“That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” ~ Philippians 3:10-11
As we approach Easter I wanted to post some songs that focus on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. One that my wife and I used to sing growing up is Alfred Ackley’s hymn “He Lives”. Both Alfred and his brother Bentley were hymn writers and between the two of them they have written over 4,500 songs. They were both born in Spring Hill, PA, and both worked for a time with Evangelist Billy Sunday.
He Lives!
Music and Lyrics by Alfred H. Ackley, 1887 - 1960
Stanza 1:
I serve a risen Saviour; He's in the world today.
I know that He is living, whatever men may say.
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him He's always near.
Chorus:
He lives! He lives! Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way.
He lives! He lives! Salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.
Stanza 2:
In all the world around me I see His loving care,
And though my heart grows weary I never will despair.
I know that He is leading, thro' all the stormy blast;
The day of His appearing will come at last.
Chorus:
Stanza 3:
Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian! Lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ, the King!
The Hope of all who seek Him, the Help of all who find,
None other is so loving, so good and kind.
What is your favorite Easter hymn? I am not talking about songs about the Cross, Christ’s death or the atoning work of His precious blood shed for the sins of the world. I am talking specifically about a song that speaks about His bodily resurrection from the tomb. The resurrection of Jesus Christ was God’s stamp of approval on the work of His Son as the perfect sacrifice for the penalty of our rebellion and sin and the only means that we can be reconciled to God.
The Apostle Paul talks about the importance of the resurrection in I Corinthians 15 and in verse 14 he states; “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” The word resurrection is used 41 times in 40 verses in the New Testament and it is the lynch pin of Christianity.
I was pondering songs and hymns about the resurrection and decided to thumb through the hymnal that my church uses. At the top of each page it lists the theme or subject that the song is about. I was surprised to find that there are a total of eight songs in the section titled “Christ’s Resurrection.”
While researching Ackley’s song I stumbled across an excerpt from a book titled “Wonderful Words of Life: Hymns in American Protestant History and Theology” by Richard Mouw and Mark Noll. A writer named Nancey Murphy joined a conservative church in Philadelphia and suggested to the campus music director that for the Easter service that they sing “He Lives!” The music director was aghast that she would want to sing a song that focused on personal experience and that states we know He lives because He lives in our hearts. He warned Murphy; “I certainly hope that’s not the basis for your faith! That’s not how you know that Christ is risen! We have the testimony of the eyewitnesses! We have the account in Scripture! We have the changed behavior of the disciples! To say that you just know He lives within your heart is to appeal to experience.”
The book does not share Ms. Murphy’s response. I am sure she reacted in a much more intelligent and genteel fashion then my gut response of; Well DUH!?! Of course I know that the basis for my faith is not based on my personal experience alone. I cling to the Gospel record in God’s Word and the eye witness testimony. But not only do I read of the changed behavior of the disciples but I also see what the Holy Spirit is doing in my life and the lives my fellow believers. What can serve to draw others to the message of the Gospel is the personal experience of the believer and what Jesus Christ has done for the individual. But we all know it must not stop there.
God wants us to worship Him with the total man; the will, the intellect and emotion. This Easter I hope our worship and celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ will be marked with all three. But if the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ does not elicit any emotional acknowledgment of the sacrifice He made on your behalf, and what He has personally done to deliver you from bondage to death and sin I hope you will ponder why He had to suffer and die. The emotions the resurrection instills in me are joy and happiness, but also a sense of sadness of the suffering, pain and agony that He endured for me when God poured out His wrath on Jesus Christ to provide a way of escape for me. I know He lives because He lives within my heart!
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” ~ I Peter 1:3-4
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Fact or fiction?
“Jesus claimed to be God. He did not leave any other options. His claim to be God must be either true or false and is something that should be given serious consideration.” ~ Josh McDowell from “Evidence that Demands a Verdict”
I was born and raised in Upstate New York and I have many fond memories from my youth. We lived about 2 hours away from Cooperstown, NY home of the Baseball Hall of Fame which I loved to visit. As a youth I was told that I was a distant cousin to Hall of Famer Mel Ott; the first major leaguer to surpass 500 home runs which was an amazing feat for a man who was only 5’9” tall and weighed 170 lbs.
I loved going through the HOF and walking through all of the local shops selling baseball memorabilia. I could spend hours looking at the display cases with all of the autographed merchandise. But my reverie was always short lived (in my estimation) because part of the total Cooperstown experience was letting my mom visit the antique shops and also the various museums. What pre-teen boy in his right mind would swap watching Abbott and Costello’s classic “Who’s on First” to visit the James Fenimore Cooper house? Cooper lived in a beautiful home on Otsego Lake, and was the author of “The Last of the Mohicans”. But being a dutiful son I grumpily went along and mockingly “oo’d” and “aa’d” at the old stuff.
If this wasn’t bad enough we also would have to make our obligatory stop at The Farmer’s Museum to see what life was like back in the early 1800’s. The museum grounds features two dozen buildings and recreates small village life and truth be told is very fascinating. The one item that I was immediately fascinated by was the Cardiff Giant which turned out to be one of the most famous hoaxes in American history. The Giant was found on October 16, 1869 in Cardiff, NY by two workers digging a well who believed that it was a 10’ long “petrified man.”
According to Wikipedia; “The Giant was the creation of a New York tobacconist named George Hull. Hull, an atheist, decided to create the giant after an argument with a fundamentalist minister named Mr. Turk about the passage in Genesis 6:4 that there were giants who once lived on earth. Hull hired men to carve out a 10-foot (3.0 m) long, 4.5-inch block of gypsum in Fort Dodge, Iowa, telling them it was intended for a monument to Abraham Lincoln in New York. He shipped the block to Chicago, where he hired a German stonecutter to carve it into the likeness of a man and swore him to secrecy. Various stains and acids were used to make the giant appear to be old and weathered, and the giant's surface was beaten with steel knitting needles embedded in a board to simulate pores. Then Hull transported the giant by rail to the farm of William Newell, his cousin, in November 1868. He had by then spent US$2,600 on the hoax.”
After the "discovery" Mr. Newell put the giant on display and initially charged $0.25 admission to see it, but the demand grew and the price quickly increased to $0.50. Wikipedia explains how the hoax was eventually revealed; “Archaeological scholars pronounced the giant a fake, and some geologists even noticed that there was no good reason to try to dig a well in the exact spot the giant had been found. Yale paleontologist Othniel C. Marsh called it "a most decided humbug". Newell eventually sold the Giant for $37,500 to a syndicate headed up by David Hannum who incidentally is the real author of the phrase “there is a sucker born every minute.”
Most of us believe we are not gullible enough to be drawn in by a hoax and we believe we can spot a fake. However oft times there is a tremendous amount of evidence that points to the validity of a claim, and if we will give it a fair hearing and study it in depth we must come away with the awareness that it not only bears a certain amount of truth, but demands we make a decision. This is the conclusion that the author and atheist C.S. Lewis came to when he coined the trilemma about Jesus Christ; He must be a liar, lunatic or Lord.
Lewis has written extensively on his faith and one of his classics is titled “Mere Christianity” and in it he states; “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: "I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God." That is the one thing we must not say. A man who 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. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
Lewis develops the premise by saying; “We are faced, then, with a frightening alternative. This man we are talking about either was (and is) just what He said, or else a lunatic, or something worse. Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a fiend: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is God. God has landed on this enemy-occupied world in human form.”
Unlike Mr. Hull and Mr. Newell, Jesus Christ had nothing to gain by perpetuating a hoax and being obedient to the will of God and dying on the Cross. And his 12 disciples did not enjoy the praise or respect of the world by staying true to Jesus Christ and his teachings; they endured shame, ostracism, and imprisonment and ultimately death yet nary a one ever renounced their faith or said the empty tomb was a hoax. As we draw closer to the Easter season to celebrate the resurrection what will you do with the fact of the person and work of Jesus Christ?
“For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die-- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” ~ Romans 5:7-8
I was born and raised in Upstate New York and I have many fond memories from my youth. We lived about 2 hours away from Cooperstown, NY home of the Baseball Hall of Fame which I loved to visit. As a youth I was told that I was a distant cousin to Hall of Famer Mel Ott; the first major leaguer to surpass 500 home runs which was an amazing feat for a man who was only 5’9” tall and weighed 170 lbs.
I loved going through the HOF and walking through all of the local shops selling baseball memorabilia. I could spend hours looking at the display cases with all of the autographed merchandise. But my reverie was always short lived (in my estimation) because part of the total Cooperstown experience was letting my mom visit the antique shops and also the various museums. What pre-teen boy in his right mind would swap watching Abbott and Costello’s classic “Who’s on First” to visit the James Fenimore Cooper house? Cooper lived in a beautiful home on Otsego Lake, and was the author of “The Last of the Mohicans”. But being a dutiful son I grumpily went along and mockingly “oo’d” and “aa’d” at the old stuff.
If this wasn’t bad enough we also would have to make our obligatory stop at The Farmer’s Museum to see what life was like back in the early 1800’s. The museum grounds features two dozen buildings and recreates small village life and truth be told is very fascinating. The one item that I was immediately fascinated by was the Cardiff Giant which turned out to be one of the most famous hoaxes in American history. The Giant was found on October 16, 1869 in Cardiff, NY by two workers digging a well who believed that it was a 10’ long “petrified man.”
According to Wikipedia; “The Giant was the creation of a New York tobacconist named George Hull. Hull, an atheist, decided to create the giant after an argument with a fundamentalist minister named Mr. Turk about the passage in Genesis 6:4 that there were giants who once lived on earth. Hull hired men to carve out a 10-foot (3.0 m) long, 4.5-inch block of gypsum in Fort Dodge, Iowa, telling them it was intended for a monument to Abraham Lincoln in New York. He shipped the block to Chicago, where he hired a German stonecutter to carve it into the likeness of a man and swore him to secrecy. Various stains and acids were used to make the giant appear to be old and weathered, and the giant's surface was beaten with steel knitting needles embedded in a board to simulate pores. Then Hull transported the giant by rail to the farm of William Newell, his cousin, in November 1868. He had by then spent US$2,600 on the hoax.”
After the "discovery" Mr. Newell put the giant on display and initially charged $0.25 admission to see it, but the demand grew and the price quickly increased to $0.50. Wikipedia explains how the hoax was eventually revealed; “Archaeological scholars pronounced the giant a fake, and some geologists even noticed that there was no good reason to try to dig a well in the exact spot the giant had been found. Yale paleontologist Othniel C. Marsh called it "a most decided humbug". Newell eventually sold the Giant for $37,500 to a syndicate headed up by David Hannum who incidentally is the real author of the phrase “there is a sucker born every minute.”
Most of us believe we are not gullible enough to be drawn in by a hoax and we believe we can spot a fake. However oft times there is a tremendous amount of evidence that points to the validity of a claim, and if we will give it a fair hearing and study it in depth we must come away with the awareness that it not only bears a certain amount of truth, but demands we make a decision. This is the conclusion that the author and atheist C.S. Lewis came to when he coined the trilemma about Jesus Christ; He must be a liar, lunatic or Lord.
Lewis has written extensively on his faith and one of his classics is titled “Mere Christianity” and in it he states; “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: "I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God." That is the one thing we must not say. A man who 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. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
Lewis develops the premise by saying; “We are faced, then, with a frightening alternative. This man we are talking about either was (and is) just what He said, or else a lunatic, or something worse. Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a fiend: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is God. God has landed on this enemy-occupied world in human form.”
Unlike Mr. Hull and Mr. Newell, Jesus Christ had nothing to gain by perpetuating a hoax and being obedient to the will of God and dying on the Cross. And his 12 disciples did not enjoy the praise or respect of the world by staying true to Jesus Christ and his teachings; they endured shame, ostracism, and imprisonment and ultimately death yet nary a one ever renounced their faith or said the empty tomb was a hoax. As we draw closer to the Easter season to celebrate the resurrection what will you do with the fact of the person and work of Jesus Christ?
“For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die-- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” ~ Romans 5:7-8
Monday, March 29, 2010
The suffering servant
“The (Christian) "doctrines" are translations into our concepts and ideas of that which God has already expressed in language more adequate, namely the actual incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection” ~ C.S. Lewis
One of the most fascinating and thought provoking truths of the Bible is that it is filled with prophecy; some that has already been fulfilled and some that Christians anxiously await for. As we approach Easter it is amazing to ponder the fact that centuries before the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ, His birth, work and death were all foretold in the Old Testament.
When the Prophet Isaiah penned the 53rd chapter of the book that bears his name, it was written sometime around 700 B.C. Isaiah 53 outlines the person and work of Jesus Christ and shows us how the suffering servant came from ordinary beginnings, faced derision for those He came to save, how His suffering was substitutionary on our behalf, how He quietly endured His suffering, and how He was the perfect and innocent sacrifice. Yet ultimately Isaiah tells that the suffering servant will triumph and He will justify many through His sacrifice.
In his book; “Beginning at Moses: A Guide to Finding Christ in the Old Testament” Michael Barrett states this about Isaiah 53; “Essentially, the only details the New Testament adds to Isaiah’s account of Christ’s Passion are the names of Judas, Pilate, Herod, and Joseph of Arimathaea.” Barrett also comments that; “Every time we mediate on the cross-work of the Lord Jesus Christ, our hearts ought to warm, overflowing with gratitude and praise for His amazing love to us. To read the Gospel narratives, which describe the indescribable sufferings, tortures, and agonies that our Savior endured for us ought to generate ever-increasing love, devotion, and dedicated service to Him.”
Isaiah 53
1 Who has believed what he has heard from us?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?
9 And they made his grave with the wicked
and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.
The Final Word:
“You and me we use so very many clumsy words.
The noise of what we often say is not worth being heard.
When the Father’s Wisdom wanted to communicate His love,
He spoke it in one final perfect Word.
He spoke the Incarnation and then so was born the Son.
His final word was Jesus, He needed no other one.
Spoke flesh and blood so He could bleed and make a way Divine.
And so was born the baby who would die to make it mine.” ~ Michael Card
One of the most fascinating and thought provoking truths of the Bible is that it is filled with prophecy; some that has already been fulfilled and some that Christians anxiously await for. As we approach Easter it is amazing to ponder the fact that centuries before the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ, His birth, work and death were all foretold in the Old Testament.
When the Prophet Isaiah penned the 53rd chapter of the book that bears his name, it was written sometime around 700 B.C. Isaiah 53 outlines the person and work of Jesus Christ and shows us how the suffering servant came from ordinary beginnings, faced derision for those He came to save, how His suffering was substitutionary on our behalf, how He quietly endured His suffering, and how He was the perfect and innocent sacrifice. Yet ultimately Isaiah tells that the suffering servant will triumph and He will justify many through His sacrifice.
In his book; “Beginning at Moses: A Guide to Finding Christ in the Old Testament” Michael Barrett states this about Isaiah 53; “Essentially, the only details the New Testament adds to Isaiah’s account of Christ’s Passion are the names of Judas, Pilate, Herod, and Joseph of Arimathaea.” Barrett also comments that; “Every time we mediate on the cross-work of the Lord Jesus Christ, our hearts ought to warm, overflowing with gratitude and praise for His amazing love to us. To read the Gospel narratives, which describe the indescribable sufferings, tortures, and agonies that our Savior endured for us ought to generate ever-increasing love, devotion, and dedicated service to Him.”
Isaiah 53
1 Who has believed what he has heard from us?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?
9 And they made his grave with the wicked
and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.
The Final Word:
“You and me we use so very many clumsy words.
The noise of what we often say is not worth being heard.
When the Father’s Wisdom wanted to communicate His love,
He spoke it in one final perfect Word.
He spoke the Incarnation and then so was born the Son.
His final word was Jesus, He needed no other one.
Spoke flesh and blood so He could bleed and make a way Divine.
And so was born the baby who would die to make it mine.” ~ Michael Card
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Physicians view of the Crucifixion -- part 2
Yesterday I posted the first half of a medical explanation of what Jesus endured on the day He died by Dr. C. Truman Davis. The following continues to provide an overview of the agony that Jesus Christ suffered to be the atoning sacrifice for those who accept the free gift of grace.
On the Cross
As Jesus slowly sagged down with more weight on the nails in the wrist, excruciating, fiery pain shot along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain. The nails in the wrists were putting pressure on the median nerve, large nerve trunks which traverse the mid-wrist and hand. As He pushed himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, He placed His full weight on the nail through His feet. Again there was searing agony as the nail tore through the nerves between the metatarsal bones of his feet.
At this point, another phenomenon occurred. As the arms fatigued, great waves of cramps swept over the muscles, knotting them in deep relentless, throbbing pain. With these cramps came the inability to push Himself upward. Hanging by the arm, the pectoral muscles, the large muscles of the chest, were paralyzed and the intercostal muscles, the small muscles between the ribs, were unable to act. Air could be drawn into the lungs, but could not be exhaled. Jesus fought to raise Himself in order to get even one short breath. Finally, the carbon dioxide level increased in the lungs and in the blood stream, and the cramps partially subsided.
The Last Words
Spasmodically, He was able to push Himself upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen. It was undoubtedly during these periods that He uttered the seven short sentences that are recorded.
The first - looking down at the Roman soldiers throwing dice for His seamless garment: "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do."
The second - to the penitent thief: "Today, thou shalt be with me in Paradise."
The third - looking down at Mary His mother, He said: "Woman, behold your son." Then turning to the terrified, grief-stricken adolescent John, the beloved apostle, He said: "Behold your mother."
The fourth cry is from the beginning of Psalm 22: "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"
He suffered hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, and searing pain as tissue was torn from His lacerated back from His movement up and down against the rough timbers of the cross. Then another agony began: a deep crushing pain in the chest as the pericardium, the sac surrounding the heart, slowly filled with serum and began to compress the heart.
The prophecy in Psalm 22:14 was being fulfilled: "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint, my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels."
The end was rapidly approaching. The loss of tissue fluids had reached a critical level; the compressed heart was struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood to the tissues, and the tortured lungs were making a frantic effort to inhale small gulps of air. The markedly dehydrated tissues sent their flood of stimuli to the brain. Jesus gasped His fifth cry: "I thirst." Again we read in the prophetic psalm: "My strength is dried up like a potsherd; my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou has brought me into the dust of death" (Psalm 22:15 KJV).
A sponge soaked in posca, the cheap, sour wine that was the staple drink of the Roman legionnaires, was lifted to Jesus' lips. His body was now in extremis, and He could feel the chill of death creeping through His tissues. This realization brought forth His sixth word, possibly little more than a tortured whisper: "It is finished." His mission of atonement had completed. Finally, He could allow His body to die. With one last surge of strength, He once again pressed His torn feet against the nail, straightened His legs, took a deeper breath, and uttered His seventh and last cry: "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit."
Death
The common method of ending a crucifixion was by crurifracture, the breaking of the bones of the leg. This prevented the victim from pushing himself upward; the tension could not be relieved from the muscles of the chest, and rapid suffocation occurred. The legs of the two thieves were broken, but when the soldiers approached Jesus, they saw that this was unnecessary.
Apparently, the make doubly sure of death, the legionnaire drove his lance between the ribs, upward through the pericardium and into the heart. John 19:34 states, "And immediately there came out blood and water." Thus there was an escape of watery fluid from the sac surrounding the heart and the blood of the interior of the heart. This is rather conclusive post-mortem evidence that Jesus died, not the usual crucifixion death by suffocation, but of heart failure due to shock and constriction of the heart by fluid in the pericardium.
Resurrection
In these events, we have seen a glimpse of the epitome of evil that man can exhibit toward is fellowman and toward God. This is an ugly sight and is likely to leave us despondent and depressed.
But the crucifixion was not the end of the story. How grateful we can be that we have a sequel: a glimpse of the infinite mercy of God toward man - - the gift of atonement, the miracle of the resurrection, and the expectation of Easter morning.
Dr. C. Truman Davis is a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. He is a practicing ophthalmologist, a pastor, and author of a book about medicine and the Bible.
Editors' note: If Jesus had remained dead, Christianity would be nothing but an empty promise. But three days after His death, He rose again from the dead. This is the miracle of resurrection, which is what Christians celebrate at Easter. To learn more about the resurrection, read John chapter 20 and 21.
A Physician Analyzes the Crucifixion by Dr. C. Truman Davis was copied from the Calvary Chapel of Santa Maria web site.
On the Cross
As Jesus slowly sagged down with more weight on the nails in the wrist, excruciating, fiery pain shot along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain. The nails in the wrists were putting pressure on the median nerve, large nerve trunks which traverse the mid-wrist and hand. As He pushed himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, He placed His full weight on the nail through His feet. Again there was searing agony as the nail tore through the nerves between the metatarsal bones of his feet.
At this point, another phenomenon occurred. As the arms fatigued, great waves of cramps swept over the muscles, knotting them in deep relentless, throbbing pain. With these cramps came the inability to push Himself upward. Hanging by the arm, the pectoral muscles, the large muscles of the chest, were paralyzed and the intercostal muscles, the small muscles between the ribs, were unable to act. Air could be drawn into the lungs, but could not be exhaled. Jesus fought to raise Himself in order to get even one short breath. Finally, the carbon dioxide level increased in the lungs and in the blood stream, and the cramps partially subsided.
The Last Words
Spasmodically, He was able to push Himself upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen. It was undoubtedly during these periods that He uttered the seven short sentences that are recorded.
The first - looking down at the Roman soldiers throwing dice for His seamless garment: "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do."
The second - to the penitent thief: "Today, thou shalt be with me in Paradise."
The third - looking down at Mary His mother, He said: "Woman, behold your son." Then turning to the terrified, grief-stricken adolescent John, the beloved apostle, He said: "Behold your mother."
The fourth cry is from the beginning of Psalm 22: "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"
He suffered hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, and searing pain as tissue was torn from His lacerated back from His movement up and down against the rough timbers of the cross. Then another agony began: a deep crushing pain in the chest as the pericardium, the sac surrounding the heart, slowly filled with serum and began to compress the heart.
The prophecy in Psalm 22:14 was being fulfilled: "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint, my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels."
The end was rapidly approaching. The loss of tissue fluids had reached a critical level; the compressed heart was struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood to the tissues, and the tortured lungs were making a frantic effort to inhale small gulps of air. The markedly dehydrated tissues sent their flood of stimuli to the brain. Jesus gasped His fifth cry: "I thirst." Again we read in the prophetic psalm: "My strength is dried up like a potsherd; my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou has brought me into the dust of death" (Psalm 22:15 KJV).
A sponge soaked in posca, the cheap, sour wine that was the staple drink of the Roman legionnaires, was lifted to Jesus' lips. His body was now in extremis, and He could feel the chill of death creeping through His tissues. This realization brought forth His sixth word, possibly little more than a tortured whisper: "It is finished." His mission of atonement had completed. Finally, He could allow His body to die. With one last surge of strength, He once again pressed His torn feet against the nail, straightened His legs, took a deeper breath, and uttered His seventh and last cry: "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit."
Death
The common method of ending a crucifixion was by crurifracture, the breaking of the bones of the leg. This prevented the victim from pushing himself upward; the tension could not be relieved from the muscles of the chest, and rapid suffocation occurred. The legs of the two thieves were broken, but when the soldiers approached Jesus, they saw that this was unnecessary.
Apparently, the make doubly sure of death, the legionnaire drove his lance between the ribs, upward through the pericardium and into the heart. John 19:34 states, "And immediately there came out blood and water." Thus there was an escape of watery fluid from the sac surrounding the heart and the blood of the interior of the heart. This is rather conclusive post-mortem evidence that Jesus died, not the usual crucifixion death by suffocation, but of heart failure due to shock and constriction of the heart by fluid in the pericardium.
Resurrection
In these events, we have seen a glimpse of the epitome of evil that man can exhibit toward is fellowman and toward God. This is an ugly sight and is likely to leave us despondent and depressed.
But the crucifixion was not the end of the story. How grateful we can be that we have a sequel: a glimpse of the infinite mercy of God toward man - - the gift of atonement, the miracle of the resurrection, and the expectation of Easter morning.
Dr. C. Truman Davis is a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. He is a practicing ophthalmologist, a pastor, and author of a book about medicine and the Bible.
Editors' note: If Jesus had remained dead, Christianity would be nothing but an empty promise. But three days after His death, He rose again from the dead. This is the miracle of resurrection, which is what Christians celebrate at Easter. To learn more about the resurrection, read John chapter 20 and 21.
A Physician Analyzes the Crucifixion by Dr. C. Truman Davis was copied from the Calvary Chapel of Santa Maria web site.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Physicians view of the Crucifixion -- part 1
As we approach the Easter season I wanted to share a very moving article which describes the crucifixion. I need to caution the reader that this is detailed and graphic.
A medical explanation of what Jesus endured on the day He died by Dr. C. Truman Davis
And it was the third hour, when they crucified him. And the inscription of the charge against him read, "The King of the Jews." - Mark 15:25-26
Several years ago I became interested in the physical aspects of the passion, or suffering, of Jesus Christ when I read an account of the crucifixion in Jim Bishop's book, The Day Christ Died. I suddenly realized that I had taken the crucifixion more or less for granted all these years - that I had grown callous to its horror by a too-easy familiarity with the grim details. It finally occurred to me that, as a physician, I did not even know the actual immediate cause of Christ's death. The gospel writers do not help much on this point. Since crucifixion and scourging were so common during their lifetimes, they undoubtedly considered a detailed description superfluous. For that reason we have only the concise words of the evangelists: "Pilate, having scourged Jesus, delivered Him to them to be crucified ... and they crucified Him."
Despite the gospel accounts' silence on the details of Christ's crucifixion, many have looked into this subject in the past. In my personal study of the event from a medical viewpoint, I am indebted especially to Dr. Pierre Barbet, a French surgeon who did exhaustive historical and experimental research and wrote extensively on the topic.
An attempt to examine the infinite psychic and spiritual suffering of the Incarnate God in atonement for the sins of fallen man is beyond the scope of this article. However, the physiological and anatomical aspects of our Lord's passion we can examine in some detail. What did the body of Jesus of Nazareth actually endure during those hours of torture?
Gethsemane
The physical passion of Christ began in Gethsemane. Of the many aspects of His initial suffering, the one which is of particular physiological interest is the bloody sweat. Interestingly enough, the physician, St. Luke, is the only evangelist to mention this occurrence. He says, "And being in an agony, he prayed the longer. And his sweat became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground" (Luke 22:44 KJV).
Every attempt imaginable has been used by modern scholars to explain away the phenomenon of bloody sweat, apparently under the mistaken impression that it simply does not occur. A great deal of effort could be saved by consulting the medical literature. Though very rare, the phenomenon of hematidrosis, or bloody sweat, is well documented. Under great emotional stress, tiny capillaries in the sweat glands can break, thus mixing blood with sweat. This process alone could have produced marked weakness and possible shock.
Although Jesus' betrayal and arrest are important portions of the passion story, the next event in the account which is significant from a medical perspective is His trial before the Sanhedrin and Caiaphas, the High Priest. Here the first physical trauma was inflicted. A soldier struck Jesus across the face for remaining silent when questioned by Caiaphas. The palace guards then blindfolded Him, mockingly taunted Him to identify them as each passed by, spat on Him, and struck Him in the face.
Before Pilate
In the early morning, battered and bruised, dehydrated, and worn out from a sleepless night, Jesus was taken across Jerusalem to the Praetorium of the Fortress Antonia, the seat of government of the Procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate. We are familiar with Pilate's action in attempting to shift responsibility to Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch of Judea. Jesus apparently suffered no physical mistreatment at the hands of Herod and was returned to Pilate. It was then, in response to the outcry of the mob, that Pilate ordered Barabbas released and condemned Jesus to scourging and crucifixion.
Preparations for Jesus' scourging were carried out at Caesar's orders. The prisoner was stripped of His clothing and His hands tied to a post above His head. The Roman legionnaire stepped forward with the flagrum, or flagellum, in his hand. This was a short whip consisting of several heavy, leather thongs with two small balls of lead attached near the ends of each. The heavy whip was brought down with full force again and again across Jesus' shoulders, back and legs. At first the weighted thongs cut through the skin only. Then, as the blows continued, they cut deeper into the subcutaneous tissues, producing first an oozing of blood from the capillaries and veins of the skin and finally spurting arterial bleeding from vessels in the underlying muscles.
The small balls of lead first produced large deep bruises that were broken open by subsequent blows. Finally, the skin of the back was hanging in long ribbons, and the entire area was an unrecognizable mass of torn, bleeding tissue. When it was determined by the centurion in charge that the prisoner was near death, the beating was finally stopped.
Mockery
The half-fainting Jesus was then untied and allowed to slump to the stone pavement, wet with his own blood. The Roman soldiers saw a great joke in this provincial Jew claiming to be a king. They threw a robe across His shoulders and placed a stick in His hand for a scepter. They still needed a crown to make their travesty complete. Small flexible branches covered with long thorns, commonly used for kindling fires in the charcoal braziers in the courtyard, were plaited in the shape of a crude crown. The crown was pressed into his scalp and again there was copious bleeding as the thorns pierced the very vascular tissue. After mocking Him and striking Him across the face, the soldiers took the stick from His hand and struck Him across the head, driving the thorns deeper in His scalp. Finally, they tired of their sadistic sport and tore the robe from His back. The robe had already become adherent to the clots of blood and serum in the wounds, and its removal, just as in the careless removal of a surgical bandage, caused excruciating pain. The wounds again began to bleed.
Golgotha
In deference to Jewish custom, the Romans apparently returned His garments. The heavy patibulum of the cross(horizontal portion) was tied across His shoulders. The procession of the condemned Christ, two thieves, and the execution detail of Roman soldiers headed by a centurion began its slow journey along the route which we know today as the Via Dolorosa.
In spite of Jesus' efforts to walk erect, the weight of the heavy wooden beam, together with the shock produced by copious loss of blood, was too much. He stumbled and fell. The rough wood of the beam gouged into the lacerated skin and muscles of the shoulders. He tried to rise, but human muscles had been pushed beyond their endurance. The centurion, anxious to proceed with the crucifixion, selected a stalwart North African onlooker, Simon of Cyrene, to carry the cross. Jesus followed, still bleeding and sweating the cold, clammy sweat of shock. The 650-yard journey from the Fortress Antonia to Golgotha was finally completed. The prisoner was again stripped of His clothing except for a loin cloth which was allowed the Jews.
The crucifixion began. Jesus was offered wine mixed with myrrh, a mild analgesic, pain-reliving mixture. He refused the drink. Simon was ordered to place the patibulum on the ground, and Jesus was quickly thrown backward, with His shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire felt for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drove a heavy, square wrought-iron nail through the wrist and deep into the wood. Quickly, he moved to the other side and repeated the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but to allow some flexion and movement. The patibulum was then lifted into place at the top of the stipes (vertical portion of the cross), and the titulus (sign stating victim's crime) reading "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" was nailed into place.
The left foot was pressed backward against the right foot. With both feet extended, toes down, a nail was driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees moderately flexed. The victim was now crucified.
A Physician Analyzes the Crucifixion by Dr. C. Truman Davis was copied from the Calvary Chapel of Santa Maria web site
A medical explanation of what Jesus endured on the day He died by Dr. C. Truman Davis
And it was the third hour, when they crucified him. And the inscription of the charge against him read, "The King of the Jews." - Mark 15:25-26
Several years ago I became interested in the physical aspects of the passion, or suffering, of Jesus Christ when I read an account of the crucifixion in Jim Bishop's book, The Day Christ Died. I suddenly realized that I had taken the crucifixion more or less for granted all these years - that I had grown callous to its horror by a too-easy familiarity with the grim details. It finally occurred to me that, as a physician, I did not even know the actual immediate cause of Christ's death. The gospel writers do not help much on this point. Since crucifixion and scourging were so common during their lifetimes, they undoubtedly considered a detailed description superfluous. For that reason we have only the concise words of the evangelists: "Pilate, having scourged Jesus, delivered Him to them to be crucified ... and they crucified Him."
Despite the gospel accounts' silence on the details of Christ's crucifixion, many have looked into this subject in the past. In my personal study of the event from a medical viewpoint, I am indebted especially to Dr. Pierre Barbet, a French surgeon who did exhaustive historical and experimental research and wrote extensively on the topic.
An attempt to examine the infinite psychic and spiritual suffering of the Incarnate God in atonement for the sins of fallen man is beyond the scope of this article. However, the physiological and anatomical aspects of our Lord's passion we can examine in some detail. What did the body of Jesus of Nazareth actually endure during those hours of torture?
Gethsemane
The physical passion of Christ began in Gethsemane. Of the many aspects of His initial suffering, the one which is of particular physiological interest is the bloody sweat. Interestingly enough, the physician, St. Luke, is the only evangelist to mention this occurrence. He says, "And being in an agony, he prayed the longer. And his sweat became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground" (Luke 22:44 KJV).
Every attempt imaginable has been used by modern scholars to explain away the phenomenon of bloody sweat, apparently under the mistaken impression that it simply does not occur. A great deal of effort could be saved by consulting the medical literature. Though very rare, the phenomenon of hematidrosis, or bloody sweat, is well documented. Under great emotional stress, tiny capillaries in the sweat glands can break, thus mixing blood with sweat. This process alone could have produced marked weakness and possible shock.
Although Jesus' betrayal and arrest are important portions of the passion story, the next event in the account which is significant from a medical perspective is His trial before the Sanhedrin and Caiaphas, the High Priest. Here the first physical trauma was inflicted. A soldier struck Jesus across the face for remaining silent when questioned by Caiaphas. The palace guards then blindfolded Him, mockingly taunted Him to identify them as each passed by, spat on Him, and struck Him in the face.
Before Pilate
In the early morning, battered and bruised, dehydrated, and worn out from a sleepless night, Jesus was taken across Jerusalem to the Praetorium of the Fortress Antonia, the seat of government of the Procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate. We are familiar with Pilate's action in attempting to shift responsibility to Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch of Judea. Jesus apparently suffered no physical mistreatment at the hands of Herod and was returned to Pilate. It was then, in response to the outcry of the mob, that Pilate ordered Barabbas released and condemned Jesus to scourging and crucifixion.
Preparations for Jesus' scourging were carried out at Caesar's orders. The prisoner was stripped of His clothing and His hands tied to a post above His head. The Roman legionnaire stepped forward with the flagrum, or flagellum, in his hand. This was a short whip consisting of several heavy, leather thongs with two small balls of lead attached near the ends of each. The heavy whip was brought down with full force again and again across Jesus' shoulders, back and legs. At first the weighted thongs cut through the skin only. Then, as the blows continued, they cut deeper into the subcutaneous tissues, producing first an oozing of blood from the capillaries and veins of the skin and finally spurting arterial bleeding from vessels in the underlying muscles.
The small balls of lead first produced large deep bruises that were broken open by subsequent blows. Finally, the skin of the back was hanging in long ribbons, and the entire area was an unrecognizable mass of torn, bleeding tissue. When it was determined by the centurion in charge that the prisoner was near death, the beating was finally stopped.
Mockery
The half-fainting Jesus was then untied and allowed to slump to the stone pavement, wet with his own blood. The Roman soldiers saw a great joke in this provincial Jew claiming to be a king. They threw a robe across His shoulders and placed a stick in His hand for a scepter. They still needed a crown to make their travesty complete. Small flexible branches covered with long thorns, commonly used for kindling fires in the charcoal braziers in the courtyard, were plaited in the shape of a crude crown. The crown was pressed into his scalp and again there was copious bleeding as the thorns pierced the very vascular tissue. After mocking Him and striking Him across the face, the soldiers took the stick from His hand and struck Him across the head, driving the thorns deeper in His scalp. Finally, they tired of their sadistic sport and tore the robe from His back. The robe had already become adherent to the clots of blood and serum in the wounds, and its removal, just as in the careless removal of a surgical bandage, caused excruciating pain. The wounds again began to bleed.
Golgotha
In deference to Jewish custom, the Romans apparently returned His garments. The heavy patibulum of the cross(horizontal portion) was tied across His shoulders. The procession of the condemned Christ, two thieves, and the execution detail of Roman soldiers headed by a centurion began its slow journey along the route which we know today as the Via Dolorosa.
In spite of Jesus' efforts to walk erect, the weight of the heavy wooden beam, together with the shock produced by copious loss of blood, was too much. He stumbled and fell. The rough wood of the beam gouged into the lacerated skin and muscles of the shoulders. He tried to rise, but human muscles had been pushed beyond their endurance. The centurion, anxious to proceed with the crucifixion, selected a stalwart North African onlooker, Simon of Cyrene, to carry the cross. Jesus followed, still bleeding and sweating the cold, clammy sweat of shock. The 650-yard journey from the Fortress Antonia to Golgotha was finally completed. The prisoner was again stripped of His clothing except for a loin cloth which was allowed the Jews.
The crucifixion began. Jesus was offered wine mixed with myrrh, a mild analgesic, pain-reliving mixture. He refused the drink. Simon was ordered to place the patibulum on the ground, and Jesus was quickly thrown backward, with His shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire felt for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drove a heavy, square wrought-iron nail through the wrist and deep into the wood. Quickly, he moved to the other side and repeated the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but to allow some flexion and movement. The patibulum was then lifted into place at the top of the stipes (vertical portion of the cross), and the titulus (sign stating victim's crime) reading "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" was nailed into place.
The left foot was pressed backward against the right foot. With both feet extended, toes down, a nail was driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees moderately flexed. The victim was now crucified.
A Physician Analyzes the Crucifixion by Dr. C. Truman Davis was copied from the Calvary Chapel of Santa Maria web site
Friday, March 26, 2010
What inspires you?
“I know the Bible is inspired because it inspires me.” ~ Dwight L. Moody
In Greek mythology the Muses were the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (‘Memory’) and they were typically associated with various charming powers of artistic expression. They were said to be the inspiration for poetry, music, history, tragedy, dance and comedy. According to Wikipedia; “They were considered the source of the knowledge, related orally for centuries in the ancient culture, that was contained in poetic lyrics and myths.”
Many ancient writers cited the Muses as the inspiration for their work including Homer when he wrote “The Odyssey” Virgil when he penned “Aeneid” as well as Dante’s “Inferno” and Milton’s “Paradise Lost.” Often these writers and poets would invoke them at the start of their prose and tried to present them as the “true speaker” and that they were simply a tool used as the mouthpiece. In our current vernacular we would say that these authors were inspired by the Muse to write or create. In our banal society we typically see movies, books, music and television programs as “inspired by real life events” or “based on a true story.” But sadly much of the “arts” today are lacking inspiration and just are trivial nonsense with no lasting value.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines inspire as; to influence, move, or guide by divine or supernatural inspiration; to exert an animating, enlivening, or exalting influence on; to spur on; impel, motivate. What typically inspires, influences, impels or has an exalting influence on us and society? Sadly it seems that all of the print, audio and video media focus on are things like wealth, materialism, power, control, vanity, fierce independence, my rights or what I think I deserve. This is not true in all cases but the truth is all of these sources are pushing an agenda and trying to convince you and I to pursue and realize our Muse, whatever that maybe.
Within Biblical Christianity the word “inspiration” has a much more significant meaning. In the book “Dictionary of Theological Terms” by Alain Cairns inspiration is defined as; “…the work of God, by His Holy Spirit, communicating His word to the writers of the Bible and enabling them to write that word without error, addition, or deletion. Thus, though fallible human penmen were employed, the Holy Spirit ensured the production of infallible writings, true in all respects, both as to their ideas and their words.” Chuck Missler states; “The great discovery is that the Bible is a message system: it’s not simply 66 books penned by 40 authors over thousands of years, the Bible is an integrated whole which bears evidence of supernatural engineering in every detail!” God’s Word, the Bible in simple terms has one central theme; God revealing Himself to man and how we can be reconciled to Him.
When I posted the D.L. Moody quote above on my social networking page status update I was reminded by some very good friends of some essential truths; first that we are inspired not by the words of men but the Word of God. It inspires us and ultimately changes us. As the dictionary definition describes; we are guided by the supernatural and divine God, and when we accept the Jesus Christ of the Bible we should be changed. That change enlivens what was once dead in it’s trespasses and sin, and God’s Word compels and motivates us to live our lives under His influence.
Another friend also mentioned a key verse found in II Timothy 3:16; “All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” and if we claim to be Bible believing Christians this must be true in our lives. Every word is inspired and should not be ignored. Timothy goes on to mention in verse 17 of the same chapter that because it is inspired we are made competent and equipped for every good work.
Unlike Greek mythology we did not believe “cunningly devised fables”. The Apostle Peter tells us in II Peter 1:16; “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” Peter was giving an eye witness account of the person and work of Christ and he spent his entire life and being sharing the Gospel message to anyone who would listen.
I personally know the Bible is true because it inspires me. It inspired me to change the course of my life, and changed and continues to change the way I act, think, desire and interact with others. But thankfully God isn’t finished with me yet, and I am truly thankful that He inspired 66 men to pen His Word, and His Word continues to inspire even today. What is your inspiration?
“So come lose our life for a carpenter's son
For a man who had died for a dream
And you'll feel the faith His first followers had
And you'll feel the weight of the beam
So surrender the hunger to say you must know
Have the courage to say I believe
For the power of paradox opens your eyes
And blinds those who say they can see
We in our foolishness thought we were wise
He played the fool and He opened our eyes
And we in our weakness believed we were strong
He became helpless to show we were wrong
And so we follow God's own fool
For only the foolish can tell
Believe the unbelievable
Come be a fool as well.”
In Greek mythology the Muses were the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (‘Memory’) and they were typically associated with various charming powers of artistic expression. They were said to be the inspiration for poetry, music, history, tragedy, dance and comedy. According to Wikipedia; “They were considered the source of the knowledge, related orally for centuries in the ancient culture, that was contained in poetic lyrics and myths.”
Many ancient writers cited the Muses as the inspiration for their work including Homer when he wrote “The Odyssey” Virgil when he penned “Aeneid” as well as Dante’s “Inferno” and Milton’s “Paradise Lost.” Often these writers and poets would invoke them at the start of their prose and tried to present them as the “true speaker” and that they were simply a tool used as the mouthpiece. In our current vernacular we would say that these authors were inspired by the Muse to write or create. In our banal society we typically see movies, books, music and television programs as “inspired by real life events” or “based on a true story.” But sadly much of the “arts” today are lacking inspiration and just are trivial nonsense with no lasting value.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines inspire as; to influence, move, or guide by divine or supernatural inspiration; to exert an animating, enlivening, or exalting influence on; to spur on; impel, motivate. What typically inspires, influences, impels or has an exalting influence on us and society? Sadly it seems that all of the print, audio and video media focus on are things like wealth, materialism, power, control, vanity, fierce independence, my rights or what I think I deserve. This is not true in all cases but the truth is all of these sources are pushing an agenda and trying to convince you and I to pursue and realize our Muse, whatever that maybe.
Within Biblical Christianity the word “inspiration” has a much more significant meaning. In the book “Dictionary of Theological Terms” by Alain Cairns inspiration is defined as; “…the work of God, by His Holy Spirit, communicating His word to the writers of the Bible and enabling them to write that word without error, addition, or deletion. Thus, though fallible human penmen were employed, the Holy Spirit ensured the production of infallible writings, true in all respects, both as to their ideas and their words.” Chuck Missler states; “The great discovery is that the Bible is a message system: it’s not simply 66 books penned by 40 authors over thousands of years, the Bible is an integrated whole which bears evidence of supernatural engineering in every detail!” God’s Word, the Bible in simple terms has one central theme; God revealing Himself to man and how we can be reconciled to Him.
When I posted the D.L. Moody quote above on my social networking page status update I was reminded by some very good friends of some essential truths; first that we are inspired not by the words of men but the Word of God. It inspires us and ultimately changes us. As the dictionary definition describes; we are guided by the supernatural and divine God, and when we accept the Jesus Christ of the Bible we should be changed. That change enlivens what was once dead in it’s trespasses and sin, and God’s Word compels and motivates us to live our lives under His influence.
Another friend also mentioned a key verse found in II Timothy 3:16; “All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” and if we claim to be Bible believing Christians this must be true in our lives. Every word is inspired and should not be ignored. Timothy goes on to mention in verse 17 of the same chapter that because it is inspired we are made competent and equipped for every good work.
Unlike Greek mythology we did not believe “cunningly devised fables”. The Apostle Peter tells us in II Peter 1:16; “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” Peter was giving an eye witness account of the person and work of Christ and he spent his entire life and being sharing the Gospel message to anyone who would listen.
I personally know the Bible is true because it inspires me. It inspired me to change the course of my life, and changed and continues to change the way I act, think, desire and interact with others. But thankfully God isn’t finished with me yet, and I am truly thankful that He inspired 66 men to pen His Word, and His Word continues to inspire even today. What is your inspiration?
“So come lose our life for a carpenter's son
For a man who had died for a dream
And you'll feel the faith His first followers had
And you'll feel the weight of the beam
So surrender the hunger to say you must know
Have the courage to say I believe
For the power of paradox opens your eyes
And blinds those who say they can see
We in our foolishness thought we were wise
He played the fool and He opened our eyes
And we in our weakness believed we were strong
He became helpless to show we were wrong
And so we follow God's own fool
For only the foolish can tell
Believe the unbelievable
Come be a fool as well.”
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Giving an answer
"But in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame." ~ 1 Peter 3:15-16
If you have not figured it out yet; I love to share my faith in Jesus Christ and what it has meant to me. I enjoy telling others about what He has done and is doing in my life. If people are willing to listen I am willing to openly share. I have mentioned that I have had a dialog with an atheist friend and it we basically reached some what of an impasse and sadly we have agreed to disagree. I still pray for him and hope he will take the time to consider the Gospel on his own. The post below is my final note to him and I hope this does not appear self-serving.
"I want to acknowledge that I agree with you that both sides of the “faith” issue whether atheist/agnostic or religious tend to overstate or do what one author calls “freak point” to the worse examples that either side of the aisle has to offer. Religious people get all lumped in together in one big group and the extremists are all pointed to as the norm for those of faith rather than an aberration or atypical of the average believer. So what do those of faith do, they respond with freak pointing of their own. Hitchens or Dawkins point to the Crusades, the Inquisition or honor killings and the other side points to Hitler, Stalin, Mao or the killing fields or Cambodia. What this fails to acknowledge in my estimation are people like you and I who don’t plot genocide, incarcerating our political opponents, flying planes into buildings or whatever other perversion of a set of core beliefs or a "faith" system.
I believe I know you well enough to say that it is highly unlikely you are going to do what some authors have described as “…taking atheism to it’s logical conclusion…” just like it is unlikely that I am going to go on a jihad or blow up an abortion clinic. We both strive to live good lives, provide for our families, keep a good reputation amongst our business partners and are productive members of society. Neither of us is what you or I would classify as “extremists” or “rabid zealots.” So with all that said; I agree with you in principle that our faith systems or world-views cannot and should not be defined by those that have twisted or perverted the ideals or premise of the position we hold. I would no more lump you in with Hitler as you would me with a Crusader or Inquisitor.
Here is something though I want you to ponder; what is my motivation for sharing my faith with you? What do I have to personally gain? I surely cannot be accused of being motivated by power, money or political reasons. We live in separate countries and if per chance I was able to articulate my faith in a manner that convinced you I was sincere and God revealed to you that it was reasonable and logical what do I have to gain? You might say; well Mitch is just trying to win a debate or win brownie points with God. I can assure you that is the furthest from the truth. Let’s face it; in our society and in the business world you have more to lose than to gain by being open and honest about what you believe and why you believe it. I stand to gain more if I just keep my mouth shut and go along with the crowd.
Just because I am willing to share what I believe with you is no credit to me whatsoever. I am motivated by one thing and one thing alone; and that is I am so grateful and thankful for what God has revealed to me through His Word the Bible and the peace, hope and joy that faith in His Son Jesus Christ has brought to me personally that I want others to receive that same gift. One author described it like this; if you were convinced you could offer someone a cure for a terminal illness wouldn’t you try to do everything in your power to share that cure with them? The difference is that I am not a pharmaceutical company with the exclusive right to this miracle cure and I don’t stand to make a windfall in the market by “hawking” it to the highest bidder.
I grew up in a home where we went to church every time the doors where open and I was involved in various church youth groups. I learned the Bible stories and memorized verses but at the end of the day I compartmentalized my life. I was one way on Sunday’s and a completely different way Monday through Saturday. I was morally conservative and did not get in trouble; basically a good kid and not a trouble maker. I had a line I would not cross but I could and would rationalize things that I knew were at odds with the faith of the Bible. I had a certain “moral flexibility” and if that included lying, stealing, drinking or taking liberties I would do it. But nagging in the back of my mind was the fact that I would only go so far because I believe God wired me to know there are moral absolutes and there is a right and a wrong. I believe there is a difference between God-given instincts of self preservation and absolute moral standards that God outlines in His Word. And yes, I do believe that the 66 books of the Old and New Testament are in fact God’s Word that reveals His character and the moral standard He expects everyone to conform to.
After I graduated from high school and enrolled in college I explored any and all forms of entertainment and pleasure that this world offers. I have thoughtfully considered other religions or belief systems and even questioned if there is a God and even if there was am I answerable to Him? My parents actually are what I would consider 1st generation Christians. My mom was the first and only Christian in her entire family and my dad his mom both accepted Christ as their Savior at the same time. So I did not come from a long heritage of believers or from a background with a multi-generational faith. If anything the “wiring” of my extended family including grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins is anything but Christian.
All this to say that I saw my life spiraling out of control with drugs, alcohol, money, "pleasure" and materialism. I looked for satisfaction in anything and everything apart from God. But in my 2nd year of college I came to believe that faith in Jesus Christ was and is reasonable and logical. And I will admit that reason and logic can only take you so far and you have to be open to seek and pursue faith, and God does have to reveal Himself to you. But one of verses in the Bible states that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
You ask what the difference between Biblical Christianity and other faiths is and my answer is this; none of those other faiths portray their god as approachable or attainable. None of them really offer any hope or promise of eternal peace and joy, it is all a roll of the dice. And none of them have a God that took on human form to pay the ultimate price and penalty for His children so that you can have access to Him and a personal relationship with Him. All other forms of religion expect you to work for your salvation and hope at the end of the day you have done enough to merit that god’s favor. My faith is built on the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross and through no merit of my own I can have peace with God. That does NOT make me better than anyone else; on the contrary if I am honest with myself and consistent with God’s Word I have to acknowledge that I am no better than anyone else and it is all because God loves me (and you) and has shown me great mercy and grace that I neither deserve nor can I ever earn.
I know this is long and I appreciate your patience with me. I just wanted to share this with you. I believe what the Bible says that one day we will all stand before God and be judged. What is my motivation? I don’t want to be standing in the crowd and have you look over at me and say; “…you KNEW this to be true. Why didn’t you ever tell me?!?” If I am truly your friend and I claim to have any human compassion why would I keep this a secret?
"And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him." ~ Hebrews 9:27-28
If you have not figured it out yet; I love to share my faith in Jesus Christ and what it has meant to me. I enjoy telling others about what He has done and is doing in my life. If people are willing to listen I am willing to openly share. I have mentioned that I have had a dialog with an atheist friend and it we basically reached some what of an impasse and sadly we have agreed to disagree. I still pray for him and hope he will take the time to consider the Gospel on his own. The post below is my final note to him and I hope this does not appear self-serving.
"I want to acknowledge that I agree with you that both sides of the “faith” issue whether atheist/agnostic or religious tend to overstate or do what one author calls “freak point” to the worse examples that either side of the aisle has to offer. Religious people get all lumped in together in one big group and the extremists are all pointed to as the norm for those of faith rather than an aberration or atypical of the average believer. So what do those of faith do, they respond with freak pointing of their own. Hitchens or Dawkins point to the Crusades, the Inquisition or honor killings and the other side points to Hitler, Stalin, Mao or the killing fields or Cambodia. What this fails to acknowledge in my estimation are people like you and I who don’t plot genocide, incarcerating our political opponents, flying planes into buildings or whatever other perversion of a set of core beliefs or a "faith" system.
I believe I know you well enough to say that it is highly unlikely you are going to do what some authors have described as “…taking atheism to it’s logical conclusion…” just like it is unlikely that I am going to go on a jihad or blow up an abortion clinic. We both strive to live good lives, provide for our families, keep a good reputation amongst our business partners and are productive members of society. Neither of us is what you or I would classify as “extremists” or “rabid zealots.” So with all that said; I agree with you in principle that our faith systems or world-views cannot and should not be defined by those that have twisted or perverted the ideals or premise of the position we hold. I would no more lump you in with Hitler as you would me with a Crusader or Inquisitor.
Here is something though I want you to ponder; what is my motivation for sharing my faith with you? What do I have to personally gain? I surely cannot be accused of being motivated by power, money or political reasons. We live in separate countries and if per chance I was able to articulate my faith in a manner that convinced you I was sincere and God revealed to you that it was reasonable and logical what do I have to gain? You might say; well Mitch is just trying to win a debate or win brownie points with God. I can assure you that is the furthest from the truth. Let’s face it; in our society and in the business world you have more to lose than to gain by being open and honest about what you believe and why you believe it. I stand to gain more if I just keep my mouth shut and go along with the crowd.
Just because I am willing to share what I believe with you is no credit to me whatsoever. I am motivated by one thing and one thing alone; and that is I am so grateful and thankful for what God has revealed to me through His Word the Bible and the peace, hope and joy that faith in His Son Jesus Christ has brought to me personally that I want others to receive that same gift. One author described it like this; if you were convinced you could offer someone a cure for a terminal illness wouldn’t you try to do everything in your power to share that cure with them? The difference is that I am not a pharmaceutical company with the exclusive right to this miracle cure and I don’t stand to make a windfall in the market by “hawking” it to the highest bidder.
I grew up in a home where we went to church every time the doors where open and I was involved in various church youth groups. I learned the Bible stories and memorized verses but at the end of the day I compartmentalized my life. I was one way on Sunday’s and a completely different way Monday through Saturday. I was morally conservative and did not get in trouble; basically a good kid and not a trouble maker. I had a line I would not cross but I could and would rationalize things that I knew were at odds with the faith of the Bible. I had a certain “moral flexibility” and if that included lying, stealing, drinking or taking liberties I would do it. But nagging in the back of my mind was the fact that I would only go so far because I believe God wired me to know there are moral absolutes and there is a right and a wrong. I believe there is a difference between God-given instincts of self preservation and absolute moral standards that God outlines in His Word. And yes, I do believe that the 66 books of the Old and New Testament are in fact God’s Word that reveals His character and the moral standard He expects everyone to conform to.
After I graduated from high school and enrolled in college I explored any and all forms of entertainment and pleasure that this world offers. I have thoughtfully considered other religions or belief systems and even questioned if there is a God and even if there was am I answerable to Him? My parents actually are what I would consider 1st generation Christians. My mom was the first and only Christian in her entire family and my dad his mom both accepted Christ as their Savior at the same time. So I did not come from a long heritage of believers or from a background with a multi-generational faith. If anything the “wiring” of my extended family including grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins is anything but Christian.
All this to say that I saw my life spiraling out of control with drugs, alcohol, money, "pleasure" and materialism. I looked for satisfaction in anything and everything apart from God. But in my 2nd year of college I came to believe that faith in Jesus Christ was and is reasonable and logical. And I will admit that reason and logic can only take you so far and you have to be open to seek and pursue faith, and God does have to reveal Himself to you. But one of verses in the Bible states that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
You ask what the difference between Biblical Christianity and other faiths is and my answer is this; none of those other faiths portray their god as approachable or attainable. None of them really offer any hope or promise of eternal peace and joy, it is all a roll of the dice. And none of them have a God that took on human form to pay the ultimate price and penalty for His children so that you can have access to Him and a personal relationship with Him. All other forms of religion expect you to work for your salvation and hope at the end of the day you have done enough to merit that god’s favor. My faith is built on the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross and through no merit of my own I can have peace with God. That does NOT make me better than anyone else; on the contrary if I am honest with myself and consistent with God’s Word I have to acknowledge that I am no better than anyone else and it is all because God loves me (and you) and has shown me great mercy and grace that I neither deserve nor can I ever earn.
I know this is long and I appreciate your patience with me. I just wanted to share this with you. I believe what the Bible says that one day we will all stand before God and be judged. What is my motivation? I don’t want to be standing in the crowd and have you look over at me and say; “…you KNEW this to be true. Why didn’t you ever tell me?!?” If I am truly your friend and I claim to have any human compassion why would I keep this a secret?
"And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him." ~ Hebrews 9:27-28
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
So you say!
“Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.” ~ Proverbs 27:6
Who among us truly appreciates criticism? Probably one of the most difficult lessons for Christians to learn is how to receive and give criticism with the proper motive and response. Our first reaction is typically one of resentment and we lash out with responses like; how dare they criticize me, where do they get off, or well let me tell you a thing or two. Or maybe we internalize the criticism and feel discouraged or defeated and respond by just giving up. The problem with all of these responses is that none of them are what the Bible teaches and they do not reflect a life changed by the Gospel.
We need to know the difference between constructive criticism and slander. Wikipedia defines constructive criticism with the following statement; “The word critic comes from the Greek κριτικός (kritikós), "able to discern" , which in turn derives from the word κριτής (krités), meaning a person who offers reasoned judgment or analysis, value judgment, interpretation, or observation .” For further elaboration it states; “criticism performed with a compassionate attitude towards the person qualified for criticism,” The key thing we need to keep in mind is that in order for it to be constructive it has to be done with a loving attitude, in a polite and helpful manner with the motivation of helping someone improve.
In the dictionary definition of slander it uses words like malign, defame, accuse, disgrace and to harm some one’s reputation. There is no love, it is not polite, not helpful and the motivation is not to help someone improve. Alistair Begg states; “Slander is a subtle form of self exaltation.” The objective is to make ourselves look better or feel better at the expense of someone else. We rationalize and say; they had it coming, they deserved it, or the need to get their comeuppance.
What does the Bible say about slander? Proverbs 10:18 states; “The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever utters slander is a fool.” David in Psalm 50:19 & 20 writes; "You give your mouth free rein for evil, and your tongue frames deceit. "You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother's son.” David warns that the result of this in verse 22 is the absence of God for deliverance. David is even more direct in Psalm 101:5; “Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure.”
I cannot cite the source but I have heard the story of an old Scottish preacher who was approached by one of his parishioners and told that one of his fellow clergy members was enduring slanderous accusations. The old preacher was very indignant and animatedly told the parishioner that the charge was outrageous and untrue. The parishioner reluctantly told the old preacher; Pastor these same people are questioning your salvation as well. The old preacher quietly thanked the man and asked to be excused so he could get alone with God and pray about the matter.
This Pastor followed the same example of Moses in the book of Numbers. When the children of Israel questioned or complained about God and His sovereign plan Moses was quick to defend God and His character. But every time Moses was slandered or criticized in a non-constructive manner what did he do? When his brother and sister criticized him in Numbers 12 we see in verse 3 that he prayed. In Numbers 14 the people wanted to stone Moses and Aaron and in verses 5 and 11-20 he prayed and bowed before the Lord. But he even went a step further and prayed a prayer of intercession for the people asking God to “pardon the iniquity of this people.” Another example is found in Numbers 16:1-3 when the sons of Korah came against Moses. What did he do? In verse 4 he prayed and let God handle the matter.
We need to discern the difference between constructive criticism and slander when we speak with each other and ask ourselves; what is my motivation and heart attitude with what I am about to say. But taking it a step further; we also need to consider the criticism we receive as a potentially instruction from God, no matter who is the source. Does the criticism have any merit? Does it line up with what it says in God’s Word? And do my actions or attitude warrant this criticism. Easier said than done…
What I find the most difficult is when I do not necessarily appreciate the source of criticism. If it comes from a true friend who has earned their voice or one of my Pastors it is a little easier to take. When it comes from a casual acquaintance or even some one outside of the church it is a definitely more difficult. But that does not mean that it should not be considered or contemplated.
As parents we need to be careful how we respond when our children criticize us and how we respond. If they say something with the right spirit and attitude we need to respond in kind. Are we humble enough to accept what they are saying and are we guilty of living a double standard or being inconsistent in a certain area? What about when it comes from our spouses? Let’s face it; criticism from people we love and care for is probably the most difficult source to accept it from. They know us all too well and vice-versa, and it is difficult at times not to view criticism from those sources as a minor form of betrayal. But Solomon knew this when he penned; faithful are the wounds of a friend.
In a February 26th article by Days of Praise it states; “…if an honest evaluation of the criticism reveals it to be unwarranted, or perhaps even deliberately false and hurtful, then our example becomes Christ Himself. He never did or said anything to merit criticism (as we do, far too often), but he received it in great abundance. What was His response? When reviled, he reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.” (1 Peter 2:23)
“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” ~ Proverbs 27:17
Who among us truly appreciates criticism? Probably one of the most difficult lessons for Christians to learn is how to receive and give criticism with the proper motive and response. Our first reaction is typically one of resentment and we lash out with responses like; how dare they criticize me, where do they get off, or well let me tell you a thing or two. Or maybe we internalize the criticism and feel discouraged or defeated and respond by just giving up. The problem with all of these responses is that none of them are what the Bible teaches and they do not reflect a life changed by the Gospel.
We need to know the difference between constructive criticism and slander. Wikipedia defines constructive criticism with the following statement; “The word critic comes from the Greek κριτικός (kritikós), "able to discern" , which in turn derives from the word κριτής (krités), meaning a person who offers reasoned judgment or analysis, value judgment, interpretation, or observation .” For further elaboration it states; “criticism performed with a compassionate attitude towards the person qualified for criticism,” The key thing we need to keep in mind is that in order for it to be constructive it has to be done with a loving attitude, in a polite and helpful manner with the motivation of helping someone improve.
In the dictionary definition of slander it uses words like malign, defame, accuse, disgrace and to harm some one’s reputation. There is no love, it is not polite, not helpful and the motivation is not to help someone improve. Alistair Begg states; “Slander is a subtle form of self exaltation.” The objective is to make ourselves look better or feel better at the expense of someone else. We rationalize and say; they had it coming, they deserved it, or the need to get their comeuppance.
What does the Bible say about slander? Proverbs 10:18 states; “The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever utters slander is a fool.” David in Psalm 50:19 & 20 writes; "You give your mouth free rein for evil, and your tongue frames deceit. "You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother's son.” David warns that the result of this in verse 22 is the absence of God for deliverance. David is even more direct in Psalm 101:5; “Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure.”
I cannot cite the source but I have heard the story of an old Scottish preacher who was approached by one of his parishioners and told that one of his fellow clergy members was enduring slanderous accusations. The old preacher was very indignant and animatedly told the parishioner that the charge was outrageous and untrue. The parishioner reluctantly told the old preacher; Pastor these same people are questioning your salvation as well. The old preacher quietly thanked the man and asked to be excused so he could get alone with God and pray about the matter.
This Pastor followed the same example of Moses in the book of Numbers. When the children of Israel questioned or complained about God and His sovereign plan Moses was quick to defend God and His character. But every time Moses was slandered or criticized in a non-constructive manner what did he do? When his brother and sister criticized him in Numbers 12 we see in verse 3 that he prayed. In Numbers 14 the people wanted to stone Moses and Aaron and in verses 5 and 11-20 he prayed and bowed before the Lord. But he even went a step further and prayed a prayer of intercession for the people asking God to “pardon the iniquity of this people.” Another example is found in Numbers 16:1-3 when the sons of Korah came against Moses. What did he do? In verse 4 he prayed and let God handle the matter.
We need to discern the difference between constructive criticism and slander when we speak with each other and ask ourselves; what is my motivation and heart attitude with what I am about to say. But taking it a step further; we also need to consider the criticism we receive as a potentially instruction from God, no matter who is the source. Does the criticism have any merit? Does it line up with what it says in God’s Word? And do my actions or attitude warrant this criticism. Easier said than done…
What I find the most difficult is when I do not necessarily appreciate the source of criticism. If it comes from a true friend who has earned their voice or one of my Pastors it is a little easier to take. When it comes from a casual acquaintance or even some one outside of the church it is a definitely more difficult. But that does not mean that it should not be considered or contemplated.
As parents we need to be careful how we respond when our children criticize us and how we respond. If they say something with the right spirit and attitude we need to respond in kind. Are we humble enough to accept what they are saying and are we guilty of living a double standard or being inconsistent in a certain area? What about when it comes from our spouses? Let’s face it; criticism from people we love and care for is probably the most difficult source to accept it from. They know us all too well and vice-versa, and it is difficult at times not to view criticism from those sources as a minor form of betrayal. But Solomon knew this when he penned; faithful are the wounds of a friend.
In a February 26th article by Days of Praise it states; “…if an honest evaluation of the criticism reveals it to be unwarranted, or perhaps even deliberately false and hurtful, then our example becomes Christ Himself. He never did or said anything to merit criticism (as we do, far too often), but he received it in great abundance. What was His response? When reviled, he reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.” (1 Peter 2:23)
“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” ~ Proverbs 27:17
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
“He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.” ~ Psalm 40:3
We often talk of change; some change is viewed as progress while some is viewed as something that should be avoided altogether. It is interesting how we believe others should change or need to change but we don’t need to. David Bowie sang about change and the lyrics from his song go; “time may change me, but I can’t trace time.” Do the lyrics mean I cannot find the time to change or time does not really change us or I cannot change because I cannot trace the source of change? Maybe Bowie was asking all of these questions or maybe he was just like the rest of us; looking for an excuse or a rationalization not to change. Many times we think others need to change first or that the world or our environment needs to change and once that happens we will make the necessary changes. There is no denying that we change over time. Some of the change is subtle and may go unnoticed, but some change is so radical that it cannot help but make people look twice.
The Merriam Webster dictionary defines change as; to make different in some particular: alter; to make radically different; transform; to give a different position, course or direction to; to exchange for an equivalent; to undergo a modification of; to put fresh clothes or covering on. Each of these definitions are descriptions the Apostle Paul uses to describe the change that takes place in someone who has accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. As an example Paul uses the description of changing our “spiritual clothing” to describe putting on the new man and putting off the old in both Ephesians 4:24 and Colossians 3:10. This putting on of the new man has a source; “after the image of it’s creator”. We are expected to change, but this change is not something that happens as a “one-time-deal” but it is change that is on-going and never stagnant or idle. It is a change that requires continual effort, action and focus. There is no “let go and let God” aspect of the change that God expects of us in our spiritual growth.
I have been reading the Oswald Chambers classic “My Utmost for His Highest” which is a daily devotional book with short, but thought provoking one page challenges. The March 21st entry is titled “Identified or Simply Interested?” Chambers quotes Galatians 2:20 and focuses on the portion that reads; “I have been crucified with Christ…” He states; “The inescapable spiritual need each of us has is the need to sign the death certificate of our sin nature. I must take my emotional opinions and intellectual beliefs and be willing to turn them into a moral verdict against the nature of sin; that is, against any claim I have to my right to myself. Paul said I have been crucified with Christ….” He did not say, “I have made a determination to imitate Jesus Christ,” or “I will really make an effort to follow Him”—but—“I have been identified with Him in His death.” Once I reach this moral decision and act on it, all that Christ accomplished for me on the Cross is accomplished in me. My unrestrained commitment of myself to God gives the Holy Spirit the opportunity to grant to me the holiness of Jesus Christ.”
Chambers goes on to say; “…it is no longer I who live….” My individuality remains, but my primary motivation for living and the nature that rules me are radically changed. I have the same human body, but the old satanic right to myself has been destroyed. “…and the life which I now live in the flesh,” not the life which I long to live or even pray that I live, but the life I now live in my mortal flesh—the life which others can see, “I live by faith in the Son of God…” This faith was not Paul’s own faith in Jesus Christ, but the faith the Son of God have given him (see Ephesians 2:8).”
Apparently I needed to hear messages about change because as I was driving to Charleston this weekend I was tuned into “Walk in the Word” with James McDonald and he as speaking about “Convicted about Change” from Ephesians 4:17-24. He started out by saying; Call me naïve but I am convinced that when we hear God’s Word taught and recognize the gap between our conduct and what it says that we make changes.” He said our attitude towards being changed by the Gospel should not be; I hope so, I think so or I want to, but I have made up my mind and I have determined. He went on to say that we need to learn what God’s Word says and align ourselves with it so we are not making our decisions in the heat of the moment.
McDonald said he did not want to believe what some studies have said; that the average professing Christian is no different from his unsaved counterpart. He pointed out from Ephesians 4 that Paul contrasts our life before we accepted Jesus Christ to what it should be now, and that alone should be our motivation to change. Paul talks the downward spiral of an unchanged life and in verse 17 the contrast about how we used to think; in a trivial or futile manner. We tried to find happiness through career advancement, money, power and pleasure rather than in God. In verse 18 Paul mentions the godless outlook of rebellion we have apart from Christ. Or better stated; we had no unprompted thoughts about God. In verse 19 we had a moral callousness or we had no guilt or conviction over things that once bothered us. Finally Paul points out the final stage of this downward spiral; God gives us over to our consuming passion or an absence of moral restraint. The same type of idea he talks about in Romans 1 where the mindset is; “if it feels good then do it.”
Do we remember what our life was like before we accepted Jesus Christ? Do we remember the emptiness, unhappiness and futility of our lives? Do we want to be different and do we want to change? Do we think we are "all that and a bag of chips" and we do not need to make on-going changes or grow? When we really want to change we do not care if others know or what they think. All we care about is being teachable and making the changes that are prompted by God’s Word and the indwelling Holy Spirit. Time and faith can change us, and when we stand before God we will need to acknowledge that He can trace time. It’s time to make the change…
"All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” ~ Isaiah 66:2
We often talk of change; some change is viewed as progress while some is viewed as something that should be avoided altogether. It is interesting how we believe others should change or need to change but we don’t need to. David Bowie sang about change and the lyrics from his song go; “time may change me, but I can’t trace time.” Do the lyrics mean I cannot find the time to change or time does not really change us or I cannot change because I cannot trace the source of change? Maybe Bowie was asking all of these questions or maybe he was just like the rest of us; looking for an excuse or a rationalization not to change. Many times we think others need to change first or that the world or our environment needs to change and once that happens we will make the necessary changes. There is no denying that we change over time. Some of the change is subtle and may go unnoticed, but some change is so radical that it cannot help but make people look twice.
The Merriam Webster dictionary defines change as; to make different in some particular: alter; to make radically different; transform; to give a different position, course or direction to; to exchange for an equivalent; to undergo a modification of; to put fresh clothes or covering on. Each of these definitions are descriptions the Apostle Paul uses to describe the change that takes place in someone who has accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. As an example Paul uses the description of changing our “spiritual clothing” to describe putting on the new man and putting off the old in both Ephesians 4:24 and Colossians 3:10. This putting on of the new man has a source; “after the image of it’s creator”. We are expected to change, but this change is not something that happens as a “one-time-deal” but it is change that is on-going and never stagnant or idle. It is a change that requires continual effort, action and focus. There is no “let go and let God” aspect of the change that God expects of us in our spiritual growth.
I have been reading the Oswald Chambers classic “My Utmost for His Highest” which is a daily devotional book with short, but thought provoking one page challenges. The March 21st entry is titled “Identified or Simply Interested?” Chambers quotes Galatians 2:20 and focuses on the portion that reads; “I have been crucified with Christ…” He states; “The inescapable spiritual need each of us has is the need to sign the death certificate of our sin nature. I must take my emotional opinions and intellectual beliefs and be willing to turn them into a moral verdict against the nature of sin; that is, against any claim I have to my right to myself. Paul said I have been crucified with Christ….” He did not say, “I have made a determination to imitate Jesus Christ,” or “I will really make an effort to follow Him”—but—“I have been identified with Him in His death.” Once I reach this moral decision and act on it, all that Christ accomplished for me on the Cross is accomplished in me. My unrestrained commitment of myself to God gives the Holy Spirit the opportunity to grant to me the holiness of Jesus Christ.”
Chambers goes on to say; “…it is no longer I who live….” My individuality remains, but my primary motivation for living and the nature that rules me are radically changed. I have the same human body, but the old satanic right to myself has been destroyed. “…and the life which I now live in the flesh,” not the life which I long to live or even pray that I live, but the life I now live in my mortal flesh—the life which others can see, “I live by faith in the Son of God…” This faith was not Paul’s own faith in Jesus Christ, but the faith the Son of God have given him (see Ephesians 2:8).”
Apparently I needed to hear messages about change because as I was driving to Charleston this weekend I was tuned into “Walk in the Word” with James McDonald and he as speaking about “Convicted about Change” from Ephesians 4:17-24. He started out by saying; Call me naïve but I am convinced that when we hear God’s Word taught and recognize the gap between our conduct and what it says that we make changes.” He said our attitude towards being changed by the Gospel should not be; I hope so, I think so or I want to, but I have made up my mind and I have determined. He went on to say that we need to learn what God’s Word says and align ourselves with it so we are not making our decisions in the heat of the moment.
McDonald said he did not want to believe what some studies have said; that the average professing Christian is no different from his unsaved counterpart. He pointed out from Ephesians 4 that Paul contrasts our life before we accepted Jesus Christ to what it should be now, and that alone should be our motivation to change. Paul talks the downward spiral of an unchanged life and in verse 17 the contrast about how we used to think; in a trivial or futile manner. We tried to find happiness through career advancement, money, power and pleasure rather than in God. In verse 18 Paul mentions the godless outlook of rebellion we have apart from Christ. Or better stated; we had no unprompted thoughts about God. In verse 19 we had a moral callousness or we had no guilt or conviction over things that once bothered us. Finally Paul points out the final stage of this downward spiral; God gives us over to our consuming passion or an absence of moral restraint. The same type of idea he talks about in Romans 1 where the mindset is; “if it feels good then do it.”
Do we remember what our life was like before we accepted Jesus Christ? Do we remember the emptiness, unhappiness and futility of our lives? Do we want to be different and do we want to change? Do we think we are "all that and a bag of chips" and we do not need to make on-going changes or grow? When we really want to change we do not care if others know or what they think. All we care about is being teachable and making the changes that are prompted by God’s Word and the indwelling Holy Spirit. Time and faith can change us, and when we stand before God we will need to acknowledge that He can trace time. It’s time to make the change…
"All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” ~ Isaiah 66:2
Monday, March 22, 2010
Rubber neckers
"I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord , who made heaven and earth." ~ Psalm 121:1-2
I just spent the weekend in Charleston and loved being away and spending time seeing the sights and relaxing. I am a history buff and I enjoy checking out old structures and architecture, and I also find it fascinating hearing stories about people and the events of yesteryear. One of the downsides of vacationing is the travel; getting to and from the desired location and the associated frustrations that come along with airports or “windshield time.” I have a tendency to get annoyed when I am driving for any length of time and I will grouse about the ebb and flow of traffic, the failure of people to use their turn signals (just for the record I have not heard of a car yet where they did not come factory installed), and that individual that decides the passing lane is their personal lane and blithely ignores the line of cars behind them who want to actually drive the speed limit.
These minor issues have a way of frustrating me even more when I am tired, and this weekend was no exception. To compound the issue it started to rain on the drive home. It seems to be a universal phenomenon across the country that when road conditions change in the form of rain, snow or ice that we continue to have the mindset that we are invincible and that we do not need to change our speed or be more alert as we drive. This leads to the inevitable situation of drivers losing control and ending up in the median or in a ditch, or worse yet; multi-car fender benders. When this happens the typical response from the other drivers is to slow down; not because they want to avoid a similar misfortune, but because they want to gawk and look at what happened to the other drivers. This is what we all affectionately call rubber necking; we lose focus on the road ahead or the task at hand. We look back or get our attention diverted and this can lead to our own misfortune.
My poor wife and children have had to listen to me complain about other drivers for a long time and I find rubber necking particularly annoying. This weekend was more of the same and my wife gently reminding me that I was grumbling about the driving conditions. It reminded me of a series of messages that my Pastor preached from the book of Numbers and the sin of complaining and how that it displeases God. Up until Numbers 11 the children of Israel had been very faithful and had strived to do everything according to the law of the Lord. They had spent 400 years in captivity and then only after three days after departing from Sinai they started to complain. We are allot like them; when times get tough we tend to get selective amnesia and forget all the pain, struggle and difficulty of the past and how the Lord used it to fulfill His ultimate good for us. In their case it was slavery, cruel whipping and no straw to make their bricks; for us it might be difficulties at work, unfair or unwanted dictates from politicians or higher taxes. We lose our focus and rubberneck at the current trouble and we start to complain bitterly and question what God is doing and why He is doing it.
My Pastor asked us; do we really understand what a supreme offense complaining is before God? The sin we see in Numbers is murmuring and complaining about the necessities of life. What would God say about our complaining? Maybe He would ask us if we truly believe He is sovereign over everything. Why was God so offended? Complaining is our secret way of saying to God; “you will not provide for me or you cannot provide for me and my family.” If we believe God is in control then when we complain we are truly not exhibiting faith and ultimately we are saying to God; “I don’t like the way you are running my life or this world.” My Pastor reminded us that our complaining should help us recognize how fragile our faith truly is because the smallest things can derail or disrupt our thankfulness.
The most sobering thought about our complaining is this; what is it doing to those around us? Our complaining and murmuring is like throwing a rock into a pond; we see the splash and then the ripples that spread out after. What is our complaining doing to our children, our spouses and our fellow Christians? How is it affecting them and what message does it send to those who have not accepted the Gospel message? Does our complaining frame the Gospel in the best possible light or does it make them think that our faith in Jesus Christ has not given us the hope and peace that we claim it does?
I hope you know I am preaching to myself. I came back from a lovely and restful weekend and let a little traffic and rubber necking make me lose perspective on the joy of my rest and relaxation. But in the days and weeks to come I need to rest in the arms of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and not let the temporary make me lose sight of what is permanent and lasting.
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” ~ James 1:2-5
I just spent the weekend in Charleston and loved being away and spending time seeing the sights and relaxing. I am a history buff and I enjoy checking out old structures and architecture, and I also find it fascinating hearing stories about people and the events of yesteryear. One of the downsides of vacationing is the travel; getting to and from the desired location and the associated frustrations that come along with airports or “windshield time.” I have a tendency to get annoyed when I am driving for any length of time and I will grouse about the ebb and flow of traffic, the failure of people to use their turn signals (just for the record I have not heard of a car yet where they did not come factory installed), and that individual that decides the passing lane is their personal lane and blithely ignores the line of cars behind them who want to actually drive the speed limit.
These minor issues have a way of frustrating me even more when I am tired, and this weekend was no exception. To compound the issue it started to rain on the drive home. It seems to be a universal phenomenon across the country that when road conditions change in the form of rain, snow or ice that we continue to have the mindset that we are invincible and that we do not need to change our speed or be more alert as we drive. This leads to the inevitable situation of drivers losing control and ending up in the median or in a ditch, or worse yet; multi-car fender benders. When this happens the typical response from the other drivers is to slow down; not because they want to avoid a similar misfortune, but because they want to gawk and look at what happened to the other drivers. This is what we all affectionately call rubber necking; we lose focus on the road ahead or the task at hand. We look back or get our attention diverted and this can lead to our own misfortune.
My poor wife and children have had to listen to me complain about other drivers for a long time and I find rubber necking particularly annoying. This weekend was more of the same and my wife gently reminding me that I was grumbling about the driving conditions. It reminded me of a series of messages that my Pastor preached from the book of Numbers and the sin of complaining and how that it displeases God. Up until Numbers 11 the children of Israel had been very faithful and had strived to do everything according to the law of the Lord. They had spent 400 years in captivity and then only after three days after departing from Sinai they started to complain. We are allot like them; when times get tough we tend to get selective amnesia and forget all the pain, struggle and difficulty of the past and how the Lord used it to fulfill His ultimate good for us. In their case it was slavery, cruel whipping and no straw to make their bricks; for us it might be difficulties at work, unfair or unwanted dictates from politicians or higher taxes. We lose our focus and rubberneck at the current trouble and we start to complain bitterly and question what God is doing and why He is doing it.
My Pastor asked us; do we really understand what a supreme offense complaining is before God? The sin we see in Numbers is murmuring and complaining about the necessities of life. What would God say about our complaining? Maybe He would ask us if we truly believe He is sovereign over everything. Why was God so offended? Complaining is our secret way of saying to God; “you will not provide for me or you cannot provide for me and my family.” If we believe God is in control then when we complain we are truly not exhibiting faith and ultimately we are saying to God; “I don’t like the way you are running my life or this world.” My Pastor reminded us that our complaining should help us recognize how fragile our faith truly is because the smallest things can derail or disrupt our thankfulness.
The most sobering thought about our complaining is this; what is it doing to those around us? Our complaining and murmuring is like throwing a rock into a pond; we see the splash and then the ripples that spread out after. What is our complaining doing to our children, our spouses and our fellow Christians? How is it affecting them and what message does it send to those who have not accepted the Gospel message? Does our complaining frame the Gospel in the best possible light or does it make them think that our faith in Jesus Christ has not given us the hope and peace that we claim it does?
I hope you know I am preaching to myself. I came back from a lovely and restful weekend and let a little traffic and rubber necking make me lose perspective on the joy of my rest and relaxation. But in the days and weeks to come I need to rest in the arms of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and not let the temporary make me lose sight of what is permanent and lasting.
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” ~ James 1:2-5
Saturday, March 20, 2010
It's all relative...
And ye shall seek me, and find [me], when ye shall search for me with all your heart. ~ Jeremiah 29:13
In a previous post I mentioned a friend and co-worker challenged me last year to read the Richard Dawkins book "The God Delusion". One of the topics we discussed at length was are their moral absolutes? It is an idea commonly held that and we say things like; whatever!?!; that may be true for you but not for me; or that's just your perception. We live in a very relativistic society. The following is an excerpt from our correspondence.
I find humanity both fascinating and sad at our ability to rationalize away any and all manner of sin, unchecked desires or debauchery at the expense of others. No one is immune and it just points to the total depravity of man and our need for a Savior.
I was listening to author and speaker Ravi Zacharias this morning and he posed a very interesting question. He said; “Is it possible that somewhere in the deepest recesses of the human heart we are really not battling intellectual ideas as much as we are fighting for the right of our sexual proclivity and our passionate indulgences?” He went on to mention that this is not just a religious point of view because Aldous Huxley wrote in his book “Ends and Means” that; “We objected to morality because it interfered with our sexual freedom”.
I personally believe in moral absolutes and I do not believe they are based solely on societal norms or what is “socially acceptable.” I firmly believe that a belief in absolute moral values is reasonable. I have heard many arguments against moral absolutes including that ethics are really only general principles that serve the purpose of structuring society or that we have to observe general rules of society in order to make man happy, but that they are not ultimately binding. Then of course we get into the “lifeboat” discussion and situational ethics.
One author wrote; “As reasonable as these proposals sound, there is a fundamental inconsistency to a denial of absolutes: in order to deny absolutes, one must imply that there are absolutes in the process of denial. To deny absolutes, you have to make an absolute denial.”
Think about it; if everything is relative was Hitler wrong for genocide or was he being true to his naturalistic and humanistic world-view? Did he simply take his belief that there are no moral absolutes and in the process dehumanize the Jews and carry it to its logical conclusion? If there are no moral absolutes then why do we have war crimes tribunals or decry genocide of the Kurds by Sadaam Hussein? Why would we be appalled by Pol Pot and the killing fields in Cambodia or Mao’s Cultural Revolution? In their society these actions apparently are/were socially acceptable, correct? If there is no objective moral reality and no right or no wrong then we should all be able to do whatever we like and it is not morally wrong. They were all being pragmatic and the end justified the means, right? They were all just following their passionate indulgences, and in their cases it wasn’t driven by sexual indulgences but an insatiable appetite for power and control.
To me where it breaks down is not when it is on paper but where it affects the individual on a personal level. If it makes me happy, and in my own mind punching teenagers in the face is acceptable, then why would that teen’s parent have a problem with it? That teen is just random DNA that has no value. I don’t think his parents would agree that I was just taking no moral absolutes to its logical conclusion. No moral absolutes are okay in theory until we feel our personal rights have been impinged. If what “works” or “satisfies” is right who decides, and if it makes me happy but you unhappy who is right?
I recently read a fascinating article by Alton Chase in the on-line edition of the Atlantic Monthly called “Harvard and the Making of the Unabomber”. Chase is a Harvard graduate and his academic life parallels Ted Kaczynski’s. In the article Chase talks about their Ivy League education and the overt objective to strip away any Judeo-Christian values to the point of the dehumanization of man. He outlines how Kaczynski’s world-view was shaped to the point where he believed he was killing ideas and not humans. Chase came away with the impression that this was the logical outcome and that in Kaczynski’s mind it was the logical, rational and sane conclusion. What is also troubling is that the Unabomber’s Manifesto is being viewed by many as groundbreaking and visionary.
The most telling segment of the article was when Chase states; “The real story of Ted Kaczynski is one of the nature of modern evil -- evil that results from the corrosive powers of intellect itself, and its arrogant tendency to put ideas above common humanity. It stems from our capacity to conceive theories or philosophies that promote violence or murder in order to avert supposed injustices or catastrophes, to acquiesce in historical necessity, or to find the final solution to the world's problems -- and by this process of abstraction to dehumanize our enemies. We become like Raskolnikov, in Crime and Punishment, who declares, "I did not kill a human being, but a principle!"
"Guided by theories, philosophies, and ideologies, the worst mass killers of modern history transformed their victims into depersonalized abstractions, making them easier to kill. Much the way Stalin, citing Communist dogma, ordered the murder of millions of peasants toward "the elimination of the Kulaks as a class," so Kaczynski rationalized his murders as necessary to solve "the technology problem."
"The conditions that produce violence continue to flourish. Despite their historically unprecedented affluence, many middle-class Americans, particularly the educated elite, are still gripped by despair. The education system continues to promote bleak visions of the future. Meanwhile, alienating ideologies, offering the false promise of quick solutions through violence, proliferate."
"Although most Americans strongly condemn terrorist acts committed in the name of political agendas of which they do not approve, many turn a blind eye toward savagery done in the name of ideals they share. Indeed, many are reasonably comfortable with violence short of murder, as long as it's done for a cause they support. It was easy for Americans to unite in condemning the World Trade Center and Oklahoma City bombings, because few approved of the bombers' goals: the destruction of the state of Israel and of the U.S. government. But some conservatives seem to be untroubled by anti-abortion bombings or by the rise of armed militias, and some liberals consistently condone or ignore the proliferation of terrorism putatively committed on behalf of animals or the environment. Not surprisingly, then, ideologically inspired violence has become increasingly commonplace -- tolerated and sometimes even praised.”
Here is the link should you want to read the article in its entirety.
http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2000/06/chase.htm
Darwin in his early writings of the Origin of Species made comments that he understood that the ramifications of anti-theism were dire. He knew that the philosophical implications of nature read in tooth and claw would engender horrific carnage in the years, decades and centuries to come. He understood the logical implications of the world view that would be engendered from what he was propounding. He had that idea some how, and worried about the logical conclusion that would come from an individual or government taking it to its full extent.
C.S. Lewis noted in his book “The Abolition of Man” that values do not change greatly from culture to culture, but that they are very similar. Our challenge is to name just one. He stated that many things are universally recognized as wrong such as cruelty to children, rape, murder without cause, etc. Even great thinkers like Immanuel Kant and Martin Buber talked about things like the “categorical imperative” or treating people as persons and not things. What is interesting is that both agree in principle with Jesus Christ when he talked about in Matthew 22:34-40 when he told the religious leaders that however we want people to treat us we should treat them.
So what is my point with all of this? I guess I am struggling to understand how reducing ourselves to simple creatures that have a pointless existence can be reconciled with the fact that deep within the heart of every man or woman there is a burning desire for truth, relevance, justice, fair-play, honesty and answers to the ultimate questions of why are we here and how did we get here. If Dawkins is right and “The universe we observe … has precisely the properties we should expect if there is at bottom no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but pointless indifference.” Then why even waste money or time with research or science? Or could the alternative be true; God put all of those desires in our heart including the quest for the answers to those ultimate questions? Is he whispering to us all in the shadows trying to get our attention? I have heard it said that God whispered in Creation but he shouted his existence with the birth and death of his Son, Jesus Christ.
Thomas Nagel who is a professor of Philosophy at NYU was at least honest when he stated; “In speaking of the fear of religion, I don’t mean to refer to the entirely reasonable hostility toward certain established religions and religious institutions, in virtue of their objectionable moral doctrines, social policies, and political influence. Nor am I referring to the association of many religious beliefs with superstition and the acceptance of evident empirical falsehoods. I am talking about something much deeper–namely, the fear of religion itself. I speak from experience, being strongly subject to this fear myself: I want atheism to be true and am made uneasy by the fact that some of the most intelligent and well-informed people I know are religious believers. It isn’t just that I don’t believe in God and, naturally, hope that I’m right in my belief. It’s that I hope there is no God! I don’t want there to be a God; I don’t want the universe to be like that. My guess is that this cosmic authority problem is not a rare condition and it is responsible for much of the scientism and reductionism of our time. One of the tendencies it supports is the ludicrous overuse of evolutionary biology to explain everything about life, including everything about the human mind. Darwin enabled modern secular culture to heave a great collective sigh of relief, by apparently providing a way to eliminate purpose, meaning and design as fundamental features of the world” (New York University philosopher, Thomas Nagel, “The Last Word”).
Having a relativistic outlook and denying that there are moral absolutes is great in theory but next time you get pulled over for speeding just tell the police officer the speed limit "may be true for you but not for me" and see if he agrees. No one can deny that within the heart of every human we cry for justice, and we all believe in our inalienable rights. This need for justice and universal moral truth is one of the strongest arguments for the existence for God. He placed it there so we would seek absolute truth.
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death." ~ Proverbs 14:12
In a previous post I mentioned a friend and co-worker challenged me last year to read the Richard Dawkins book "The God Delusion". One of the topics we discussed at length was are their moral absolutes? It is an idea commonly held that and we say things like; whatever!?!; that may be true for you but not for me; or that's just your perception. We live in a very relativistic society. The following is an excerpt from our correspondence.
I find humanity both fascinating and sad at our ability to rationalize away any and all manner of sin, unchecked desires or debauchery at the expense of others. No one is immune and it just points to the total depravity of man and our need for a Savior.
I was listening to author and speaker Ravi Zacharias this morning and he posed a very interesting question. He said; “Is it possible that somewhere in the deepest recesses of the human heart we are really not battling intellectual ideas as much as we are fighting for the right of our sexual proclivity and our passionate indulgences?” He went on to mention that this is not just a religious point of view because Aldous Huxley wrote in his book “Ends and Means” that; “We objected to morality because it interfered with our sexual freedom”.
I personally believe in moral absolutes and I do not believe they are based solely on societal norms or what is “socially acceptable.” I firmly believe that a belief in absolute moral values is reasonable. I have heard many arguments against moral absolutes including that ethics are really only general principles that serve the purpose of structuring society or that we have to observe general rules of society in order to make man happy, but that they are not ultimately binding. Then of course we get into the “lifeboat” discussion and situational ethics.
One author wrote; “As reasonable as these proposals sound, there is a fundamental inconsistency to a denial of absolutes: in order to deny absolutes, one must imply that there are absolutes in the process of denial. To deny absolutes, you have to make an absolute denial.”
Think about it; if everything is relative was Hitler wrong for genocide or was he being true to his naturalistic and humanistic world-view? Did he simply take his belief that there are no moral absolutes and in the process dehumanize the Jews and carry it to its logical conclusion? If there are no moral absolutes then why do we have war crimes tribunals or decry genocide of the Kurds by Sadaam Hussein? Why would we be appalled by Pol Pot and the killing fields in Cambodia or Mao’s Cultural Revolution? In their society these actions apparently are/were socially acceptable, correct? If there is no objective moral reality and no right or no wrong then we should all be able to do whatever we like and it is not morally wrong. They were all being pragmatic and the end justified the means, right? They were all just following their passionate indulgences, and in their cases it wasn’t driven by sexual indulgences but an insatiable appetite for power and control.
To me where it breaks down is not when it is on paper but where it affects the individual on a personal level. If it makes me happy, and in my own mind punching teenagers in the face is acceptable, then why would that teen’s parent have a problem with it? That teen is just random DNA that has no value. I don’t think his parents would agree that I was just taking no moral absolutes to its logical conclusion. No moral absolutes are okay in theory until we feel our personal rights have been impinged. If what “works” or “satisfies” is right who decides, and if it makes me happy but you unhappy who is right?
I recently read a fascinating article by Alton Chase in the on-line edition of the Atlantic Monthly called “Harvard and the Making of the Unabomber”. Chase is a Harvard graduate and his academic life parallels Ted Kaczynski’s. In the article Chase talks about their Ivy League education and the overt objective to strip away any Judeo-Christian values to the point of the dehumanization of man. He outlines how Kaczynski’s world-view was shaped to the point where he believed he was killing ideas and not humans. Chase came away with the impression that this was the logical outcome and that in Kaczynski’s mind it was the logical, rational and sane conclusion. What is also troubling is that the Unabomber’s Manifesto is being viewed by many as groundbreaking and visionary.
The most telling segment of the article was when Chase states; “The real story of Ted Kaczynski is one of the nature of modern evil -- evil that results from the corrosive powers of intellect itself, and its arrogant tendency to put ideas above common humanity. It stems from our capacity to conceive theories or philosophies that promote violence or murder in order to avert supposed injustices or catastrophes, to acquiesce in historical necessity, or to find the final solution to the world's problems -- and by this process of abstraction to dehumanize our enemies. We become like Raskolnikov, in Crime and Punishment, who declares, "I did not kill a human being, but a principle!"
"Guided by theories, philosophies, and ideologies, the worst mass killers of modern history transformed their victims into depersonalized abstractions, making them easier to kill. Much the way Stalin, citing Communist dogma, ordered the murder of millions of peasants toward "the elimination of the Kulaks as a class," so Kaczynski rationalized his murders as necessary to solve "the technology problem."
"The conditions that produce violence continue to flourish. Despite their historically unprecedented affluence, many middle-class Americans, particularly the educated elite, are still gripped by despair. The education system continues to promote bleak visions of the future. Meanwhile, alienating ideologies, offering the false promise of quick solutions through violence, proliferate."
"Although most Americans strongly condemn terrorist acts committed in the name of political agendas of which they do not approve, many turn a blind eye toward savagery done in the name of ideals they share. Indeed, many are reasonably comfortable with violence short of murder, as long as it's done for a cause they support. It was easy for Americans to unite in condemning the World Trade Center and Oklahoma City bombings, because few approved of the bombers' goals: the destruction of the state of Israel and of the U.S. government. But some conservatives seem to be untroubled by anti-abortion bombings or by the rise of armed militias, and some liberals consistently condone or ignore the proliferation of terrorism putatively committed on behalf of animals or the environment. Not surprisingly, then, ideologically inspired violence has become increasingly commonplace -- tolerated and sometimes even praised.”
Here is the link should you want to read the article in its entirety.
http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2000/06/chase.htm
Darwin in his early writings of the Origin of Species made comments that he understood that the ramifications of anti-theism were dire. He knew that the philosophical implications of nature read in tooth and claw would engender horrific carnage in the years, decades and centuries to come. He understood the logical implications of the world view that would be engendered from what he was propounding. He had that idea some how, and worried about the logical conclusion that would come from an individual or government taking it to its full extent.
C.S. Lewis noted in his book “The Abolition of Man” that values do not change greatly from culture to culture, but that they are very similar. Our challenge is to name just one. He stated that many things are universally recognized as wrong such as cruelty to children, rape, murder without cause, etc. Even great thinkers like Immanuel Kant and Martin Buber talked about things like the “categorical imperative” or treating people as persons and not things. What is interesting is that both agree in principle with Jesus Christ when he talked about in Matthew 22:34-40 when he told the religious leaders that however we want people to treat us we should treat them.
So what is my point with all of this? I guess I am struggling to understand how reducing ourselves to simple creatures that have a pointless existence can be reconciled with the fact that deep within the heart of every man or woman there is a burning desire for truth, relevance, justice, fair-play, honesty and answers to the ultimate questions of why are we here and how did we get here. If Dawkins is right and “The universe we observe … has precisely the properties we should expect if there is at bottom no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but pointless indifference.” Then why even waste money or time with research or science? Or could the alternative be true; God put all of those desires in our heart including the quest for the answers to those ultimate questions? Is he whispering to us all in the shadows trying to get our attention? I have heard it said that God whispered in Creation but he shouted his existence with the birth and death of his Son, Jesus Christ.
Thomas Nagel who is a professor of Philosophy at NYU was at least honest when he stated; “In speaking of the fear of religion, I don’t mean to refer to the entirely reasonable hostility toward certain established religions and religious institutions, in virtue of their objectionable moral doctrines, social policies, and political influence. Nor am I referring to the association of many religious beliefs with superstition and the acceptance of evident empirical falsehoods. I am talking about something much deeper–namely, the fear of religion itself. I speak from experience, being strongly subject to this fear myself: I want atheism to be true and am made uneasy by the fact that some of the most intelligent and well-informed people I know are religious believers. It isn’t just that I don’t believe in God and, naturally, hope that I’m right in my belief. It’s that I hope there is no God! I don’t want there to be a God; I don’t want the universe to be like that. My guess is that this cosmic authority problem is not a rare condition and it is responsible for much of the scientism and reductionism of our time. One of the tendencies it supports is the ludicrous overuse of evolutionary biology to explain everything about life, including everything about the human mind. Darwin enabled modern secular culture to heave a great collective sigh of relief, by apparently providing a way to eliminate purpose, meaning and design as fundamental features of the world” (New York University philosopher, Thomas Nagel, “The Last Word”).
Having a relativistic outlook and denying that there are moral absolutes is great in theory but next time you get pulled over for speeding just tell the police officer the speed limit "may be true for you but not for me" and see if he agrees. No one can deny that within the heart of every human we cry for justice, and we all believe in our inalienable rights. This need for justice and universal moral truth is one of the strongest arguments for the existence for God. He placed it there so we would seek absolute truth.
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death." ~ Proverbs 14:12
Friday, March 19, 2010
Christian rehab
"...I remember two things -- that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior." -- John Newton
I have mentioned in previous posts that as I have gotten older (and owned a DVR) that I find myself watching less and less television. It holds little interest to me and that is not necessarily a bad thing. I think when I was younger it provided me with a mindless outlet so I could avoid confronting myself, and the escapism was a welcome retreat. Now it serves more as a window with a view; a view that shows the brokenness of the world and the steady decline of the human existence. Kind of a depressing sentiment for a Friday morning, but stick with me because while this might be a brutally honest statement I am stubbornly optimistic. Something our Pastor reminded us that we need to be when preaching on Matthew 5:4 from the Sermon on the Mount; “"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
I do like some, but not all of the reality television shows; just probably not the ones that are on most people’s top 10 viewing list. I am a fan of shows like “The Deadliest Catch”, “Chopped” and “American Pickers”. The rest of the dancing, singing, child rearing and dating reality shows are not for me. One show that fascinates me is called “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew” and it chronicles the life in a drug and alcohol detox facility for “celebrities” which is a very loose term. The participants are former sports stars, aging models, actors and pseudo-celebs from reality shows. These are people who seemingly have everything going for them including money, fame and notoriety yet they have thrown it all away in drugs or the bottle. You see them at their lowest possible condition and sadly it is like a train wreck you cannot turn away from.
What is it that draws me to this show? Maybe it is a sobering (no pun intended) reminder of the result of bad choices and their results we all are prone to make or the depth we can all sink to trying to find our identify, satisfaction and hope in anything and everything other than a personal relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ. Or maybe it is because while these stories break my heart and bring a tear to my eye because of the brokenness, I am stubbornly optimistic that there is hope for these individuals because in my heart I know that God is a God of second chances. I watch because I want to root for these people to straighten out their lives, and I want to see them change for the better. But in the back of my mind I know that any lasting change and true renewal can only come if they accept the free gift of grace through the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
During his sermon my Pastor reminded us that we “Christians are called to be brutally honest about pain and sin in the world, but we also need to be stubbornly optimistic about our hope in Christ and what God is going to do.” But do we need to attend a little rehab or detox ourselves? Have we become addicted to our own “righteous” condition that we fail to echo the words of the Apostle Paul; “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost”? Like these celebrities we have everything in Christ yet we rely on or depend on our own wisdom, power and reason rather than what has been provided to us through the Gospel. We grow complacent in our own “spirituality” and fail to make progress in our relationship with Jesus Christ.
There is a song called “Deeper Still” and the lyrics serve as a reminder to me that I am still a work in progress. “Take me through the wonders of Your faithfulness; Help me see the depth of my own need; Lead me to the water where Your mercy is; For You and You alone can set me free. I am covered by Your grace; Far away from shore; As You’re taking me to places; I have never been before. Take me deep enough where I can see the bottom of Your heart; Deep enough that I can know Your will; Take me deep enough to know that we will never be apart; And when I get there; Take me deeper still.” Do we see the depth of our own need and does this broken world remind us that we are just sinners saved by Grace? Do we preach the Gospel to ourselves everyday and remind ourselves that in the depth of our heart a sin nature still resides and subtly tries to make us think that we are in far better shape than we really are? We are like the Laodiceans in Revelation 3; in need of nothing, or so we think.
One of the cautions the Pastor gave in his sermon is that if we are only brutally honesty we risk becoming cynical. Our cynicism in essence questions the sovereignty of God and we only recognize the problems of the world and have no hope that others can change. We take the attitude that the world is broken so why try? He also reminded us that we cannot be naïve about the condition of the world and focus only on the hope to come. If we have a romantic view and look past or are insensitive to the world around us and fail to identify with it, we will become callous and uncaring. We each need to remind ourselves that the Cross turned our pain to joy and that our mourning turned to hope when we look to the finished work of Christ. We need to not only see the need of the world but the depth of our own need on a daily basis for God’s mercy and grace. Maybe the reality show we need to watch is in our own heart; “Christian Rehab with Dr. Jesus the Great Physician.”
"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” ~ John 3:17
I have mentioned in previous posts that as I have gotten older (and owned a DVR) that I find myself watching less and less television. It holds little interest to me and that is not necessarily a bad thing. I think when I was younger it provided me with a mindless outlet so I could avoid confronting myself, and the escapism was a welcome retreat. Now it serves more as a window with a view; a view that shows the brokenness of the world and the steady decline of the human existence. Kind of a depressing sentiment for a Friday morning, but stick with me because while this might be a brutally honest statement I am stubbornly optimistic. Something our Pastor reminded us that we need to be when preaching on Matthew 5:4 from the Sermon on the Mount; “"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
I do like some, but not all of the reality television shows; just probably not the ones that are on most people’s top 10 viewing list. I am a fan of shows like “The Deadliest Catch”, “Chopped” and “American Pickers”. The rest of the dancing, singing, child rearing and dating reality shows are not for me. One show that fascinates me is called “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew” and it chronicles the life in a drug and alcohol detox facility for “celebrities” which is a very loose term. The participants are former sports stars, aging models, actors and pseudo-celebs from reality shows. These are people who seemingly have everything going for them including money, fame and notoriety yet they have thrown it all away in drugs or the bottle. You see them at their lowest possible condition and sadly it is like a train wreck you cannot turn away from.
What is it that draws me to this show? Maybe it is a sobering (no pun intended) reminder of the result of bad choices and their results we all are prone to make or the depth we can all sink to trying to find our identify, satisfaction and hope in anything and everything other than a personal relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ. Or maybe it is because while these stories break my heart and bring a tear to my eye because of the brokenness, I am stubbornly optimistic that there is hope for these individuals because in my heart I know that God is a God of second chances. I watch because I want to root for these people to straighten out their lives, and I want to see them change for the better. But in the back of my mind I know that any lasting change and true renewal can only come if they accept the free gift of grace through the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
During his sermon my Pastor reminded us that we “Christians are called to be brutally honest about pain and sin in the world, but we also need to be stubbornly optimistic about our hope in Christ and what God is going to do.” But do we need to attend a little rehab or detox ourselves? Have we become addicted to our own “righteous” condition that we fail to echo the words of the Apostle Paul; “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost”? Like these celebrities we have everything in Christ yet we rely on or depend on our own wisdom, power and reason rather than what has been provided to us through the Gospel. We grow complacent in our own “spirituality” and fail to make progress in our relationship with Jesus Christ.
There is a song called “Deeper Still” and the lyrics serve as a reminder to me that I am still a work in progress. “Take me through the wonders of Your faithfulness; Help me see the depth of my own need; Lead me to the water where Your mercy is; For You and You alone can set me free. I am covered by Your grace; Far away from shore; As You’re taking me to places; I have never been before. Take me deep enough where I can see the bottom of Your heart; Deep enough that I can know Your will; Take me deep enough to know that we will never be apart; And when I get there; Take me deeper still.” Do we see the depth of our own need and does this broken world remind us that we are just sinners saved by Grace? Do we preach the Gospel to ourselves everyday and remind ourselves that in the depth of our heart a sin nature still resides and subtly tries to make us think that we are in far better shape than we really are? We are like the Laodiceans in Revelation 3; in need of nothing, or so we think.
One of the cautions the Pastor gave in his sermon is that if we are only brutally honesty we risk becoming cynical. Our cynicism in essence questions the sovereignty of God and we only recognize the problems of the world and have no hope that others can change. We take the attitude that the world is broken so why try? He also reminded us that we cannot be naïve about the condition of the world and focus only on the hope to come. If we have a romantic view and look past or are insensitive to the world around us and fail to identify with it, we will become callous and uncaring. We each need to remind ourselves that the Cross turned our pain to joy and that our mourning turned to hope when we look to the finished work of Christ. We need to not only see the need of the world but the depth of our own need on a daily basis for God’s mercy and grace. Maybe the reality show we need to watch is in our own heart; “Christian Rehab with Dr. Jesus the Great Physician.”
"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” ~ John 3:17
Thursday, March 18, 2010
The good fight
“Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.” ~ Proverbs 9:9
Up until about a year ago I had never heard of Charles Simeon but after reading a short biography about him it is understandable why his testimony might be ignored. It is not because he did not have a stellar testimony in the face of opposition; it is more than likely due to the fact in our present society his endurance in the face of criticism and rejection is so foreign to us. I was introduced to Charles Simeon through a series of biographies written by John Piper subtitled “The Swans are Not Silent”. In his third book in the series “The Roots of Endurance” Piper wedges Simeon between two better known individuals; John Newton and William Wilberforce. While their stories are equally inspiring I came away pondering Simeon’s life and times with a sense of wonderment. Yet this little known man was loved by his students and his graceful perseverance in the face of criticism made a lasting impression on his pupils, and is hailed as something of an ancestor to the evangelical movement in England.
Charles Simeon was the Pastor of Trinity Church in Cambridge England for 54 years and you would think with that length of service he would have been well loved by his congregation but nothing could be further from the truth. He became a teaching fellow at King’s College in Cambridge in 1782, the same year he was installed as the Pastor at Trinity. His appointment was so unpopular with his parishioners that his preaching was often interrupted and he was accosted in the streets. You see the congregation did not want Simeon as their pastor. When the previous vicar died Simeon was appointed by the Bishop rather than the assistant curate Mr. Hammond. Simeon offered to step aside but the Bishop told him that even if he did Mr. Hammond would not be appointed to the pastorate. The congregation’s first tactic was to not let him preach the afternoon service, and this went on for 12 years. Their second tactic was to lock the pew doors on Sunday mornings so even if they decided not to attend there would be no seats for those who came in off the street. When Simeon set up chairs at his own expense the church wardens threw them out in the church yard. The locking of the pews went on for 10 years. According to Piper the response from Simeon was to “let his steady, relentless ministry of the Word and prayer and community witness gradually overcome the resistance.”
Simeon was once asked about the wrongs he experienced and he said; “My rule is—never to hear, or see, or know, what if heard, or seen, or known, would call for animadversions (critical remarks) from me. Hence it is that I dwell in peace in the midst of lions.” As Piper states; “In other words, we would do well not to be curious about what others are saying about us. There is little good that can come of it: pride, if the comments are good; discouragement, if they are critical; anger if they are false. These are not emotions we need to cultivate. Trusted counsel from reliable people, not rumors, is the stuff for good self-assessment.”
When Piper first introduces us to Simeon he mentions how we all tend to “need inspiration from another century” because we all are prone to be “a child of my times.” Piper states; “And one of the pervasive marks of our times in emotional fragility. It hangs in the air we breathe. We are easily hurt. We pout and mope easily. We blame easily. We break easily. Our marriages break easily. Our faith breaks easily. Our happiness breaks easily. And our commitment to the church breaks easily. We are easily disheartened, and it seems we have little capacity for surviving and thriving in the face of criticism and opposition. When historians list the character traits of America in the last third of the twentieth century, commitment, constancy, tenacity, endurance, patience, resolve, and perseverance will not be on the list. The list will begin with an all-consuming interest in self-esteem. It will be followed by the subheadings of self-assertiveness, self-enhancement, and self-realization. And if we think we that we are not children of our times, let us simply test ourselves to see how we respond when people reject our ideas or spurn our good efforts or misconstrue our best intentions.” All I can say is…OUCH!
In the last few months of his life Simeon wrote; “In truth, I love to see the creature annihilated in the apprehension, and swallowed up in God; I am safe, happy, triumphant.” In the face of life-long opposition Simeon was able to pen the following; “By constantly meditating on the goodness of God and on our great deliverance from that punishment which our sins have deserved, we are brought to feel our vileness and utter unworthiness; and while we continue in this spirit of self-degradation, everything else will go on easily. We shall find ourselves advancing in our course; we shall feel the presence of God; we shall experience His love; we shall live in the enjoyment of His favor and in the hope of His glory…You often feel that your prayers scarcely reach the ceiling; but, oh, get into this humble spirit of considering how good the Lord is, and how evil you all are, and then prayer will mount of wings of faith to heaven. The sigh, the groan of a broken heart, will soon go through the ceiling up to heaven, aye into the very bosom of God.”
Charles Simeon endured and persevered. He could echo the words of the Apostle Paul in II Timothy 4:7-8; “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” Can we say the same?
Up until about a year ago I had never heard of Charles Simeon but after reading a short biography about him it is understandable why his testimony might be ignored. It is not because he did not have a stellar testimony in the face of opposition; it is more than likely due to the fact in our present society his endurance in the face of criticism and rejection is so foreign to us. I was introduced to Charles Simeon through a series of biographies written by John Piper subtitled “The Swans are Not Silent”. In his third book in the series “The Roots of Endurance” Piper wedges Simeon between two better known individuals; John Newton and William Wilberforce. While their stories are equally inspiring I came away pondering Simeon’s life and times with a sense of wonderment. Yet this little known man was loved by his students and his graceful perseverance in the face of criticism made a lasting impression on his pupils, and is hailed as something of an ancestor to the evangelical movement in England.
Charles Simeon was the Pastor of Trinity Church in Cambridge England for 54 years and you would think with that length of service he would have been well loved by his congregation but nothing could be further from the truth. He became a teaching fellow at King’s College in Cambridge in 1782, the same year he was installed as the Pastor at Trinity. His appointment was so unpopular with his parishioners that his preaching was often interrupted and he was accosted in the streets. You see the congregation did not want Simeon as their pastor. When the previous vicar died Simeon was appointed by the Bishop rather than the assistant curate Mr. Hammond. Simeon offered to step aside but the Bishop told him that even if he did Mr. Hammond would not be appointed to the pastorate. The congregation’s first tactic was to not let him preach the afternoon service, and this went on for 12 years. Their second tactic was to lock the pew doors on Sunday mornings so even if they decided not to attend there would be no seats for those who came in off the street. When Simeon set up chairs at his own expense the church wardens threw them out in the church yard. The locking of the pews went on for 10 years. According to Piper the response from Simeon was to “let his steady, relentless ministry of the Word and prayer and community witness gradually overcome the resistance.”
Simeon was once asked about the wrongs he experienced and he said; “My rule is—never to hear, or see, or know, what if heard, or seen, or known, would call for animadversions (critical remarks) from me. Hence it is that I dwell in peace in the midst of lions.” As Piper states; “In other words, we would do well not to be curious about what others are saying about us. There is little good that can come of it: pride, if the comments are good; discouragement, if they are critical; anger if they are false. These are not emotions we need to cultivate. Trusted counsel from reliable people, not rumors, is the stuff for good self-assessment.”
When Piper first introduces us to Simeon he mentions how we all tend to “need inspiration from another century” because we all are prone to be “a child of my times.” Piper states; “And one of the pervasive marks of our times in emotional fragility. It hangs in the air we breathe. We are easily hurt. We pout and mope easily. We blame easily. We break easily. Our marriages break easily. Our faith breaks easily. Our happiness breaks easily. And our commitment to the church breaks easily. We are easily disheartened, and it seems we have little capacity for surviving and thriving in the face of criticism and opposition. When historians list the character traits of America in the last third of the twentieth century, commitment, constancy, tenacity, endurance, patience, resolve, and perseverance will not be on the list. The list will begin with an all-consuming interest in self-esteem. It will be followed by the subheadings of self-assertiveness, self-enhancement, and self-realization. And if we think we that we are not children of our times, let us simply test ourselves to see how we respond when people reject our ideas or spurn our good efforts or misconstrue our best intentions.” All I can say is…OUCH!
In the last few months of his life Simeon wrote; “In truth, I love to see the creature annihilated in the apprehension, and swallowed up in God; I am safe, happy, triumphant.” In the face of life-long opposition Simeon was able to pen the following; “By constantly meditating on the goodness of God and on our great deliverance from that punishment which our sins have deserved, we are brought to feel our vileness and utter unworthiness; and while we continue in this spirit of self-degradation, everything else will go on easily. We shall find ourselves advancing in our course; we shall feel the presence of God; we shall experience His love; we shall live in the enjoyment of His favor and in the hope of His glory…You often feel that your prayers scarcely reach the ceiling; but, oh, get into this humble spirit of considering how good the Lord is, and how evil you all are, and then prayer will mount of wings of faith to heaven. The sigh, the groan of a broken heart, will soon go through the ceiling up to heaven, aye into the very bosom of God.”
Charles Simeon endured and persevered. He could echo the words of the Apostle Paul in II Timothy 4:7-8; “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” Can we say the same?
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
The unknown St. Patrick
I was reading an article this morning by Edward T. O’Donnell titled “Myths of St. Patrick’s Day” and he pointed out some factoids that I already knew but some I was completely unaware of. First, most of us know that St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, but do we know that he was not Irish by birth? The truth of the matter is that Patrick was born in southwestern Britain. In the 5th century the country was not known as England and you would not call its inhabitants “English” but they were Romanized Celts. What you may not be aware of is that Patrick was captured by Irish raiders at the age of 16 and taken back to Ireland as a slave. According to Wikipedia he remained a slave for six years in Ireland before returning to his family. Shortly after his return home to Britain he entered the church and was formally trained and eventually returned to Ireland as a missionary to convert his former captors to Christianity. In the book “St. Patrick: His Life and Work” by Canon G.A. Chamberlin it states; "St Patrick had been deeply wronged by the people of this land. By their hands he had been torn from his home as a child and held in slavery. But he never paused to brood over the wrongs done him or nursed the lurking grudge. He sought no revenge save the revenge of serving those who had wronged him. In the spirit of the great Apostle, he had the grace to forget those things which are behind, and to press on to the better future. In the spirit of his Master, Christ, he set himself to love those who had despitefully treated him."
There is very little know about Patrick’s ministerial training upon his return to England, however his own writings show a man who had studied the Bible extensively and knew its contents very well. This knowledge is reflected in his work known as “Confession” where he writes; "I am Patrick, a sinner, most unlearned, the least of all the faithful, and utterly despised by many." He felt a sense of the importance of his missionary work in Ireland when he wrote; “I make no false claim, I have part with those whom He called and predestinated to preach the gospel.” This detailed excerpt from “Confession” truly shows the heart of Patrick:
“I was at that time about sixteen years of age. I did not, indeed, know the true God; and I was taken into captivity in Ireland with many thousands of people, according to our deserts, for quite drawn away from God, we did not keep his precepts, nor were we obedient to our priests who used to remind us of our salvation. And the Lord brought down on us the fury of his being and scattered us among many nations, even to the ends of the earth, where I, in my smallness, am now to be found among foreigners. And there the Lord opened my mind to an awareness of my unbelief, in order that, even so late, I might remember my transgressions and turn with all my heart to the Lord my God, who had regard for my insignificance and pitied my youth and ignorance. And he watched over me before I knew him, and before I learned sense or even distinguished between good and evil, and he protected me, and consoled me as a father would his son.”
“Therefore, indeed, I cannot keep silent, nor would it be proper, so many favours and graces has the Lord deigned to bestow on me in the land of my captivity. For after chastisement from God, and recognizing him, our way to repay him is to exalt him and confess his wonders before every nation under heaven. For there is no other God, nor ever was before, nor shall be hereafter, but God the Father, unbegotten and without beginning, in whom all things began, whose are all things, as we have been taught; and his son Jesus Christ, who manifestly always existed with the Father, before the beginning of time in the spirit with the Father, indescribably begotten before all things, and all things visible and invisible were made by him. He was made man, conquered death and was received into Heaven, to the Father who gave him all power over every name in Heaven and on Earth and in Hell, so that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and God, in whom we believe. And we look to his imminent coming again, the judge of the living and the dead, who will render to each according to his deeds. And he poured out his Holy Spirit on us in abundance, the gift and pledge of immortality, which makes the believers and the obedient into sons of God and co-heirs of Christ who is revealed, and we worship one God in the Trinity of holy name.”
Patrick goes on to say; “He himself said through the prophet: ‘Call upon me in the day of’ trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.’ And again: ‘It is right to reveal and publish abroad the works of God. I am imperfect in many things, nevertheless I want my brethren and kinsfolk to know my nature so that they may be able to perceive my soul’s desire. I am not ignorant of what is said of my Lord in the Psalm: ‘You destroy those who speak a lie.’ And again: ‘A lying mouth deals death to the soul.’ And likewise the Lord says in the Gospel: ‘On the day of judgment men shall render account for every idle word they utter. So it is that I should mightily fear, with terror and trembling, this judgment on the day when no one shall be able to steal away or hide, but each and all shall render account for even our smallest sins before the judgment seat of Christ the Lord.”
So this St. Patrick’s Day as we wear the green, and wish each other a “Top o’ the morning” and sport our clovers we need to stop and consider the testimony of the man who’s day we commemorate and ponder the God he confessed and served.
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” ~ Revelation 3:20
Note: For more on the “Confession of St. Patrick” visit Christian Classic Ethereal Library
There is very little know about Patrick’s ministerial training upon his return to England, however his own writings show a man who had studied the Bible extensively and knew its contents very well. This knowledge is reflected in his work known as “Confession” where he writes; "I am Patrick, a sinner, most unlearned, the least of all the faithful, and utterly despised by many." He felt a sense of the importance of his missionary work in Ireland when he wrote; “I make no false claim, I have part with those whom He called and predestinated to preach the gospel.” This detailed excerpt from “Confession” truly shows the heart of Patrick:
“I was at that time about sixteen years of age. I did not, indeed, know the true God; and I was taken into captivity in Ireland with many thousands of people, according to our deserts, for quite drawn away from God, we did not keep his precepts, nor were we obedient to our priests who used to remind us of our salvation. And the Lord brought down on us the fury of his being and scattered us among many nations, even to the ends of the earth, where I, in my smallness, am now to be found among foreigners. And there the Lord opened my mind to an awareness of my unbelief, in order that, even so late, I might remember my transgressions and turn with all my heart to the Lord my God, who had regard for my insignificance and pitied my youth and ignorance. And he watched over me before I knew him, and before I learned sense or even distinguished between good and evil, and he protected me, and consoled me as a father would his son.”
“Therefore, indeed, I cannot keep silent, nor would it be proper, so many favours and graces has the Lord deigned to bestow on me in the land of my captivity. For after chastisement from God, and recognizing him, our way to repay him is to exalt him and confess his wonders before every nation under heaven. For there is no other God, nor ever was before, nor shall be hereafter, but God the Father, unbegotten and without beginning, in whom all things began, whose are all things, as we have been taught; and his son Jesus Christ, who manifestly always existed with the Father, before the beginning of time in the spirit with the Father, indescribably begotten before all things, and all things visible and invisible were made by him. He was made man, conquered death and was received into Heaven, to the Father who gave him all power over every name in Heaven and on Earth and in Hell, so that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and God, in whom we believe. And we look to his imminent coming again, the judge of the living and the dead, who will render to each according to his deeds. And he poured out his Holy Spirit on us in abundance, the gift and pledge of immortality, which makes the believers and the obedient into sons of God and co-heirs of Christ who is revealed, and we worship one God in the Trinity of holy name.”
Patrick goes on to say; “He himself said through the prophet: ‘Call upon me in the day of’ trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.’ And again: ‘It is right to reveal and publish abroad the works of God. I am imperfect in many things, nevertheless I want my brethren and kinsfolk to know my nature so that they may be able to perceive my soul’s desire. I am not ignorant of what is said of my Lord in the Psalm: ‘You destroy those who speak a lie.’ And again: ‘A lying mouth deals death to the soul.’ And likewise the Lord says in the Gospel: ‘On the day of judgment men shall render account for every idle word they utter. So it is that I should mightily fear, with terror and trembling, this judgment on the day when no one shall be able to steal away or hide, but each and all shall render account for even our smallest sins before the judgment seat of Christ the Lord.”
So this St. Patrick’s Day as we wear the green, and wish each other a “Top o’ the morning” and sport our clovers we need to stop and consider the testimony of the man who’s day we commemorate and ponder the God he confessed and served.
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” ~ Revelation 3:20
Note: For more on the “Confession of St. Patrick” visit Christian Classic Ethereal Library
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Breakfast with Socrates
While I would love to take credit for the title of my post, I must give credit where credit is due. It is the title of an upcoming book written by Robert Rowland Smith and according to the review it “…presents a unique marriage between the teachings of great philosophers and the details of everyday life.” The article provided this excerpt from the introduction of the book:
“Given that Socrates was assassinated by poison, you might think twice before accepting his invitation to breakfast. Yet what got him killed is exactly what would make him an excellent breakfast companion: his curiosity. He was silenced for asking too many questions, getting up the nose of too many people. His mind was probing, dissatisfied, and inventive, and it led him to bring everything…into doubt. No wonder his most famous pupil, Plato, characterized him as an irritating insect. Were you actually to sit down with him for cappuccino and croissants, he might start by asking why you lead the life you lead, or what value you have as a person. It’s a style that might cause you, like the state that had him murdered, to take offense; on the other hand, were you to give him the benefit of the doubt, you’d be taken on an extraordinary mental journey. Famously, Socrates declared, “The unexamined life is not worth living,” and preferring dialogue to giving speeches, he’d get you to reflect on your self, and your actions in a way that would either lend them greater meaning or inspired you to make changes, and so create the meaning that your life lacked.”
I like to ask questions. I want to know, to understand why. Why do we do things a certain way? Why do we believe what we believe, and what led us to that world-view? Why do we have certain likes or dislikes? Where does tradition come from and when did it start, or who started it? Why do we do what we do? Why did that individual feel compelled do this or believe that, and what was the motivation behind it? Asking questions of the status quo can at times cause much discomfort and uneasiness. When you ask questions people tend to get nervous, especially if you bring up life’s big questions; Why are we here? What is the purpose or meaning of life? Or what comes next? This line of questioning makes some of us uncomfortable. Sometimes that nervousness is masking the fact that we have not thought it through and rather than admit that we deflect the question, or say that it is an inappropriate question in polite company. But many times people don’t ask questions for the wrong reason; we just do not want to face the issue or we find the answer inconvenient. Other times individuals ask with a true desire to probe, to learn to understand the basis for the tradition or practice. The difficulty is finding a balance of being truly interested in what the other person has to say and remaining “teachable” ourselves. But ultimately we need to contemplate the big life questions and the answers and come to some sort of conclusion.
Like Socrates, I agree that the unexamined life is not worth living. The challenge for each of us is not to “poison” the answers by ignoring them completely or being unwilling to rethink what we have held so dearly to for far too long. My pursuit of knowledge, my probing and pursuit of Truth brought me full circle. I grew up “religious” but never really stopped asking questions. Throughout life I experienced doubt and second guessed a life of faith. I eventually found that my faith in Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah and His atoning sacrifice as the sole means of being reconciled with God made sense from the perspective of human logic and reason. There is “Evidence that Demands a Verdict”, but I acknowledge that human reason can only take us so far. We do need God to reveal Himself to us through His Word and he promises in Hebrews 11:6 to reward those who diligently seek Him. The word wisdom occurs 234 times in the Bible; wise 247 times, know 763, knowledge 172, and seek 244 times. The Bible puts a great emphasis on the pursuit of knowledge. If we believe that there is a God who created this world, this universe and us shouldn’t we desire to know Him better and what He expects of us?
In Romans 1 the Apostle Paul warns us not to suppress the truth that we have gnawing at us in the back of our mind, because this suppression will ultimately lead to our detriment. Paul states very clearly in Romans 1:19-20; “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” Paul is merely echoing Psalm 19:1 when David states; “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” God is whispering to us in His creation but shouted to the world when He sent His Son. Are we listening?
"Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important." --C. S. Lewis
“Given that Socrates was assassinated by poison, you might think twice before accepting his invitation to breakfast. Yet what got him killed is exactly what would make him an excellent breakfast companion: his curiosity. He was silenced for asking too many questions, getting up the nose of too many people. His mind was probing, dissatisfied, and inventive, and it led him to bring everything…into doubt. No wonder his most famous pupil, Plato, characterized him as an irritating insect. Were you actually to sit down with him for cappuccino and croissants, he might start by asking why you lead the life you lead, or what value you have as a person. It’s a style that might cause you, like the state that had him murdered, to take offense; on the other hand, were you to give him the benefit of the doubt, you’d be taken on an extraordinary mental journey. Famously, Socrates declared, “The unexamined life is not worth living,” and preferring dialogue to giving speeches, he’d get you to reflect on your self, and your actions in a way that would either lend them greater meaning or inspired you to make changes, and so create the meaning that your life lacked.”
I like to ask questions. I want to know, to understand why. Why do we do things a certain way? Why do we believe what we believe, and what led us to that world-view? Why do we have certain likes or dislikes? Where does tradition come from and when did it start, or who started it? Why do we do what we do? Why did that individual feel compelled do this or believe that, and what was the motivation behind it? Asking questions of the status quo can at times cause much discomfort and uneasiness. When you ask questions people tend to get nervous, especially if you bring up life’s big questions; Why are we here? What is the purpose or meaning of life? Or what comes next? This line of questioning makes some of us uncomfortable. Sometimes that nervousness is masking the fact that we have not thought it through and rather than admit that we deflect the question, or say that it is an inappropriate question in polite company. But many times people don’t ask questions for the wrong reason; we just do not want to face the issue or we find the answer inconvenient. Other times individuals ask with a true desire to probe, to learn to understand the basis for the tradition or practice. The difficulty is finding a balance of being truly interested in what the other person has to say and remaining “teachable” ourselves. But ultimately we need to contemplate the big life questions and the answers and come to some sort of conclusion.
Like Socrates, I agree that the unexamined life is not worth living. The challenge for each of us is not to “poison” the answers by ignoring them completely or being unwilling to rethink what we have held so dearly to for far too long. My pursuit of knowledge, my probing and pursuit of Truth brought me full circle. I grew up “religious” but never really stopped asking questions. Throughout life I experienced doubt and second guessed a life of faith. I eventually found that my faith in Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah and His atoning sacrifice as the sole means of being reconciled with God made sense from the perspective of human logic and reason. There is “Evidence that Demands a Verdict”, but I acknowledge that human reason can only take us so far. We do need God to reveal Himself to us through His Word and he promises in Hebrews 11:6 to reward those who diligently seek Him. The word wisdom occurs 234 times in the Bible; wise 247 times, know 763, knowledge 172, and seek 244 times. The Bible puts a great emphasis on the pursuit of knowledge. If we believe that there is a God who created this world, this universe and us shouldn’t we desire to know Him better and what He expects of us?
In Romans 1 the Apostle Paul warns us not to suppress the truth that we have gnawing at us in the back of our mind, because this suppression will ultimately lead to our detriment. Paul states very clearly in Romans 1:19-20; “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” Paul is merely echoing Psalm 19:1 when David states; “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” God is whispering to us in His creation but shouted to the world when He sent His Son. Are we listening?
"Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important." --C. S. Lewis
Monday, March 15, 2010
Thumbs up or thumbs down
"All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be enslaved by anything.’ ~ I Corinthians 6:12
I am a hard guy to shop for and each year my wife tries to surprise me when picking my Christmas gifts. Typically if there is something I want or think I need I will buy it during the year in essence scratching that off the gift list. She tells me that I am no fun to buy gifts for because I usually guess what they are before we open them on Christmas morning. Truth told I do not really need anything but like everybody else I do enjoy receiving and opening gifts. There are things I would like to have but I have expensive tastes and I truly do not want to be consumed with the accumulation of “stuff”.
Three years ago my wife did in fact surprise me and bought me a gift I had no idea she was going to get. I think I made an off-hand comment about a TiVo DVR and she logged that in her memory banks and purchased it for me. I opened it up on Christmas morning and I was truly shocked that she bought it. My wife has many skills and talents but picking and setting up anything electronic is not her forte. I did not race back to the TV and set it up immediately. The DVR sat in corner for about 6 months and my wife was beginning to wonder if she had bought me a gift I would never use. I am not sure what led to my reluctance setting it up, but now that I have been using it for the past two years I cannot imagine watching television any other way. I have found that owning one actually reduces the amount of time I spend in front of a TV. The biggest advantage is the ability to fast-forward through commercials or superfluous parts of a TV program.
Other people who own DVR’s have expressed the same enthusiasm. Watching sporting events is great, especially when you can record the start of a game and go enjoy a meal with your family without the worry of missing any action. By the time your Sunday dinner is over and the dishes are cleared the DVR has nearly recorded the entire first half of an NFL game. You can fast-forward through the kickoffs, punts, time outs, commercial breaks, replays, huddles and other time consuming activities. I had a co-worker tell me that her daughters will sit down to watch a show and if they find out it is live TV rather than a DVR recording they lose patience and leave. Maybe this is a sign of the times where we have less patience or interest, but from my perspective it has improved my viewing pleasure.
A couple of features on my TiVo that I have taken advantage of are the Season Pass and the Thumbs Up/Down feature. With the Season Pass you can record each new episode of your favorite program and watch it at your convenience. The other feature allows you to give programs either one, two or three thumbs up depending how much you like it, or three thumbs down depending how much you truly dislike it. The DVR makes a note of your viewing preferences and will record other programs it thinks you may like. What is a little humbling and even embarrassing at times is what programs it records for you based on how you rate other shows. When I first hooked it up it was recording shows that we would never consider viewing even on our worse days. It puts the verse in Proverbs 20:11 into focus about being “known for our doings…”
Recently I read “The Pursuit of Holiness” by Jerry Bridges and he focused on our need to contemplate the holiness of God and the fact the Jesus Christ always sought to do the will of His Father. He talked about Christ’s holiness and the fact that He was morally blameless made Him the only perfect and acceptable sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sins. Bridges states that; “Holiness is nothing less than conformity to the character of God.” One of the cautions that Bridges mentions in his book is that “we become so accustomed to our sins we sometimes lapse into a state of peaceful coexistence with them…” After reading this book and the verses from scripture Bridges used to make his points I found myself re-evaluating my entertainment choices. What entertainment in the form of television or movies was I giving a “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” to? What “doings” was I known for and could I truthfully and honestly say that they conformed to the character of God? Needless to say that I needed to reconsider my Season Pass selections and wonder if I had lapsed into a peaceful coexistence with entertainment that may or may not be bad, but was it helping me think on what is pure, good and right? If a electronic box was recording programs that I would not choose for myself, what was it about my choices that made it thought I would? It was a very sobering thought.
In Philippians 1:9-11 the Apostle Paul states; “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” We need to consider what in this life we give a thumbs up or thumbs down to; God is watching, our community is watching and our children are watching. Is what we approve of pure and blameless? That is a question we need to each ask ourselves and wrestle with in prayer and thoughtful meditation. We are each called to work out our own salvation, (Phil 2:12). Are we working it out or mindlessly coexisting?
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.’ ~ I Corinthians 6:19-20
I am a hard guy to shop for and each year my wife tries to surprise me when picking my Christmas gifts. Typically if there is something I want or think I need I will buy it during the year in essence scratching that off the gift list. She tells me that I am no fun to buy gifts for because I usually guess what they are before we open them on Christmas morning. Truth told I do not really need anything but like everybody else I do enjoy receiving and opening gifts. There are things I would like to have but I have expensive tastes and I truly do not want to be consumed with the accumulation of “stuff”.
Three years ago my wife did in fact surprise me and bought me a gift I had no idea she was going to get. I think I made an off-hand comment about a TiVo DVR and she logged that in her memory banks and purchased it for me. I opened it up on Christmas morning and I was truly shocked that she bought it. My wife has many skills and talents but picking and setting up anything electronic is not her forte. I did not race back to the TV and set it up immediately. The DVR sat in corner for about 6 months and my wife was beginning to wonder if she had bought me a gift I would never use. I am not sure what led to my reluctance setting it up, but now that I have been using it for the past two years I cannot imagine watching television any other way. I have found that owning one actually reduces the amount of time I spend in front of a TV. The biggest advantage is the ability to fast-forward through commercials or superfluous parts of a TV program.
Other people who own DVR’s have expressed the same enthusiasm. Watching sporting events is great, especially when you can record the start of a game and go enjoy a meal with your family without the worry of missing any action. By the time your Sunday dinner is over and the dishes are cleared the DVR has nearly recorded the entire first half of an NFL game. You can fast-forward through the kickoffs, punts, time outs, commercial breaks, replays, huddles and other time consuming activities. I had a co-worker tell me that her daughters will sit down to watch a show and if they find out it is live TV rather than a DVR recording they lose patience and leave. Maybe this is a sign of the times where we have less patience or interest, but from my perspective it has improved my viewing pleasure.
A couple of features on my TiVo that I have taken advantage of are the Season Pass and the Thumbs Up/Down feature. With the Season Pass you can record each new episode of your favorite program and watch it at your convenience. The other feature allows you to give programs either one, two or three thumbs up depending how much you like it, or three thumbs down depending how much you truly dislike it. The DVR makes a note of your viewing preferences and will record other programs it thinks you may like. What is a little humbling and even embarrassing at times is what programs it records for you based on how you rate other shows. When I first hooked it up it was recording shows that we would never consider viewing even on our worse days. It puts the verse in Proverbs 20:11 into focus about being “known for our doings…”
Recently I read “The Pursuit of Holiness” by Jerry Bridges and he focused on our need to contemplate the holiness of God and the fact the Jesus Christ always sought to do the will of His Father. He talked about Christ’s holiness and the fact that He was morally blameless made Him the only perfect and acceptable sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sins. Bridges states that; “Holiness is nothing less than conformity to the character of God.” One of the cautions that Bridges mentions in his book is that “we become so accustomed to our sins we sometimes lapse into a state of peaceful coexistence with them…” After reading this book and the verses from scripture Bridges used to make his points I found myself re-evaluating my entertainment choices. What entertainment in the form of television or movies was I giving a “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” to? What “doings” was I known for and could I truthfully and honestly say that they conformed to the character of God? Needless to say that I needed to reconsider my Season Pass selections and wonder if I had lapsed into a peaceful coexistence with entertainment that may or may not be bad, but was it helping me think on what is pure, good and right? If a electronic box was recording programs that I would not choose for myself, what was it about my choices that made it thought I would? It was a very sobering thought.
In Philippians 1:9-11 the Apostle Paul states; “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” We need to consider what in this life we give a thumbs up or thumbs down to; God is watching, our community is watching and our children are watching. Is what we approve of pure and blameless? That is a question we need to each ask ourselves and wrestle with in prayer and thoughtful meditation. We are each called to work out our own salvation, (Phil 2:12). Are we working it out or mindlessly coexisting?
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.’ ~ I Corinthians 6:19-20
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