Xavier Pacheco

Today I am heading out to spend an evening alone with my bride as we celebrate our 14th anniversary.

Anne, I love you more than ever. Through you, God has dealt me overflowing grace, none of which I’ve deserved. I am honored and humbled to have grown together with you in our love of God. I have learned to love God more because you have taught me about God’s love, His faithfulness His kindness and mercy when through you He exhibited these traits and continues to do so. I look forward to the years ahead in anticipation. As in the past, we will experience tears and laughter, sadness and joy, heartbreak and heartleap, but always moving toward that indescribable place of Christ-likeness.

Anne, these are not just things that husbands have to say on their anniversary. You live what you believe. I remember once when I bought you some expensive jewelry. You did not respond with the jubilation that husbands are promised in commercials. You accepted graciously, but I knew that you were disappointed. This was not because the gift wasn’t good enough, but because to be lavished with extravagance is not your way. The jewels you wear are the trust and honor of your husband, the work of your hands, the product of your effort, your modest beauty, the comfort of the needy, the dignity of your family, the wisdom of your counsel, the kindness of your heart, the blessing of your children, the praise of your husband, the fear of your LORD and His delightful smile upon you.

Anne, many women have done excellently but you, my love, surpass them all!

I love you – Happy Anniversary.

Anne & Xavier Pacheco – Married July 20, 1996

Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) is offering over 30 free Seminary level courses which you can download on iTunes. Another great resource for independent study seminary students. I’ve added this to my list of study resources here.

Here is the direct link to RTS on iTunes U.

Recently, Fox News reported an incident where five students were sent home for wearing the U.S. Flag on Cinco de Mayo. As a result, several of my patriotic Facebook friends responded in outcry. What right did the school have to send these kids home who were expressing their heartfelt patriotism?!

I found the whole thing somewhat amusing. I agree that no institution should infringe upon a person’s desire to express their patriotism. Clearly, the school was wrong in this instance because their motives were just that; to squash patriotism for this nation. Shame on them! That said, you should know that the students were expressing their patriotism inappropriately just as we Americans do all the time.

Most of us (at least those of us that consider ourselves patriots) agree that we should read and be thoroughly familiar with the United States Constitution. Additionally we should know the Declaration of Independence and the Federalist Papers. Why is this so? Because by doing so, it informs us on how to live properly as citizens of this great country. Furthermore, it gives us the knowledge to hold accountable our elected officials who, so it seems with the current administration, are confusing the United States Constitution with the Communist Manifesto, but I digress.

There are other documents with which we should familiarize ourselves. We should be familiar with the laws of the land. If in the military, we should study military regulations like the Uniform Code of Military Justice. If we want to drive, we should know traffic regulations. If we want to fly a plane, we need to know the laws under the FAA and such. If we want to express our patriotism using the U.S. Flag, we should know if there are rules according to which this is done. Interestingly, many of my conservative, patriotic friends who wish to express their patriotism in any willy-nilly manner would be surprised to know that there is actually a regulation regarding the proper use of the U.S. Flag. This is covered in United States Code. Title 4, Chapter 1.

Now before I get all self-righteous and everything, I must confess that it was not long ago that I was sporting a bandana, a t-shirt and other such apparel. However, the U.S. Flag Code, defines what constitutes a U.S. Flag as:

“The words "flag, standard, colors, or ensign", as used herein, shall include any flag, standard, colors, ensign, or any picture or representation of either, or of any part or parts of either, made of any substance or represented on any substance, of any size evidently purporting to be either of said flag, standard, colors, or ensign of the United States of America or a picture or a representation of either, upon which shall be shown the colors, the stars and the stripes, in any number of either thereof, or of any part or parts of either, by which the average person seeing the same without deliberation may believe the same to represent the flag, colors, standard, or ensign of the United States of America.” United States Code Title 4 Chapter 1, Section 3

The code also states that:

“The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery.” States Code Title 4 Chapter 1, Section 8d.

Clearly, these students and most of America on the Fourth of July are in violation of the U.S. Flag Code. Now, before you tell me that I’m just being anal retentive just hear me out.

The U.S. Flag code is intended not just to instruct on the proper handling of the U.S. Flag but also to prevent it from being used in a manner that would dishonor it and, in my opinion, those who sacrificed to protect what it represents. I was discussing this with a Vietnam veteran who told me that it “heartens” him to see young people wearing the U.S. Flag on their t-shirts. I understand his sentiment. But we must also understand that when we decide to use the flag as a t-shirt, we lessen its significance. If we ignore the code, we can say nothing about the U.S. Flag being used as, a dress shirt, a tie, a hat, a cocktail napkin, a credit card, toilet paper, underwear, or even an object to show hatred for America.

It seems to me that if we truly want to express our patriotic spirit by using the U.S. Flag, we should do so, first and foremost, by honoring the provisions established to protect its honor. So, rather than wearing it, fly it! Just do so according to the Code.

Well, I missed Cinco de Mayo this year. Actually, not being Mexican, I’ve never celebrated it. Maybe we will celebrate it next year. I’ll make a batch of my Two Time’s Hot Salsa with chips and enjoy a Margarita with my wife. Furthermore, I’ll proudly fly the U.S. Flag and we’ll celebrate how blessed we are to live in a nation where Mexicans, Ethiopians, Swedes, Germans, Italians and people from all nationalities can live, work, play and worship as United States Citizens!

God bless America!

Recently, a friend of mine shared the link of a blogger who had thoughts about God’s plan in regards to adoption. I have provided the link below. The blogger who refers to herself as Tonguu Momma commented on God’s role in adoption or rather in the orphan situation. She seemed to see adoption as a Plan B in God’s purpose.

First, let me say that I appreciate Tonggu Momma’s post, her heart for orphans and the thought she put into a very controversial subject. It is a very difficult subject to wrestle with. I would like to comment on her post.

Before I comment, I need to state the context from which I derive my opinions. Like Tonggu Momma I am a Christian and by that I mean that I affirm certain essentials of Evangelical Christianity. Furthermore, I hold to a Reformed position. An attribute of being Reformed is that I affirm that God is completely sovereign. Regarding God’s sovereignty, The Westminster Confession of Faith says,

“He is the alone fountain of all being, of whom, through whom, and to whom are all things; and has most sovereign dominion over them, to do by them, for them, or upon them whatsoever Himself pleases.” WCF 2.II

I am writing this from the Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit VI and I just heard Al Mohler speak. There is something he said that I believe really speaks to this issue. I will summarize this in my own words. If we are motivated to adopt merely because of the need, we will grow weary and we will give up. Considering that with over 140 million orphans and that only a very small fraction of 1 (one) percent of them will be adopted per year we cannot possibly think that adoption has any real impact on the orphan crisis. Now, that is not to say that it does not have a significant impact at all. Of course it does! However, adoption does not really help with the greater orphan crisis – this is the wrong focus. Our focus and our purpose must be grounded in sound, biblical doctrine.

If our motivation to adopt is driven by the fact that it glorifies God, then we can see God’s sovereign hand in it. Adoption is a picture of our own adoption as sons and daughters of the Living God. Adoption is the Gospel embodied. Adoption is a picture of the Gospel and through it, God glorifies Himself. It is as Al Mohler says, our passion for adoption must be based not on the need, but on the God’s passion for the lost, the fatherless and for those who have no voice.

The truth of God’s sovereignty elevates the glorious truth that adoption was God’s intent. A few nights ago, my son Zachary and I were talking and he was telling me that he had been thinking about his existence (or non-existence) before he was conceived. He asked, “Was I just nothing?” Admittedly, he caught me off-guard and after a moment of thought I was grateful for the Holy Spirit’s help. I replied, “Zack, you were never ‘nothing’ to God. Before he even created time, He had already thought of you. He had already planned how and when he would create you, what you would look like and what your personality would be like. He even chose your parents.” What awestruck me was Zack’s response. He said, “Wow, and God even decided that I would have a brother born on another continent from different parents.” That is a sovereign God! That he can orchestrate every minute detail of His creation according to His redemptive purpose and for his glory is mind-boggling.

It is both cruel and theologically irresponsible to suggest that my adopted children were God’s solution to His previously failed plan. It is likewise irresponsible to suggest that our reason for adopting was solely to deal with the orphan crisis. So why do we as Christians adopt? Our primary reason is redemptive in the theological sense.

We Christians must function within the context of a fallen world. Our redemptive mission does not sanction that we kidnap or harvest orphans, manufacture or falsify documentation or anything along those lines in order to bring children into Godly homes. Furthermore, just as we must rest upon the sovereignty of God to help us understand why there are orphans, we must also rest in His sovereignty in the fact that there are orphans going to homes that reject God.

There is a reason that Christians start using terms like “Plan B” or “God allows” or “God stepped-back” to somehow present Him as a passive participant in the carrying out of events. It is because they want to avoid the truth that God is the originator of these horrible things, like earthquakes, poverty, hunger, the holocaust, etc.

The problem here is the failed understanding that there is not a thing or event that exists or happens for its own sake. All things exist and happen to magnify the greatness of Christ. God not only planned these things but also brought them about. Satan’s fall occurred, not because God couldn’t control Satan. On the contrary, God has a purpose for Satan’s fall just as He has a purpose for there being orphans in the world, earthquakes, disease and so on (Piper, Spectacular Sins). Yet God accomplished this without sinning himself. I am satisfied with that conclusion because the Bible is crystal clear about both of these truths.

We should not be flippant about such things. When we witness evil and hurt in the world, we should feel the sorrow and make ourselves available to help for that is kingdom work, it is redemptive. But also, we should contemplate the power and determination of God to do whatever is necessary to bring glory to Himself and to exalt his Son. It should cause us to tremble, for as Spurgeon teaches, “God's terrible voice often makes men tremble, and that is one proof of the working of his grace in their hearts, for they tremble before him, and flee unto him.”

Original post:

http://ourlittletongginator.blogspot.com/2010/04/god-and-adoption.html

Interesting session: Church-based Orphan Ministry: Global Orphan Care by Mike Douris of Orphan Outreach This session dealt with the larger matter of orphan care of which adoption is only a small part.

One of the things Mike talked about was how adoption fit into, or relates to orphan care in general. Considering that there were12,753 international adoptions in 2009 and that in 2008, there were 132 million orphans, it is clear that majority of orphans are not going to be adopted. Now, Mike was not in any way suggesting that churches should not focus on adoption – they should. Yet, he makes a good point that we need to be thinking about the orphan situation as a whole and considering what our role is within that context. I agree with his assessment.

That said, I think that it is important that we also consider that our role, our mission is not to solve the global orphan problem. Our role is to do our part in God’s redemptive program. To some, that may mean adopting a child. Others might be involved in a mission project. Still others might support orphans financially. What we do must be redemptive in nature and by that I mean that we are centered upon the Gospel. While adoption might not have a significant impact on the global orphan problem, it has a profound and life changing impact in individual lives - just a thought.

I’m still enjoying the conference very much.

What an amazing and powerful evening this was! I was deeply touched by Mary Beth’s testimony as she talked about all the events that transpired after the two years following the tragedy of losing their daughter, Maria. You can catch the gist of her talk on the Summit Blog.

After hearing from Mary Beth, Steven performed, he sang: What Now, Yours, Cinderella, When Love Takes You In, You Never Let Go, and Blessed Be Your Name.

While singing Yours, Steven paused to explain the last verse which he wrote after Maria’s death. it was about a month afterwards and he was struggling with whether or not he could sing the songs he wrote and really believe them. As he sang it, it was a powerful and affirming moment for everyone present.

I’ve walked the valley of death’s shadow
So deep and dark that I could barely breathe
I’ve had to let go of more than I could bear
And questioned everything that I believe
But still even here
in this great darkness
A comfort and hope come breaking through
As I can say in life or death
God we belong to you.   Steven Curtis Chapman