The Freedom of Choice

     Has it ever bothered you that you didn't have a choice? Have you ever not liked the choices laid out before you? I'm sure you have, just as I have, just as we all have. Life presents us with choice that we frequently would rather exchange for others but that we have no real control over. We believe that Humans have free will but we often stumble along the road and crash headlong into situations where we really have no choice at all. Personally, I take this as evidence that the question of free will is actually quite more complicated or at least different than we have come to believe.

     The question is an old one: does man have free will? This is an important philosophical question. From our perspective, if man lacks free will than his choices are not really his own and thus the blame of any negative consequences resulting from those actions should not be placed upon man. Essentially we want to reserve the right of free will for everyone but we desperately want to be free of the implications, at least the negative ones. This is why determinism is so tempting. If we can ferret out a way for man to be essentially programmed than none of his actions can be blamed up on the man himself, only on his nature.

     From what I see man, in point of fact, does not have free will. Many secular scientists would agree with me on that but not for the same reasons. It is becoming a popular belief that since man is nothing more than a “meat machine” by humanist standards, since there is no supernatural, since there is only what we can see-hear-taste and touch, then there is no other option than for man to be nothing more than an elaborately programmed robot of flesh. Evolution leaves no room for the transcendent and so man must be firmly rooted in random chance and chemical reactions, there is no room for sentience. Biblicaly speaking though, there is transcendence, there is the supernatural, there is more than what we see. As far as I can see man does not have free will -however- he does have free choice.

     These two concepts are similar to be sure but there is start difference. To have free will is to have the power of decision over both action and result, cause and consequence. To have free choice is to be free, without push or pressure, to choose from a set of available options. In the garden God did not set Adam and Eve down on the grass to roam free and wild. In the perfection that was initial creation God gave perfect people rules. Now why would He give rules and laws to perfect people? Really that is a complex question that would take a long time to answer but for the purpose of this post it was in part to facilitate man's need for free choice. In that time God gave man one simple choice, obey or disobey. Don't eat the fruit! That was man's first and only necessary and conscious choice that had any significance. That choice is what ultimately doomed us all.

     You see Adam and Eve new the rules, they new what God said but they had the power to choose against that prescription. Because of that choice they came to know evil and their innocence was lost. God had no choice but to punish them because it is in His nature to oppose sin. We see here the plain difference between free will and free choice. They were free to choose to disobey but they had no say in the consequences that would follow.

     We find ourselves in a similar situation now. All of creation, all of our reality comes down ultimately to one simple choice: obey or disobey, repent or be punished. God has given us a way out of sin in the sacrifice of His Son. We must choose now to follow God or remain in rebellion. The choice is ours but we must then deal with result. We have freedom to choose but it is God's will that matters in the end.

"Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, "because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead."

(Acts 17:30-31)

Attempts at _ _ _ _ _ _ ianity

     You may have recently heard about the American pastor who no longer beliefs in God. From what I've read the man states that the ideas of God and creation and the infallibility of scripture are legends that have long since been if not disproved then found to be illegitimate. He claims that you need not believe in God and doesn't like it when people say he is not a Christian. I have to ask though, if he doesn't believe in God, the Bible, Jesus as we know him, miracles, creation, Heaven, Hell, or the need for salvation...what does he believe in? You cannot take away everything that is Christianity and still claim to be a Christian.

“This is the uniqueness of the Christian message: You can take any philosophical system and any religious system, you can remove the founder from the system, the system will remain. So if you remove Buddha from Buddhism, if you were to say to a Buddhist: “Did it have to be the Buddha who gave us this system, theoretically Could it have been anyone?” They'll be very insistent that it was the Buddha but yes, theoretically anyone could have given us Buddhism and if we even try to argue that Buddha never existed, it doesn't matter; the teaching of the system remains. We can do the same in Islam. Now, Muslims will be even more strongly insistent but if you push them to the theoretical point eventually they will concede. Did God have to give this revelation to Muhammad or theoretically could it have been anyone? They'll be absolutely insistent, it was Muhammad but could God have chosen anyone? Absolutely....You can remove the founder from the system, the system remains but you cannot remove Christ from Christian. If you remove Christ from Christian you are left with the letters I-A-N and Ian cannot help you!”

-Michael Ramsden

     This is not the first time nor the last that people will try and insist that belief is not necessary, that you can still be a Christian without dedication to what it means to be one. Jesus gave us no room to slide past His claims. He claimed to be God in flesh which means He was either a liar, insane, or God. We cannot simply cling to His teaching as His teaching are tied inexorably to His claims. He quoted the old testament and upheld its accuracy and authority so we cannot put aside scripture. He held up creation as how we came to be so we cannot discount it at poetry. We cannot believe in that which we don't believe in, that is the exclusive domain of the lunatic and the fool.

     We live in a world marked by a distinct lack of scholarship. Nearly anyone you find who believes in evolution as the means of our existence will have very little if any actual knowledge of how the system is supposed to work and those who do will most likely not have worked out its implications. We have become so literal a people that we simply “believe” things with no bases, we trust what we're are told is true like we trust the auto-maker when he says our car will carry us safely along the way. Modern man has the same faith in God (or “not-god”) that he has in his computer; he really has no idea how it works but as long is it does what he needs it to he does not care. Sadly this behavior which is beyond foolish and obviously dangerous has bled into the church. Many of us no longer care to learn the truths of God and to really understand what we believe. This results in pastors and people like that man, who find themselves a system that works for them, rejecting a God that they don't really know in the first place.

     Christianity is all about Jesus, there is nothing apart from Him. If we divorce ourselves from this central truth than we will find ourselves with no solid ground beneath our feet. This foundation cannot be destroyed if our castles are to stand. I pray for those who have turned away from the God they never looked at, who believe in essentially nothing. I pray for them and I thank God for the firm foundation upon which I stand. He has revealed Himself to us but we will never know how the story goes if we never read the book. Belief is essential, but what we believe in matters all the more.

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”

(John 15:4-6)

Gospel Truth

**Announcing my new YouTube Channel!**

- Ex-Positional -

*It's still very new and not on a set schedule yet but please take a look!**

     How 'good' are you? Most people will respond by stating that they find themselves to be pretty alright. It's natural to like yourself after all, and most of us like to think that we're at least mostly okay. When you think about it, can our goodness be measured anyway? Isn't everything just cultural and societal distinctions developed over many years? Aren't we all just products of our environments with our own particular moralities? That is the commonly held belief, that there is no absolute good or bad and it is essential to modern man's mental health. Without this notion that we are free to define our own morality, we would be forced to face the truth that lies in the shadow of our philosophy: we are anything but good.

     In order for anything to be truly good or evil they have to objectively good or evil. This means that they have to be good or evil regardless of anyone's belief; the good is good even if everyone on earth thought that good was bad and vice verse. Now, modern societies usually claim that there are no absolutes and that everything is perspective. The problem with this is of course its patent absurdity. There are certain truths that just are: a normal human can't stop a bus without harm or jump off a tall building and survive, humans need air to breathe, and light makes things brighter. Even beyond that there is the fundamental reality that every normal person recognizes the evil of certain things. You'll find very few people that think it's okay to kill a child or to rape someone. Some may even try and claim that don't believe these things to be objectively wrong but they can't explain away their visceral gut reaction.

     The Bible tells us that God made the rules for reality and these rules were not made out of nothing but that they extend from the very attributes of God. Killing is wrong because only God has authority over life and death and He has declared the worth of man - creating him in His own image; rape is wrong for similar reasons and because it perverts the gift that is the sexual relationship between husband and wife, to lie is evil because God is truth, and so on. Because God is over and above all of creation, His rules are beyond any of us and we are all beholden to them. They are objective. So take a look at yourself in light of this information.

Do you think yourself good?

Have you ever lied, even once? - Well that makes you a liar.

Have you ever lusted after another? - That makes you an adulterer in your heart according to Jesus.

Have you ever stolen anything? - That means your a thief.

Do we need to go on?

     God is utterly perfect and the only way to be worthy of eternity and heaven is to be perfect as well. It takes only a moments perfunctory glance at ourselves to see how unworthy we are. A single stain on a white cloth is all it takes to ruin it. One lie, one moment of lust, one stolen candy bar, and that's it. What is worse is that we are not only condemned by ourselves but by our nature. When Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden he became tainted by that evil. Since that time that taint has been passed down the line of humanity into all of us. We're evil from birth and our actions play that out.

     God however, had a plan. He knew this would all happen, knew that we would need salvation. God is just though and could never simply pardon evil, it has to be dealt with. In His love He planned for a way He could deal with our sin and evil justly and yet save souls from an eternity of damnation. We needed a sacrifice, someone who could die in our place and who could bear the weight of our sin on our behalf. The main problem though is that no one would be worthy. Every human carries their own sin and thus their death would never be sufficient would never even be enough to pay for their own sins let alone a billion others. So God sent His Son.

     Jesus came down to earth and took on a human nature. God became man so that man would have the sacrifice we needed to be saved. Being God He lacked the sin nature we all carry and He lived a perfect life without sin so that His sacrifice would be sufficient for the cost. When He died on the cross God the Father poured out His wrath against sin, all of His anger against evil, onto Jesus. Three days later Jesus rose from the grave and won victory over death and sin and evil. He died for us so that He could lay His death, the death of an infinity valuable person, onto the accounts of all who believe in Him. God could now give us the righteousness of Christ in exchange for our sin and pardon us from our just due without violating his justice.

     That's what it took to save us. A good man/a perfect God had to die. He left heaven and the presence of God the Father to live on this dusty sinful ball and to die a cruel horrible death, for you. For you and for me and for everyone who will but call upon His name. The reality of our sin is laid our before us, you know your own faults. Take that knowledge and go to God, admit what you know and ask for His forgiveness. Because of Jesus God can forgive your sins and give you a new heart that loves what is good and yearns for righteousness. You can be free from the shadows and the lies of this world, free to a future without sadness or sorrow or death. What will you do?

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

(John 3:16-17)

“For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."

(Romans 10:12-13)

Strength for the Day

     I don't know about you but I'm caught between the idea that I should be using my time for something constructive and the unavoidable truth that I'm not using my time for anything particularly useful. I don't have a fantastic job, heck I don't even have a single full time job, so there's enormous pressure to change that. Then beyond the pure pragmatism of simply getting a “better” job there's the haunting shadow of the ideal. The ghost of that dream that may never exist in your future that still manages to haunt you here in the present. Mix all this together with the modern idea of “success,” a good dose of classic male ego, and all the struggles that go along with the life of a Christian man and it can be pretty crushing and just flat out exhausting.

     I struggle with this. I struggle with this a lot. I mean -a lot- a lot. Sometimes it feels like if I'm not spending every free moment I have to make myself better for my family, or to do something for God's Kingdom, or actually writing that book I talk about, or ...whatever, than I'm just being selfish and lazy and ultimately failing at this life. I can't tell you how tired I am sometimes...

     These times, when I'm just so tired; these times when I don't want to go to work tomorrow because I feel like running away from it all and be free; these times are when I remember that my strength may not be sufficient but God's is. It is in these times that I am reminded that when He says that He strengthens us He doesn't just mean for the big task at hand. God gives us the strength to take that first breath in the morning, to get out of bed, to keep going one step at a time. It is in these times that I remember that I desperately need Him if I'm going to even try to live today.

     This man, this flesh and blood that the world sees is so very far past useless. I wonder how many of us realize this? I wonder if I really understand it. As Paul Washer likes to say, “There are no great men of God. There are only small, weak, sinful men of a Great and Holy God.” Time and time again I am confronted with the reality that I just...can't. Can't what? Anything, everything, I just can't. But I do. I get up every day for His compassion is renewed every morning. I don't need persecution or turmoil to break me, life is enough. I don't need tragedy to show me my need for God when I have the mirror staring at me every day!

     A piece of treated canvas can keep you dry, can keep you warm, can provide a place of safety in the storm. That canvas can do a lot but without a few tent-poles to hold it up and keep it in shape you'll find it is far less useful. I don't know if I have answers to my own inner problems, only that I need to pray. I need to read the Word, I need to seek God in the small things as well as in the big things. We were never promised that this life would be easy or that we would understand it. It's not, but I live for the day when it is. Someday the veil that separates us will be more than torn it will be cast aside and God will walk with men again! In that day all of my small struggles and all the tears of my brothers and sisters who have faced so much more will be gone! There will be peace, finally, peace.

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”

(Revelation 22:21)

Love You Still

     We know that we need to love God. We know that He is worthy of our praise. I can't help but wonder however, if we base our love for Him too heavily on what He has done for us and not as much on who He is? It's natural to focus on that aspect of our relationship, it's easier to praise someone for the things they have done than it is to praise their attributes. Also, I think we find it more personal somehow to look to what He has done in our lives specifically. God is more than what He does and has importance greater than the providence in our lives.

     I feel a little weird talking about this because, well, because the two sides of this particular coin are admittedly close. What God does is intrinsically tied to who He is and I would say that it is impossible to completely divorce the two. I also would not say that we should not praise and thank Him for His gifts and works; I just think we should be careful not to base our praise exclusively on the fact that He does nice things for us. We may be grateful for our ability to sing but God was artistic long before our voices were heard, we may be grateful for our lives but God was living long before us and is far more alive than we ever will be, and we may be grateful for our family but God has existed in perfect relationship for eternity.

     In the Psalms we see a blending of praise for God's works and for His holy name. David penned songs that thanked God for the many things He had done in his life and for the wonder and majesty of who God is. This combination of perspectives is important. If we focus solely on either one we will end up with a skewed view of God and our relationship with Him. Solely thanking God for what He does for us can lead to a Santa Clause view of God and leave us expecting more and more gifts and make us upset when things don't go the way we want. If we only praise Him for His attributes we may come to think of Him as disconnected and too far away from us to really matter. A proper blending of both reminds us that He is great and mighty and we are small and dependent but also keeps us aware of His work in our lives and His love for us.

“This feeble faith of mine, wants nothing more than this;

to love You, apart from what You give. So take from me

the things You give if purposed in Your will, and I will love you still.”

-”Love You Still," The Tree

©2008 Julianna Zobrist

Nothing So Bad

     You find yourself once again in the shadows; at the bottom of a hole without even moonlight to brighten your vision. Maybe you've been traveling along just fine for quite a ways (for once) or maybe you just got out of another hole or maybe you're in the same hole you've always been in, doesn't really matter. We've all been there and it is probably one of the biggest barriers to salvation for a lot of people: how could God possibly forgive me?

     With true repentance comes a far better if not perfect understanding of the reality of our sin. We come to see to a much greater degree just how messed up we really are and how far God will have to bring us if we are to make it to perfection. This is a key part of salvation but many people get stuck here before they even accept God's grace. The shadows seem so dark and the hole they inhabit so deep that they can't imagine a light bright enough or a ladder long enough to escape. So they turn God away at the gate, refusing to believe that He can or will save them. I do think that a part of this is actually pride masquerading as humility, after all humans are not victims and we are not lost innocents who can't find the way despite a desire to do so. We will use even the knowledge of our sinfulness to reject God and continue living in a way that is comfortable and if we really admitted it, we like. However, there are folks that just simply can't imagine that a perfect God would give so much for them.

     Now this may seem an odd way to comfort those people, or it may seem like a totally non-helpful way to explain this but never the less it is a part of the truth: God didn't die for you. Not entirely, anyway. Yes, God gave His Son and died for sinners because He really does love us but if we stop there than we are left wondering why. We don't really have an answer as to why God would do such a thing because we don't have an answer to the follow up. Why does God love us? Many of us, even as Christians, get caught in a never ending spiral of confusion asking what it was that God saw in us that prompted our particular salvation. This is yet another instance where proper theology is vitally important to our faith and our day to day lives.

     The key here is to remember that everything that God does, from the big to the small, is for His glory. Now if we saw this in a human we would call it narcissism or egotism or something worse but with God it is simply proper behavior as He is worthy of all glory and honor and praise. As the one true God and King of all there is no amount of praise that is too much, no glory given that is over the top or inflated. He is due all the love and adoration that can be given and so much more, not just for what He has done but for who He is!

     This is comfort because it brings us to this simple fact: God did not save you because of anything He saw in you or in what you would become. That means that there was nothing of -you- that caused, brought about, influenced, or affected your salvation. Which further means that there is no amount of sin, no heinousness of deed, no depth of depravity that can make you any less fitting for heaven. God saves the horrible not because He lacks justice or because He saw “the good” in them but because the more unlikely the convert the more glorious the savior. If a “righteous” man turns to God how surprising is it? When the the “good” live by grace are we astonished? How about the murderer? How great is the glory to God when one who is so utterly removed from Him is turned back to their Master?

     So don't listen to the lie that you are too far gone to be saved. Whether it be the malicious misdirection of masked pride or the genuine confusion as to why God would want you, the lie is the same. God seeks the salvation of sinners and if you are more reprobate than your fellow man than your salvation will be all the greater and more telling of the awesomeness of God. There is no debt of sin and no cost of humanity that can be equal to the worth of the blood of Jesus. He has paid our price from an account that cannot run dry and cannot even be diminished. If you do not know Him, know this, He is there for you so turn. Turn away from your life and run to His death and you will find that true life is there under the cross of Christ. If you do know Him than remember when you fall that He knew you would and saved you anyway, that you cannot mount up a debt greater than what has been credited to your account. The glory of God is raised up by the hands of horrible people made new.

To Want to Want What You Ought to Want to Want

     We know that as Christians, there is a lot that is required of us. We know that we are to love God, love others, give generously, be caring, be kind, and on and on and on. There is a long and beautiful list of character traits and behavioral markers that are supposed to accompany the Christian life. Maybe you know one of those great older men and women of God, the ones who you see in church every Sunday and who just seem to ooze godliness? How do those people get that way? Were they just born perfect? Obviously not. We know that no human has ever been born perfect (aside from Christ) but it can be hard to imagine one of these older saints as ever having been like, well, the rest of us.

     I know in my own life I'm burdened by a few things that are hard for me to get past. I did not have many friends growing up and some of the few that I had left me in rather unkind ways. I've developed a very insular personality that tends to exclude others and not rely on people. This extends to the level of not caring much for other people and finding it difficult to care much at all for people who aren't in my immediate circles. I'm sure many of you have similar issues. Maybe you have a rough manner of speech or are overly cynical or perhaps you're naturally lazy; all of these and more are things that we know we should work on, but how do we do that?

     Let's go even farther. We are commanded to love God and love others, right? How does that work? Does God expect us to just summon up some lovin' and spread it around? I've known people who have a hard time loving their family members let alone total strangers! And loving God? Now that's a hard concept! I mean sure, it's easy to be grateful to God or even to fear God, but how do you 'love' someone who is so different than you and is in fact the all powerful creator and sustainer of all existence?

     The answer lies in understanding that God is not just the prescriber of our laws but their fulfillment as well. He not only gives us commands but empowers us to obey those commands. If we know that we are not naturally loving or careful or kind, then we have to ask God for that change. You will find -I promise- that as you pray and seek God in His word and ask for His help, you will notice change in your life! Oddly enough the same goes for loving God. The Bible tells us that we are all naturally “God-haters”, lovers of self, and rebellious. If we want to truly love God and others, we need to ask God for that love that we can then give away. It may seem weird or even insulting to ask God for help in loving Him but how else do we get anything that we need if not by His providence? God wants us to ask for His help in the things He has commanded us to do; He loves to show us that He is who He says He is!

     We can get pretty upset when we don't measure up to the Bible (which, may I remind you, is always.) It can seem self defeating and hopeless, an impossible pursuit. As long as we live it will be difficult and I will be the first to say that there will be hard times, but how could we expect to fulfill His commands on our own when we can't even breathe without God's intervention? Go to God in prayer and ask for Him to give you love for Himself. Ask for a love for others or for a cleaner mouth or a softer heart or a more dedicated spirit. Ask Him for the things that you need for you will find them no where else.

“And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.”

(1 John 3:22-23)

Strength for the Moment

     Your average human is not particularly powerful. Oh sure, some of us are stronger than others, and still others are stronger still. We have body builders and weight lifters with rippling muscles and taught skin. Ultimately though, that strength is lacking. We all grow old and frail or come upon a task that is just too much for our limited muscles. And what about strength beyond the physical? How do we deal with pain, overcome hardship, or endure struggle? How do you measure that strength or how do you increase it? How do you work out a muscle that does not exist?

     The Christian understands that our true strength is not of ourselves. We can go only so far and so long on our own steam and that power we do have is pretty limited. However, we are not alone. God promises to provide us the strength to carry on, to continue, to conquer. It is in Him that we find true strength and the power to persevere. Though we are called to be meek we are not called to be weak. Meekness is strength under control, power properly guided. This world and all of its issues haven't got a thing that can threaten us as we lie in the hands of God. We needn't be afraid.

“For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.”

(2 Timothy 1:7-8)

     Whatever we do over the course of our lives, God is right there with us. Now if we are doing wrong that should frighten you since your actions sure aren't hidden. If your life is guided by His will however, His presence with you is a source of confidence! Our decisions can be made boldly when we understand that God is there in the details. God's plan for our lives is all inclusive and totally encompassing but it is also not for us to know. He has told us what He wants in His word, namely to love Him with all that we have. Every other choice is up to us to make and weigh against scripture. And I know that He does know those choices and has already incorporated them into the grand design but I'm talking about things from our perspective. So don't fear! Pray, read, consult those close to you and then take that first step!

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

(Philippians 4:13)

     Furthermore, our enemies may be powerful but only when compared to ourselves. When measured against the might of God all their vaunted power is nothing at all. The world, the flesh, and the devil; these things need not be a source of worry or of fear. God fights for you! Really I suppose a more accurate way to understand it is that all sources of evil and pain our on a leash, going no further than their line allows. Look at ancient Israel, when they stood with God and obeyed they were unstoppable. Their comparably tiny army of normal men destroyed the military might of vastly superior forces. The size of the army and the skill of the warrior means little when backed by the power of God.

“Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace.”

(Ephesians 6:10-15)

“...God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress. Thus we do not fear, though earth be shaken and mountains quake to the depths of the sea, Though its waters rage and foam and mountains totter at its surging. The LORD of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob..”

(Psalms 46:1-3)

     Finally we know that God is with us in our tomorrows. Despite all the reassurance, despite all the calming truth, life can get really hard. We do have to encounter sorrow, deal with pain, battle adversity, and resist death. These are real issues and real problems that we face every day. God isn't leaving us here though, not alone, and not forever. The church has a hope that no one else can claim, a future free of despair. After the long years of our lives are spent we will find the gates to heaven open and eternity waiting for us full of joy and peace. We can make through today because tomorrow will come, a new day will dawn, and the Son has already risen.

“On you I depend since birth; from my mother's womb you are my strength; my hope in you never wavers.”

(Psalms 71:6)

All Things New

'Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new...”'

(Revelation 21:5)

     Hello again! Happy new year to you all and I hope it was a blessed time of celebration for everyone. Coming into 2015 got me to think about the new year and newness in general. We serve a God who is not only the eternal unchanging God but one who delights in the “new.” From His perspective of course nothing is 'new' but we really mean new from our perspective. He will not leave things as they are but will, in His time, remake them so they shine anew.

     The world is old, very old, not nearly as old as some people think but compared to the average human lifespan it's darn old! The earth was formed many years ago and like your dad's old Buick, time has not been kind to it. Everything we see is in a gradual state of decline and breakdown that if given enough time would lead to nothing more than a cloud of disparate particles floating through space. The curse of sin has brought death to more than man. God however, sees a work unfinished, a canvas with only a few rough sketches and brushstrokes just waiting to be completed.

“For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.”

(Romans 8:20-22)

At the end of days when the sons of God are glorified we won't be living on this same old dusty ball. The whole of reality will be renewed right along with us into a glorious new future that we can't even imagine! How lovely is nature now while burdened by sin, how beautiful will it be when freed from those bonds and renewed by the master artist of creation?

“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

(Revelation 21:1-2)

     We as well will find ourselves remade in God's final design; still ourselves and still human but glorified into a form that will last for eternity. The life of a Christian now is a struggle, a battle against the ongoing sin the beguiles and attacks us. We are freed from sin's price and it's power but in those moment we will be freed from it's presence as well! The church will never sin again and never fail their King, from that moment to eternity the relationship between God and man will never be hindered again.

“So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.”

(2 Corinthians 5:17)

“For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified.”

(Romans 8:29-30)

     All of this newness is yet to come but now, at this very time, we have access to another new thing, the new covenant between God and man. The covenants of the Old Testament were primarily between God and the nation of Israel. The prescribed how man could be obedient to God and thus demonstrate their faith. Unfortunately they did nothing for the state of man's soul. That all changed when Christ came to earth. He first showed us how the old law was meant to show us our need for God. The rules seen as impossible to follow really were impossible and that was the point! We could never measure up to the perfection of God and are thus in desperate need of Him and of the grace and mercy only He can give. When Christ died on our behalf and rose again a new covenant was made; Christ had paid a price so much greater than the cost of our sins that His one sacrifice was enough for all time!

“When he speaks of a 'new' covenant, he declares the first one obsolete. And what has become obsolete and has grown old is close to disappearing.”

(Hebrews 8:13)

“For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of a heifer's ashes can sanctify those who are defiled so that their flesh is cleansed, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living God. For this reason he is mediator of a new covenant: since a death has taken place for deliverance from transgressions under the first covenant, those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance”

(Hebrews 9:13-15)

“Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that of ourselves we are qualified to take credit for anything as coming from us; rather, our qualification comes from God, who has indeed qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter brings death, but the Spirit gives life.”

(2 Corinthians 3:4-6)

     We look forward to a day when all thins are new, when the sins of old and the crimes of the past are no longer even a distant memory. We eagerly await that coming dawn when the glory of God lights our day and we need never fear the darkness. God is from forever and will never change nor come to His end but still He brings the joy of newness into the lives of His creations. How I long for the time when the new sun rises and we find ourselves in the never ending peace and joy of a glorious new day.

Meaning

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all enjoy your time this year, I'll be taking a short vacation and returning after the new year on January 5^th! Thanks for reading and I'll see you next year!

     Where are you this Christmas? More to the point, where is your heart? Are you caught up in the celebrations? Do the silver bells chime in your mind as you drive to the store to get those last few gifts? Do carols ring as you trim your tree? In all your rush and busy, do take the time to remember why we do all of this? Debates over the origins of the day itself, this holiday is here to commemorate the second biggest event in earth's history; when God himself stooped to our level and came to us.

     Think about that for a moment. The God of all existence, who is far beyond anything we can truly comprehend, who is rightful ruler and master of all creation, who had sat in glory from eternity past, who is endlessly praised by uncounted angels, became a baby boy. He who had sat on the throne of heaven now lay nestled in a simple manger. He who was needed no other now depended on a peasant girl and a carpenter. The God who provides breath and life to every living creature now would need bread from the hand of man. He left all that He had and became one of us: a small, cold, helpless infant. Why?

     Why would He put aside all that He had, all that He deserved, and come here as He did? Because He chose to, because we needed Him to. God is infinite, holy, and righteous. We are finite, simple, and sinful. Every day we choose our doom by rejecting God and making our own path. We are -not- morally neutral, we are naturally God haters and sinners. Can you go one day without lying? One day without stretching the truth? One day without being selfish? One day without being perfectly loving? Caring? Honest? One hour? One minute? The world wants to say that we're all ok. The world will tell you that at least you're better than that guy over there. Hey, you're no Hitler right? But you are. We are all capable of anything given the right “reason.” God was fully within His right to simply scrap us and start over (or not for that matter), but He didn't. He spared us, because He loves us.

     God however, is not only love. God is love but He is so much more! He is also just and because of His justice, He couldn't simply sweep our transgressions under the rug of eternity. Someone had to pay the price of sin and the price of sin is death. We can't pay that price, when we die that's it, end of the road. So in order to fulfill His love -and- His justice, God needed a sacrifice for our sins. Unfortunately there is nothing that exists in creation that has such worth as to be an even trade for the punishment that is our due. The only thing with any real worth after all, is God Himself. So God's son, the second part of the trinity, that divine personality that we also know as the Word of God, that One who formed the world itself, shed His robes of glory and put on humility. For us.

     Only God could pay the price that He himself demanded for our sin. Only God has the power to be born of a virgin and thus apart from the nature of sin that now condemns us. Only God has the power to live a sinless life and fulfill the law, and thus able to provide His people with the same. Only God has the worth to cover the cost of our iniquity, and only God could raise from the dead and defeat the grave. The story of Christmas is a fantastic story but it is only the first chapter. Never forget that the little baby in the stable was already on the road to the cross. Remember to celebrate not just -that- Jesus came but why! That little newborn baby was as newborn lamb and His time on this earth the period of examination that marked Him a worthy sacrifice.

     I love Christmas, but the story of Christ's coming to earth means little apart from the story of how He left and how He lived. I thank the Lord for coming here but I thank Him forever for coming here as a lamb to be slaughtered. I am thankful that the blood of Jesus cleanses me from my sin and that the snow on the ground this holiday season is nowhere near as white and pure as the new garment of righteousness that Christ has laid upon my back. Praise God for what He as done for His creation, for His love and His sacrifice. Never forget that the love we feel at Christmas is God's love, and the joy we feel is because the coming of Christ is the coming of a savior.

Love, Because, Despite

When once we walked a weary road

Through hardship and through winter cold

When once the darkest night was set

and naught a single need was met.

Though we had journeyed long and struggled far

And still no closer to the nearest star

Though we had given all, offered all we had

We still found life was lonely, sad.

Despite our lengthy list of crimes,

impotent to pay the fines.

Despite the guilt we have had since birth,

He saw in us, essential worth.

Because of who He claims to be,

The God of all whose love is free.

Because He is the Way, the One,

Made a way for sin to be undone.

This God who rules the heavenly host,

Who built the world from peak to coast.

This God who knows the deepest sea,

Has love for even you and me.

Because our sin was vast and deep,

A bitter harvest we would reap.

Because of what we all had done,

We earned the wrath of the Holy One.

Despite how we deserved to die,

He sent us One to crucify.

Despite His unknowable and infinite worth,

God's Son came down to lowly earth.

Though He was here and perfect still,

We missed the point and chose to kill.

Though we threw away the perfect man,

We acted out God's perfect plan.

When nothing seemed to be at peace,

And darkness reined from west to east.

When sin would burn the whole of earth,

God saved us through a baby's birth.

by. Jonathan E. Schaefer

Prayer and the Power to Change

     Whether it's a physical issue, a personality quirk or a continuing sin, everyone has something they don't like about themselves. It can be hard to see a way around these issues, and even more difficult planning our route past them. Sometimes it feels like we're lost on the sea with no direction. How can we become more than what we are? How can we remove or fix something that is an inherent part of ourselves? To be honest we can't, not alone. Humans are fluid, we have the ability to make small changes in the pattern of our behavior, to build new habits and ways of living, but we lack the ability to truly change in a way that matters eternally.

     It surprises me how little we tend to equate personal change with salvation. The most significant change in our lives is that of sinner to son, from enemy of God to friend. Why so many of us (myself included sometimes) simply don't think of going to God for help with other changes is astounding. If nothing else the process of our perfection (known as progressive sanctification) is something we need God to be involved in, actually sorry that's backwards. We need to pray, asking God to make sure WE'RE involved in the process since it is His effort that changes us. We all enter the family of God at different times and in different states. The rest of our time on earth is primarily spent transforming us into the image of Christ. Some of us have longer journeys some of us shorter, some of us easier, some of us harder, but everyone is on that journey and no one is perfect until after we die or Jesus returns in His glory. If you're frustrated by sin and you're not seeking God then that's why you can't defeat it. If you are seeking God and you still feel like you're struggling then keep it up, remember that this is war and sometimes they last a long time; the enemy will not go down easily.

     Moving past sin and the real obvious things. What about things that aren't necessarily sinful but perhaps you just don't like about yourself? God is there as well. When we pray, we are speaking directly to God Himself. God who loves to give gifts to His children and desires for us to be happy (remember though that happiness comes after holiness and they are connected, but that's another post). I for example, know that I can talk to much and be loud and even come across as spastic and immature at times. I really hate that about myself on the occasions when it happens but unfortunately I don't realize how I've been until hours later. I've prayed about it before and I do feel that I'm a more measured person now (somewhat). I know that I have greater peace and I don't worry about things as much as I used to when I was younger. If you don't like your body, prayer can give you the wherewithal to stick to your diet or exercise.  Prayer can inspire you to change habits and even comfort you if you need to leave friends. The point is that God is with us as a father, not only as Lord. You don't have to worry about bothering Him with little things because He is far more aware than we are of the fact that we can't even exist without Him.

     Prayer connects us to God and strengthens our relationship. It is the binding coord that draws us closer and closer each day. How strong would your marriage be if you never spoke to your spouse? How close would your friendships be if you never shared your day? We get our strength for life from our time spent with God. We simply cannot alter our reality without help from the creator of all reality.

Another Side of Omnipresence

     Humans have complex personalities; we're a walking talking mixture of thoughts, experiences, ideals, emotions and more. We're such a mixed up jumble of stuff that we're not even sure what exactly makes up our person-hood. Even more frustrating is that our emotions and ideas seem to activate and influence us beyond any kind of conscious control. We can be happy one minute and angry the next, crying now and laughing later. Consistently fickle and always changing we are a difficult thing to understand and an even harder thing to know. Thankfully God is not like us and although we cannot hope to fully understand Him, there are things we can know about Him.

     Today's focus is on the omnipresence of God. Now that's a big fancy 'impress your friends' word that means that God is everywhere. I'm sure you've heard this before but when we say that God is everywhere we really mean everywhere! He's with you at all times, whether you want Him there or not. He see's everything and hears everything that goes on at all times and in all places both on earth and beyond. When I was a child I used to imagine a million 'Jesus's standing in every possible position in a room, which is true to the point but not really accurate of course! The really interesting part is that God exists in all locations but takes up no space (being spirit). The general idea of omnipresence is a bit of a mind-blow but today were focusing on a something a bit more specific, namely that all of God is everywhere that God is.

     You may be wondering what I meant by that last sentence. Well, let's look at it this way: a human can be only partially 'present' in a given situation if the conditions are right. If I'm sad enough, my strength or my joy may not be represented; if I'm angry enough, my love or my compassion may not be seen in my actions. If one emotion or thought is given enough heed the rest of me may be absent from my actions. A man who murders someone in a fit of rage is a good example as his mercy, restraint, and rational thought are suspended from any level of active participation in His choices at that time. Even in the best of times we tend to give certain parts of ourselves greater weight than at other times. Some of us might be more emotive than logical or vice versa in our day to day decision making

     God is different. One of the facets of His omnipresence is the fact that wherever He is (which again, is everywhere) all of Him is present. God is never so angry that He is not also loving, nor is He so loving that He is not just. God's actions are always a perfect expression of Himself and they are always the correct choice in any situation. Now we may never really understand how this works exactly but it's a simple fact that God never loses control, never loses focus, never misses any details, and is always in perfect control of Himself (not to mention everything else).

     So what does this mean? Well to me it's a great comfort to know that even if my actions make God displeased with me I know that His anger will never override His judgment or His love or His mercy. I know that His love for mankind will never override His justice or his righteousness and so those who are deserving of punishment (who do not turn to Him in repentance) will receive the due of their actions. We do not serve a God who is capricious, like the Olympian 'gods' of old, but one who is reliable and worthy of trust.

Unstoppable

     Death is our ultimate enemy, or so it seems. We fear death more than anything else and try our very best not to talk about or dwell on it. Ultimately we will all feel its sting and there really isn't anything we can do about it. That being said should we really be afraid of it?

     To many death is the monster in the closet, the bogey-man who is just waiting to jump out and get you. We fear death like we fear so many things, because it's unknown. We don't know the day or the hour of our death and that is in and of itself terrifying. This fear and this worry tends to grow as we grow old. The young man thinks little of his eventual demise and the child doesn't think of it at all. However, we all have a moment, an instant when we first realize, when we really 'know', that we are going to die someday. Our life which up until that moment seemed like it would simply continue on forever, will cease. Understandably, we don't like that.

     Here's the twist though, in every way and in every place God remains in control. He orders the stars and he regulates the beat of our heart, moves the clouds and moves our souls, keeps our planet spinning and our lungs breathing, everything that is only is because He makes it so. Understand me, I don't mean to say that only what God allows to happen happens, I'm telling you that God orders the happening of all things. Every single tiny detail of existence is part of God's plan. If He were to let go for even an instant, we wouldn't see the destruction of the universe, we would experience it instantly disappear from reality. Now there are a lot of extremely specific and nit-picky things to say about God and His sovereignty and how it meshes with our choices etc. but for now focus on what this means in regards to death.

     Death is a punishment yes, physically the most serious result of sin. That doesn't mean however, that it lies outside of God's control. You die, I die, everyone dies when and where and how God has ordained. Not one instant sooner. You cannot speed the process along nor slow it down nor can anything interfere. Until that day, you're unstoppable. Knowing this puts death in perspective right? What's more frightening: death, or what comes after?

"And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

(Matthew 10:28)

     So don't be afraid Christian, to preach in the open air or to go to some distant land for Him. Nowhere is dangerous for you until He makes it dangerous. Know that you're death is part of the plan and it will happen at the best possible time, at the right time. We may not know why that moment was the right one, but we can trust His decisions. Ultimately, for the Christian, death is no fear anyway. We may not care to think of the moment of transition, but in that instant we will be in glory, never to fear again.

“So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

(1 Corinthians 15:54-57)

In Every Way

     I think we can say at this point that the Christmas “season” has officially started, we're past Thanksgiving and December is here. Many of us have started decorating and others have long since finished. I'm happy because unlike some previous years I feel like I am actually able to enjoy it all this time. I sometimes feel like its an unfortunate bi-product of adulthood that much of the magic of the holidays is swallowed up in work and life and errands and preparation.

     Part of my issue with previous years is the fact that one of my jobs is in retail. Anyone who works in that environment can tell you that it is difficult to maintain the “Christmas spirit” when the season is two months longer than it is for everyone else. When decorations and products hit the shelves in October it tends to kill some of the magic. If nothing else simply being around it all for so long tends to make it lose its charm by the time Christmas actually arrives. Not to mention having to listen to the same several songs over and over and over and over and over until you're willing to listen to anything -anything- else can be frustrating to say the least.

     This was, as I said, a major issue for me in past years. I simply found it quite difficult to keep any sort of enjoyment or excitement going for so long a period or even at all. Compound that issue with the fact that the songs I heard at work were usually the worst possible Christmas songs they could have found (don't even get me started on “Santa Baby”.) What really grated my nerves though was very same thing that irritates me every Easter; namely the preponderance of movies, songs, and TV shows “celebrating” Christmas, that are produced by people who obviously don't believe the Bible. I used to grumble at these people and wonder how could they possible sing or act about a topic that they don't hold to be true. How could they support something they don't believe in? In addition there is the whole problem of Christmas's real meaning not being supported much by society in general. This all weighed on me every year until a passage of scripture came to my mind while I was grumbling:

“Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from good will: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.”

(Philippians 1:15-18)

     I realized than that it doesn't matter that these people may or may not believe. It doesn't matter that so many people mangle or ignore the whole reason for the season. It doesn't matter that a fictitious fat man in red has taken the place of a baby in a manger in the minds of many. The story of God's Son coming to earth is out there! A crucial point in God's redemptive plan is freely available everywhere for everyone to see for months every year, and even the fictions that swamp us give those of us who believe an opportunity to spread the Word. What used to be an annoyance has become a source of joy! Paul was telling us that it does not ultimately matter how God's Word get's told so long as it does get told. So I'll sing along to the Christmas songs (not all of them, again, do not bring up “Santa Baby”...or “Last Christmas” for that matter) and I'll help with the decorations, because I'll also tell people about the miracle of deity wrapped in humanity and the story of the Savior.

Merry Christmas!

In Every Way

     I think we can say at this point that the Christmas “season” has officially started, we're past Thanksgiving and December is here. Many of us have started decorating and others have long since finished. I'm happy because unlike some previous years I feel like I am actually able to enjoy it all this time. I sometimes feel like its an unfortunate bi-product of adulthood that much of the magic of the holidays is swallowed up in work and life and errands and preparation.

     Part of my issue with previous years is the fact that one of my jobs is in retail. Anyone who works in that environment can tell you that it is difficult to maintain the “Christmas spirit” when the season is two months longer than it is for everyone else. When decorations and products hit the shelves in October it tends to kill some of the magic. If nothing else simply being around it all for so long tends to make it lose its charm by the time Christmas actually arrives. Not to mention having to listen to the same several songs over and over and over and over and over until you're willing to listen to anything -anything- else can be frustrating to say the least.

     This was, as I said, a major issue for me in past years. I simply found it quite difficult to keep any sort of enjoyment or excitement going for so long a period or even at all. Compound that issue with the fact that the songs I heard at work were usually the worst possible Christmas songs they could have found (don't even get me started on “Santa Baby”.) What really grated my nerves though was very same thing that irritates me every Easter; namely the preponderance of movies, songs, and TV shows “celebrating” Christmas, that are produced by people who obviously don't believe the Bible. I used to grumble at these people and wonder how could they possible sing or act about a topic that they don't hold to be true. How could they support something they don't believe in? In addition there is the whole problem of Christmas's real meaning not being supported much by society in general. This all weighed on me every year until a passage of scripture came to my mind while I was grumbling:

“Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from good will: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.”

(Philippians 1:15-18)

     I realized than that it doesn't matter that these people may or may not believe. It doesn't matter that so many people mangle or ignore the whole reason for the season. It doesn't matter that a fictitious fat man in red has taken the place of a baby in a manger in the minds of many. The story of God's Son coming to earth is out there! A crucial point in God's redemptive plan is freely available everywhere for everyone to see for months every year, and even the fictions that swamp us give those of us who believe an opportunity to spread the Word. What used to be an annoyance has become a source of joy! Paul was telling us that it does not ultimately matter how God's Word get's told so long as it does get told. So I'll sing along to the Christmas songs (not all of them, again, do not bring up “Santa Baby”...or “Last Christmas” for that matter) and I'll help with the decorations, because I'll also tell people about the miracle of deity wrapped in humanity and the story of the Savior.

Merry Christmas!

What It Comes To.

It comes down to a choice,

We make each waking moment.

It comes down to the point,

When we have to stake our fate.

It comes down to an instant,

When we're out of time to stall.

It comes down to a decision,

When we can no longer wait.

Our lives are so chaotic,

So little still makes sense.

Our lives seem dull and hopeless,

Is there a point, is there a way?

Our lives are bent and broken,

And soon to fall apart.

Our lives have lost direction,

Does the wind blow where it may?

We're not trapped in the unknowable,

Nor lost amid the fog.

We may be unforgivable,

But still He came to came to save us all.

We are so undeserving.

We are so lost on our own.

He may be God the righteous,

But He'll still lift you when you fall.

This life seems often pointless,

We cannot keep from sin.

This life often confront us,

With anger, sorrow, pain.

This life will leave you empty,

If you try it on your own.

But there is more to live for,

Beyond the desert there is rain.

It comes down to a Person,

Who makes everything new.

It comes down to a little risk,

Living life out on a limb.

It comes down to a true love,

Life once given, grace received.

It comes down to more than human,

It all comes down to Him.

by. Jonathan Schaefer

11/24/14

**Hope you liked today's poem, tried out an experimental rhyme scheme.  Let me know what you think!  Also I'll be taking the rest of the week off for Thanksgiving, so my last post will be on Wednesday this week.  Thanks for reading!

Lower Case g

     How do you see God? To put it another way: how do you perceive God, or what do you think about when you think of God? What would you say is the nature of your relationship with Him? Interesting questions wouldn't you say? The answers to these questions are important, as it is the perceived nature of our relationship with God and how we view Him that influences our behavior in regard to Him.

     To many, God is a mystery; an unknowable and unsearchable force or being that floats about the universe just out of reach. To these people, knowing God in any real way is an impossibility. God may have made the world but certainly doesn't interact with it much, or when he does it happens on some incomprehensible whim. This god is impersonal, indescribable, and pointless. Truthfully, a god who stays apart from reality in virtually every way may as well not exist. This, I think, is the point. Many of the people who hold to this belief would rather god not exist at all but they cannot deny that voice inside that tells them otherwise. Some others want a sense of something more than what we see but don't want the accountability of a knowable, relational god. Sadly something that is merely spiritual but not coherent doesn't do them any good, nothing more than a painkiller for a gaping wound.

     Others see god as a sort of cosmic Santa Claus, there to provide for their needs and desires while comforting their hearts in troubled times. To these, our relationship with god is based most commonly on rules and rituals; if I do this than god will or must do that. This is god chained and tamed, more our servant than the Lord of the universe. You see this idea in the “name it and claim it movement”, as well as in “christian science” and many of the charismatic groups today. If we only have enough faith, or pray the right prayer, or give enough money, then god will make us healthy, wealthy, and happy. Sadly all this belief does is to make its followers into a group of greedy, materialistic adolescents obsessed with the miraculous and the now; or even worse to disillusion them to the idea of a God who cares. One of God's great promises was to be with us in times of trial, not to keep us fat and comfortable all our life. When we make demands of god and insist he do what we say, then we are daring to take His place and put ourselves upon the throne.

     So how should we relate to God? Let's take a quick look at a few things we know about Him. He is the creator of all things (John 1:1-3), the rightful King (John 18:37, 1 Timothy 6:14-15, Revelation 17:14, etc.), the sacrifice for our sins (Hebrews 9:24-26, John 1:29, etc.), and much much more! So how should we relate to one who is the creator of all things? We must recognize that He has right over us to do whatever He wishes. How do we relate to the rightful King? We are servants and subjects, those who must acknowledge His Lordship and obey. How do we relate to the one who bore our iniquity and died that we may live? How else but to throw ourselves down in gratitude for so great and undeserved a sacrifice? God is GOD! He is so big and so much 'more' than we are, how astonishing it is that we continue to forget that He is above and we are below? Join me in asking God to continually remind us of His glory and grace; that we would not forget our place in relation to Him. We are beggars at the door not the Lord on the throne.

     When we take God off His throne, when we forget who He is or who we are, we disgrace His name and deny Him the praise and glory that He is due. We cannot recognize our own sin or our need for a savior when we bring God down to our level. In the end everyone will acknowledge God for who He is. Wouldn't it be better to do so willingly and joyfully than by force, with the knowledge that its too late to change sides? Wouldn't you rather sing His praise as a joyful song in paradise, than mutter it bitterly while in torment?

“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

(Philippians 2:9-11)

Starting Points

     Every idea and every world-view has a starting point. We like to think that we can be objective but in reality, that is just not possible. We bring our own assumptions and perspectives to every thing we think about and every discussion we have. Ultimately the only real objectivity we can have is to be aware of our bias and work with it, doing what we can to look at things in the best and most honest way possible. Our understanding of objectivity is especially important when discussing God and in particular His existence and relationship with modern “science.”

     It is important to remember that no one has or can disprove the existence of God. Since God is apart from nature -above and beyond it, really- nothing that you study 'in' nature can either totally prove or disprove His existence. Now the Bible does talk about seeing God in nature:

“...because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,”

(Romans 1:19-20)

We see that nature does reveal some limited information about God, not the gospel to be sure, but enough so that men are “without excuse.” In our modern day people down-play this truth and a great deal of study is done really, just to come up with excuses as to how God wasn't involved in our beginnings. Yet still, after all that study and experimentation they can never 'prove' that what they say happened the way it happened nor does it preclude God's involvement, let alone to say whether He exists or not.

     The real heart of the matter is this, the Bible never tries to prove the existence of God. Seriously, read through it (which you should be doing anyway!). From beginning to end the Bible presupposes the existence of God.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

(Genesis 1:1)

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.”

(John 1:1-2)

This is also important as it brings us (finally) to the main point today, everybody has presuppositions. Those who do not believe in God are not at that point because they have been convinced by some winning argument or eloquent speech, they have simply chosen to believe that God is not, they presuppose the non-existence of God.  Once that choice is made every idea that comes after is filtered through that perspective. All the 'evidence' and argument that might lead to a belief in Him becomes turned to the other direction.

     The point here today is not to bandy talking points back and forth. I am not here today to argue creation or the existence of a higher power. I am here to say that the atheist who puts down the Christian for “assuming” that God exists instead of using evidence is covering up the fact that they are just as biased. We don't kneed to prove God to people, they already know He's there.

“...because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man; and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.”

(Romans 1:21-23)

     Whether or not they want to admit this is their issue to deal with. God has called us to tell the world of Him and let the Spirit work on their hearts. We are nothing more than paperboys on the corner of the world, calling out to those around us and hoping someone listens. Remember that no one but God is objective and everyone brings opinions to the debate; don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

The Forest for the Trees

     Let's be honest for a moment here, Christianity does not have the best public image; at least not here in the US. To many people, we are the embodiment of intolerance and closed-minded, bigoted, and superstitious belief. They see us a simple-minded holdouts of a time gone by, long since left behind by those with discerning minds. Anti-science, anti-thought, and anti-love are the labels many would place upon us. We have not, for the most part, done much to help this image.

     Many modern day “Christians” spend a great deal of time blasting other groups and other people, hammering away at them and shoving the Bible in their faces. They do not care for the souls of others, only that those evil sinners stop making their lives so uncomfortable. They are crass and rude and belligerent and do nothing to progress the cause of Christ. Let's be honest once more, would you willingly seek out the faith held by these people? Would someone screaming in your face at the grocery store really convince you of the truths of scripture? Is it not more likely that these people who blithely use the name of our Lord and become indignant and preachy at the slightest offense, push people further from God?

     Worse still are those far from truth who claim it still. People like the members of the Westboro Baptist Church who seem to have no love at all, or the “name it and claim it” groups who turn God into a servant of man. People who claim the name of Christ but are not known to Him. These people parade the image of the people of God before the firing line of society. The world see's them, see's their hatred and their cold facade, their greed and materialism, and that image bleeds across everyone who calls themselves a Christian. God is just yes, but He is also love. Any message of judgment must come through the voice of one who desperately yearns for the salvation of the damned! God does not find joy in killing off the evil or the sinful (Ezekiel 33:11) rather He desires that all would be saved. These people and these groups lift up an image of Christianity that is heartless and mean, devoid of any attractive features, or who is weak and subject to the whim of his followers. Again, how likely is it that anyone will hear this message and truly repent? How will they see the love of God who longs to forgive if those who are supposedly His people lack all forgiveness?

     Don't get me wrong, this is not a popularity contest. Christians -real Christians- will be hated by the world (John 15:20). A sinful world cannot and will not accept a message that says that it must change. That being said, we must be sure that we are accurately displaying and relaying the message of God to those around us. God is just but He is also the justifier. He is the judge who condemns and who has mercy. He is the sword and the sacrifice. Real biblical Christianity is to so many, lost in a fog of falsehood; hidden behind a crowd of inaccurate teaching and unbiblical behavior. We must stand strong and show the world the Christ of the Scriptures. We must stand against false teachers and preach the truth of God in our land. People need to hear the words of God and if we must shout to be heard above the din then so be it. If we must risk our lives by standing above the foxholes then that is what we must do. Eternity lies before us, whether in heaven or in hell. Let those who reject Christ reject the real Christ of Scripture. Show Him to the world that hope may be found.

“As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.”

(1 Corinthians 15:48-49)