder of God’s faithfulness.

You’ll want to take a moment in the next couple nights and step outside to look at the sky. As you scan the western horizon, you’ll see a rare astronomical treat. With great precision, three planets will snuggle up close together in what astronomers call a “convergence.” The brilliant planet Venus will appear alongside two lesser lights, Mars and Saturn.

Two-planet convergences are noteworthy, but three planets are quite rare. Of course, these planets will still be millions of miles apart from each other, but from our angle, they will form an exciting planetary trio in the sky. Space.com gives more detail:

A wide variety of different conjunctions and configurations involving the planets typically occur during the course of any given year. It is rather unusual, however, when three or more bright planets appear to reside in the same small area of the sky.  
…So far as viewing this upcoming planet cluster, the only drawback for prospective observers will be that these three planets will be visible for at best for only about 60 to 90 minutes after sundown before they start getting too low to the horizon to be readily observable.
…to avoid being disappointed, I would strongly suggest also using binoculars to scan the west-southwest sky for the three planets, especially if it is rather hazy (as midsummer evenings often tend to be). 
…on the evenings of Aug. 7-8, Venus, Saturn, and Mars will fit inside a 5-degree circle. Your clinched fist held at arm’s length, for instance, is equal to roughly 10 degrees; the pointer stars at the end of the bowl of the Big Dipper are separated by just over 5 degrees).

Enjoy this rare celestial event, and remember the faithfulness of our God!

Culture

Reflecting on Prop 8

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Al Mohler has written a helpful piece on the overturning of Proposition 8. Here are a couple excerpts…

The importance of the decision handed down yesterday by U. S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker in California’s Proposition 8 trial will be difficult to exaggerate. Proponents of same-sex marriage immediately declared a major victory — and for good reason…

…The religious liberty dimensions of the decision are momentous and deeply troubling. While Judge Walker declared that the religious freedoms of citizens and religious bodies were not violated because no such body is required to recognize or perform same-sex marriage, the very structure of his argument condemned religious and theological objections to homosexuality and same-sex marriage as both harmful and irrational…

You can read the whole thing here, which I recommend to understand the legal arguments used during the proceedings, and to understand the next step in the constitutional process.

We are witnessing major moral erosion before our very eyes. Yet the deepest need for our state is not a return to morality. It is a saving relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. I grieve over these developments in the Prop 8 case, but realize that a “moral,” heterosexual family is no closer to the gospel than an immoral, homosexual one. Ultimately, we all need to be broken over our sin, admit our fallen condition, and trust wholly in Christ. He is our hope, our rest, and our righteousness.

No one can predict what the long-term implications of this ruling will be to churches, non-profit organizations, and individual Christians. We can expect the moral and ethical dilemmas to continue to increase. I have to guard my own heart not to grow anxious but instead to take comfort in Jesus’ words, “In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33).

But whether Prop 8 prevails or is permanently overturned, I pray this cultural battle will result in more people bowing the knee to King Jesus and surrendering completely to the only One who can save.

Related post:

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Welcoming Christ from a distance

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One of the highlights of my day is arriving home from work, walking toward the house, and seeing bright little eyes peering out the window with a nose smashed against the glass. Often there are shrieks and giggles as the kids scurry off to hide and surprise me. Daddy’s home!” my wife exclaims. Moments like this make me so thankful to be a dad.

It’s interesting that even before the door opens and I hug my family that a kind of ‘welcome home’ party has begun. We’ve greeted each other in our hearts, though still at a distance. And that is precisely how we should treat the return of Jesus.

Hebrews 11 describes many of the heroes of the faith who caught a glimpse of future joy, but didn’t immediately obtain it. Many endured great suffering in this present world. We learn of men and women like Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Rahab. What these people shared in common was that all “died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth” (Heb. 11:13).

In other words, their noses were firmly pressed against the glass. The promises of God had become so real to them that they actually greeted them in their hearts. They gazed expectantly at the coming of Jesus the Messiah with all His promised blessing.

How’s your faith in God? Do you spend most of your time focused on the worries of this life, or on the hope of heaven? Are the cares of this world smudging the glass, or are you peering out expectantly at Christ’s return?

Remember, there is a free gift of salvation to everyone who will turn from their sin and trust in Jesus’ death. His rising from the dead is proof we can be forgiven and spend eternity with God. 1 Peter 1:8 says “though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.” Does that perspective describe you?

Very soon, we will see Him with our own eyes, and all who have truly trusted in Jesus will get to spend eternity with Him. The welcome home party is about to begin!

This article first appeared in today’s Minister’s Message of our local newspaper, the Hi Desert Star.

Counseling

15 questions for your marriage

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Most married couples would admit they struggle to communicate, and would like to learn how to communicate more effectively. How about setting aside some time to answer these 15 questions together? Here’s the full post by Justin Taylor:

In the latest Journal of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood Rob Lister has a good article filled with practical suggestions for married couples to use in evaluating their marriage. The whole thing is worth reading for counsel on how and when to do this.

Below are the 15 questions:

 

  1. On a scale of 1-10, give your overall assessment of our marriage in the past six months. To be sure, this is a very broad and subjective item, but I have found it helpful to open the conversation with an item of this kind of breadth, because it helps to prime the pump. Obviously, you won’t hit on a ton of specifics with this one—that’s what the rest of the questions are for—but I have been truly amazed at just how much discussion this assessment alone can generate, as various issues come to mind. From there, we’re off and running. Follow-up questions in the event that the conversation fails to gain traction initially: What have been the strengths of the past six months? What would make your assessment higher?
  2. How has the husband’s leadership been over the past six months? The wife’s support? Follow-up: How can I improve in fulfilling my respective role?
  3. How is your walk with God, both personally and as a couple?
  4. Where do you see ungodliness in my life?
  5. Do I have any unconfessed sin that needs to be shared with my spouse?
  6. Are we guarding meaningful time together? Prayer? Conversation? Date Night?
  7. How is our sex life?
  8. What could I do to make you feel more loved/secure/respected?
  9. How can I serve you better?
  10. What are the issues that we need to anticipate in the upcoming six months?
  11. What’s your greatest personal disappointment and your greatest satisfaction in the last six months?
  12. How can I best pray for you?
  13. What are our major upcoming mutual prayer concerns?
  14. Spend a few moments, in an encouraging fashion, sharing several of the things that each of you loves and appreciates about the other.
  15. Then close, by spending some concerted time in prayer for those prayer concerns you just shared, as well as thanking God for his faithfulness to you as a couple over the past six months.
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Blessed are the Broken and Gentle

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Many thanks to Bret Capranica for filling the pulpit and feeding our flock the two weeks my family was on vacation.

I heard a lot of positive feedback from his sermons. His second week, Bret preached an entire message on one verse. One person remarked, “he went deep, but it didn’t feel deep.” I can think of no greater compliment. What a gift to plumb the depths of God’s Word without becoming confusing and esoteric in the process.

I am looking forward to listening to them myself!

Thoughts on Life and Leadership