BIBLE
Questions
Questions about the Bible and life. May this encourage you and may it allow you to encourage others.
What are the Seven Deadly Sins?
Chances are you might have heard of this. And often people tend to think that it is a list mentioned in the Bible. However, there is really no mention of “seven deadly sins” in the Bible. Sort of like “God helps those who themselves.” Many think that is in the Bible too, but it isn’t. Benjamin Franklin came up with that one! So, pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, anger and sloth (laziness) is the traditional list of seven deadly sins, which seems to have been put together by Pope Gregory in the 6th century. Therefore, it’s really from moral tradition and not from the Bible. The Bible though does have a number of lists of sins such as in Proverbs 6:16-19: “There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.” Jesus himself listed thirteen sins in Mark 7:20-23: “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” So, while we see various lists of sins in the Bible, here are some important things to understand when it comes to sin. FIRST, all sin is deadly regardless of the particular list—“The wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23). Not meaning physical death, but spiritual death, which means our sins have caused us to be relationally separated from God (Isaiah 59:2). And the less sinful we are the better, but with even one sin we earn the title “sinner.” There are no “little white sins” in the eyes of God. “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.” James 2:10 So, ideally, we should strive to confess and avoid any sin in our life and not just focus on any particular list. The Bible takes all sin seriously because all sin is rebellion against God (Psalm 51:4). SECOND, no matter how hard we try, we still fall short. “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 1:8 The Bible teaches that we are born (all of us) with a sinful nature (Romans 5:12); a natural tendency to go our own way instead of God’s. It started with Adam and Eve and continues with us. And just trying harder will never be enough. We need help! We need to be rescued! Left to ourselves, we drown in sin. THIRD, God knows that we need help. More than that, He loves to help. So, He throws us a life preserver. It’s called grace. One of the greatest words in the Bible and it appears 157 times in the New Testament alone! Biblically speaking, grace basically means God’s favor in leaning toward you offering His divine influence upon your heart that it may become reflected in your life. And God’s grace is ultimately manifested in His Son Jesus. “For by grace you have been saved (from your sins) through faith (in Jesus). And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8 God even ends the Bible with the life preserver! --“May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all.” Revelation 22:21 There is just one problem though with a life preserver. In order for it to work, you have to take hold of it. But if you have taken hold of it--the grace that God offers through your faith in Jesus, then I want to encourage you to stop worrying about the so-called “Seven Deadly Sins.” They are no longer deadly. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
Is there only one way to God?
Years ago, I heard Oprah Winfrey say that “there are millions of ways to God.” And, in a sense, I think she is right, but not in the way that I think she meant. I also remember a Hindu once telling me that “God is like a city and all roads to lead to the city.” I think he’s right too, but not in the way he meant. You see, the Bible does teach that everyone will one day stand before God. No matter what “way” or what “road” a person chooses, it will lead to God. But the Bible also teaches that some will meet God on that day as their savior and some will meet Him as their judge. When Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6), He was referring to those who come to the Father and find forgiveness and eternal life. Others will find only judgment for their sins followed by eternal separation from God. This, by the way, has been called “The Scandal of Christianity.” Research shows that many non-Christians think that faith in Jesus being “only way” is the single most offensive teaching of Christianity. Other religions prescribe some way in which you can rescue yourself. But this is what makes Christianity unique and Jesus unique--God rescues man. Men and women do not and cannot rescue themselves. But our human nature doesn’t like being told that there is only one way. We want options. We want to be able to choose!! Even some professing Christians wrestle with this. Research shows that 70 percent of all Americans believe that many religions can lead to eternal life, including 65 percent of all self-identifying Christians. Further, 56 percent of all evangelical Christians believe that there are many paths, other than faith in Christ, to God and eternal life. Pewresearch.org But, before I get back to the Bible, think about it. If you were God, you could make it so there are many ways get right with you or just one. And, if the one way works, then there doesn’t need to be other ways. If one drug cured all diseases, then we wouldn’t need other drugs. If you call me up and want to borrow my truck and I then invite you to come over and get my key, but you object. You want to use your key. Well, that isn’t going to work. There is only one key in the world that fits my truck. Now, you may not like that, but it’s true. Likewise, the Bible consistently teaches that Jesus is the only key that works. The apostle Peter makes that clear: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). So, let me suggest a better question to ask and then an even better one after that. First, why is Jesus the only way? Christian author Greg Koukl answers that this way: “He is the only way because He is the only one that solves the problem. We’ve all done bad things and people who do bad things ought to be punished. Even non-believers would agree that people who do bad things should be punished. And they would agree that we’ve all done bad things. That puts us all in a tough spot. We need help. We need a pardon of some sort. This is where Jesus steps in as our substitute. Jesus says He is the only way and He has proven Himself to be more trustworthy.” Then, perhaps an even better question: Why is there even a way to God? In other words, why would a holy God make a way for rebellious people to spend eternity in heaven with Him? The answer is simple. His love for us is greater than our sin toward Him. "But God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" Romans 5:8 Let me finish with C.S. Lewis’ comment to those who politely consider Jesus to merely be a great moral teacher: “That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God.” Then Jesus prayed to his Father, “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). Eternal life comes no other way.
Don’t we have to choose between science and the Bible?
Unfortunately, many times people are under the impression that you either have to believe in science or believe in the Bible. But the reality is that they both sit quite well together. Good science and good interpretation of the Bible don’t conflict. When a scientific conclusion is based on facts it never contradicts the Bible. And when scripture is properly interpreted it never contradicts scientific facts. We have to keep in mind that a theory, on the other hand, is not the same thing as a fact. A theory is simply a speculation about something that is yet to be proven. A fact is something that has been demonstrated to be true. The theory of evolution is the example that is often raised as being in conflict with the Bible. But, with all due respect, that theory fails to even stand on its own merits. You don’t even need to compare it to the Bible. Recent advances in scientific understanding have caused countless scientists to question and even abandon the theory. It has even been labeled a “Theory in Crisis.” For more detail on that, please refer to the three-part series on evolution—Questions of the Week #s 5 (The Genetic Code), 6 (The Cambrian Explosion) and 7 (Irreducible Complexity). So, please be encouraged that there is not a single scientific fact that undermines the truth of the Bible. It is also important to realize that approximately 50% of the scientists in the world are religious; most of them Christian and they see no conflict at all in embracing both the Bible and science. And science, to its credit, sees itself as a self-correcting venture. In other words, it tries its best to understand things and come up with conclusions that seem reasonable based on the information at hand. But many times, later discoveries disprove previous assumptions and then the scientific position self-corrects if you will. Pluto, for example, was long considered to be the ninth planet in our solar system until 2006. Then new information caused it to be declassified to “dwarf planet” status. But now, many scientists are reevaluating Pluto and trying to bring it back to planet status. All that to say, as wonderful as science is, it is always a work in progress. It gets some things right and some things wrong. It, at times, needs to self-correct. However, we should be grateful for science. It has helped our lives in many ways. Many diseases that were once incurable are now easily treated. There have also been great advances in communication, transportation, agriculture, modern appliances, etc. But science will always be limited because human intelligence is limited. And humans make mistakes. We just don’t know everything. The Bible’s author, on the other hand, is God who is not limited in any way. He is the perfect One who does not make mistakes. The Bible has never needed to self-correct! So, take heart, true science will never threaten your Bible. As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him. Psalm 18:30 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6
What would Jesus say about tattoos?
I really like the way this question is framed because we all have lots of opinions about lots of things, but we also know that sometimes we get it wrong. So, it’s always best place to seek answers and advice in something we know is trustworthy especially the Bible because it has never gotten anything wrong. Another reason that I really like this question is because in answering it will teach us an important fundamental when it comes to understanding the Bible in general—the importance of context!! I vividly remember one of my Bible professors pounding the importance of context into our heads each week. Repeatedly reminding us to never just read just a verse, but to read at least the whole paragraph if not the whole chapter to make sure we weren’t pulling the verse out of its context. And you might even need to read to multiple chapters to properly understand what a verse actually means; to get what the biblical author is really saying. Now to tattoos. Jesus, as far as we know, didn’t say anything about tattoos, but there is a verse in the Bible that says, “You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord.” Leviticus 19:28 Now if that’s all that you read or heard, it pretty much sounds like tattoos out of bounds in the eyes of God. But let’s consider the context. So, the book of Leviticus was written by Moses somewhere around 1440-1400 B.C. along with the books of Genesis, Exodus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. It was the time after the Israelites had been released from their slavery in Egypt and were heading toward the Promised Land. The main purpose of the book was to give them instructions on how to live a holy life in a sinful world; how sinful people can live in a right relationship with the Holy God. And during their journey to the Promised Land, and even after arriving in it, they were continually surrounded by peoples and nations that did not follow God. Pagan nations that practiced all sorts of evil. The Canaanites, for example, practiced incest, child prostitution and even sacrificed babies to false deities. The Ninevites pulled people’s tongues out while alive and even skinned people alive. I hate even writing that, but it was the world the Israelites found themselves in. And, unfortunately, they too were often tempted to commit idolatry and worship false gods. Instead of standing out as a holy nation, they often wanted to blend in and look like the nations around them. Therefore, many of the instructions that God gave them were designed to make them look different and not blend in. By the way, it’s no different for us. As Christians, we should look different than the world around us. We should stand out and not try to blend in. So, God gave them instructions as to what they could and couldn’t eat (dietary laws) along with regulations regarding how they should dress. And yes, the comment about tattoos! Now there isn’t anything inherently wrong with tattoos, but they were prohibited in Israel because they were common among the pagans and often related to the names of idols and idol worship. Likewise, God doesn’t have anything against pigs, but the Israelites were forbidden to eat pork (Leviticus 11:7). Partly because the Canaanites kept herds of pigs and sacrificed them to false gods. To our modern minds these restrictions seem kind of crazy, but once you understand the context then they make sense. But living for Christ will be all that we need to stand out and look different from the world around us. So, as Christians, the dietary laws no longer apply (Acts 10:9-16, 28). Nor the dress regulations although we are encouraged to dress modestly (1 Timothy 2:9-10; 1 Peter 3:3-4). The same with tattoos. They are fine as long as they are respectful and wouldn’t misrepresent who you are in Christ and that you are not trying to pridefully draw attention to yourself. Finally, please remember that the Bible is like a novel. It’s an unfolding story from start to finish and knowing the whole story really helps to understand the individual parts of it. So, keep reading!! “That you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” Philippians 2:15
How can I be sure that I’m saved?
This is a question that has probably crossed the mind of most Christians because whether you’re a brand-new Christian or you have been one for decades, doubts can sometimes creep in. And I think, at least for me, this often feels like a dangerous question to answer. Dangerous because I don’t want to be so kind and comforting that I end up giving false security to those who aren’t genuinely Christian. And dangerous because I don’t want to draw the box smaller than it should be and cause genuine Christians to then worry about their salvation. But if you are struggling at the moment with doubts as to where you stand with God, you’re hardly alone. This is the most frequently asked question that comes into Christian call-in radio shows and podcasts. But thankfully, as always, the Bible can help us through this. I believe that most of the time when someone is questioning their salvation it’s because they are looking in the wrong direction. They are looking at themselves instead of looking at Christ. They see how they continue to fall short in their life and start to doubt. They compare themselves with other Christians and start to doubt. They wonder if they’re good enough or if they’ve done enough? The answer to that will always be “no”, but that’s true of everyone and it isn’t right question to ask yourself. And let me quickly interject here that it is always appropriate to examine our life and compare it to the life that the Bible is calling us to live. Luke 6:46; 2 Corinthians 13:5 It’s also important to realize that God does not want you to live in fear or anxiety concerning your salvation. The apostle John tells us—"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.” 1 John 5:13 So, John is telling us that we can “know” where we stand and not just hope we’re ok. That’s comforting to say the least, but how then can we “know”? While there are many ways to approach answering this question, I would suggest that the best way to answer it is by asking yourself a different question. Instead of asking yourself “Am I a Christian?”, ask yourself “Why am I a Christian?” Maybe you’ve never thought of it that way, but your answer will either line up with the Bible or it won’t. And either way that’s great because you will either have the confidence you are hoping for or you will discover that your life is heading in the wrong direction and that you need to make a U-turn. I remember being part of an evangelism ministry back in the early 90s where we would go into laundromats and politely ask folks in there if we could ask them a couple of questions and almost everyone would agree. So, the first question we’d ask was, “If you were to die today, do you think you would go to heaven?” Most people would say “yes.” Then we’d ask the second question—"Suppose that you were to die today and stand before God and he were to say to you, 'Why should I let you into my heaven?' what would you say? Unfortunately, most people would answer something along the lines of God allowing them into heaven because they considered themselves to be a good person. I say unfortunately, because the Bible tells us that no one will get into heaven based on being a good person. God’s standard of good is much higher than our standard of good and is impossible for any of us to reach. Romans 3:12; Ephesians 2:8-9 So, if we are genuinely saved, why are we saved? Again, not asking, am I a Christian, but why am I a Christian? The “why” answer will get you where you need to be. And, please hang in here with me, but I want to use an algorithm to settle this issue in your heart once and for all. Let’s call it the Salvation Algorithm! But first, what is an algorithm? We tend to think of math or computer programs when here that word, but an algorithm is just any sequence of steps that produce a desired outcome or solve a problem. For example, a recipe is an algorithm. Maybe your desired outcome is to have some cake. What then is the sequence of steps you need to take to produce that desired outcome? Well, you would get some flour and baking powder and sugar and butter and eggs and milk. Preheat the oven. Then put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix it all up. And then pour it into a baking pan and then put it in the oven at certain temperature for a certain amount time and you end up with a cake. That’s the algorithm to produce a cake! But what if your desired outcome is to be saved from your sins and experience eternal life with God in heaven forever? Well, there are three steps in our salvation algorithm--Knowledge, Assent and Trust. The first step is “Knowledge.” The knowledge that our sins have separated us from God. But God, in His love for us, sent His Son to die for our sins. And if we will turn from our sins and turn to Jesus in faith, recognizing Him as Lord, God will forgive us and grant us eternal life. Isaish 59:2; Romans 10:9-13 That is the knowledge that everyone needs to be saved. The second step in algorithm is “Assent.” You have to assent to that knowledge being true. You can either believe in your heart that the information is true or you can disregard it. In John 6, after Jesus finished speaking to the crowd, many walked away. Then Jesus turned to His disciples and asked them if they too wanted to walk away. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:68-69 So, we have to know it and then believe it, but there is still one more step in algorithm; we still don’t have a cake! — “Trust” Just knowing what the good news about Jesus is and even thinking it’s true doesn’t necessarily mean that you have embraced it; that you’ve put your trust in it. I’ve met people who would say that they believe that the Bible is probably true, but that they would prefer to live their life their way instead of God’s way. When King Herod heard that the Messiah, Jesus, had been born, he asked the religious leaders where do the scriptures say that the Messiah is to be born. They told him Bethlehem. He then ordered all the male children two years old and younger to be killed. Matthew 2:4,5,16 King Herod believed what the scriptures said about Jesus, but he still didn’t want Him. In our algorithm, Herod got to Knowledge and to Assent, but he didn’t make it to Trust; he didn’t want it. You have to know who Jesus is and what He did for you. You have to believe that to be true and then you have to put your trust in Him. Now, does that algorithm describe what you have done? If it does, then I want to encourage you to please stop worrying about your salvation. You’ve done exactly what God has asked you to do. Are any of us good enough to be saved? Have any of us done enough to be saved? No, but Christ did enough for us. We have to understand that our salvation rests in Jesus and not in our performance. If my faith is in what Jesus did for me, then, and only then, can I know; really know that I am saved. Will we still see shortcomings in our life? Sure--1 John 1:9. But, in your love and gratitude for Jesus, just do the best you can to live a life that honors Him. So, after all of that, why am I a Christian? I am a Christian because I know that Jesus did for me what I could not do for myself—pay for my sins. Without Him I am lost in my sins with no hope of forgiveness; no hope of becoming the person I ought to be; no hope of eternal life and no hope of being in heaven with Him. “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12 That’s another algorithm by the way! Believe in the power of His name; then receive Him as Lord; and become a child of God!!
Why Doesn’t God Answer My Prayers?
“Sometimes, I thank God, for unanswered prayers” is a line from a Garth Brooks’ song titled “Unanswered Prayers.” In the song, Garth is telling the story of a certain girl he met in high school and how he prayed every night asking God to “make her mine.” But it didn’t happen. And many years later, he and his wife attended the hometown high school football game and ran into the girl he had prayed for. He discovers: “She wasn't quite the angel, that I remembered in my dreams and I could tell, that time had changed me in her eyes too, it seemed… And as she walked away, and I looked at my wife and then and there, I thanked the good Lord for the gifts, in my life.” Garth concludes the song with: “Some of God's greatest gifts, are unanswered prayers.” So, is it true that God didn’t answer Garth’s prayer or some of our prayers? Actually, no. It’s better to realize that God answers every prayer, but sometimes it isn’t the answer we’d hoped for. In the Bible, we can see four different answers that God can give to our prayers: 1. God might answer—"Yes. I’ve just been waiting for you to ask.” We see this in James 4:2 where it says that sometimes “…you don’t have, because you do not ask.” In other words, there are sometimes things that God wants to bless you with, but He also wants you to talk to Him. He wants to draw you into a deeper relationship with Him and prayer helps with that. 2. God might answer—"Yes, but not right now.” We tend to want things now, but God knows what the perfect timing is. God promised Abraham and Sarah a child, but they had to wait 25 years from His initial promise in Genesis 12:4-7. Likewise, David had to wait over ten years to actually become king after being anointed by the prophet Samuel to be the next king. 1 Samuel 16:1, 12; 2 Samuel 5:4 So, maybe you are praying for something that is quite good in God’s eyes and He is planning to give it to you but the time is not yet right. 3. God might answer—"Yes, and I’ll give you even more than you asked!” For example, King Solomon, Israel’s third king, asked God for wisdom to the lead the people and to be able to discern between good and evil. God responded saying: “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days.” 1 Kings 3:11-13 As I write this, I can remember almost fifteen years ago praying to God to show me some way to help those struggling on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles. God then brought Reignite Hope into existence and it has now helped hundreds and hundreds of people not only in Skid Row, but all over L.A. County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, Sacramento, Dallas, Philadelphia and even in Brazil and the Philippines! I only prayed for Skid Row, but God had a bigger plan. 4. Finally, God might answer—"No.” And, just like answer #2 above, we don’t tend to like this answer either, but good fathers don’t always say yes. Even the great apostle Paul didn’t get a “yes” to all of his prayers. He was afflicted with some sort of “thorn in the flesh.” Probably a physical ailment. And three times he asked God to take it away. But it didn’t happen. Then Paul came to realize that this “thorn” that wouldn’t go away served to keep him from becoming prideful. And then the Lord said to him: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 And looking back, just like Garth, you can probably think of some prayers in your own life that you are glad that God said “no” to. In Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7), He reminds us that God the Father gives good things to those who ask. “If someone asks for bread, He won’t give them a stone.” But sometimes we think we think we are asking for bread, but God knows it’s a stone. He knows that what we are asking for won’t be good for us. And sometimes our motives are wrong—“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” James 4:3 But please find rest and take comfort in this: God hears and answers every prayer that you pray. And all of God’s answers are perfect because He is perfect. Psalm 18:30 And when you can’t see His plan, trust His heart.
Can Prayer Really Change Anything?
If you are someone who prays, I am almost certain that this question has crossed your mind. After all, if God really knows every little detail about the future, as the Bible teaches, then how can our prayers change anything? What’s the point, right? Can I really change God’s mind about anything? Well, I’ll begin by saying that the best reason to believe in prayer is that Jesus believed in it. He was a man of prayer. And, on the pages of scripture, we see at least 25 clear instances of Him praying along with many other implied references to Him praying. The disciples saw His heart for prayer and one day, after watching Him pray, asked Him, “Lord, teach us to pray…” Luke 11:1 Next, I think it’s important to consider that if prayer doesn’t make a difference, then why does God repeatedly ask us to do it? “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7 “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” Luke 18:1 So, even if I don’t understand it, just out of obedience I know that I should pray. Okay, Jesus believed in it and God wants us to pray. But how does that work? How does it make any difference if the future is already set? The Bible says multiple times that God does not change His mind: “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind…” Numbers 23:19 e.g. Yet, there are also some verses that do make it seem like God changes His mind in response to prayer. For example, in Exodus 32, the Israelites built and worshipped a golden calf. God then tells Moses that He will bring disaster upon them, but Moses pleaded on their behalf. Then v.14 says, “And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.” Another really interesting example is with king Hezekiah in Isaiah 38. Hezekiah had become ill and the prophet Isaiah told him that it was time to set his house in order because he would not recover and was going to die. But it says that Hezekiah then turned his face to the wall and prayed that God would extend his life. “And then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: Go and tell Hezekiah, This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life.” Isaiah 38:4-5 So, did Moses’ or Hezekiah’s prayer change God’s mind? I don’t think so. God already knew how Hezekiah would react to hearing he was near death and God had already determined that Hezekiah would live another 15 years. The same is true for all of us: “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:16 If God did not know the future, then He would have limitations. He would be learning new things as we do. He would not be all knowing. He would not be perfect. In both instances, the circumstances worked in the hearts of both Moses and Hezekiah to draw them near to and call upon the Lord. That’s the best thing about prayer! Not the results, but our nearness and our dependence on God that comes in the midst of it. Hezekiah had been filled with pride, but knowing he was about to die caused him to turn from his pride and turn to God. Likewise, when the Israelites realized the great sin they had committed in worshipping the golden calf, they also had a change in heart. Exodus 33:6 Neither prayer changed God, but both prayers changed the people involved. Therefore, we see that prayer isn’t about us getting God to do what we want, but about getting us to want what God wants. However, it is also likely that our prayers can affect outcomes. Imagine that someone you know has a terminal illness and you are praying for them. Better yet, you get everyone you know praying for them! And, let’s say that God overcomes the diagnosis and heals the person you’ve all been praying for. What do we make of that? Well, because God is omniscient, from eternity past He knew this illness would come and He also knew how you all would freely choose to react--to pray or not to pray for that person. And then God can take into account your actions as He puts together His eternal plan, which in that case included healing. In other words, God had already planned how He would act in response to your prayers as well the prayers of Moses and Hezekiah. And the verses in the Bible that seem to indicate that God changed His mind are best understood as God being described in ways that help our finite minds understand the infinite God. But I’d encourage us to keep it simple. As I mentioned earlier, the best reason to believe in prayer is that Jesus believed in it. And it must make a difference or God wouldn’t ask us to do it. Please remember, prayer doesn’t change God. It changes us. It changed Hezekiah. And it can change you if you let it!
What does it mean that God keeps our "tears in a bottle"?
In Psalm 56:8 David writes, “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?” This was a time in David’s life filled with tribulation. He was on the run as Israel’s king Saul was constantly trying to kill him. He flees to the city of Gath just west of Jerusalem. It was also the home of Goliath whom David had earlier killed—1 Samuel 17. But now he was held captive by the Philistines under king Achish--1 Samuel 21:11. So, it’s easy to imagine that tears were a common part of David’s life. And there in captivity he penned this beautiful word picture of tears in a bottle kept by God. But does God actually have a bottle in heaven containing our tears? I think it is best to see this as another example of figurative language, which the Bible often uses. What David means here is that God remembered his tears, all of them, as if they were kept in a bottle or written in a book. David was completely confident that God saw every tear. That God was paying attention to every moment of his life. In Psalm 139 David writes: “O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.” And there is not a tear you shed or a moment of suffering in your life that God doesn’t see. God loves you just as much as He loves David. Unfortunately, suffering is an inevitable consequence of living in a sinful world. No one escapes it. But listen to the apostle Peter’s encouragement: "And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."1 Pet. 5:10 Peter was writing to Christians in the first century who were under great persecution. Life was terribly hard, but he assures them that their suffering will not be endless. He assures them that God has a plan. A plan to restore them. A plan to bring them into eternal glory in a place where—“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there by mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4 In the meantime, please take heart, your tears are not actually in a bottle, but better yet, they are in the very heart and mind of God.
How could King David possibly be called “a man after God’s own heart?”
So, a couple of times in the Bible (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22) David is referred to as “a man after God’s own heart”, but first a little background. David reigned from 1010-970 B.C and is often considered to have been Israel’s greatest king. He was chosen by God to be Israel’s second king after king Saul’s failure to obey God’s direction in his life—1 Samuel 15:10. He was just a shepherd boy, but he rose to great fame after killing the Philistine Goliath--1 Samuel 17:48-49. From there he led Israel’s armies to one great victory after another. But David was far from perfect. He was also famous for his adulterous affair with Bathsheba and orchestrating the killing of her husband Uriah. And there are no such things as little white sins (James 2:10), but those were pretty big ones. So then, it seems good that we explore how God could call David a man after His heart. First, though David’s life, like ours, was filled with both success and failure, he always had a deep desire to do God’s will. Anyone, even a king, can love God and still stumble. By God’s standards, none of us are perfect—Rom. 3:10-11. Second, David always had great faith in God. When he was about to fight the renowned warrior Goliath, he said, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” 1 Samuel 17:37 Third, he loved God’s Word. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105 Fourth, in spite of all his failings, he really did desire to have a pure heart—“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me., and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24 Let's all pray that every day! Fifth, David knew he wasn’t perfect, but he had a repentant heart--“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!" Psalm 51:1-2 And finally, and very importantly, David finished well. We all want that, don’t we? “When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son. “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go.” 1 Kings 2:1-3 So, it is easy to see the heart that David had for God. All of the ups and downs in his life never changed that. And, in spite of being a king, David was always a “work in progress” just like us. “But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” Isaiah 64:8 The prophet Jeremiah also uses the potter/clay analogy speaking of God’s ability to remake and restore something even when it is flawed. Jeremiah 18:1-10 Now by human standards, murder would have gotten David life in prison or even the death penalty. But God is different. And you may think that there is no way God could forgive you, but it’s what He promises. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9 And as we continue to mature yet stumble, He continues to shape us and forgive, which brings to mind two very powerful metaphors regarding God’s boundless forgiveness toward us. First, “He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” Micah 7:19 This pictures our sins being cast away to extent of being irretrievable like something lost and out of sight in the bottom of ocean. Second, “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12 Technically, east and west are opposite directions on a compass that never meet, so the distance is infinite illustrating the infinite removal of sin. So, no matter what’s going on in your life, just remember that God isn’t done with you yet. You’re still not the finished product! If you, like David, have a heart for God, then He is slowly, but surely shaping you into the person he wants you to be. How you ask? Both by the trials of life (James 1:2-4) and the Bible because the Spirit of God uses the Word of God to make you look like the Son of God.
What's in a Name?
Most everyone’s name has an ancient meaning behind it. For example, the name John is of Hebrew origin and means “God is gracious.” Debbie, which is a form of Deborah means “bee.” In ancient times bees symbolized hard work, wisdom and community. And Deborah was a famous woman in the Bible who was one of the Judges during a period in Israel’s history between the death of Joshua and the beginning of monarchy times. Around 1300 to 1000 B.C. So, have some fun and look up your name! But what about the name Jesus? That’s this week’s question and if you’re a Christian you say that name a lot. We even often end our prayers by saying, “In Jesus’ name we pray.” Now we don’t have to know what His name means, but it seems good that we should. So, Jesus’ name is of Hebrew origin and His Hebrew name is Yeshua, which means “The Lord saves.” And the root meaning of the word is to “rescue.” Then, if we spell the Hebrew word Yeshua in Greek, which the New Testament was written in, it becomes Iēsous, which is pronounced ee-ay-soos. Greek didn’t have an “sh” sound, so Yeshua became Iēsous. Then, if we spell Iēsous in Latin, it becomes Iesus. Finally, if we spell the Latin Iesus in English, it becomes Jesus! Now you don’t need to remember all of that! But just remember that His name reflects His mission--to rescue us from the consequences of our sin. Before the birth of Jesus, an angel tells Joseph: “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21 And the apostle Paul reminded the Christians in Colossae: “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13 So, we can see that we needed to be rescued. Everyone does. And if we think about it, God is, in a sense, throwing us a life preserver in His Son Jesus. We can either grab hold of it and never let go or keep trying to save ourselves, which is impossible. Because either Jesus pays for your sins or you do. They are on Him or they are on you--John 8:24. So, what’s in a name? In this case, everything you could ever want!
Why do the innocent suffer because of the sins of others?
It’s a good question, though I’m not exactly sure who the person submitting this question is referring to as “the innocent”, but let me take a try at it. A question that sometimes comes up, and might be what they are asking, is “Does God punish children for the sins of their parents?" And there is a verse in the Bible—Numbers 14:18—that has caused many to wonder about that: ‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.” Yikes! So, what does it mean that God will visit the iniquity of the fathers on their children for generations to come? That doesn’t seem fair, right? But just a side note: Please remember that whenever we think God is unfair, we’ve got it wrong. Let’s start by setting that verse in its proper context. Moses is pleading to God on behalf of the nation of Israel. He is asking God to have mercy on them in spite of their sin and their lack of trust in God which had been going for generations. And this verse is teaching us, as the Bible constantly does, that God is both merciful and just. He is forgiving, but there are also consequences for sin that sometimes extends for generations. It is not teaching that God is holding children accountable for the sins of their parents, but that the sins of the parents can affect their children and even their children’s children! In other words, the sins of the parents can often continue with their children. “Like father, like son.” A son or a daughter often resemble their parents in terms of character and behavior. It is only natural for a child to follow the example of their parents. That was exactly what was happening with the nation Israel in the time of Moses. And it still happens today in all cultures. At Reignite Hope we often see the generational impact of sin in the families of our students--alcoholism, domestic abuse, unfaithfulness in marriage, etc. But this can happen to any family. And the solution isn’t for us to blame our parents, though we sometimes do, but to just look in the mirror, turn from our sins, turn to God and ask for His forgiveness. God’s heart is to forgive you rather than punish you. “The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.” Ezek. 18:20 Therefore, Numbers 14:18 is referring to the consequences that our sin can have on others while Ezekiel 18:20 focuses on our individual accountability before God. He won’t hold us responsible for what our parents did, but we are accountable for what we do. Thankfully though, God has provided a way out if we want it. In John 14:6 Jesus even called himself “the way” and said that “no one comes to the Father except through me.” In other words, He is the exclusive way to the Father; the only way. But He is also the way away from sin and from judgment. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”-- Romans 8:1 Early followers of Jesus were even called the Way (Acts 9:2). You see, the Way is both a person—Jesus--and a way of life that comes from following Him. A life characterized by a love for God and a love for others—Matt. 22:37-40. In the meantime, it can be tough down here. We live in a world where most (approximately 90%) of the suffering comes from what people do to people. But we have to remember this: For those who love and follow Jesus, we’re not home yet. “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Philippians 3:20
Wouldn’t we be better off without religion?
Well, on the surface, it sort of makes sense to ask this. After all, we do sometimes see so-called “religious” people bringing harm into our world. This could be anything from terrorism caused by “religious extremists” to hateful words and divisiveness over political and moral issues. Years ago, I read an article about a group calling themselves the Freedom From Religion Foundation who were threatening to sue a Georgia school district for handing out Bibles to the students. Their website states that “The history of Western civilization shows us that most social and moral progress has been brought about by persons free from religion.” However, I don’t think that is where the evidence leads. For example: • Most of the charity that goes on today is done by “religious” people. You may be unaware of this fact, but before Christ was born, the world did not have charities as we know them. One scholar, Dr. Martineau, exhaustively searched through historical documents and concluded that antiquity has left no trace of any organized charitable effort. But when Christ and the Bible became known, charity and benevolence flourished. •. When disasters like Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and the earthquake in Haiti hit, it was primarily Christian churches that rushed in with aid, not the government. •. You may also be unaware of this fact—but before Christ was born, hospitals were quite rare. The historian Donald Snook, Jr., writes: “Many of the great hospitals can be traced to the period directly following the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D., when the bishops of the church were instructed to go out into every cathedral city in Christendom and start a hospital.” •. Even today many of the hospitals reflect their Christian origin in their names---Baptist Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital, Little Company of Mary, First Presbyterian Hospital, and so on. •. Valuing education, many of our great universities like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton were founded as Christian Institutions. •. If the Christian-based humanitarian work alone (clean water, food, AIDS and malaria prevention, education, etc.) were to be removed from Africa, it would absolutely devastate the continent. •. During the Arab uprising in the Middle-East a few years ago I had the opportunity to personally visit refugee camps there where I saw that almost all of the aid being provided was from Christian sources. •. The Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA), was founded in 1844, and the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), was founded in 1855. These greatly ministered to the physical and spiritual needs of millions of poor in the urban areas of the world. •. The Red Cross, which helps millions of people each year around the world, was founded by a Christian man named Henry Dunant. And all that I’ve listed there barely scratches the surface of the worldwide humanitarian work that is done in the name of Christ. In fact, it is a main theme in the Bible with over 300 references to providing justice and generosity to those in need. Proverbs 19:17 for example— “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord.” But if I can go back to their name—The Freedom From Religion Foundation--I think it’s actually an impossible title and goal they have set for themselves; a self-defeating title. The reason it’s an impossible title is because everyone, even this group, is religious. We all are! Because religion is just the beliefs we possess by which we explain the way things are--How did the world come to be? How did we get here? Why are we here? What is the purpose or meaning of life if any? What’s right and what’s wrong and how should we live our life? And what happens when we die? And everyone has certain beliefs about these things. We can’t escape it. Take for example the atheist. Generally, people think that atheists are not religious. So do the atheists! And although there are slightly different versions of atheism, most atheists (and for 37 years I was one) would put their faith in the following: 1. That there is no God, no creator, no higher power that we are accountable to. 2. The universe was not created, but has either always existed or began with the “Big Bang.” 3. That living matter somehow came to be from non-living matter. 4. That humans have evolved from lower animals through blind, unguided mutations in DNA. (Please see the three-week series I did in response to that belief.) 5. That there is no purpose or meaning to life other than what we assign to it. 6. That there is no reason we are here. We just are. Thus, realistically, people are no more important than rocks or trees. 7. So, we try and make the best of it and try to be happy. 8. And, when we die, we cease to exist and all of our atoms and molecules return to the universe. That is basically the religion of the typical atheist. Those are the beliefs that they are putting their faith in. Therefore, they are just as religious as anybody else. And I say that with all love and respect to those who hold such faith. As for The Freedom From Religion Foundation folks, they really just wanted the school district to adopt their religion. What they don’t seem to realize, if they got their way, is they would have a world which would be free from every religion except theirs. But, at the end of the day, religion really isn’t the cause of the world’s problems: “Soviet Russia, Communist China, the Khmer Rouge, and Nazi Germany all sought to control or eliminate religious practice and what resulted was not more peace and harmony, but more oppression and some of the most brutal violations of human rights of all time. The paradox is that the greatest violence and intolerance of that century was practiced by those who believed that religion led to violence and intolerance.” Tim Keller The Bible, on the other hand, teaches us that it isn’t religion that is the problem, it’s the human heart. It is estimated that 90% of the suffering in the world comes from what people do to people. The answer to world’s problems isn’t to be found in better science or a better form of government or a better economy. We need better hearts—Jeremiah 17:9—“The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick; who can understand it.” So, let me conclude by encouraging all of to realize that we are all, in a sense, religious. We all have a list of things we believe in which shape our worldview and guide the way we live our lives. Things that we are trusting in to be true. But believing in something doesn’t make it true. However, I believe that if you follow the evidence for the Christian faith—the scientific evidence, the historical evidence, the eye-witness evidence, the philosophical evidence and the empirical evidence—it will lead you to faith in Jesus Christ. And then just imagine a world where everyone had the right heart; a good heart. A heart filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22). God can give you such a heart. “If you seek Me, you will find Me”—Jeremiah 29:13 “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you…” Ezekiel 36:26
Why do people in power and authority become corrupt?
A question submitted this week asks “Why do people in power and authority become corrupt? Is it possible for a good person to possess power but not allow it to change who they are?” To start with, yes, it is possible for a person to have power and or wealth and use them for good instead of evil, but they will need help. For even the best of us are not “good” by God’s standards (Romans 3:12). It is simply not possible for us to become the people we ought to be and live the lives we ought to live without the Lord’s help (John 15:5). Power or money can be very intoxicating. And we see it, a lot of it, in the world around us. And it isn’t just having power or money that can be destructive, but even the pursuit of it can sometimes lead our lives on a tragic course. No wonder then that God gives us both warning and advice on this topic in the Bible, so let’s explore some of it. We’ve probably all heard someone say that “Money is the root of all evil.” But that misses what the verse actually says. 1 Timothy 6:10 says “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” It’s not the money, but the love of it that can lead to evil. Money isn’t good or bad, it's just money and it can be used in wonderful ways or for evil. Jesus expands on this in Matthew 6:24 where he warns that no one can serve two masters—God and money—for they will end up loving one and hating the other. You see, either God is the most important thing in your life or something else is. I think it was pastor and author Tim Keller who said that “You’re either worshipping God or you’re worshipping something else.” That happened to the rich young ruler in Matthew 19, Mark 10 and Luke 18. By the way, I think when we see God leading multiple writers to record a particular incident, it is especially important. For example, Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah); the Last Supper; the arrest, crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus; and the empty tomb appear in all four gospel accounts. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all recorded those events. Now back to the rich young ruler. He had “great possessions” and approached Jesus asking what else he needed to do in order to get eternal life. But Jesus knew his heart and told him to go and give away all that he had so that he could follow Him. Instead, it says that on hearing this “he went away sorrowful.” The possessions weren’t a problem though. The problem was that he loved them more than he loved the Lord. He didn’t have the possessions, they had him. We need to be careful about that too. Serving as a pastor I have sometimes been asked to visit someone who is the last days of their life. The family has been told that the time is near and they would call me asking me to come to pray and offer comfort for the individual and the family. In all of the times that I’ve sat with someone who knows that time is short, there are some things I’ve never heard them say. I’ve never heard one of them say anything like “I wish I’d had a bigger house or nicer cars or been famous or powerful.” No, instead, I’ve often heard things like “I wish I had been kinder or more generous or a better parent or a better son or daughter, a better wife or husband.” Country music legend Alan Jackson has a song titled “The Older I Get” in which he talks about some of what he’s learned as he’s gotten older. One line in the song says, “It’s the people you love, not the money and stuff that makes you rich.” And you’ve probably heard me say it before, but the best way to live your life is to live it for others. Remember, when God blesses you, He seldom has you in mind. It’s not too late. You can start right now. Then you’ll discover that it really is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). So, no matter your so-called station in life, live for God and not for things. Put Him first in your life and He will take care of the rest of your life. He even promises that—Matt. 6:25-34
Red letter Bibles—Who decides which verses are in red?
Some of you may not be familiar with red-letter versions of the Bible, but they are simply Bibles that have the words of Jesus printed in the color red. The first one was published in 1901 and it was the Kings James Version as well. The idea is said to have originated with Louis Klopsch, an editor of the Christian Herald Magazine. As the story goes, the idea came to him one day as he was reading Luke 22:20 where Jesus tells his disciples that His blood will be poured out (on the cross) representing the new covenant or the new promise between God and man. The promise that all who place their trust in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for the forgiveness of their sins will be saved. So, the supreme importance of Jesus’ blood, shed on our behalf, inspired Louis to put Jesus’ words in the color red. Since then, many red-letter editions of the Bible have been published and they remain popular since it makes it very easy to spot the words of Jesus. But they are not without criticism. Some feel that it tends to make Jesus’ words more important than the rest of scripture, but that is not at all the intention. Yes, Jesus’ words are extremely precious to us, but all of the Bible is from God and therefore precious. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Other times, debate arises because versions of red-letter Bibles can vary as to which verses are in red. And there are two main reasons for this: FIRST, among the thousands of New Testament manuscripts we are blessed with, there are some textual variations. Some have missing words. Some have added words. Some have obvious minor scribal errors like misspelled words. But please take heart, none of these variations affect any significant teaching of the Christian faith or the truth of the Bible. The integrity of the transmission of the Bible down through the centuries is beyond question. But let’s consider a famous variation. The older manuscripts don’t include the story of the woman caught in adultery in the eighth chapter of John. However, most scholars believe that it is probably a true story about Jesus and that it was added later to John’s gospel. By the way, the red letters in that story are--“Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” John 8:7. As well verses 10-11. Also, though added later, this story doesn’t contradict anything else in the Bible and it perfectly fits the heart and character of Jesus. So, though most all Bibles include that story, some red-letter versions don’t put the words in red. And same would be true for Mark 16:9–20, which is sometimes called the longer ending of Mark. That passage too is in the later manuscripts and not found in the earlier manuscripts, but is included in most all Bibles. SECOND, sometimes its hard to tell in some passages whether it is Jesus speaking or it is the narrator. For example, in John 3:16-21, it’s not easy to tell if it is Jesus speaking or John. So, it would be up each translation committee for a particular Bible (ESV, NIV, NKJV, etc.) to decide what they think. Thus, some variations will exist between versions of the red-letter Bibles as to what gets red and what stays black. Now the person who submitted this very intriguing question mentioned Acts 10:13 in particular. She has a version of the Bible that puts it in red and another version that doesn’t. Why? Well, most scholars believe that it is God the Father speaking in that verse and not Jesus, the Son of God, speaking. Again, up to the particular translation committee of scholars to pick the color. But here is my encouragement to you all—I love this question, but please don’t let this keep you up at night! Whether particular words came from the lips of Jesus or the pen of the inspired author, black or red, it’s still the Word of God. Either way, the words are theologically true, inspired by God, and for our benefit—2 Tim. 3:16 Until next week!
Why do good people suffer?
Well, first of all, the Bible teaches that none of us meet God’s standard of good. We all fall short of that (Romans 3:10-12, 23). Even though we were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26), we often fail to reflect that image. Daily we need to call upon and rely upon God’s forgiveness. But I think we’d all agree, as we look at the world around us, that some people definitely seem better than others. Yet sometimes the worst people you know seem to have everything go their way and the best people you know just can’t seem to catch a break. And it can leave us wondering why? And there were people in the Bible that wondered about that too: The prophet Jeremiah complaining to God--“Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease? You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit. You are always on their lips but far from their hearts” Jeremiah 12:1-2 The Psalmist Asaph—"For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek. They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.” Psalm 73:3-5 You can just hear the frustration in their words at what, on the surface, doesn’t seem fair. But I want to encourage you God always has a purpose in our pain. And there are many reasons that God allows trials in our lives. Even in the lives of the faithful. Here are four that come to mind: 1.For the Good of Others—The story of Joseph, the favored son, in Gen. 50 exemplifies this. Through no fault of his own, his jealous brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt and there he is falsely accused of acting inappropriately toward Potiphar’s wife, which lands him in prison. But God was at work in all of this. He gives Joseph the ability to interpret dreams and he becomes a trusted advisor to Pharoah, which allowed him to save his family when they came to Egypt seeking food after a great famine in their homeland. This ultimately protected the future of the nation of Israel! And Joseph then realized that what his brothers meant for evil, God meant for good—Gen. 50:20-21. Or the story of Stephen who was the first Christian to be martyred (Acts 7). But that resulted in Christians scattering throughout the region and telling people about Jesus everywhere they went. Thus, we can see that God used the suffering of Joseph and Stephen for the good of others. He still does that. 2.For Discipline—The nation of Israel fell into idolatry over and over again throughout its history. But after God allowed the nation of Babylon to conquer them and carry them into exile it finally cured Israel of idolatry. You see, God disciplines those He loves—Heb. 12:6. And He loves us and there are sometimes things in our life that God wants to get rid of. So, He might use discipline in our life to shape us into people He wants us to become. 3.To Remind Us We Live in a Fallen World—" For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.” (Romans 8:22) Because of what sin caused, suffering is just an inevitable part of life down here. But you need to remember that because of your faith in Christ, this isn’t how your story ends! It ends in heaven, with God, forever. “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Philippians 3:20 4.And finally, For Our Growth—"Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Rom. 5:3-5 Now we know that it is not easy to rejoice in suffering, but you can always trust that God has a purpose in the pain. "Too often we try to use God to change our circumstances, while He is using our circumstances to change us." Dr. David Osborn
Cancel the Noise, Put on Blinders
One of the questions recently submitted asks--How can we stay encouraged in our life and in our faith when the world around us seems so out of control? No doubt we can all relate to the struggle that person is feeling. In fact, I know people who won’t even turn on the news anymore. It’s just too depressing for them to see and hear all that’s going on around us. You turn on the TV or look at your phone and see all of the political infighting and corruption or how bad inflation is or the moral decline in America or global warming or mass shootings or the potential dangers of artificial intelligence. And the list goes on. Just a few minutes of watching the news is enough to ruin anybody’s day. So, what do we do? Is there really a way to find peace of mind in this anything but peaceful world? Yes! You just need to know where to look. I remember Dustin Hoffman, the very famous and award-winning actor, being interviewed. He was asked— “With all of the fame and money and accomplishments in your life, is there anything else that you want?” He said “Yes. Peace of mind.” He didn’t go into detail, but it was clear that fame, money and accomplishments fell short of bringing peace of mind into his life. So, what does then? FIRST, God knows we live in a fearful world. So, it’s no wonder the most repeated command in the Bible is “Fear not.” Interestingly, it appears 365 times. That’s once for each day of the year! That’s God continually reminding us that we don’t need to fear because in Him there is safety. Therefore, the first thing we need to do is believe Him. Believe what He keeps telling us—"Fear not.” SECOND, understand that the world is not out of control. God is not up in heaven pacing back and forth trying to figure out what to do next. He, not mankind, holds the future in His hands. THIRD, when your life feels out of control, don’t look at your problems, look to God. Put on blinders if you will. That’s what they often do with horses. Because horses can be easily startled by the things going on around them, they put blinders on them to keep the horse’s vision focused straight ahead where they want the want the horse to go. When you start to feel fearful, look to God, particularly look at His promises. Did you know that God makes over seven thousand promises to us in the Bible! Here are just a few: “I will never leave you or forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (I keep this one on my desk at work.) “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:28-29 “Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Matthew 6:25-26 And, as wonderful as those promises are, there are over seven thousand more! So, looking into the Bible can serve as the protective blinders we need to keep us from being distracted, startled and afraid of the world around us. Your life is always moving in the direction of your strongest thoughts so fix your thoughts on God’s promises. FINALLY, pray. Many of you reading this are familiar with the song “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” What a Friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry Everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry Everything to God in prayer! Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged, Take it to the Lord in prayer. Therefore, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 On Friday, Reignite Hope was training young men and women at the Battleship Iowa in San Pedro and I had the chance to speak to them after lunch. I shared with them a quick overview of the Bible since many of them do not come from Christian backgrounds. And I told them that though the Bible is many things—teachings about God; eye-witness accounts of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, a guide for how we should live—I said that it is primarily a love story. A story of God lovingly inviting each of us to turn from our sins, turn from going our own way and turn to Him. Inviting us to receive the forgiveness He offers each us through faith in His Son Jesus. Then I said, listen to how the story ends for those who accept that invitation. The story ends in heaven and “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4 So, let’s care about what is happening in the world, but don’t let it defeat us. Peace of mind takes practice so keep working on the four points above every time you start to worry. And remember, Jesus doesn’t just wish you peace of mind, He can give it to you—John 16:33 “When Christ was about to leave the world, He made His will. His soul He committed to His father; His body He bequeathed to Joseph to be decently interred; His clothes fell to the soldiers; His mother He left to the care of John; but what should He leave to His poor disciples that had left all for Him? Silver and gold He had none; but He left them that which was infinitely better, His peace.” Matthew Henry Until next week!
Evolution: What are the Odds - Irreducible Complexity
Welcome to our third and final week discussing the theory of evolution. The past two weeks we’ve looked at both the human genetic code and the Cambrian Explosion in our effort to follow the evidence. In other words, does the evidence really support the theory of evolution or does it point to an intelligent designer? So now we are going to consider something called Irreducible Complexity. Biochemistry professor Michael Behe of Lehigh University coined the term in his book Darwin’s Black Box. And, according Behe, it makes evolution through natural selection of random mutations impossible in all practicality. Irreducible complexity refers to the fact that there are many, many biochemical processes and anatomical structures that are rendered completely useless if even one component is missing. Meaning that if you reduce the system’s complexity by even one component, the system no longer functions. And he famously used the common mousetrap as a simple illustration of it. "If any one of the components of the mousetrap (the base, hammer, spring, catch, or holding bar) is removed, then the trap does not function. In other words, the simple little mousetrap has no ability to trap a mouse until several separate parts are all assembled. Because the mousetrap is necessarily composed of several parts, it is irreducibly complex." Behe, 1996. So, wherever we have a system composed of many interacting parts and the removal of any one of them causes the system to no longer function then it is considered an irreducibly complex system. Often associated with Intelligent Design, irreducible complexity maintains that many biological systems are so complex that they could not have evolved through natural selection alone. Like the mousetrap, imagine your car for a moment. Now in this case there are many things on your car, like the radio, that are not required for it to function for transportation. But there is a core group of things on your car that, with the removal of any one of them, the car is now useless. If your car had evolved it would not have been at all functional until there was an engine, a transmission, a battery, all four wheels, brakes, fuel, and a steering wheel to name a few. Remove any one of them from your car and you’re not going anywhere! So then, what about our bodies. Let’s take the eye for example. Our vision requires a list of components for us to be able to see including the lens, the retina, and the optic nerve. Then, signals from the optic nerve travel to and are interpreted in various regions of the brain. If even one little part of that system is missing, we can’t see. Every single part would have needed to evolve before we could see. In the meantime, each of the previously formed components would serve no purpose, no advantage at all, until the last component is formed. The system is, therefore, irreducibly complex. Another irreducibly complex system is blood clotting. For bleeding to stop when a blood vessel is injured, a cascade of events must take place. First, the vessel restricts reducing blood flow, then platelets are attracted to the area, then a cascade of chemical events occur which change blood from a liquid into a gel and then into a clot. And there are at least thirteen steps in the last part alone that must occur in a precise sequence through numerous different protein enzymes. Therefore, as with the other examples, if even one component is missing in those thirteen steps, the system fails to work. In other words, blood clotting would not exist until the entire system had evolved. How would animals even have survived in the meantime? So let me try to quickly summarize our three weeks of discussion and I do so with all love and respect toward those who might see otherwise. Remember, you can disagree with someone 100% and still love them 100%! First, can you imagine that anyone would look at a wrist watch or a car or the stone sculptures on Mount Rushmore or even John loves Mary written in the sand and conclude that blind, unguided chance was responsible? Instead, I think we know that there had to be a mind behind all of those things. They all exhibit very clear marks of design. Nature just isn’t capable of producing such things. And nature can’t communicate information either. Information can only come from an intelligent source. So, if we agree that the relatively simple appearance of John loves Mary in the sand had to have been written by someone, can we honestly look at the DNA molecule, which is assembled in a varying four-letter code that is three billion letters long, and conclude that it formed by chance? Remember, just one strand of DNA contains more information than 100 volumes of the Encyclopedia Brittanica. And we have 92 strands in most of our cells! Second, when scientists tell us that it would have taken an astronomical amount of new information to produce the sudden explosion of the new and complex life forms found in the Cambrian fossil record, can we really believe that blind and unguided collisions of atoms produced all of those new life forms suddenly out of nowhere? Third, if we intuitively know that somebody had to have designed an automobile, then what shall we conclude regarding all of the extremely complex biochemical and anatomical systems in our bodies that are far more complicated than any car? Could mere chance have formed such systems? Even Darwin was troubled by the intricate design of the eye. He acknowledged that the idea of natural selection producing such a complex organ seemed "absurd in the highest possible degree.” The beauty and design of an orchid bothered him as well. And according to Dr. Mayo of the Mayo Clinic--“If blind forces of chance produced our bodies, it would be simpler to believe that Webster’s Dictionary resulted from an explosion in a print plant.” So, where does the evidence lead us? Even scientists, lots of them, would say it leads to a designer, not to chance. On the website, A Scientific Dissent from Darwinism, a list of over 1200 scientists, and growing, have signed a document stating—“We are skeptical of claims for the ability of random mutation and natural selection to account for the complexity of Life. Careful examination of the evidence for Darwinian theory should be encouraged.” Now in order to sign the document, you must possess a PhD in science such as biology or mathematics or chemistry. Or, be an M.D. as well as being a professor of medicine. But perhaps Professor of Mechanical Engineering Stuart Burgess from the University of Bristol in England sums up the evolution vs intelligent design discussion pretty well for us by stating: “The origins debate is ultimately about faith versus faith. The atheist has great faith in chance, and the Christian has faith in a great God who has given us eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ” “The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both.” Proverbs 20:12 “For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.” Hebrews 3:4 See you next week with a new question!
Evolution: What are the Odds - Cambrian Explosion
Welcome to part two of our discussion concerning the theory of evolution. Last week in part one of this series we discussed the human genetic code (DNA) and the chances of it having formed without the aid of an intelligent designer. And, as I reminded us last week, anytime in our life when we’re trying to decide whether or not we should believe in something it’s best to always follow the evidence. Always ask, where does the evidence lead? You might recall that DNA is the blueprint for life. The fascinating molecule that serves as the program arranged in an alternating four-digit code for building a person. It’s three billion digits long and every living thing depends on DNA for its existence. Not only that, but each chromosome is made up of two strands of DNA and we have 46 chromosomes in our cells. That’s 92 strands of DNA or 276 billion digits perfectly sequenced to make you! We also know that software needs a programmer just like books need authors. And we know that information only comes from a mind and that there is more information in one microscopic strand of DNA than in 100 volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica. Therefore, we have to ask ourselves, how did those 276 billion letters in those 92 strands of DNA get precisely sequenced to result in living, breathing, intelligent human beings? But, let’s continue our discussion this by taking a look at a remarkable period of time in our earth’s past called the Cambrian Period and see where the evidence leads us as we continue to explore the likelihood of human life occurring by chance through evolution or through an intelligent designer—God. Now the earth’s surface is made up layers of rock that scientists consider to be a geological time scale with the oldest layers at the bottom and the younger layers at the top. And within these layers of rock paleontologists examine the fossilized remains of ancient animals and plants. Darwinian evolution presumes that organisms slowly change or evolve over time from simpler to more complex forms. And Darwin himself was a geologist and believed that the fossil record would show the gradual evolving of simple organisms in the deep layers of rock to the more sophisticated organisms in the upper rock layers. However, something very surprising was discovered in the so-called Cambrian layer of rock. They discovered an explosion of new and very complex life forms that seemed to have come out of nowhere because the precursors or the transitional forms that should have been present in the pre-Cambrian layer below didn’t exist. Darwin’s theory counted on those transitional forms and he himself expressed concern over what the fossil record was revealing—the sudden appearance of complex animal life without evidence of the evolutionary precursors or ancestors if you will. But though the “Cambrian Explosion” casted doubt on Darwin’s theory, he believed that as more of the fossil record was uncovered the ancestors would be found. However, now almost 200 years later the missing links are still missing. And this became famously known as “Darwin’s Dilemma.” The Institution for Creation Research sums up the dilemma this way: “The Cambrian Explosion is a complete evolutionary enigma for a number of important reasons. First, incredibly complex animal life appeared suddenly and without any sign of preceding evolutionary ancestors. Second, many creatures that appeared in the Cambrian layers have living counterparts today that show no sign of evolution—a paradox evolutionists label living fossils. Third, tube worms (another living fossil) have been found in rocks just below the Cambrian, and their fossils yielded soft, pliable tissue. The fact that their tissue, along with many other examples, is still soft and undecayed indicates they were buried only thousands of years ago in the global Flood described in Genesis.” Additionally, as we now know, it would have required an astronomical amount of new genetic information to produce the amazing proliferation of new life in the Cambrian layer. Where did all of that information suddenly come from? Stephen Meyer, the brilliant Cambridge scientist, in his New York Times bestseller—"Darwin’s Doubt”—states: “The animal forms that arose in the Cambrian not only did so without any clear material antecedent; they came on the scene complete with digital code, dynamically expressed integrated circuitry, and multi-layered, hierarchically organized information storage and processing systems.” p.381 Meyer goes on to ask: “Is it plausible to think that natural selection working on random mutations in DNA could produce the highly specific arrangements of bases necessary to generate the protein building blocks of new cell types and novel forms of life? Perhaps nowhere do such questions pose more of a challenge to neo-Darwinian theory that in discussions of the Cambrian explosion.” p.168 Dean Kenyon, a biophysicist from San Francisco State University, once believed in the emergence of life without divine intervention. But he has now changed his mind stating, “The new realm of molecular genetics is where we see the most compelling evidence of design on the Earth.” So, I want to encourage you to consider whether the evidence would lead us to believe that the Cambrian Explosion resulted from mere chance or from an intelligent designer? Well, once again, I hope this been a help to you. That’s my only motive here. And next week we will conclude our discussion on the theory of evolution by looking at another fascinating topic—Irreducible Complexity. “Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.” 1 Corinthians 8:6
Evolution: What are the Odds - Genetic Code
I always remind our students at Reignite Hope when faced with a decision on what to believe about anything in their life—follow the evidence! So, in this week’s article let’s consider where the evidence leads us regarding evolution and creation. In 1859 Charles Darwin published his theory of evolution in his book “On the Origin of Species.” Basically, the theory proposes that through random genetic mutations simple organisms gradually develop into more complex organisms. That over time through a process of natural selection organisms with more favorable traits survive and the weak die off—survival of the fittest. And that we humans didn’t start out as humans but we evolved over time from lower animals. And my purpose here isn’t at all to discredit those who believe in evolution, but to help equip you to decide what to think about it. Because, even though evolution remains a theory, it is generally taught as fact in our schools and accepted as fact by much of our media. But is that warranted or should our schools take another look at the biblical account describing our world, including us, as being the product of an intelligent designer, namely God. Let’s see what you think. So, I want us to consider three really significant areas of science concerning this topic—the human genetic code, the Cambrian Explosion and Irreducible Complexity. In the end, I hope you will feel better equipped to decide where you think you should land after considering where you think the evidence leads. What will you think is the best explanation of the data? So, this week let’s start with the genetic code. Every cell in our body contains DNA. It is called a code because it is the program by which living organisms are put together. Scientist Francis Collins led the Human Genome Project which ran from 1990-2003 and is considered one of the greatest scientific feats in history. They completely mapped the human DNA molecule. Collins states: one strand of DNA contains three billion letters written in a four-letter code. A live reading of that code at three letters per second would take thirty-one years reading day and night. Printing those letters in a normal font on normal 8.5 x 11 paper would result in a stack of paper the height of the Washington Monument. Collins would later write a book about DNA and titled it The Language of God. Bill Gates, co-founder of the software giant Microsoft, once wrote, “DNA is like a computer program but far, far more advanced than any software ever created.” Now software programs, as we know, are written by intelligent agents known as programmers. A computer program can’t just write itself. Someone has to write it. Software needs a programmer just like books need authors. And we now know that there is more information in one microscopic strand of DNA than in 100 volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica. So, I think we have to ask ourselves, how did those three billion letters in a strand of DNA get precisely sequenced to result in human life? Or precisely sequenced to produce our brain which is made up of 86 billion neurons forming trillions of connections? Is there any likelihood that a novel could accidently over time come to be; that it simply evolved by chance? I think we’d agree that the best explanation is that there was a mind that created the book. Its source had to be intelligent. Or what if you were wandering around South Dakota and came across Mount Rushmore. Would it seem reasonable that countless years of wind, rain and erosion could somehow create the giant faces of the four presidents carved in stone there? Again, what’s the best explanation? Chance or an intelligent designer? Have we ever seen blind, unguided atoms randomly colliding with each other producing such things? Let alone producing living things? And yet human beings are exponentially far more complex than any book or any software program or any stone sculpture. Now DNA, among many, many other things, contains the information needed to produce proteins which are the building blocks of life. Proteins are made up of amino acids linked together in specified sequence like letters in a sentence. And Cambridge trained philosopher of science and geophysicist Stephen Meyer, the author of Signature in the Cell and Darwin’s Doubt describes the odds of a just a simple protein molecule somehow forming by chance. He states: The odds of these things falling into place on their own is once chance in a hundred thousand trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion. That’s a one with 125 zeroes after it. And that would only be one protein molecule—a minimally complex cell would need between three hundred and five hundred protein molecules. And to give us an idea of just how big that number is consider that there are approximately 1x1080 atoms in the known universe. That’s a one with 80 zeros after it. In their book The Anthropic Principle, scientists Barrow and Tipler describe ten things that would need to occur for evolution to be possible and that the odds for any of the ten occurring are so extreme the sun would have burned out before any one of them would have occurred if it depended on mere chance. Let me add just one more. If you have a four-digit bike lock a thief has only have one chance in 10,000 (1 x 104 ) of choosing the right combination. Not very likely to happen. That’s why they cut the cable instead--like they did to mine! But now imagine we have a twelve-digit bike lock. You can actually buy one. Now there is only one chance in a trillion (1 x 1012) of choosing the right combination. A trillion possible combinations, but only one works. And that’s just getting 12 digits in a row right. And if a thief were to try one combination per second, it would take them 31,709 years to try them all. Again, cut the cable! But, one strand of DNA has three billion digits! All lined up just right to create a human. So imagine we have a bike lock with three billion digits? And suppose we had a computer trying 1 trillion combinations per second for that bike lock with a three-billion-digit combination. Well, it would take longer than the age of the universe to crack it—13.8 billion years! In short, a 3-billion-digit lock is unbreakable, even for the most advanced computers imaginable. So, where does all this leave us? If books and software programs require an intelligent designer as did Mount Rushmore, then what about DNA? After all, it’s exponentially more complex than all of those other things put together. Chance or an intelligent designer? That’s for you to decide, but many would conclude that it took nothing short of unimaginable intelligence to produce DNA; to produce you. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. Colossians 1:16. Please join me next week as we consider some more evidence to help you decide where to land—the Cambrian Explosion.
Can people in heaven see us?
I was asked this question a few days ago and it has come up frequently down through the years. And it’s only natural that heaven is of great interest to us. It is, after all, the eternal home of those who have placed their faith in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. And though the Bible gives us a lot of information about what heaven is like, the best thing about heaven is that it’s where God is. Imagine what it will be like to stand in the very presence of God! So, can people who are already there see us, especially our loved ones? Well, unfortunately, the Bible isn’t entirely clear on this, but in Rev. 6:9-11 it says: 9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne.10 They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers[a] should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been. The event described here is yet future to us. It occurs during the seven-years of great tribulation that God will one day bring upon the earth just prior to the second coming of Jesus Christ. And it is a time when many Christians will be martyred for their faith. So, it’s possible that these departed believers are seeing and agonizing over events occurring on earth. It’s clear that they can either see or least know that God has not yet stopped the suffering on earth. Now is that an ability that God currently gives those in heaven or will that just be during the Great Tribulation? Hard to say for sure. Another interesting passage is Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. The witnesses being referred to in verse one are some marvelous saints of the past listed in the previous chapter. Faithful servants of God like Abraham, Moses, David, Rahab and Samuel. Sixteen in all! It is sometimes referred to as The Hall of Fame of Faith. So, some think that this “cloud (meaning a large number) of witnesses” are now watching us though it also isn’t conclusive. It might just be that they serve as a witness to us as to what a faithful life looks like. Great examples to follow in other words. But if people in heaven can see us, the difficult question to consider is could those in heaven experience nothing but joy while observing life on earth? Rev. 21:4 says that “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Could we, in heaven, really feel no sorrow or pain as we observe wars, human trafficking, murders and all the rest that goes on down here? Seems hard to imagine. But whether or not they can see us, the greatest thing to think about is that one day, because of your faith, you’ll be able see them!
Another Head Scratcher--Psalm 91:10
“No evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.” Now there are two types of evil—natural and moral. Natural evil is things like cancer, earthquakes and tornadoes. Moral evil is things like violence, lies, greed and other bad things that people do to people. And this promise concerning evil in verse 10 is for those who have made the Lord their refuge (v.9), but is it really true that “no evil will befall you”? After all, we all know that bad things happen to all of us in our life. And the Bible itself is filled with faithful people who loved God and yet suffered at times. Job, Moses, David, Paul, the Disciples and the list goes on. They all suffered and, at times, greatly. In fact, most Bible scholars believe it was either Moses or David who wrote this psalm. As a side note, I like using artificial intelligence (AI) at times, so I asked it what this verse meant and it said this: This phrase emphasizes that those who trust in the Lord will be spared from harm and adversity. This part highlights the protection extended to our lives, including our homes and families, from diseases and other dangers. I’m afraid AI got it wrong this time. Jesus even promised that we would have tribulation in this world—John 16:33. James encourages us to rejoice in trials—James 1:2 So, what does this verse mean then when it says that those who trust in God (v.2) will not experience evil? It might make you wonder if you really trust God enough since evil is befalling you? Am I really saved? If I am, why do bad things keep happening in my life? One thing that helps when you come across a verse that seems to not make sense is to use other scriptures to help interpret the puzzling scripture—The Synthesis Principle. That’s what we will do here. Let’s start in John 17 where just before Jesus goes to the cross, He prays to the Father to protect the disciples. But we know that the disciples suffered greatly throughout their lives after the cross. So, did Jesus’ prayer not get answered? It was answered. The Father did protect all of them in an ultimate sense. He protected their faith--1John 5:4-5. And He gave them the strength and faith to overcome everything that the world threw at them. The ultimate evil is not the temporary troubles that this world brings, but it is ending up separated from God forever. Banished from God’s presence for eternity. That’s the evil that God wants to protect us from. That’s the evil that won’t befall you if your trust is in Him. The Psalmist is not saying that there won’t be any challenges in life. Evil will come our way, but not the ultimate evil of losing God. And we have to remember the we have an enemy-- “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one”—1 John 5:19. But the apostle Paul was completely confident that, “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom.” --2 Tim. 4:18. That’s the same faith in God that the Psalmist had. Paul was eventually beheaded in Rome by emperor Nero, but God rescued him in the ultimate sense in that He is now in heaven. That’s the finish line for the believer. Your faith in God controls your destiny, not the things of this world. Not the natural evil or the moral evil of this world. God’s ultimate goal in your life is to conform you into the image of His Son—Rom. 8:29—not to heal every disease and solve every problem. In fact, sometimes He allows the trials in our life to shape us into the person He wants us to become (James 1:2-4). The great Bible commentator of old, Matthew Henry, said this: “Whatever happens, nothing shall hurt the believer; though trouble and affliction befall, it shall come, not for his hurt, but for good, though for the present it be not joyous but grievous. Those who rightly know God, will set their love upon him. They by prayer constantly call upon him. His promise is, that he will in due time deliver the believer out of trouble, and in the meantime be with him in trouble. The Lord will manage all his worldly concerns, and preserve his life on earth, so long as it shall be good for him. The entire chapter of Psalm 91 reminds us of the love and power of God who faithfully works on behalf of those who love Him. Having faith in Jesus doesn’t make anyone immune to difficulties, but He can give us peace in the difficulties—C.S. Lewis And know that the Lord sees your struggles as well as your tears as if He were keeping them in a bottle (Psalm 56:8). So, no matter what you’re going through, remember that this isn’t how the story ends. It ends with you in heaven in the very presence of God forever. He may not keep us from trials, but He will keep us through the trials.
Are Miracles Really Possible?
There is so much to say here, but I’ll try to keep it short! Let’s start with C.S. Lewis’ definition of a miracle---“An interference with nature by a supernatural power.” Now a naturalist is one who believes that everything can or should be able to be explained by the natural laws of science, and is one who believes that all that exists is the physical world—i.e. atoms and molecules. So, a naturalist would not agree with Lewis that supernatural power even exists. Also, sometimes people think that those who believe in God and the supernatural are unscientific and uneducated. But I think it’s helpful to know that approximately 50% of the world’s scientists today are Christian. Not to mention that most of America’s presidents have been Christian. Consider a few more Christians--Isaac Newton (famous scientist and mathematician), Francis Collins (led the Human Genome Project), Louis Pasteur (famous French chemist), Jim Irwin (astronaut), Blaise Pascal (famous physicist and mathematician), Gregor Mendel (father of Genetics) and Richard Smalley (Nobel Prize for chemistry). So, be encouraged that if you believe in God and miracles, you’re in really good company!! Some examples of miracles are coming, but first let’s establish a brief philosophical foundation for miracles. If Gen. 1:1 can be taken at face value, that in the beginning an infinite-personal God did create the universe, then the rest should be no problem. If He has the ability to do this, then a virgin birth, walking on water, feeding the 5,000 with a few fish and a few loaves of bread, and other biblical miracles become not only possible but expected. Josh McDowell, A Ready Defense, p.125 In other words, if God created everything, He can certainly intervene in everything. If He has the power to create the universe and create life, what can’t He do? Author and Christian apologist Mark Mittelberg states that miracles are not irrational or incompatible with science. Some of his key points: If God exists, He can act beyond the natural laws—just as programmer can override software rules. Miracles Have Strong Historical Evidence-- The resurrection of Jesus is the most well-documented miracle, with multiple eyewitness accounts, early records, and the transformation of the disciples. The Questions Christians Hope No One Will Ask, Mittelberg, p.31 Additionally, Jesus demonstrated over and over again supernatural power which was recorded by eyewitnesses such as Peter, John and Matthew. Mittelberg concludes by arguing that believing in miracles is not anti-scientific but a rational conclusion based on historical testimony, logical reasoning, and God’s existence. Now for some examples: First, the Bible stands alone among all books in the world in demonstrating evidence for being divinely inspired. It is absolutely unique in its ability to speak of the future as accurately as it speaks of the past along with the miracle of its survival. And then there is the complete unity of its message in spite of God speaking through forty prophets over a span of 1500 years from vastly different backgrounds—from kings to peasants--and on three different continents. And mathematical probability rules out any chance of the Bible just getting lucky in perfectly predicting hundreds of future events without a single miss. Therefore, there must be a mind behind the Bible and it can’t be a human mind. Second, the existence of the genetic code is far beyond any reasonable scientific explanation. DNA is absolutely miraculous. It is made up of a string of four molecules (Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine and Thymine) arranged in varying order to provide the information needed to create you and I. If we were to consider these molecules as letters—ACGT—that vary in their placement along the string—ATCGGTCAAGC—etc., this microscopic string in every cell of your body is three billion letters long! If you could read that string out loud at a rate of three letters per second and you read twenty-four hours a day, it would take you thirty-one years to read it!! And that sequence has to be in exactly the right order to create human life. To create you! And it would be a miracle for the information in DNA to arise without an intelligence. Every time you come across information, you reasonably conclude it came from someone. Books are written by authors, and paintings are painted by painters. If it contains information, it never arises on its own. Our universal experience is that information comes from intelligent agents. Yet, according to the worldview of materialism, there is no God and, therefore, no intelligence or mind. All the information and design code found in DNA came from no person, God, or intelligence. It arose from an entirely mindless and chance process. This is truly miraculous. Alan Shlemon, Stand to Reason (STR.org) Bill Gates, co-founder of the software giant Microsoft, once wrote, “DNA is like a computer program but far, far more advanced than any software ever created.” Therefore, to be intellectually honest, you have to ask who wrote DNA? Computer programs don’t write themselves. There is mind behind DNA; a divine mind. Finally, there are many, many more miracles we could talk about such as miraculous healings acknowledged by doctors, the miracle of free-will (brain chemistry cannot produce genuine free-will), the miracle of Israel’s survival against all odds, the miracle of the Bible’s survival against countless attempts to eradicate it, etc. But let me end with this: the greatest miracle of all is what God does in taking unsaved, sinful, self-centered people and doing a supernatural work in their heart to change them from the inside out. You see, no one ever ends up not becoming a Christian due to a lack of evidence. There is more than enough evidence for the seeking heart. And every time a heart surrenders to Jesus it is a miracle. God has done a supernatural work in their heart that only He can do. If you’ve experienced that, you know it didn’t come from you. And if you haven’t yet turned in faith to Jesus, you could be the next miracle!! The battle will be in your heart, not in your mind.
Is There Life on Other Planets?
This one comes up occasionally and I picked it because it’s sort of topical right now. Recently, I’ve seen a couple of articles where scientists are suggesting possible hints of life on other planets, though other scientists expressed doubt. Also, reports of possible UFO sightings seem to be on the rise as well. You may also have heard of the SETI Project (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence). The project began in 1959 looking for radio signals from space which would possibly indicate intelligent life. It’s just in our nature to be curious about such things. But, for some reason, the idea of life being discovered beyond earth in the future worries some Christians as if that will somehow challenge the story of creation in the Bible. So, let’s begin by saying that the Bible is silent on whether or not God created life elsewhere. And given the vast size of the known universe it would surprise me if God only blessed earth with life, but it certainly could be only us. Second, we need to keep in mind what the main purpose of the Bible is. God didn’t give us the Bible to satisfy our curiosity, though we often wish otherwise. Sometimes the Bible just doesn’t tell us everything we want to know about certain things--When and how did Mary and Joseph die? Where is the Ark of the Covenant? How old is the earth? What happened to the dinosaurs? When is Jesus coming back? And so on. On the other hand, the main purpose of the Bible is to reveal our Creator and to show us how to be in a right relationship with Him. And it teaches us how we ought to live our lives. It is primarily God’s plan to save us and to give us a guide for faith, morality and spiritual growth. Those are the main things the Bible presents and it has been said “The main things are plain things.” Currently we have no compelling evidence that there is extraterrestrial life, but that is not evidence that such life does not exist. I believe it was the scholar William Lane Craig that said, “Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence” The only way anyone could say with certainty that there isn’t life beyond us is to know everything that there is to know about the universe. And we don’t possess such knowledge. Interestingly though, the same is true for the atheist who says that God does not exist. In order for them to say with certainty that God does not exist they also would have to have complete knowledge of the universe. You might lovingly and gently remind them of that should it ever come up. I hope that this encourages you that whether or not life exists beyond earth, it has no bearing at all on the truth of the Christian faith.