Sin in Particular

     Let's talk about sin a bit shall we? Sin is an evil thing, a destructive corrosive thing that devours and distorts everything it touches. From our perspective there are bad sins and worse sins and minor sins and slight sins and more, but to God there is just 'sin.' Now one thing we as Christians are getting accused of more and more as of late is picking and choosing which sins we condemn -specifically in others. I have to say I've seen this but really I think this idea stems from our own poor work at explaining reality as the Bible describes it.

     Take homosexuality for example. Just about everybody knows (or should) that Christianity is not fond to say the least but do they know why? Do they understand that God is the rightful ruler of all things and that He has made the world in a certain way. The world may be contaminated but that doesn't change the standard, any deviation from His order is wrong. We create more problems than we fix by always harping on this subject because it creates a skewed perspective both for those outside the faith and for ourselves. How many times have you heard someone ask about the other old testament laws and why we don't uphold those? People see us not living what we preach and it creates a wall of misunderstanding that keeps them away from the truth.

     People need to know that homosexuality is not particularly sinful. By that I mean that it is no more or less sinful than stealing or lying or any other misdeed. Personally I don't find it hard to believe that someone could be born that way, we are corrupted by sin after all however, the Bible tells us that it takes a will to make sin.  Choice is a key component. You cannot have inherently evil objects because it is always a consciousness that defines evil, a willful choice. People get outraged at us partially because we fail to explain that it is not the feeling of a desire that is the sin, it is the embracing and acting on that desire. When we point out the sin without explaining this people naturally feel as if we are telling them that they -as an individual person- are inherently evil. Of course people actually are evil but you get my point.  The understanding that you are guilty of a crime is different than being told that the feelings you have no control over and that seem to be a natural part of you are evil. Again, they are and it is the same for all of us not just homosexuals but the understanding of that comes with a greater knowledge of God and the plight of man.

     We need people to know that we don't think that homosexuals in particular are going to Hell. Everyone is, because we are all deserving of it. Homosexuality is just another sin, another example of man's fallen state. We need to focus less on pet sins and specific infractions and more on the overall condition of humanity. God will punish all sin and evil, not just the ones that are publicly obvious. God hates evil, it is an affront to His purity and righteousness and because He is also just, He must punish and deal with that evil. But God is also love and He loves us despite our sin.

     Because God is just, He must punish evil but since He loves us He made a way of escape. Jesus came down to earth, the Son of God took on the form and nature of man and lived here as we do but without sin. His life and identity made Him the perfect and only sacrifice worthy to pay for our debt. Ultimately it comes down to who bears the burden of your sin, you or Jesus? You can pay for your own sin but it will take an eternity of suffering and punishment, or you can lay your burden at the cross and Jesus can bear it for you. Your individual sins do not set you apart for your evil, they simply mark you as human. We are all sinners, whether in much or in a little, and we are all in need of a savior.

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)

A Letter to Myself in the Moment

Dear Me,

     I know that I'm not necessarily “with” you right now. I know that you may not be thinking clearly and I understand that what I'm telling you may not be obvious to you at the moment. I know that whether you are home alone or going about your day, that you are doing something seemingly normal and yet you are fighting. You are fighting an enemy that knows your every weakness, knows your deepest fears, an enemy that never tires, never loses focus, never doubts, an enemy that hates you more than you can comprehend and wants desperately for you to fail. Worse still you are also fighting yourself.

     I know that your judgment isn't currently at it's best and though you want to win this fight you grow more and more tired with every blow exchanged. I know that there is a voice trying to convince you that what you know to be wrong is anything but, or that it will be okay this one time. The voice tells you that you are weak, it reminds you of every time you have failed and every battle lost. It asks you why you should bother fighting. I know that in the midst of the battle it can all seem so impossible. The lure of the enemy seems so right and their voice so loud that you can barely hear me, can barely hear God. I know that your flesh is a traitor. Your own urges and desires are a turncoat working with your foe to pull you down. I know the outlook is bleak.

     I know all these things but I also know something that you may find difficult to remember as you struggle to lift your sword: the war is over. Th enemy screams and yells to distract you, to keep you from seeing that he has no sword and no shield; his fangs are long since broken and his oily tongue says nothing but lies.

     I implore you, me, for both our sakes, remember who has bought you! Remember that your chains are broken and your slave debt paid. Remember that Jesus has paid for your freedom in blood and that you never need to listen to your old masters again. Remember that the old man may writhe and struggle within you but he is already dead! Remember that you need not, indeed dare not, rely on your own strength. Remember that the spirit of God is there within you with all the power you need and more to win the day. Don't waste time fumbling with useless weapons or futilely raising your wooden shield, turn to your heavenly Father and scream for the help that only He can give! In Him and His strength will you find the victory, in Him alone is the battle won.

     Remember this please, for if you forget it during the fray you -will- fall and when next we meet it will not be in gratitude and praise to God but with with the knowledge that you had no reason for defeat and every assurance of victory. You know that I will remind you of these things. You are not alone. Though you may not hear me when the battle joins, remember these words, and live.

Marriage, at the Front and Back of the Book Part 2

*See part one HERE*

     Marriage is about a bond. A self-strengthening and mutually self sacrificial system that leads to the ultimate betterment of both parties. Here we see the major flaw in most people's thinking about marriage: the point of your marriage is not that your spouse will fulfill all your desires or “needs.” We shouldn't even really be thinking of ourselves; the majority if not all of our thought should be on making the life of our spouse and our spouse themselves better. One of the biggest things a Christian will face when trying to live out a godly marriage is that we oppress women by saying they have to submit to their husbands. People never seem to read the part right after that, where men are called to love their lives like Christ.

“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”

(Ephesians 5:22-27)

     Yes women are called to submit to a fallible human man, but we men are called to live like Jesus! Which do you think is harder? Which do you think is more likely? Christ loves His church to the point where He left the glory of heaven and allowed himself to be brutally tortured and murdered, just to save us. Just to make a way for people who hate Him to live. And I get it, I do, you hate the idea of obeying. You hate that men have the “top spot.” Remember though, that having a position of leadership in the Bible does not make that person better than those who are lead. A wife who obeys her husband will give her husband less cause to fly off and try and control her through force and a husband who truly loves his wife will not seek to have dominion over her. I have the final say in my home but what that really means is that whether we find success or failure the buck stops with me. That is the weight of responsibility.

     These are all arguments that can be made and explanations that can be repeated and rejected as the case may be but really there is only one true reason for the attack on marriage. The real reason for the attack is because of the real meaning for marriage. Marriage is more than just two people chasing after happiness. It is more than a couple fulfilled by their union. It is more than two individuals drawing strength from each other to make it through tomorrow. Marriage -is- all these things but ultimately it is a picture. Marriage is a picture of God and His church. The family is a metaphor for eternity. Look again at the passage from Genesis 2. We see the man leave his family and join to his wife, the two forming “one flesh.” Flip to the other side of the Bible and we see Jesus leaving His Father in heaven and that the church is the joined into the body of Christ with Jesus as it's head. One flesh. The roles laid out for men and women are not their to set us against each other or to set one up against the other or higher than the other. We are here to show the world what God has done for His people.

     Marriage will always be under attack because it is a picture of God and man. In this one thing, this one amazing thing, God has set up a continually running example of His love for us. That image cannot be allowed to survive in a world that hates and rejects Him. That image has to die if this world wants to forget Him and ignore Him. Sure, there are cultural trappings and society has done great damage to the simple beauty of marriage. Sure we have made a hash of it in general and the record is not good. But these things are superficial, nothing more than dirt on the surface that can be easily looked past and cleaned away. You wouldn't throw away a diamond because of the stone that encases it would you? Just the same marriage is a scuffed gem that any one of us can clean and polish, leaving something of great and enduring value.

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)

The War Around Us

     Nothing is easy or so they say. Life is a struggle and everything worth having means work. The Christian life is no different, though we would prefer it so. Our sin nature nags us continually, just waiting for our guard to drop. The world around us tempts and pulls us in a million different directions; each one promising to be better or more exciting than the path that God has set us on. Evil men and women lie and deceive to lure us away and Satan and his minions throw innumerable obstacles in our way. The odds seem horribly stacked against us.

     We often forget, in our cozy western civilization world, that the life of a Christian is the life of a soldier. We are at war! If you are a member of the body of Christ you are a soldier, period. You may be an unprepared soldier, a good soldier, a lazy soldier, or a flat-out bad soldier, but you are a soldier nonetheless! Do not let yourself think that life will be easy or comfortable at all times. Like any war there will be lulls, there will be times when the battle lessens in its ferocity but rest assured the fighting will begin again! We cannot allow comfort or ease to trick us into lowering our shields.

"When I have brought them to the land flowing with milk and honey, of which I swore to their fathers, and they have eaten and filled themselves and grown fat, then they will turn to other gods and serve them; and they will provoke Me and break My covenant.”

(Deuteronomy 31:20)

     Look to the Old Testament, to ancient Israel. It was when they grew comfy in the promised land that they ran into problems. Not when they were surrounded by enemies, not when they were new to the fulfillment of God's promises, not when they had miles to march and cities to take, but when they were home with a stomach full of food and a place to sleep at night. Israel, like ourselves, tended to only remember their need for God when it was physically obvious. We must be aware that the war never stops and though things be easier for the moment, we still need God for everything.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

(2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

     Luckily we do not fight alone. We have God's words in the Bible and The Spirit of God in our hearts. We have what we need to win the fight, the weapons and armor required to be victorious; we just need to take them up. God fights for His own and the victory is His. The war is already finished, we just have to make it through all the battles and get to the end. Again, don't get complacent and don't complain when the going gets tough. We face a defeated enemy who won't admit his loss. Swords and shields up people, this is going to be rough.

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.

More Than Humanity 3: Strength From God

     We can't fight on our own. When we face temptation, when we run up against a choice to either live faithfully or fleshly, when those moments come and we fail, it's because we tried to do battle on our own strength. We're only human and so we lack the ability to succeed in a war against evil if for no other reason than evil is within us! We are born of shadow and will run from the light given the slightest chance. Thanks to Jesus' redemptive work we aren't “cured” from sin but brought from death to life; not sick men made better but dead men made alive. We need God to get us through those difficult moments.

     Our example in this, like in all things, is Jesus. We see in the pages of scripture that while He was on earth He limited Himself. He did not exercise the full range of His Godhood so as to be a proper example and a fit sacrifice. When we see Jesus perform miracles, we often see Him praying before hand asking for these miracles from the Father. Jesus, just like we must do, sought the Father and relied on the Spirit to do what He needed to do. The primary example for our discussion today is Jesus temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-10).

     The devil appears and presents Jesus with several scenarios, different forms or avenues of temptation designed to push Jesus away into sin. It's quite fascinating that no where does Jesus simply tell satan to bugger off or even cast Him away; this of course is well within His power and authority as a part of the God-head. What Jesus does do is use the Word of God. Each time He is presented with a temptation He replies with a piece of Scripture. Jesus knew in that time that no lies can supplant the pure truth of God and that we find that truth in the Word given to us. Again, He didn't simply cast satan away but used the same resources we have available to us: the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.

     We need to learn, to train ourselves to go to God and His word when we are under temptation. More than that we need to ask God to keep us aware of what's going on around us, to make us sensitive to temptation so that we recognize it when it rears its ugly head. If we continue to rely on our own strength we will never see anything more than failure. We were dead before, and dead men cannot fight a war; if we cut ourselves off from that which makes us alive in the first place what do we think will happen?

Real Life

Not a terribly deep thought today but an important one.  I often wonder about those of us who call ourselves “Christians,” how many of us really believe?  I don't even really mean that in the sense of how many of us are truly saved (although that's connected to it); I mean do you treat your faith as a real thing.  When I say that I'm a Christian what I 'mean' is that I believe in a God who really exists and with whom I have a relationship.  I believe in God who exists in one essence but in three persons whom we know as the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.  I believe in angels and demons and the souls of men.  I believe that beyond this physical reality is a whole spiritual realm that goes unseen by us but is in reality far more important than what we do see.  I believe that reality as we know it was created in a specific moment not too long ago and will cease to be, replaced by something far better, at a predetermined time in the near (according to God's reckoning) future.  I believe all of this and more.

This is important to point out because there are quite a few people who also claim to be Christians and by extension claim to believe all these things but who don't live as though they do.  You say that you believe in God but you don't work toward aligning your life with Him.  You say that you believe in His moral law but continue to fudge the rules and step close to and over the line.  We all do so much that is really quite contradictory to our “belief.”  What I'm really asking is do you just say that you believe, or do you believe but don't think about it much, or do you not really believe but you find your life more fulfilled when it has a lovely spiritual wrapping on it?  In the words of the The Truth Project (which I highly recommend), “Do you believe that what you believe is really real?”

If you do, then that has consequences.  You cannot live as the world would say, with a private spiritual life that doesn't effect your public actions.  God is real and He is watching!  I cannot pray at home but not in the square, I cannot make decisions in a moral vacuum, I cannot go against the Word that He has given to me, I CANNOT!  These are not fairy tales we were told as children, nor stories we use to comfort us in our older days; we carry in our hearts and in our heads and in the pages of sacred Scripture the very words of God!  We must not place them to the side and deal with them as a trivial thing.  We must be affected by them, we must be wholly transformed by them!

I have heard it said that it is not that Christianity has been tried and found wanting, but that Christianity has been found difficult and left untried.  God does not propose to us an easy life, He requires of us a hard life of struggle followed by an eternity of reward!  Some will have a harder time of it than others but we will all face problems.  In the light of eternity however, all our troubles will seem like such a minor thing.  Don't be fooled or mislead into an “easy believe-ism” mentality.  Let God's Word guide you and change you.  What can we do but listen, when we hear the truth?

The Power and Presence of Sin

     We've all been through times when we struggle with sin. Some of us go through years of failure and rallying and failure again; an ongoing battle that saps our strength and weakens our resolve. We start questioning our faith, our salvation, and some even question God. Others spend their lives concerned and worried because of a misunderstanding of what sin is. Distracted and mislead by poor theology and faulty understanding, they fail to find either true victory or substantial progress in sanctification.

     First of all, it's vital that we understand what sin is exactly. Sin is not a foreboding sense of evil or a curse upon mankind. The curse we are under is the result of sin, not sin itself; if anything you might call it “natural sin” but I think a more accurate term is “natural evil.” Sin isn't a cursed object or an unhealthy social connection, it's not about your choice of vocabulary or clothes, it's not about what days you venerate or what days you don't venerate. Sin is choice and will. The reason that objects and things can't be “evil” is because they have no will, no power to choose or take action. This destroys so many popular and illusory myths regarding evil numbers or things or places. Only mankind is capable of sin because only we are capable of choice (and angels too really, but that's another post). We are not made evil by evil falling down upon us but by what we are and what we do.

“When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear and understand: Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man."

(Matthew 15:10-11)

     Knowing this is helpful in our day to day but it's not the end of the story. From what I just said you may be lead to believe that actions -alone- are sin. You would be wrong. Actions are the visible manifestation of sin but they do not have a monopoly on it. As Jesus said our sin was sin long before it came out into the world.

"You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' "But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire.... You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' "But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

(Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28)

So we see that the thoughts of our minds and the movements of our hearts are sin first and the actions that may or not follow them are only a further accusation against us. We must seek to give our thoughts and feelings over to God and then our actions will follow them.

     This brings us to an important question and an important point: why then, as a Christian, do I continue to sin? If I am made new by the blood of the Christ how can sin still have power over me? This is because we have been freed from sin's authority and sin's result but not its presence. We still linger in this fallen flesh and in this cursed world. God is not capable of being tempted, not because Satan can't walk up to Him (so to speak) and try and egg Him on. Satan is of course welcome to waste his time but since there is no inclination within God toward sin, He will never sin! We however, continue with our new life in our old bodies. The hand is washed, you could say, but the puppet is still dirty and broken. Here then is the wonder of the end of days, of our glorification: we will be free not only from the power and the penalty of sin but also from its presence; both without and within. We still sin now not because the world continues to tempt us (which it does) but because there still exists within this fallen flesh the desire to rebel. When history is finally at its end and God brings about the final glorification of His people, we will be like Him in the sense that that leaning toward evil will be gone from us!

“Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, in an instant, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For that which is corruptible must clothe itself with incorruptibility, and that which is mortal must clothe itself with immortality. And when this which is corruptible clothes itself with incorruptibility and this which is mortal clothes itself with immortality, then the word that is written shall come about: "Death is swallowed up in victory.”

(1 Corinthians 15:51-54)

     I cannot wait for that day. When I no longer have to fight myself for control, when I need not fear disappointing my Lord and my God. This world is a struggle, a battle for control and for purity, but its a battle already won. We may see losses and failed fights as we go through our lives but just check the back of the Book, we win! Remember then, that sin is a force that destroys from within and that God is the one who cleanses and redeems, strengthens and saves.

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)

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.

To Be a Man

     It has occurred to many that the standard and accepted portrayal of men in our society is twofold: either as bumbling idiots, likable yes, but no one you'd want balancing your checkbook or running the house; or as selfish sex-craving misogynists who see women as objects or less. I for one have often railed as to the unfairness of these portrayals and how they do little more than foster the belief that this is all men have to offer. Worse still are those who see the undervaluing of men in our culture and simply don't bother to be more. Biblicaly speaking men are called to be more than this. We are to be leaders, teachers, guides, protectors, guards, lovers, and more. Despite this high calling for men we see very little of it in our world. I've pondered this problem for some time and although there are many reasons why things have turned out this way I'm left with only one conclusion: Men are portrayed as idiots because men -on the whole- are.

     It is not however, an entirely conscious choice. Part of the effect of the fall was to have men become lazy and women developing the desire to take their place. This wouldn't seem like a huge problem if it weren't for the fact that these desire did not replace the knowledge of our proper positions. Due to our fallen nature men don't want to lead, we'd rather take it easy. Many women would rather make all the decisions (because men are pretty dumb, right?) but still think that men “should” be commanding and in charge and confident. This creates a viscous cycle of anger and resentment that destroys many homes.

     Looking outside the home and into society we see that it is not simply a relationship issue. Men everywhere are deliberately casting aside “manhood,” choosing instead to adopt more 'modern' ideas of gender roles. Traditional “manliness” has been nearly vilified by our culture as chauvinistic and elitist, even so far to make chivalry a form of demeaning behavior! All this is a problem but the biggest issue really is that many men simply never become men at all. We live in a world where adolescence simply continues on through a boys life, he never grows up and he never moves on from childhood. How many “young men” do you know -guys in their mid to late twenties- who have never had a long term relationship, have never given a single thought to marriage, who still live at home, or who don't put any effort into creating a substantial foundation to their life? This is a systemic problem, to such an extent that we don't even see the issue. In my own life I can perceive parts of my thoughts and behaviors that I know should probably be...more that they are. Of course there are extenuating circumstances and not every case is the same but people these days seem to be terrified of really growing up and cling to youth as long as they can.

     I'm not going to give you solutions, I don't really have them. This is a thing that must start at home; husbands and fathers taking their place and doing things right. They will influence their children and so on down the line. Men were meant to be the cornerstone, the strength in society that held firm against error and stood up to the problems around them. We've lost that today and I think we're suffering for it.

“Be watchful. Stand fast in the faith. Act like men. Be strong. Let all you do be done in love.”

(1 Corinthians 16:13-14)

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)

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)

That Which Matters Most

“All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth, To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.”

(Psalms 25:10)

“But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.”

(Psalms 86:15)

“Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

(John 14:6)

“Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."

(John 18:37)

     I've heard it said, and quite recently, that the true message of Christianity is love, peace, and forgiveness. Isn't that a beautiful sentiment? Truly one of the most amazing things about what God has done for us is that He has loved us apart from -and indeed despite of- all the evils we have done. That being said, is love and all that really the central message and purpose of Christianity? From my perspective, I'd have to say no.

     Love is important, very important. Without love we would all have been cast down by the righteous fury of God long, long ago. Love is what spared our lives and saved our souls. Love is what brought Christ down from heaven in the form of a man to die for us. Understanding God's love for us goes a long way in explaining the pattern of history. Verse after verse of scripture is dedicated to God's love for His creation and our love for Him and each other. Their is a whole chapter devoted to love in the new testament and a whole book in the old about love! Yet love has its limits.

     Love is only good when it is informed by the truth. The less truth and knowledge we have the more superficial love becomes and the more we undermine its power. What good does it do to “love” someone and ignore their sin? How much benefit does someone get from being cared for, if we never share with them the gospel? God loves us and cares about love, but He cares about truth more. Think about it: sin was started, not with an unloving act, but with a lie. When the serpent tempted Eve it didn't batter her and stuff the fruit down her throat, it lied. The truth was warped and broken and cast aside and that act is what ultimately began humanity's descent into shadow.

     We must uphold the truth. If we do nothing else, this we must do. If we allow false teachers to degrade the message than people will not be truly saved. If they listen to lies and fictions about God, how will anyone come to know Him? If we allow the unskilled, ungifted, and untaught to steer our beliefs what will be the meaning of any of our confessions? Do you think God cares that we are sincere if we are sincerely wrong? Remember, we are called to abstain from idols and to worship only the true God. Idols can be made from many materials, including ideas. Those who teach falsely are not just errant preachers they are holding up a God that is not God, an idol.

     It is important that we love. Though love without knowledge and truth is powerless and ultimately pointless, truth without love is harsh, unforgiving, and merciless. We cannot allow a desire to love others to blind us to lies and to allow the existence of false teaching and pagan doctrine. We must confront these evils with love and a desire to save those captured by them. Love will save no one if uninformed and truth will condemn everyone unless softened by love.

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ...”

(Philippians 1:9-10)

Which Way?

The path we walk is narrow

With no walls to mark the sides

The trail often twists and turns

Like the best of theme park rides.

How are we to know the way?

And how are we to stay,

Upon the one and only path

That leads to brighter days?

How can we know with surety

The truth of any thing?

When all around us people claim

That truth is anything?

Are they all right?

Is every thought and dream

Equally true?

Can I hold to my own musings

And still find my way to You?

And what about this “narrow gate”

You talk about in Luke?

Did You mean the way was slim and small

Or was it just a fluke?

If truth means this is right

And that this other thing is wrong,

How can we think that every thought

Can equally belong?

If Jesus claimed to be the way,

The truth and to be light,

How can He we say He wasn't

and still think we'll be alright?

by. Jonathan E. Schaefer

11/12/2014

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.