Today's Meditation

Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations." And Moses made haste to bow low toward the earth and worship. And he said, "If now I have found favor in Thy sight, O Lord, I pray, let the Lord go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate; and do Thou pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Thine own possession." [Exodus 34:6-9]

Rest...

²⁵At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. ²⁶Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.

²⁷"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

²⁸"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." ~ Matthew 11:25-30

Lord, it is a joy to rest in you.

If You're Interested...

I've been engaged in a mildly entertaining and thought provoking (for me anyway) conversation with some other Christians about the reality and nature of Hell. Although all of us agree that Hell, if it exists, is unpleasant to think about, the conversation involves interpretation of Scripture and whether or not the Bible teaches that Hell is a place of conscious everlasting punishment for the unrepentant (my understanding) or if the wicked will eventually be destroyed, enduring only temporal punishment for their sins with the consequences of their destruction being everlasting (namely, that they will not exist forever and ever because they will be annihilated; which is the position of the other two in this ongoing conversation).

If you're interested in the topic, you can follow it at http://thinkinginreality.blogspot.com/. At the time of my posting, there are 7 posts on the topic, with much of the conversation going on in the comments section.

Although I disagree with these two, there is some good stuff on Chris' blog if you want to poke around and check out his other stuff. Disagreement is okay in the body of Christ ... let us not be divided, however.

Jesus still reigns ... let us glorify Him with all that we do and are.

Today's Meditation

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." ~ Romans 10:9-13

Jesus Christ is alive. Hallelujah.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. ~ Romans 5:6-11

Praise God for His amazing love for us who have accepted His Son. Praise God and tell someone about the free gift of salvation while you have breath.

Hallelujah.

Questions About Christianity

If something is true, then it should be able to stand up to scrutiny. If you have any questions or concerns about or regarding the Bible or Christianity in general, please feel free to post them in the comments section and I will do my best to answer them adequately. Honest and open dialogue is a good thing.

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:32)

Today's Memory Verse

I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. Luke 15:7

Has heaven rejoiced over you yet? Today can be the day...

Today's Memory Verse

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. ~ John 3:16-18

"I don't need to be saved..."

Jesus is not a good luck charm. He is not a prescription for life enhancement. He is the Savior. But often I hear people say, "I don't need to be 'saved'..."

Part of the problem is that most of these people think that being "saved" means being rescued from their current miserable life. If things are going fine now (or even just moderately well) and they think Jesus is all about life enhancement, then this statement makes sense. However, that is not what Jesus "saves" people from.

Quite bluntly, Jesus saves people from Hell. In many cases, salvation from Hell produces radical life changes in this present life. But you need not be addicted to heroin to need to be "saved". In order to need to be "saved", you must be a Law breaker. If you've never broken the Law, then you need not fear Hell.

God's moral law can be easily summed up in the 10 Commandments (found in Exodus 20). Here's the short version:

1. No other gods but YHWH
2. No idols
3. No misuse of the name of YHWH (blasphemy)
4. Keep the Sabbath holy
5. Honor mom and dad
6. Do not murder
7. Do not commit adultery
8. Do not steal
9. Do not lie
10. Do not covet

Keep in mind that these are God's commandments. They are not suggestions. They are not the "10 it would be nice if you got around to it's". They are commands from the Creator of the universe. Our human notions of justice demand that law breakers receive punishment. God's Law is no different.

Have you ever used "Jesus" or "God" in any way other than what brings honor to them? Ever used these names as a cuss word? Jesus said, But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken (Matthew 12:36).

Perhaps you've never blasphemed ... have you ever misled another person? You may call it a "white lie" or a "half-truth" or "fib" ... but God's Word calls it lying. In fact, if I walked up to you and told you a "half-truth" and you caught me in it, what would you call me? If you can see that I'd be a liar, what makes it any different for you?

But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)

This is bad news. The sexually immoral are on this list too. You may say, "I've never committed adultery, and that's the only sexual commandment listed!" Jesus said, You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:27-28). Ouch. Apparently, God's standard holds us accountable in word, thought, and deed ... not just deed like our human authorities.

That's only three of the commandments (blasphemy, lying, and adultery), there are seven more. Maybe you've broken these three ... but you may say, "I haven't broken all of them ... at least I'm not a murderer!" Jesus said, You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment (Matthew 5:21-22). Jesus is putting anger on the same par with murder. The bible tells us in 1 John 3:15a, Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer.... Remember, our thoughts and attitudes are judged too. What's the verdict of having hatred towards our brother? The verse continues, ...and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him (3:15b).

So how'd you do according to these commandments? Perhaps you've done better than me (I've broken each commandment, if not in deed then in word or thought), but God's Word doesn't give much hope for anyone who's broken even one commandment: For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it (James 2:10). If we've broken one commandment, according to God's judgment we're guilty of all of it.

But what if you've done a bunch of good stuff ... won't that outweigh the bad? Would a human judge allow a murderer off the hook, simply because he gave a bunch of money to charity or served food at a soup kitchen twice a week? Of course not! Do you get credit for not robbing a bank every time you go? No! You just get punished if you do rob it.

Jesus said, Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty (Luke 17:9-10). We don't get credit for being kind to one another or abstaining from overt acts of sin ... we're commanded to do those things!

Our attempts to persuade God with our "good deeds" so that he'll overlook our transgressions will never work. A parent guilty of neglect of their children couldn't bribe the judge by saying, "Come on judge, I fed my kids every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday ... surely that's good enough for you to overlook my crimes!" We don't get credit for doing what we're supposed to do.

Salvation isn't about happiness, it's about righteousness. Every one of us will die some day, and when we die we will face judgment (see Hebrews 9:27 and Proverbs 11:4).

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:17-21).

Be reconciled to God. Today can be the day of your salvation. Jesus is alive today, and if you've trusted in Him for you salvation you can be confident that you will be saved on the Day of Judgment (see Romans 10:9-13). Read your bible everyday and get involved in a local church.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness (2 Peter 3:10-13).

Hallelujah.

The Marriage Feast

In Luke 22:1-14 Jesus tells the chief priests and the pharisees the parable of the Marriage Feast. This parable is both difficult and informative, telling the reader/hearer much about the kingdom of heaven.

We know that Jesus is speaking about the kingdom of heaven in this parable because He explicitly says so in v. 2: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son." In keeping with the nature of parables, it is critical to keep in mind the original audience in order to best understand the points of reference in the parable. Although the story being told is fictional, it communicates truth about the kingdom of heaven and should evoke a response in the hearers (much like a joke elicits a laugh ... at least a good one does!). So far, we have two characters in view: The King and his son. These characters can be identified as God the Father and God the Son (Jesus).

Jesus continues: And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. Again he sent out other slaves saying, "Tell those who have been invited, 'Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.'" But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business, and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them (vv. 3-6).

We see that the king (God the Father) sends his slaves (prophets) to invite guests (the Jews, God's chosen people) to the wedding feast (the kingdom of heaven). However, instead of accepting the invitation these invitees are "unwilling to come." The king sends more messengers declaring that everything is ready for them (the Jews), yet they pay "no attention" and go "their own way." Some even mistreat and kill the messengers who were sent to them (e.g. Jeremiah and Jesus). We must remember that Jesus is telling this parable to the chief priests and pharisees ... the religious leaders of the Jews at the time. This is surely a pointed statement!

Notice the reaction of the king to his invitation being declined/dishonored and his slaves/messengers being mistreated and killed: But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire (v. 7).

Jesus continues: Then he [the king] said to his slaves, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast' (vv.8-9). We see here a clear shift in the invitation to the marriage feast/kingdom of heaven. We see that this is a common thread running through the biblical witness: salvation comes first to the Jews, then to the Gentiles (see Acts 18:6; and Romans 1:16, 2:9-10). Because those who were first invited to the feast have declined the invitation, the king has opened the doors to others. The feast will go on ... someone will partake of the goodness of the king! We see this coming true in v. 10: Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests.

This verse contains an interesting statement from Jesus, in that the slaves gathered all the people they could find, "both evil and good." For those who are willing to come, God's grace and mercy extends to them all. There is no one, no one, who is beyond forgivable to God. There are two major requirements to being allowed to come to the feast, and we see the first here: we must accept the invitation and come willingly. God does not compel our worship, even though He could. His desire is for the kingdom of heaven to be filled with willing guests, not forced slaves. The second requirement will become apparent in the next few verses.

Jesus continues: But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' And the man was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' (vv. 11-13). Not only must the guests come willingly, but they must also come in the proper way. Even though God/the king invited everyone to the marriage feast, the expectation was that those who are willing come in the proper fashion. In these chilling verses we see that one guest decided to come however he pleased, not taking the time to put on the appropriate clothing for the occasion. This guest was invited prior to having the proper clothing on, but was required to change his clothes after accepting the invitation. Instead, he came as he saw fit, ignoring the king's protocol.

Being a parable, this "clothing" should not be understood as God cares about our literal clothing and will cast us "into the outer darkness," where there will be "weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Hell) simply based on our everyday attire! However, this is still communicating a very important truth about entry into the kingdom of heaven. Since the original audience of this parable were Jews who were familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures (our Old Testament), it is not too much of a stretch to imagine that they would understand the clothing necessary to enter heaven is not made of linen, but of righteousness (see Job 29:14; Psalm 132:9; and Isaiah 61:10). This is consistent with Jesus' teaching earlier in this gospel of Matthew:

Matthew 5:20 ~ For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 21:32 ~ For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.

The way of coming to God (the Father) is made very clear elsewhere in the New Testament. In John's Gospel, one of Jesus' disciples asks Him how to get to Heaven. Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me" (John 14:6). The Apostle Paul also makes it clear in 2 Corinthians 5:21: He [God the Father] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him [Jesus]. It is only through faith in Jesus and His completed work on the cross that we may be properly clothed (in righteousness) for entry into the kingdom of heaven.

The parable ends with this statement: For many are called, but few are chosen (v. 14). The invitation is broad, but only a few accept it. Among those who do accept the invitation, there are still some who refuse to "attend" in the proper fashion. Both improper responses to God's invitation are met with disastrous results.

What about you? Have you accepted God's invitation? If you believe in "God," do you also believe that there are many paths that lead to Him, or do you acknowledge that there is only one way to God ... through the Savior, Jesus the Christ? This parable of Jesus is equally clear that both ignoring God and also attempting to enter His kingdom in an improper way both lead to destruction and being cast out into outer darkness. If you've never done so before, today can be the day of your salvation.

He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him (John 3:36).

About the "Death Ticker"

**The "Death Ticker" on this blog has changed since this was first posted. The new ticker is aimed at non-believers. Most of the below response is still applicable, however, since the criticism to which I was responding was very poorly constructed.**

I know that not everyone appreciates the so-called "Death Ticker" at the bottom of this blog, which reminds people of the reality that (*gasp*) people die. I also know that not everyone thinks that Christianity is True, or relevant, or even sane.

Recently, I read this criticism about the "Death Ticker" from an atheist who thinks the concept of Hell is silly.

Yes! You're all going to hell- unless you believe exactly what I do! I know the secret, and the rest of you will burn! Only I know the answer- follow me without thinking or suffer for all eternity

Unfortunately, this individual has missed the point of the ticker completely. This is not uncommon for those who criticize Christianity ... most criticisms that I encounter are based on faulty understanding of the Bible or Jesus (not all, but most). In this particular case, the errors are many.

First, the "Death Ticker" is not for non-believers, but for believers. It is a motivator for Christians to go out and share their faith. Regardless of whether you believe Christianity or not, the Bible does clearly states that without having our sins forgiven through repentance and faith in Jesus that our final destination will be in Hell. If you don't believe that, that's fine. But since I believe that, I ought to be telling everyone I can about it. Therefore, the ticker exists as a stark reminder for Christians to put their beliefs into practice, to follow the commandment of our Risen Lord and Savior, and to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I [Jesus] have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20a). In fact, at the bottom of the ticker the question is asked, "Who have you shared with today?" Notice that the question is not, "What are you gonna do about it, sinner?" The ticker is aimed at professing Christians who are being negligent in their first and foremost duty: the proclamation of the gospel.

Secondly, the encouragement for Christians to go out and share has nothing to do with telling people, "You're all going to hell- unless you believe exactly what I do!" as is erroneously asserted. In fact, you need not believe many of the things that I do. Quite frankly, my beliefs are unimportant to a large degree. There is one central belief that is critical however, and that is concerning the identity of Jesus of Nazareth. Many people believe many different things about him. Some think he is coming soon. Others think he has already returned. Some think they are him. Some think he was a myth. Some think he was a good teacher whose followers made him into something he never claimed to be.

Jesus said, "I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins" (John 8:24). We can make up our own version of Jesus if we want to. Meek and mild. Baby Jesus. Just a man. It doesn't matter if you believe everything that I believe about Jesus ... what matters (according to Jesus) was that you believe what He said about himself. The core content of Christian faith that is necessary for salvation is simple:

"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve" (1 Corinthians 15:3-5).

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved (Romans 10:9-10).

According to the Apostle Paul and Holy Scripture, these are the basic content of belief that are necessary for salvation. We aren't saved by knowing facts about God, but by putting our trust in this fact that Jesus will save us if we ask him to.

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him (John 3:36).

Third, this doosy: "I know the secret, and the rest of you will burn! Only I know the answer ...". This is plainly a false statement. The point of the ticker is that it's not a secret. Many people know and aren't telling people about it. I knew about Jesus before I knew Jesus. The difference is life and death. Secrets are meant to be kept, the gospel is meant to be shared. Christianity is one of the three major monotheistic religions ... clearly, I'm not the only one who knows/believes it.

Fourth, the last statement: "follow me without thinking or suffer for all eternity". Following Christ is not about not thinking (yes, that was a double negative). Following Christ is about being reasonable.

Nearly 2000 years ago a man named Jesus lived, he had followers, he was crucified under Pontius Pilate during the reign of Tiberius Caesar, and his earliest followers believed (and were willing to endure torturous deaths for their belief) that they witnessed him alive after his scandalous execution as a criminal. This belief of the earliest followers and the inability of the Romans or Jews to provide proof that these claims were false, which would have been easy if they simply produced the corpse, exploded despite the severest persecution into a worldwide phenomenon. These facts are virtually undisputed by historians, although some like Earl Doherty have attempted to make case that Jesus never lived (not a tenable hypothesis, but it does sell books!).

In order to convince the churches of Galatia, Paul writes 18 years after the supposed crucifixion and resurrection: You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. How could Paul try and convince people 18 years after the supposed events happened, that they had seen something that was mythical? How convinced would you be if I said, "You fool! Who has bewitched you, who yourselves rode upon a unicorn just 18 years ago!" I'm guessing not very .... Similarly, to the Corinthians Paul writes: After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. If you were trying to convince someone that Jesus was raised from the dead, would you tell them that there were hundreds of people still living who could vouch for it if you knew it was a lie? He was providing a way for his claims to be falsified (very scientific method ... go Paul). Yet, belief flourished.

In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead. (Acts 17:30-31, emphasis added)

God gave evidence that Jesus was who he claimed to be. The Apostles pointed to this evidence. I talk to people about this evidence. Yet the same peope who believe without a shadow of a doubt that the universe began 15 billion years ago without the help of a god or outside intelligence (a unscientific thought in itself, since nothing doesn't make something, no matter how much time it has), and are thoroughly convinced that non-living material produced life, that consciousness sprung out of non-consciousness ... these same people don't believe that we can know with certainty that Jesus was raised from the dead, or even if he ever existed when we have historical documentation from intelligent beings, both friendly to the movement and against it (e.g. Jewish and Roman historians). And yet, it is the Christian who is accused of asking people to "follow them without thinking" ... give me a break.

Finally, this criticism completely misses the central tenet of Christianity (thus demonstrating the complete misunderstanding of this particular critic): follow me without thinking.... Following me will get you nowhere. Following Christ is all that matters. He is alive, follow Him.

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. (John 14:6-7)

Questions (again)

If you're reading this blog and you have a question concerning the Bible or Christianity (or a criticism!) please leave it in the comments section. I will do my best to address your questions or concerns in a timely and biblical fashion.

The Rich Man and Lazarus -- Revisited

It's amazing to me how often we can miss the point of Scripture, simply because we always read the same stories the same way. It's hard to accept a new interpretation of Scripture, especially when "that's just how we've always understood it."

But the Bible isn't a book that we should impose ourselves upon. Instead, it is a book (or, rather a collection of 66 books) that should impose itself upon us ... because in it are words of life, unlike any other book that has ever been written.

Yet, I know that so often I read the Bible as if it were some other book, full of stories and passages that I've read before. And so often I read this book through the lens of my own personal experience.

"Yep. I heard a sermon on that passage once ... it means this...."

or

"Oh yeah, so and so said that this passage really means this ...."

It's so easy to use the same old filters that we've always used to keep the words on the page, and to keep God in the box that we've got Him in ... where we are comfortable with Him.

Maybe it's just me... maybe I'm the only one who makes this mistake.

But recently I was re-reading a section of Luke's gospel that is very familiar to me: Jesus' parable about the Rich Man and Lazarus. Now I've heard many different people give many different opinions about this passage. Most of it focuses on hell. Is it real? Is Jesus just using hyperbole? Does this story have some theological significance for the intermediate state for Old Testament believers? Is this story more than a parable because Jesus mentioned Lazarus by name, instead of using generic characters?

And all of these questions are good to ask, and it is right to find answers to them. However, in my most recent reading of this passage I just wanted to let the text speak for itself. What was Jesus trying to communicate to His original audience to whom He was telling this parable? Forget all the stuff that might be buried ... what was He telling them?

A major problem for modern readers of the Bible when reading parables is that we fail to understand the nature of a parable. Much like a joke, a parable was told to elicit a response from the hearers. Hopefully when you tell a joke, people laugh. Similarly, when you tell a parable, those listening should react in some way which would really drive home the point. And usually, just like with a joke, if you have to interpret a parable, you lose much of what was being communicated (although you may see what you should have laughed at, an interpreted joke is never as funny as one that is heard and understood immediately). So to truly hear Jesus' parables, we must put ourselves in the shoes of His original audience to try and hear what they heard.

To find the context of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), we need to go all the way back to the beginning of chapter 15.

Luke 15:1-2 ~ Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

It seems clear that Jesus was having a meal, and these undesirables (the tax collectors and "sinners") were coming to hear Jesus teach. This bothered the religious elite, the Pharisees and teachers of the law, who muttered about the company Jesus allowed. Apparently, they were eating there too and did not appreciate the newcomers!

Jesus responded to their muttering by beginning to teach in parables (Luke 15:3). After this, Jesus began to speak with His disciples in parables (Luke 16:1). Can you picture this scene? Wherever Jesus is, He is surrounded by His own disciples and a larger group of religious people ... and they are eating. And as they are eating, some tax collectors and sinners come to hear Jesus teach. When the religious folks grumble, Jesus addresses them in parables and afterward He begins to converse with those who are seated around Him: His disciples. However, the Pharisees were listening in on this conversation and The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus (Luke 16:14).

Jesus, knowing this, He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight (Luke 16:15).

Jesus then goes on to tell these Pharisees who are sneering at Jesus and the company He allows the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus in the hearing of all who are present (including Pharisees and teachers of the law, tax collectors and sinners, and the ubiquitous disciples).

¹⁹"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. ²⁰At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores ²¹and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. ²²The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. ²⁴So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' ²⁵But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. ²⁶And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.' ²⁷He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, ²⁸for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' ²⁹Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' ³⁰'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' ³¹He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "

When dealing with parables we must identify the points of reference. This is not an allegory, so we need not make something up for every element of the story, but the major elements should be accounted for. In this story, we have two main characters being contrasted: The Rich Man and Lazarus, and in the listening audience we have two main categories of people: The Religious Elite and the Despised Tax Collector's and Sinners (the disciples were looked down upon as well). It seems clear enough that Jesus was identifying the Pharisees and teachers with the Rich Man, and the despised were associated with Lazarus.

Re-read the story, keeping these identifications in mind.

The religious elite live in luxury every day, and they look down upon those for whom they should be showing compassion. Lazarus (the sinners) longed to eat what fell from the table of the rich man, but instead kept company with dogs (who at least tried to alleviate their painful condition).

When they died, contrary to what the hearers would expect, Jesus tells them that the Rich Man (the religious elite) go to hell, and that Lazarus (the sinners) goes to be comforted in Abraham's bosom! This twist would have appalled the Pharisees and amazed the rest!

Notice that in verse 24, when the Rich Man looks up from his agony and sees Lazarus at Abraham's side, he still demonstrates a belief of superiority and asks Abraham to send Lazarus to minister to him in his agony. Of course, Abraham refuses. Finally finding some compassion, the Rich Man now pleads for his brothers (others in the religious elite who are still among the living), yet he still fails to recognize that Lazarus is not his slave when he asks that Lazarus be sent back from the dead to warn them.

But Abraham tells the Rich Man, your brothers have Moses and the prophets (in fact, no one should be better versed in the Scriptures than the teachers of the law and the Pharisees to which this refers), they should listen to them (cf. Micah 6:8).

But the Rich Man does not accept that this is enough, saying that they will listen if only someone would tell them from beyond the grave. But Abraham tells the Rich Man plainly, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'

The parable ends here. And what I had never seen before was the amazing truth that Jesus was declaring to these individuals ... He was telling them that even a Resurrection wouldn't convince them of their error. What is amazing is that Jesus was telling the very people who would ultimately lead to His crucifixion, and who would still reject Him as the Messiah even after His own Resurrection from the dead. Jesus was teaching constantly about the Kingdom of God, how it was right in their midst ... He was healing the blind, the deaf, the lame, the sick. He was raising people from the dead. He was fulfilling Scripture before their very eyes ... and the tax collectors and sinners recognized that Jesus was someone special ... and the Pharisees and teachers of the law were blinded by their own pride ... the very people who should have recognized Jesus as the Messiah, who had Moses and the Prophets, are the very ones who rejected Him when He came!

I had never seen it before, but Jesus was telling them plainly that even when He rose from the dead they would persist in their stubbornness of heart. Accepting Jesus is not a problem of lack of evidence. It is a problem of the heart.

Is there anything that is keeping you from recognizing who Jesus is? Do you, like the Pharisees, reject Jesus because He doesn't fit into your preconceived notion of what God is or should be like? The fact is that Jesus of Nazareth proved His radical claims of deity when He walked out of that grave nearly 2000 years ago. He is risen and He is still alive today. And He is coming back. Are you ready?

In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead. ~ Acts 17:30-31

Revelation (Part 2)

How do you see Jesus?

When you picture Him ... what do you see? Do you see Him as an infant? As a man? The Jesus you picture ... are there holes in His hands and feet?

I think that all too often we imagine a Jesus that makes us comfortable ... but there is only one Jesus, and if we follow Him then we ought to follow Him as He is.

In Revelation we see a description of the exalted Christ, and when the Apostle John beholds Him, he "fell at his feet like a dead man" (1:17). It is important to remember the relationship that John had with Jesus prior to the Resurrection and exaltation of our Lord.

John, the son of Zebedee, was part of the inner circle of Jesus (Mark 5:37; 14:33). He was the "disciple whom Jesus loved" and was so close with Jesus that he was reclining on Him at the Last Supper. When Jesus told the disciples that one would betray Him, Peter asked John to ask Jesus who it was (John 13:22-25). When Jesus was arrested, most of the disciples scattered; Peter was outside in the courtyard, but John was closest to the events--actually being inside of the court and bringing Peter in (John 18:15-16). When Jesus was dying on the cross, He entrusted the care of His mother to John as well (John 19:26-27). After hearing of the empty tomb, John outran Peter to the tomb (John 20:4). Also, John was present at the transfiguration (Matthew 17:1ff, Mark 9:6)--so John had seen a glimpse of the exalted Christ already (and with a similar response!).

It seems that the leader of the Apostles was Peter, but if there was a best-friend of Jesus, surely it was John. Yet when John sees this vision of the exalted Christ he doesn't run up to Him and embrace Him as a friend. Instead, he "falls at His feet as a dead man."

How do you see Jesus? Do you see Him as your buddy who you will run up to and give Him a high-five, or do you recognize Him as the Almighty and fall down at His holy feet? When John saw Him, his response was appropriate. Do we still see Jesus as a man who lived nearly 2000 years ago, or do we recognize Him as He now is ... the exalted Lord of all creation?

If we truly understand who He is ... if we truly recognize Him ... then obedience to His commands will not be optional. If we see Him as He is, then the constant worship and praise that we see throughout Revelation (see Part 1 below) makes perfect sense.

Have you praised Him today? Hallelujah (Praise God!)!

Revelation (Part 1)

I recently read through the book of Revelation again and this time through my attention was drawn to something that I hadn't picked up on before. It's easy, when reading Revelation, to focus on the amazing imagery, or to focus on the descriptions of The Final Judgment or the New Jerusalem. One can get lost trying to figure out whether or not the descriptions are literal or figurative, whether they are describing events that have already happened (i.e. in the first and second century) or if they are describing things to come--the end times.

But as I was reading Revelation this last time through, this verse stuck out:

And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME." Revelation 4:8

The events in chapter 4 clearly take place in heaven (see 4:1-2), and verse 8 describes what these creatures sitting around the throne do without ceasing ... they never stop declaring the holiness of God.

What struck me as I was reading this book again, was how often this theme is reiterated.

And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, "Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created." (4:9-11)


When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. "You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth." Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing."And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever." And the four living creatures kept saying, "Amen " And the elders fell down and worshiped. (5:8-14)

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, "Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever Amen." (7:9-12)

And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, "We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. "And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth." (11:16-18)

And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,
"Great and marvelous are Your works,
O Lord God, the Almighty;
Righteous and true are Your ways,
King of the nations!
"Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy;
For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU,
FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED." (15:3-4)

After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER." And a second time they said, "Hallelujah! HER SMOKE RISES UP FOREVER AND EVER." And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, "Amen Hallelujah!" And a voice came from the throne, saying, "Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great." Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. (19:1-6)

No matter what else is going on throughout the book of Revelation, there is constant worship and praise for God going on in heaven! It's truly an amazing scene, and we get a glimpse of what heaven is like--not just in the last three chapters (20-22) when the city is described, but throughout the entire Revelation.

I know that in this life it is sometimes difficult to worship the Almighty. It is often difficult to see beyond our own circumstances and to see God as He is ... high and exalted, worthy of all honor and praise and glory. But we must see Him this way if we are to worship Him in spirit and in truth (see John 4:24).

The book of Revelation is often neglected because of the difficult material that is contained. However, what can be easily understood is the triumphant nature of our great and glorious God over this fallen world. It is right to give Him thanks and praise. It is right to lift His holy name in praise and worship.

Hallelujah! Praise God for He is worthy!

Questions (again)

If you're reading this blog and you have a question concerning the Bible or Christianity (or a criticism!) please leave it in the comments section.

A Brain Teaser ...

Something a little different today. I like brain teaser's and logic problems ... this is a pretty tough one:

You are a prisoner in a room with only two doors. You know that one of these doors leads to your freedom while the other door leads to a room filled with hungry lions. Guarding each door is a single guard (one at each of the two doors). You know that one of these guards has been instructed to lie no matter what while the other guard has been instructed to tell the truth no matter what. Unfortunately, you do not know which door or which guard is which!

You are allowed to ask one question to one of the guards in order to discern which door to take to safety. What do you do?

Today's Meditation

"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 important than food, and the body more important 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? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." ~ Matthew 6:25-34

Take some time to really meditate on Jesus' words. He knows what He is talking about ... do we really believe His word?

I'm working on it!

Good Question!

stronger now said...

Is it "godly" to torture children for not loving you back?

How did god, a supposed "perfect" being, make creatures that are imperfect i.e., not as he would have them?

How is it "good" for this god you believe in to create beings that he knows will end up being tortured forever? Does he not know the future? Does he not care? If he does care why does he make some people that he knows he will send to hell?

"Love me or I'll hurt you" is the biblegods message.

January 18, 2009 8:57 AM

Each part of your question is best addressed on its own, and I will address them in the order that they were posed.

First, Is it "godly" to torture children for not loving you back?

I think the clear and easy response to this question is, by no means! I think it would be very difficult to make the case that the Bible teaches that such action is "godly" which is clearly the implication of the question.

Since it seems to me that Stronger Now is making the claim that the Bible does in fact teach such an abhorrent notion, let me point out where I think this blogger has gone astray from biblical truth. My assumptions are that Stronger Now believes both of the following statements to be true and biblical teachings: 1) We are all God's children; and 2) God tortures people who don't love Him back. If both of these statements are true, then it would seem that God does torture His children for not returning His love.

In reality, neither of these premises are taught in the Bible. First, 1) We are all God's children. This premise is a very popular opinion ... but it is by no means biblical. Consider these passages:

Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. Romans 8:23

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:26

Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. Galatians 4:7

The language of "adoption" and becoming sons "through faith" and no longer being a slave but becoming a "son" do not make any sense at all if the Bible teaches that we are all God's children. No one adopts their own kids. You adopt kids that are not your own previously. If we have not accepted Jesus Christ as Savior, then we are not God's children but His slaves.

Now consider the words of Jesus:

"Which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come immediately and sit down to eat'? But will he not say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat, and properly clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink'?He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.'" Luke 17:7-10

As slaves of God, we are commanded to obey the 10 commandments. Jesus summed up all of the law and the prophets in these two commandments: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and the second is like it; You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus says in the above Scripture that after we have done these two things (which we all fail at daily), that our response shouldn't be "now give me my reward!" but instead should be "I am an unworthy slave, I have done only that which I ought to have done."

Quite simply, God does not "torture His children for not loving Him back." He punishes criminal slaves who disobey His righteous commandments in rebellion against Him. God's children-those whom He has adopted into His family through their faith in Jesus-are heirs to the throne and are not treated as slaves, but are given their inheritance as is proper for children to receive.

And the reason we fail to love our neighbor as ourself (afterall, who wants to be lied to, or stolen from, or talked negatively about, or laughed at, or ignored, or dishonored ... yet we do these things to other people) is a direct result of our failure to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. If we did love Him this way, then we would recognize the amazing value that each human has as a being created by Him, and would afford them the respect and honor they deserve. No one is cast into Hell just for failing to love God. They are cast into Hell for their myriad of sins, only part of which is their failure to love God in the above described way.

Next, How did god, a supposed "perfect" being, make creatures that are imperfect i.e., not as he would have them?

The answer to this question seems to be that God did create humans exactly as He would have them ... and that their imperfection was part of the plan. This follows for two reasons. First, there exists only one Perfect Being: God. To make other perfect Beings would be to create copies of God. But God does not change and He is eternal. Therefore, it would be impossible to "create" a perfect Being since the only perfect Being is uncreated.

However, God did make us "perfect" as He wanted us. Part of His design included freedom since He desires to have a relationship with us. He could have created humans as mindless beings that only stroked His ego ... but He opted for qualitatively better beings who could freely choose to accept or decline His invitation for relationship. True freedom results in there being some who will make an unwise choice. This poor choice does not mean that God made a mistake in creating free agents...it just means those free agents made a mistake in their use of their gift.

In fact, it seems to me that God's decision to make free moral agents was His greatest display of power. He could force us to love Him, but He set us free. I'm not sure that I would have been so generous if I were God ... fortunately, I'm not!

Third, How is it "good" for this god you believe in to create beings that he knows will end up being tortured forever? Does he not know the future? Does he not care? If he does care why does he make some people that he knows he will send to hell?

This question has a good amount of overlap with the prior question, namely that it is qualitatively better for God to create free moral agents and have some of them choose poorly (thus, ending up in Hell) than it is for God to create not-free beings who are forced to worship Him in heaven. There can be no relationship in the second scenario. The proof that God does know the future and of His great care is that He has declared the judgment prior to executing it, and He has provided sufficient means for all who will to accept the free gift of salvation that is available to all persons through Jesus the Christ.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.... He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. John 3:16-18, 36

I've read your profile Stronger Now, and although that only gives me very little knowledge of who you are, I believe you when you say that you are an atheist. Based on the knowledge that you have of Scripture I can't make it any clearer to you that if you go to Hell it will not be because God wanted you to go there (after all, He sent His Son for you), but because of your willful refusal to accept His gift of salvation and the opportunity to become a child of God. If you choose to die in your sins without the Savior, that's your choice. But God cannot be blamed for your final destination.

And when you behold Him in all His glory and realize that you could have spent eternity with Him ... it's no surprise that your eternity away from Him could be described as being full of "weeping and gnashing of teeth." The amazing truth is this: I know that I don't deserve Heaven ... I'm not perfect. Neither are you. Only perfect people deserve Heaven. But God has provided a way for you and me to be adopted into His family and therefore enjoy the full benefits of being an heir. God by no means "tortures His children" and His care for both you and me is immense. If you don't care enough to accept what He's done for you ... well, that's a different matter entirely.

Finally, "Love me or I'll hurt you" is the biblegods message.

This statement is just false.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Romans 5:6-11

The God of the Bible's message is that He's going to love you no matter what. If you decide that you must be damned for your own sins, He'll let you. But he'd rather let you let Him pay for them.

If I've failed to address any of your concerns, please let me know. As always, if you have further questions feel free to leave them in the comments section.

Busyness

Man am I busy lately. I'm sure I'm not the only one...

The usual pace of life in our household is slow compared to what our culture in America says is acceptable. Our household is not inundated with activities on a nightly basis because, as a family, we make it a priority to spend time together and to allow for margin in our lives. This margin allows for us to take care of the necessary things of life as they happen (often unexpectedly) without having to force out other "good" things that we would ordinarily be doing, and without sacrificing family time or much needed sleep. We prioritize this way for several reasons, but the most important two are these: first, God is a God of relationships and He has emphasized the importance of the family unit. Therefore, as Christians, we ought to spend time together as a family strengthening our relationships with each other. Secondly, we (*gasp*) enjoy spending time together. In this culture that seems to think divorce is a good option for families that have "grown apart," my wife and I believe that divorce is not an option. We will not grow apart by filling our lives with so much activity that we crowd each other out of our (individual) life.

However, it seems that right now much of that margin has disappeared ... at least on my end. I do not remember a time in my life that I had more things on my plate than I do at the current time. I do remember a time where I spent more hours away from home than at present, but those hours were devoted to one thing (my job). Now, I have a sermon to prepare for Sunday, a presentation due on Tuesday, preparations to make for the upcoming Wednesday night series that I'll be leading at our church, steps to take concerning my business to try and ensure it doesn't fail in this floundering economy, and, of course, time to spend with my family and with God... Add to this the other things of life that pop up due to non-immediate family, friends, co-workers, church politics, etc., and I'm looking as hard as I can for the margin that used to be a part of life.

I recognized the need for margin this morning as I was getting ready. Thinking about the events of the day, I got out of the shower and was about to put on my deodorant when I realized that what I was about to put in my armpit was not deodorant but an uncapped tube of toothpaste! I couldn't help but laugh at myself that in the midst of trying to juggle so many "important" things, I have lost my ability to the simple things correctly.

Of course, we all make mistakes (and some mistakes are certainly bigger than others!), but I think it's good for us to occasionally remember that we are human beings, not human doings. So often we try and fill our lives with activities because we think that this will add value to us ... but our value is inherent in us already based on our being created in the image of God. God doesn't desire for us to live a hectic life full of activity and free of margin. He wants us to live a life of purpose. A life that is slow enough to recognize His goodness and to dwell in His presence, and full enough to be productive in advancing His kingdom.

God has allowed enough time for us to complete everything that He desires for us to do (and that includes spending quality time in fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ, with our loved ones, with Him, and also with those who are far from Him so that we may proclaim His kingdom to a lost and broken world), but there is certainly not enough time to do everything that we want to do.

God has declared: Be still, and know that I am God [Psalm 46:10a]. How can we be still and know if we leave ourselves without margin?

Memory Verse

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20

When following God doesn't make sense...

What do we do when following God doesn't make sense?

What do we do when it seems that God has provided a clear direction, and then doors close or the path becomes rocky?

What do we do when it seems that our obedience to what we thought was God's plan for our lives yields something other than God's abundant blessing?

It is at these times, more than ever, that we must stay the course.

Scripture declares: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).

When it seems like everything is going against us, yet we know that we are living in accordance with God's will, it is our faith that sustains us. It is our faith that assures us of the things that we hope for (namely, a life that gives glory to God). It is our faith which provides for us the conviction of the things that are unseen, which God has promised through His Word. When it seems that all things are against us, we can be sure that God is still for us if we are living a life of humble submission to him (see Romans 8:31).

I reflect on the crucifixion of Jesus ... how terrible it must have seemed to those who knew Him and loved Him! But we have the amazing privilege of looking back with perfect hindsight, and are able to see how even in the midst of what seemed like the biggest catastrophe, God was bringing about the most important victory for His kingdom! The circumstances of Jesus' death were not the end of the story. It is our faith that assures us that, even in the midst of our worst circumstances, God is still in control. His plans will always be accomplished.

Consider the life of Joseph in the Old Testament, who after being sold into bondage by his own family and spending years in prison for his refusal to compromise on his faith, when he encountered his brothers again (the very individuals who had caused him so much strife) Joseph told them: As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive (Genesis 50:20). What an example of faith in the midst of terrible circumstances!

Even Hebrews 11 (from where our Scripture came from at the beginning of this post came) recounts the lives of the faithful. You can see that for some, their faith brings about what we would consider "good" circumstances: And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection... (Hebrews 11:32-35a). But Scripture continues: ...and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground (vv. 35b-38).

Our faith will never get us around our problems, but it will always get us through them. Christian, never forget that we have not been called to a life of comfort in following the Savior, but to a life that glorifies our Lord. Sometimes our walk in faith will be pleasant, but the times when trials and tribulation come are by no means an indication that God is absent.

He deserves our honor and praises even in our darkest times. For He is good. Always. Even when our circumstances make it hard for us to see.

Amen.

Questions (again)

If you're reading this blog and you have a question concerning the Bible or Christianity (or a criticism!) please leave it in the comments section.

Truth can withstand scrutiny, so all comments are welcome.

Happy New Year!

A new day, a new year, but God remains the same. Praying for God's will in 2009 and forever.

May you be blessed this year and draw nearer to the God of your salvation.