Follow The Light

Divorce Me!

2011-09-27T08:10:00.000-05:00

Luke 5:8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

10 And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not;

Within moments Peter fell from extreme self-confidence and pride to humiliation and fear. He would have many such experiences throughout his Christian life. In the context we find the root problem. Peter thought he knew more about his own business, commercial fishing, than Jesus did. Peter was arrogant and surly when Jesus told him to take him fishing. And he was impatient with Jesus.

Walking with Christ is hard on some of us… especially if we are prideful, know-it-alls, overly self-assured, and/or tend to be impatient with others. The fall can be hard and far, but Jesus will be sure to take us there… for our own good, and to make us useful to Him. He must have servants who are willing to do His will not their own will.

The realization of our failure will show us what we fear most… that we don’t measure up and that we aren’t what we believe ourselves to be or pretend to be, and that Jesus plainly sees that truth about us. Those of us who suffer from this arrogance generally do so out of fear. And when we loose face in the presence of Jesus it can be a horrible experience.

Peter’s response was, “Depart from me…” This word depart could be used by a failed husband or wife who is so distraught over their own failure that they cry out to their mate, “divorce me!” It is more than saying I am unworthy, it is saying I can’t stand that you see my shame. But Jesus said, “Fear not…” He knew Peter's agony. Peter had gone from one extreme to another in a matter of minutes. Now Jesus brought him back to a place of balance, a place of humility born from unconditional love. Wow...

A Fold-able Neck

2011-09-08T08:03:00.002-05:00

Being a kayaker on the gulf coast of Texas gives me the opportunity to observe Herons and Egrets regularly since they inhabit all our waterways and are hard to miss with their large size, striking appearance, and long legs. They are the coast's most patient and numerous fishermen.

The casual observer might fail to notice a biological marvel of creation that is easily seen: what they can do with their long sleek necks. They can actually fold their necks into an S shape. Just because an animal has a long neck doesn’t mean it is fold-able. Giraffes can’t fold their necks, and neither can geese or deer.

By Alan Vernon

These birds have special vertebrae in their necks which are accompanied by unique muscles and tendons. Their heads are almost all beak — long sharp beak. They use this beak for grabbing and spearing fish. The long neck and special vertebrae allow the bird to get its beak stealthily within rage of a fish before striking with blinding fish spearing speed. Our creator is an amazing engineer.

The Pathway Of Blessedness

2011-09-07T08:20:00.000-05:00

Matthew 5:3 poor in spirit

4 mourn

5 meek

6 hunger and thirst after righteousness

7 merciful

8 pure in heart

9 peacemakers

These verses describe what a blessed person looks like. There are six adjectives and two verbs which behave like adjectives. These eight words are the keys to understanding the verses. An adjective is a modifier of a subject or noun, so in these verses Jesus gives the description of the personality of a “blessed” person. These modifiers are not given as goals to attain, but each expresses a characteristic that exists in a blessed person.

These characteristics seem to be sequential, each leading to the other, and descriptive of real Gospel salvation which leads to a state of being which includes these characteristics. In other words, this is a description of the characteristics that to some degree accompany salvation.

Poverty of spirit is the first move toward God, and the closer we come to God the more we mourn over our poverty, which leads to meekness or a lower opinion of oneself, which then causes a person to hunger and thirst after righteousness which they do not possess, righteousness which can only be found in the Gospel. In this Gospel they find righteousness and the mercy of God in Jesus Christ. A person who has received such mercy is now naturally inclined to give mercy. From the giving and receiving of mercy flows a simple purity in the inner recesses of the soul. The power of love is experienced which brings a sort of singularity of understanding and purpose. And because peace with God has been experienced this blessed person is inclined to seek this path of mercy, truth, and peace when there is conflict.

The Wolves Are Coming

2011-09-06T09:07:00.001-05:00

Acts 20:29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

Having spent most my ministry trying to help troubled churches I learned that churches are troubled because they have troubled people in their membership, and generally have no processes or norms in place to resolve conflicts. In this troubled mix there is one disconcerting behavior that always puzzles me: the deliberate and aggressive attempt to harm another person. This seems so foreign to the teachings of Christ that I am always surprised the aggressors don't immediately see the glaring inconsistency and stop the harmful behaviors, but experience has taught me they often don't or won't see it.

There are common threads in this dark garment. It can begin with the smallest thing, something that may go unnoticed by everyone involved but this one antagonist, a mild slight or disagreement can fan the flames of their aggression. Most adults have figured out ways to overlook the mild irritations and differences that come with living and working with others. They wave their hands and move on... but not these folks. These things become personal to them even if the event or issue has nothing to do with them. Strangely... some of these folks seem to look for opportunities to be offended.

They may then manufacture all sorts of offenses, and small weaknesses in their assumed opponent's actions or personality will become high crimes to them. This excess seems to be the mechanism they need to justify their own malicious intent and actions. They will use their slanted rendition of these “sins” to create a following of people who seem to have a predilection to involve themselves in these sorts of conflicts. I've even known them to hire private detectives to attempt to dig up “dirt” about some poor object of their contempt.

They then take action intended to bring harm. This is actually the meaning of some usages of the Biblical word "evil". I've seen them do almost everything from attempting to injure a person's standing in the church or on their job, to contacting the IRS with derogatory information to start an investigation. Their persecution seems limited only by their lack of demented creativity. And if the pastor doesn't support their jihad they will often turn their malicious attention upon him or one of his family members.

What can be done to prevent this kind of conflict? Some promote counseling or mediation, and there are some cases that can be helped or remedied by these methods. But there are a striking number of cases that involve aggressors who have personality disorders or other psychological problems which can prevent the success of this kind of intervention. In fact, in some cases, that sort of intervention will only increase the problem. For these cases a church or other organization must have already prepared itself for this type of conflict. They must have already established norms in the congregation and clear methods to derail this sort of action before it goes to far. Paul clearly prepared the church for the “wolves” long before they came to harm the congregation. Reasoned, sound, Biblical preparation for conflict resolution is a Biblical imperative.

Liberty Depends On Labor

2011-09-05T08:30:00.000-05:00

2 Thessalonians 3:6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.

In every free society there is a fundamental requirement of responsible behavior on the part of the citizens if they wish to remain free from the oppressive power of tyranny. This verse is based on that principle.

Not every behavior can be controlled or prosecuted by law enforcement. Therefore, liberty is accompanied by freedoms which can ultimately reverse a culture of freedom and lead to tyranny. The contextual behavior leading to the discipline of withdrawal in the verse above is laziness, or the refusal to work. Short of slavery there is no way to force someone to work. A culture of laziness will lead to the destruction of an orderly government and to the tight cuffs of tyranny.

The penalty required in this passage for able-bodied people who refused to work was to isolate them, and, by doing so, take away their access to those privileges which are the fruit of labor. The purpose is to motivate them to self-discipline and personal responsibility.

The United States over 100 years ago set a day aside to celebrate labor. This is a noble thing... and the hard working laborers in our country should be celebrated. But let it also be observed that labor is a basic tenet of Christian culture and churches are required by Christ to foster a culture of labor.

Surrender for Joy By Betsy

2011-08-06T08:21:00.002-05:00

Ihad one of those days yesterday. It started at 4:45 a.m. and didn'tend until 9:00 p.m. There was a mile long list of things to do and itseemed that everything was resisting my ability to complete the list.The kids fought all day long, I don't have enough shelving for all mystorage boxes, the vacuum is going out on me, my hair dryer issmoking... and that was just part of it! Collin dumped out a bottleof canola oil on my kitchen floor and a bottle of soap on my livingroom floor. He also unfolded a bunch of folded laundry. Neither ofthe kids wanted to help put away all their toys. The parsnips keptburning while I was frying them. Cory didn't want to nap. Michael gothome and told me that he had to work on a report for the churchfinance meeting the next day (which means I wouldn't get a reprievefrom dealing with the kids AND the household stuff).

By4:45 p.m. I was ready to give up! I was struggling to keep my temperin check and found it difficult to resist crawling into bed untilmorning. My day was far from over... I still had several things onthe to do list and knew that it would take several more hours tofinish it all.

Iwas less than joyful. And about the time I was finished cookingsupper... and was giving myself a grand pity party... I realized thatmy day was so terrible because I let it be so terrible. Getting in myown way of joy. Again. A whole day wasted in a bad mood because of mypoor attitude.

So,instead of letting the kids eat by themselves while I scrambled toget the kitchen clean and finish up that to do list, I sat down, atemy colcannon shepherd's pie and thought about how to get my joy back.And I remembered one of the first verses that I memorized as a child:

Proverbs3:5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not into thineown understanding.

Ididn't surrender any of these problems to the Lord and, so, I didn'ttrust Him. I was trying, and failing, to do everything on my own.There's no room for joy in my heart when my heart won't surrender itsproblems to Him. I have to trust Him to work everything out.Basically, I have to mind my own business. It's His business to workout finances to buy a new vacuum. He knows we don't have the extramoney right now but, if He wants us to buy one, He'll send us a way.My heart cannot be light and joyful if I refuse to trust Him with myproblems.

Youmight be saying that God has bigger problems to deal with... mybroken down vacuum cleaner isn't exactly high priority. To that Isay-- are any of our problems big to God? The same God can be trustedto deal with the safety of my family AND my financial ability topurchase household items. He knows the number of hairs on my head. Heknows the number of babies in NICU. Are the hairs on my head moreimportant than the babies? Nope. But He still knows them all.

Mykids might have fought all day, but I have to trust that the Lordwill help them remember that it's better to be kind to one anotherthan it is to constantly fight one another. My vacuum cleaner mightdie on me this week, but He knows we need clean carpet! The parsnipsmight burn while I'm trying to clean up canola oil, but there'sreally nothing I can do about that. I'll just trust Him with oursupper and do the best I can (which sometimes means starting all overagain).

AfterI reasoned through my day's problems and remembered that they are,after all, small trees in a giant forest, I was able to get startedon my list again... this time with a MUCH better attitude! When thelist-doing got interrupted I worked through it, gave it to the Lordand got back to my list. It took a while, but everything got checkedoff the list and I joyfully went to bed.

Myevening turned out to be much more peaceful... and more joyful...than my day! Betsy

Enforced Peace

2011-08-04T09:25:00.009-05:00

2 Thessalonians 3:16 ¶ Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

Peace is not the absence of conflict, it can be the context of conflict. In the context of peace conflict changes from destructive to constructive. Context means, “the circumstances or events that form the environment within which something exists or takes place.” Encarta Dictionary There are contexts to all human relationships.

Peace is a primary context. When peace exists a relationship takes on certain characteristics which may not exist outside that context. For instance within peace there is a presumption of safety. Those I am at peace with will not seek to harm me. There is a presumption of justice. If our differences become acute we will follow just methods to resolve those differences. There is a presumption of mutual benefit. A peaceful relationship will enrich our lives. When we live in the context of peace we have more usable time, energy, and resources.

Sometimes the context of peace must be enforced by a third party. The peace Paul spoke of in the verse above is this kind of enforced peace which can overwhelm all the circumstances of life. This peace was not intended to include only peace with God, although that is enough, it is an enforced context of peace surrounding all the circumstances of our lives. The Lord “himself” will enforce this context of peace. This doesn't mean we won't have conflicts, but that our conflicts are allowed by the Peacekeeper and will ultimately strengthen our faith. Only within this context does the following verse make sense.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

True Worship

2011-08-03T07:56:00.007-05:00

John 4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

How can we worship without a temple? The key to finding this answer is found in the verses above. Prospective worshipers must first know who it is they intend to worship. When this knowledge is gained then they will know how to worship. Worship is not primarily a musical rhythm, procedure, or place. It is an event between spiritual persons. One is worthy to be worshiped and the other is qualified to worship.

For many people worship is about what happens in their surroundings, but true worship takes place in a person’s spirit. What is the spirit? Perhaps this question will help answer that question: What is a spirit without personality and intellect? The answer is: nothing. A spirit is pure rational personal existence.

The theologian James Boyce defined spirit as the “higher nature of man.“ He said, “It is evident, that the higher nature of man, so far from being a part of his animal life, either accompanies it or takes its place, and dwells in the body, using it as a means of contact with the external world, in which man, as a spiritual being, is thus enabled to live, and exercise the faculties of his higher nature.”

We worship God with our intellect first. A person who doesn’t know God based on His revelation of Himself cannot then truly worship God... no matter how good the music. So the most important instrument of true worship is the mind. That mind must know and comprehend revealed truth about God, for only then is real worship possible. This is worshiping Him “in spirit and in truth.”

The Living Constant

2011-05-21T19:49:00.004-05:00

Psalm 139:5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

Aging is not what I thought it would be. When I was a young pastor I imagined a growing spirituality that would enable me to easily answer, and thus endure, any struggle. But, while struggles have endured and, in some cases, increased exponentially, the accompanying all knowing wisdom has not materialized. As life moves by I am often more baffled than ever, and see things I have no way or knowledge to modify... and I know it now. So I quietly walk away praying... praying out of my weakness and ignorance.

In the midst of this slow moving revelation about myself and all I see around me, I hear the sirens of inner longings... to walk away with my Carol and leave the struggle of ministry behind. Having lived 37 years in ministry, I am personally aware of so many friends through the years who have walked away. I don't speak that with criticism... or to bring the pain of guilt to anyone, but just to address my own inner awareness. Also, being a student of history, having traveled widely, and living in the 4th largest metropolitan area in the US, I am aware, at least to some extent, of my smallness. I am just one in billions, and what I do doesn't really matter except to a few others residing somewhere in the billions.

I reflect more these days on why I remain in the struggle... I think if what is stated above was all there was to it, I would meld into the masses to live my own life. But, at least to this point, I cannot. It is not because I possess some mysterious knowledge, or I think the world can't get along without me, or there is some super-spiritual strength within me... it is something so simple and yet so eternally profound.

Ever in my inner consciousness as I roam among the billions there is only one who is always everywhere. I cannot get away from Him. My logic tells me it is not so exclusively the way it seems, but my soul confirms it is my reality. God is with me... He will not leave, no matter what I choose in life, He will not leave. And as I anonymously wander in the crowds it is often the only thing clear to me: He wants my life to mean something to Him. Such as it is in its small frailness... He still wants it. And so, as long as He is so near, and I know He is here, I must go on...

Psalm 139:1 O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. 2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. 3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. 5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. 7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

What Is Living Water?

2011-05-04T11:16:00.002-05:00

John 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

“Living water” was a metaphor Jesus drew from His location, and the Samaritan woman's daily chore of drawing water from a well. Jesus didn’t intend to imply she would never have to come to this literal well again to draw water. In fact she probably drew water the next day. His intent was to highlight a spiritual truth about what salvation supplied by Him would mean for her.

As I have stated in other posts, it would mean her salvation would be permanent and portable, and that she would not be dependent on worship in a temple or some special location, or some human intermediary or priest standing between God and her, or rituals. If she had to go somewhere, or to some person, or engage in some ritual for her salvation then His "living water" metaphor would not contrast with her everyday chore of going to the well for water.

But “living water” is a contrasting metaphor. The water Jesus gives doesn't have to be drawn from a well outside her personal spiritual life. This "living water" is ever present and goes with her wherever she goes. Jesus' "living water" metaphor introduced a revolutionary truth to this woman. But what exactly did Jesus offer that could permanently quench her spiritual thirst? What is this "living water"?

"Living water" illustrated the knowledge -the good news- He would give her that she was permanently reconciled to God and in a continual relationship with Jesus based on faith in His Gospel. Living water is a metaphor for the Gospel she would learn, believe, and then never forget. So when, in her very complex guilt laden life, she would wonder if God still loved her, if all her sins were really forgiven, and if Jesus was still saving her, she could remember the Gospel truth He taught her, and know for sure that she was loved and everlastingly saved from condemnation. She would draw living water from a Gospel spring of truth flowing in her soul. Living water... it is the knowledge of a salvation that is permanent and portable. This is a Jesus kind of salvation... a sure salvation.

Someone You Can Depend On

2011-05-03T07:58:00.000-05:00

2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.

Faithfulness begins with a commitment to a task. God’s faithfulness is known and experienced in the careful, detailed fulfillment of His commitments. Just saying He is faithful is of little value without knowing what He purposed to do. And He has purposed to faithfully care for His children until they enter the eternal day and beyond.

In the previous chapter the Apostle Paul painted a bleak picture of the end times. It is a time filled with judgment and defection. But it is also a time for the Glory of God to be seen in His faithfulness. That is the way it always is with troubled times, and personal trouble in our own lives. Those are times for God’s faithfulness to be experienced by those who trust Him.

He is faithful. He is worthy of our faith because He will do everything He has promised to do. And in this case it is important to know that He will be with His children through the dark days. He will “stablish” them (put them on solid ground). He will "keep" them (to protect someone by taking careful measures and keeping them in close custody). Trust Him, He is worthy.

Teaching Children To Give By Betsy Barnes

2011-04-26T08:08:00.002-05:00

Giving. It's a trait we all hope our children develop. But, like most things, we have to teach this trait to them. Many families participate in the Angel Trees at Christmastime or backpack drives at the start of the school year. These are tangible, simple ways for our children to learn the joy of giving to others. Participating in these programs with our children on a regular basis helps them see, understand and learn to give to others.

Well, I have another program that you and your kids can participate in. Our church (Santa Fe Baptist Church) has a children's home in Mexico City. Most of the kids in the home come directly off the streets or are pulled out of abusive homes. The kids enter the home with nothing. Most of the little girls have never owned a baby doll and most of the little boys have never owned a toy car. The home provides warm beds, delicious meals, education and love. But they struggle to meet the day to day necessities, so frivolous things like stuffed animals and baby dolls usually cannot be bought. We, however, try to remedy that.

Each year we take a trip to the home and have a week of fun with the kids. We take them to a safari park, playground park and have a huge fiesta for them. At the fiesta they get a bag of gifts that are bought just for them. It's a fun week for everyone. But we need help getting gifts for each child (currently, there are 48 kids in the home).

If this sounds like something you'd like to do, email me (lebarnes84@gmail.com) and I can send you a list of toys that we need. My little girl loves to pick things out for the little girls in the children's home. She actually talks about the kids all the time (she even has pictures of them in her room). This has been the best way for us to teach her how important and rewarding giving can be.

You can also sponsor a child for the entire week (all the entrance fees and gifts cost $83 per child). If this is something you're interested in doing, you can visit the home's website at: www.agchmx.org. Click on "Give a Smile" to read about the kids and the week that we spend with them. There's also a gallery with photos of each child who hasn't been sponsored with a paypal donate button.

As always, we understand that not everyone can afford to give. But everyone can afford to pray! Please pray that the home will have sufficient funds to provide daily needs and pray that we can find enough donors to make sure every child gets a great Fiesta Week! Since each child has a picture on the website gallery you can go online and pray for each child by name. Many are emotionally and physically hurt. They need your prayers. - Betsy

Jesus Stopped A Fight So He Could Die On The Cross

2011-04-22T08:24:00.005-05:00

There was deadly tension at Jesus' arrest. The conspirators were afraid of reprisals from the masses who followed Jesus, so they came prepared to fight. Jesus' disciples knew Him well, and knew there was no just reason to arrest Him. They also knew He had a large following and might be able to start a war, which everyone expected the Messiah to do. They, too, were ready to fight.

A large armed mob was there to support a delegation, led by Judas, assigned to arrest Jesus. John 18:3 Jesus, instead of retreating, walked straight toward them with His small group following. John 18:1 As the groups approached each other the tension was thick. Jesus engaged them first, asking who they were seeking. Twice Jesus revealed who He was, the mob fell back. John 18:4-9 Judas stepped forward and confirmed this was indeed Jesus by kissing Him. Matthew 26:49

When a fight is about to begin the adrenaline starts flowing and a fevered, passionate rage begins to rise. Some of the High Priest's men stepped forward and grabbed Jesus to arrest Him. Mark 14:46 As they were taking Him away His disciples moved forward, Peter pulled a sword and began a close quarter street fight, cutting off an ear with a deadly slash. John 18:10

Then an amazing, startling thing happened... Jesus pulled away from His captors and quickly moved between His disciples and the mob. A mob looking for a fight. Jesus demanded that Peter put away His sword, and then He spoke clearly to Peter and the rest of His men to calm them down and back them off. Matthew 26:52-54 This is where all the warring dreams of His disciples died... Perhaps their bold bravery sunk into a sort of angry helplessness, a kind of shame, that comes when a man is prepared, but unable, to prove his faithfulness and mettle when it is needed most...

Then, in this trigger ready tension, Jesus reached down to the ground, picked up the sliced ear, and with the care of the greatest physician repaired the injured man's wound... a man who had come prepared to fight to take this Great Physician to His death. Luke 22:51

Jesus then turned to the mob to calm them. He reminded them that He had been among them for days, and had always been available for arrest. He was not a criminal who needed to be arrested with weapons drawn. Mark 14:48-49 Then they bound Him and led Him away. John 18:12-13 Jesus could have died there with His disciples... but His destiny was the Cross... it was always the Cross.

Jesus, God's Dwelling Place

2011-04-21T08:08:00.002-05:00

John 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

Jesus was revolutionary in more ways than some may realize, and here is one of the most revolutionary truths.

Ancient religion was about places. Places where the gods or god dwelt. Every religion had a sacred place, a temple where the people went to meet with God. The Jews had theirs in Jerusalem, and the Samaritans had theirs on Mount Gerizim.

This same way of thinking exists in religions today. The Muslims have Mecca, Hindus have Varanasi, Buddhists have Lumbini. Many Christians mistakenly look for God in places… but, what we are taught in the New Testament is God is found in a man: Jesus Christ. Jesus never built a temple or required one be built.

The water of life flows from Him to His people. The incarnation changed the world, and the way the world should think. The center of the kingdom of God moved from a place to a person. He has risen from the dead... He is alive... worship Him.

Participation In A Traditional Church May Save Your Life

2011-04-20T08:44:00.005-05:00

2 Thessalonians 2:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

The people this verse was written to had just been reminded of the saving plan and labor of God who had, by His Gospel work, secured their place in the everlasting glory to come. But those verses were nested in foreboding darkness... the darkness of the end-times. What will keep that end-time generation anchored in light through those dark times? Paul says it is the truth they have been taught and have believed. Paul called this saving light “the traditions”. The word tradition literally means “the content of instruction that has been handed down.” BDAG

Paul knew the importance of each generation holding to the truth of God’s Word. All it takes is the defection of one generation for the comfort of truth gained by faithful Christians to be lost, and generations can then be left with no light for their path… even when the darkness of the end-time apostasy comes.

A church should work hard at building an enduring tradition of truth which can be handed down from generation to generation. Noah consistently labored over decades to build an ark that would carry his family through dark days of judgment. A traditional church is constantly building an ark of truth for each successive generation.

A traditional church is easily recognized. I'm not talking about architecture, music, or whether they sit on pews or chairs. A traditional church is one where the Bible is actually taught, whether the people sit on pews, floors, or on rough wooden planks, or use 50 gallon drums to keep rhythm as they sing. A solid tradition of opening the words of the Book is the norm not the exception. In each worship service and class the real meaning of the verses in the Bible is the focus, not the traditions of men about those verses, or religious rituals. There can be no greater legacy than Truth. And those who find themselves in the darkness will see this beacon of light as their family's ark of safety.

The generation who will be here to endure the end-time apostasy, and the worldwide judgment mentioned by the Apostle Paul, must follow Paul’s admonition in this verse. They must “stand fast” and “hold” to the Word of God. This must be their demand: give us the Scriptures, for in them we have eternal life and enduring strength. That generation will be standing on the shoulders of generations before who also faithfully held to “the traditions”. A church which stands on “the traditions” is a church built on solid ground.

Tradition, A Nonconformist's Word

2011-04-19T08:29:00.008-05:00

2 Thessalonians 2:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

When it comes to church life the word “tradition” can bring strong emotions. For some people the word is a cruel jailer keeping creativity chained to a cold wall in the dungeon of conformity. To others tradition is grandmother's overstuffed chair sitting by the warm fireplace of yesterday. It seems to keep the instability that comes with change always below the safe horizon of sameness.

Paul was a teacher of truth, and he was writing to people who were frightened and under stress. Change had come to their lives in the form of persecution. Persecution for simply believing a different tradition from those around them. The word tradition literally means “the content of instruction that has been handed down.” BDAG To the persecutors, the Christian beliefs were new... revolutionary... threatening. To the Christians they were old, solid, and comforting. Could it be that there are really no new ideas, only ideas that are new to us? New and old, at least in this instance, was a matter of perspective.

In this case the persecutors were trying to use force to bring about conformity to their traditions. Paul's nonconformist argument in the face of this force was conformity to his and the Bible's traditions. There is a great comfort that comes from knowing the truth in times like these, and knowing that this tradition has stood the test of time, it has been handed down to us beaten, bloody, and bruised by the bullying forces of conformity, but intact, as alive today as it was in the Garden of Eden. Tradition delivered by the Creator and then hardened and refined on the human anvil of ignorance, fear, prejudice, superstition, and the violent need for conformity is the strongest material in this unstable world.

The Apostle Paul's traditions, and the rest of the Bible's teachings, are at once solid, unchanging, stable... and nonconforming, revolutionary, and explosively unstable. When we stand there... solid in those traditions, everything seems to stand still, its as if we are already in the eternal day, but the world is still churning around us. It's like living in the eye of a hurricane. There's no place on earth like it. Lord keep me solidly conformed to Your nonconforming traditions... this is where I want... no... where I must remain.

When Cometh Joy by Betsy

2011-03-05T09:45:00.002-06:00

Sometimes it seems like joy is just out of our reach. Our souls yearn for it and grasp for it but we don't quite reach it. Maybe you're like me and allow the inability to reach joy bring you even further away from obtaining it... knowing that we've no right not to rejoice in what God has given us... knowing that our despondency isn't the attitude that God wants for us. It makes the joyless times even harder for me to bear. I suppose it's guilt. Guilt over the inability to find joy.

I don't want to rationalize sin or make excuses for our human nature, but, as imperfect creatures, we all face times of despondency. I don't think there's any avoiding it. Sooner or later we'll enter into periods of winter where joy seems to be more of a myth than a reality. Where we look back on past springs and wonder how we felt such joy and jubilation... did we really experience it? Or were we simply naive enough to believe that our life could be filled with such joy?

To that I confidently say that our life can be filled with joy... it can, in fact, overflow with joy. And when we're in the midst of our winter we can positively know that joy will come again, although it's difficult to believe. God has not and will not forget us.

You might say, "Alright, girlie... you're, what? all of 26? What can you possibly have experienced to know this? What winter could you possibly have weathered to know such a thing to be true?" You're right. I haven't experienced half of what others have experienced. However, without going into detail, I have had a few personal, life shaking winters. But someone can always argue that theirs were harsher, colder winters than mine and, therefore, I can't promise that spring will return for them. So, I'll not waste time in describing my winters. Instead, I give you Psalm 30 (I refuse to paraphrase it. It's a beautiful Psalm and should be read word for word.):

1 I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. 2 O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. 3 O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. 4 Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. 5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. 6 And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved. 7 LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled. 8 I cried to thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication. 9 What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth? 10 Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper. 11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; 12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

This chapter promises the coming spring. He cried to God... God listened and healed! God brought his soul from the grave and kept him from the pit! He was deep in despair, but God spared him from the very bottom. Verse 5 is my favorite... weeping endures for the night but joy cometh in the morning! Joy will come!

The winter described in this chapter was harsh. David proudly declared that he couldn't be moved but, through this particular winter, he learned that his mountain was only held fast because of the Lord. He was troubled and God hid His face. I don't doubt for a second that he felt alone and abandoned... doubtful that joy would return. But God saw him through the night and David found that, yes! joy does come in the morning! He cried out to God and God became his helper. Night does not last forever... morning will come. Spring will come. And with it, joy.

There's no need to listen to my paltry words of spring and the return of joy... listen to the words in Psalm. Hold tight to these promises during your winter... when it seems that hope is gone and joy is a myth. Grab onto them and don't let go! God will turn your mourning into dancing and your sackcloth into gladness! Joy will come in the morning! And that, friends, is joy #100! Betsy

Resurrection Song

2011-03-04T08:07:00.005-06:00

When Jesus returns the dead in Christ shall rise from the grave with a new and different kind of body. 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 1 Corinthians 15:52 They will all know by experience what it means for a believer to die. They’ve been through it. Their resurrection song is quoted in 1 Corinthians 15:54-57:

Death is swallowed up in victory.

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

So here we have a glimpse of one of the greatest hymns ever. It will be first sung on a day like no other: resurrection day. Couples who married young, raised a family, then were separated in death after painful struggles will look into each others eyes again... and shout with joy. Mothers, who had their children robbed from them by death, shall find their agony forever replaced in the rapture of this moment. Car accidents, war deaths, explosions, fire, storms, disease, crime... all now permanently defeated!

People who went to the grave secure in the Gospel--still clinging to Jesus--will know instantly, as their lungs fill with that first breath, and their eyes open to a world they left so long ago, the reality of truth and the fulness of God's gospel promises. And they will shout this victory hymn with streaming tears of joy. Jesus... has defeated death by His death and resurrection, and fully answered the demands of the law!

The Bible teaches us that all of us will consciously exist forever. Death and life are only different states of conscious existence. You will never reach the end of you. Will you sing this victory song on that day when life returns in its fulness to those who have had their sins freely forgiven through Jesus Christ's Gospel work? Or will you remain among the conscious dead... never to sing the victory song? The Gospel is the door to eternal life, and we walk through it by faith.

The picture is from http://pointsoflight.blogspot.com/

Christian Target Practice

2011-03-03T09:32:00.009-06:00

A number of years ago I was showing a pastor, who had just dropped by, our newly remodeled church auditorium. Our members where thankful for it, and did most the work inside that ordinary metal shell of a building themselves. They could never afford to pay for the work, but there was a special joy in using their own hands in this remodeling project. He said, “What this church needs is some people with money, once you get those kind of people in here you will then have the assets to do other things. This church has always been populated by lower middle class people, and it will never grow that way.”

I was so shocked I was speechless... Yet, as I thought about it, I should not have been shocked since this seems to be a prevailing behind the scenes ministry philosophy in our day. This ministry “targeting” is simply profane religious institutional classism, which is a form of classism that occurs when ministry practices are structured in such a way as to effectively marginalize people from lower socioeconomic classes.

In this sort of classism a ministry team uses demographic models to identify and describe the specific type of person they will deliberately plan to target for evangelism and church membership. In the visiting pastor's case he was not the least bit bashful about this ministry philosophy. He was recommending that I target people based on their economic status. To be clear: I would rather not be associated or identified with that sort of dead bigoted classism, no matter what it is called... classism has no place in the Christianity I find in the New Testament. In fact, classism is soundly condemned in the Bible. Read James 2:1-17.

One of the overriding truths of James 2 is that gospel faith produces spiritual life, and spiritual life has certain characteristics which do not include classism. James was scolding churches who targeted anyone less than everyone for evangelism and church membership, or gave special attention or respect to people who had an abundance of material assets and/or status, while marginalizing the poor.

Actually Christians with a living faith are inclined to give special attention to those who have glaring needs, not those who don't. Jesus is a physician to the ill not the well. When you see a Christianity that is deliberately “targeting” specific areas and people who have abundant assets, as mentioned here in James, you are seeing a twisted form of Christianity soundly and repeatedly condemned in the New Testament.

Believe Or Believe Not

2011-03-01T08:25:00.000-06:00

John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

The context of this verse is important. John the Baptist had just informed his disciples that Jesus had been given the authority over all things in heaven and earth. Opposing Him is foolish and futile. Everyone should follow Him... believing.

John boldly confronted people about unbelief and its consequences. He did so without coercion or force, just words... truth. Truth so simple and clear that they could not claim they had never heard, or did not understand. They were faced with either believing the Gospel, or not believing.

John's message is clear. There is a single belief, Gospel faith, which frees a person from the abiding wrath of God. Based on what John said here, the eternal affects of Gospel faith, or lack of faith, exist in the present. John taught that the wrath of God actually lives with unbelievers waiting to be permanently released into their existence. But for those who believe, their endless life in Jesus Christ has already begun.

As far as we know, there were no atheists standing there listening to John. These were religious people, but this wasn't about religion. It was about their belief concerning Jesus and His Gospel. These words openly communicate John's belief that religious people can be people without Gospel faith. Religious but lost. We must make sure we know Jesus and believe His Gospel. Nothing else, in the context of eternity, really matters.

Absolute Proof - Beyond Any Doubt

2011-02-22T08:34:00.003-06:00

Acts 1:3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs,

In US courts we have various standards for decisions made by jurors. In criminal cases a verdict of guilty cannot be returned unless the juror is sure of guilt “beyond a reasonable doubt”. This means that the evidence presented to the juror has established a particular point to a moral certainty, and it is beyond dispute that any reasonable alternative is possible. But “beyond a reasonable doubt” does not mean absolute proof or the absence of any doubt.

In civil cases there is the standard of “proof by clear and convincing evidence.” This is a lower burden of proof than reasonable doubt. It is a decision by the Juror that there is high probability that “a fact sought to be proved is true.”

In the language of the New Testament a word of evidence and decision making was used in this verse. It is translated “infallible proofs”. The Greek scholars in Friberg’s Analytical Greek Lexicon defined this word as: “evidence that removes doubt.” This is the highest level of proof: these people witnessed the same reality over, and over, and over again, to the point that they could not mistake the truth of what they had witnessed. The proof was absolute. This word was used here by Luke concerning the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Bug With Bifocals

2011-02-11T07:16:00.002-06:00

This is a bug, the Sunburst Diving Beetle, all southeast Texans could love. Its main diet is mosquito larvae. But scientist just recently found a first in the world: this bug has bifocals. That’s right: bifocals. Two lenses in each eye. That’s not four eyes, but two eyes with two lenses each. It also has two retinas in each eye.

Researchers are still working to find out just how this bifocal system works but they theorize that it is very similar to how humans use bifocals. One lens is for close up vision and the other is for distance. It seems the brain of the bug may shift the conscious focus from the blurred image to the more crisp image.

Scientists believe the effect of this could be similar to High Definition vision. It may deliver a precision in clarity of vision that is unrivaled in the world. They think the brain may actually use information from each image for HD clarity. Another amazing creation from an amazing Creator.

Love's Right Hand Secrets

2011-02-10T10:01:00.013-06:00

Matthew 6:3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

How can we do that? The word translated “alms” means charitable acts or giving. How can I keep secrets from my left hand? I realize this is an idiom for secrecy in Jesus' culture, but it is an interesting metaphor, and may teach us more about how our mind should work than we see at first glance.

After I spoke in public speaking class for the first time, my professor said, “Your gestures were excellent, gesturing will help keep people interested in what you're saying, so keep it up.” I was surprised... everything else in that exercise was planned. I had prepared notes, illustrations, the introduction, the ending... but I didn't plan any gestures. In fact, I had never thought of gesturing before... it was, and is, something I do involuntarily. I am one of those people who uses my hands to talk. With me it is a sure thing that my left hand doesn't know what my right hand is doing most the time.

Could it be that a person's charitable acts and giving can become so much a part of who they are that they don't even think about it... they just do it? That each caring act becomes an involuntary result of a decision to love made at an earlier time which has now become their soul's passion? A love that now defines them. Each action flowing invisibly from a mind and heart that is overwhelmed by love. Could I come to a place in life where someone says, “Your care for that person is amazing!” and in return I give them a confused glance, because the care I give is as involuntary for me as breathing or gesturing. If I think about it at all it is to wonder, “Doesn't everyone do this?” like “Doesn't everyone breath?” Or, now that this person has moved my attention to my actions, I chide myself for not doing more... a bit embarrassed because my actions seem so small and inconsequential compared to my love.

Do you think Jesus thinks about helping you through your difficulties, or does He help because He decided to love you so long ago, and His heart will allow Him to do nothing less? Is His care for us an involuntary action that flows out of His love for us? Is He overwhelmed with love for us? Is an act of love from a Being described as “love” in 1 John 4:8 and then again in 1 John 4:16 something He thinks about? Or is it an involuntary act pressed from a heart overwhelmed by love?

I am privileged to know people whose acts of charity seem to involuntarily flow from love. When I complement their obvious sacrifice they dismiss it with a wave of the hand. They seem to be an embodiment of “when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth.”

Won't Get Me Down By Betsy Barnes

2011-02-08T08:30:00.005-06:00

I was going to blog on something completely different tonight. Since I didn't have internet at the house until around 5pm today I've spent the last couple of days typing out a post on patience. (Impatient for internet and because I need to write, even though I didn't have the blog for an outlet. I had to write something somewhere!) It'll be on here eventually... but my heart isn't in it right now.

A better topic for my current mood is found in 2 Corinthians. It's actually found all over the Bible, but I love some of the verses in 2 Corinthians 4:1-18. I'll recap the chapter for you so we can get to those favorite verses-although I encourage everyone to read it.

Paul wrote to the church at Corinth and in chapter 4 he addressed certain aspects of ministry. We (Christians) have been given mercy and we have had the light of God shined on us. The message that we have for others is God's message. It is not our own to use for our glory. Only for His glory. And not everyone will understand this message because the 'god of this world' has blinded them so that the light of the gospel cannot shine down on them.

Then we get to verses 8-10. It's beautifully written and I'll not spoil it with a recap:

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

I was discouraged tonight by something trite. When I turned to the Bible for some verses on discouragement this is what I found. How senseless and self-absorbed am I to allow so small of a thing to get me down! Here is Paul, a man who was physically persecuted for spreading God's message, writing to a church who also faced persecution, proclaiming that though we are troubled, and perplexed, and persecuted, and cast down we can never be distressed, despaired, forsaken, or destroyed.

While Christians in America do not face what these early Christians faced, these verses can still be used as a light for our world-weary souls. We were promised a difficult road. But we were also promised a friend to hold us tight, guide our paths and console our broken spirits. He has consoled mine tonight.

And I believe that makes joy number 77! He loves me, oh how he loves me! -- Betsy

Jesus Never Built A Building

2011-02-08T08:17:00.004-06:00

Acts 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

This may seem unimportant, but actually it is one of the most revolutionary truths of the New Testament. Religion in the world of Jesus was all about buildings: Temples, and their location: sacred ground. A large part of the first 5 books of the Old Testament was dedicated to details about the construction of the Tabernacle and instructions about what would take place in it. 1 Kings 6:38 says it took Solomon 7 years to build the first Temple. John 2:20 informs us that Herod’s temple took 46 years to finish.

The religions of the world were rooted in the size and opulence of their temples, but Jesus never gave any instruction or revealed any plan to build a temple. He never declared any ground to be sacred to His Church.

In this passage John’s baptism, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit are tied together. John baptized outdoors apart from any structure. There were pools at the temple, but, as far as we know, John didn’t baptize there. The Baptism of the Spirit took place in someone’s home, not a sacred temple, or even a church building. In fact, there is no church building mentioned in the New Testament.

This is one of the most radical ideas in the teachings of Jesus. Jesus taught that the true Temple of God was His body. John 2:19-21 This is the reality of the Incarnation. With the coming of the Christ our gathering place for worship became the person of the Christ secured by the ministry of His Spirit. He is “God with us.” We go to Him as the center of our worship. Even the poorest of the poor can worship at this temple. The most humble structure can become the grandest temple... if Jesus is worshiped there.

I'm all for buildings... but a place of wood and brick can never replace the Christ. A building only shelters us so we can focus our worship on Him... if His Spirit is not present the grandest building is desolate. Jesus is revealed in His Word by His Spirit, there is no other direct revelation of the Christ on this earth. Read Him… Worship Him.

A Monday Thought: The Death Of Death

2011-02-07T08:00:00.001-06:00

Matthew 4:23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

Revelation 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

The events we read about in this passage in Matthew happened many years ago. And it was amazing! Can you imagine being there to watch the shackles of the curse of the Mosaic covenant fall from the condemned! How rapturous it must have been to be delivered from the pain of physical and mental illness by the simple word and touch of the great physician.

But there is a greater day coming! It will begin with the chains of death, the ultimate disease, being shaken from believers who have suffered its frigid captivity. Death... the ancient enemy, has broken our beautiful, brilliant, and beloved. It has blighted with age those who have longed to remain productive for their Savior. It has silenced the most gifted voices mankind has ever heard.

But it cannot and will not hold them, for death is swallowed up in the victory of the Cross. Full atonement has been made. The redeemer has paid the kinsman’s price, and He will take His people home. The great Physician has defeated death, and the final victory is near.

Joyfully Patient By Betsy Barnes

2011-02-05T08:43:00.000-06:00

My daughter, Betsy, a pastor's wife and mother of three, enjoys blogging for close friends and family. Her writing is insightful and uplifting, so, with her permission, I will publish her posts from time to time. You can read them all under Betsy Barnes on the left side of this page.

Patient. According to Webster it means not easily made angry; calm; not hasty. Being patient or having patience means the quality of enduring with calmness; quiet perseverance.

Wow.

Patience is not one of my virtues. I try to be patient. Sometimes. Not nearly as often as I should, though. Impatience grips its tentacles around my chest and seems to pull at the very heart of me. This is why I never tarried long with my lessons in sewing. Or embroidering. Or art of any kind. I'd rather be doing countless other things. Like reading. But even in reading, a seemingly harmless and maybe even beneficial hobby, I'm impatient. Just ask my husband or my mom. They'll tell you how I stay up too late finishing a book. As a kid it was pretty harmless as my books were short and I had very few important responsibilities to handle the next day. But now my books are often 400-500 pages long and I have 3 very important responsibilities to handle every day. They are early birds, so sleeping late isn't an option!

My impatience is carried into all aspects of my life. Moving into a new house (closing day couldn't come fast enough), getting new shelves built and put up, pictures hung, paint on the walls (I haven't even unpacked all of the boxes yet!), waiting for my kids to decide what snack they want (does it really take 10 minutes to decide between pudding and apples?). When I feel the tentacles reach for my chest I try to take deep breaths and remind myself not to use the sharp side of my tongue when I speak. I'm embarrassed to admit that the deep breathing doesn't always work-- I'm especially embarrassed when I remember this:

Proverbs 14:29 He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.

There's that word 'hasty' again. Anytime I hear hasty I think of Ents from the Lord of the Rings (yes, I'm a LOTR geek). Those of you who are not lucky enough to have read the novels or to have seen the movies might not know what the Ents are. They are talking trees. But they talk very slowly and make decisions very slowly. I don't mean they talk slowly as in with a Texas drawl... I can appreciate a good, drawn out howdy. I mean that it takes them a long time to say anything. It took them several hours to simply greet each other with a proper Ent “Good mornin', y'all”. The young hobbits that found them were, as the Ent shepherd put it, much too hasty. The hobbits didn't understand the Ents' ways and begged for important decisions and actions to be made immediately. But the Ents understood the importance of being diligent and not doing anything until they had vetted every aspect of the issue. They did eventually enter the war against Sauran and bring down Saruman's tower, but it was not done until they agreed that there was a need to do so. I believe it took them 3 days to make this decision while it took the hobbits mere seconds to decide they were going on the “mission... quest... thing”. They didn't even know what they would be doing, where they were going or for what cause they would be fighting. The war was dangerous but they never stopped to think about the consequences.

Perhaps spending an entire morning to say hello is a bit much, but JRR Tolkien (the author) was making the same point as the author of Proverbs... don't be hasty. What exactly is the problem with being hasty? Well, the Hebrew word for folly is anoia and means 'want of understanding'. So those of us who tend to be impatient, those of us who are hasty, are actually exalting, or praising, 'want of understanding'. The bottom line: We praise foolishness.

Looking at it in that light makes me completely feel the abundance of foolishness that I daily exhibit. We are often warned about what happens when we pray for patience. So the next time I feel impatience grabbing at me, I'll not pray for patience. Instead, I'll pray that God will help me to no longer exalt folly. I'll pray that I will have joy in remaining calm and patient.

I have a long road ahead of me.

Don't Stop

2011-02-02T07:44:00.002-06:00

2 Thessalonians 3:13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

In the history of the early church we read about resistance in every venture. There was resistance from spiritual forces (Ephesians 6:12), from wicked people (II Thessalonians 3:2), from difficult circumstances (2 Corinthians 11:25-28), and, mentioned in the context of this verse, from those among the early Christians who drained resources without producing anything.

All resistance creates its own kind of frustration, but resistance from within, from those who are supposed to be working toward the same goals, seems to weigh heaviest on many people. And that is what Paul was writing about in this chapter.

A church that is doing the work of Christ on earth is involved in good things. It is not Jesus’ Gospel purpose to harm anyone, so, if we are involved in His church we are involved in helping people both spiritually and physically. But if we are not thinking about this correctly we can become easy prey for discouragement, frustration, and a weariness that can paralyze us. Here are some helpful guidelines:

Keep focused on the fact that the Church's work is God’s work and it is a good work. It is the work of Jesus.

If you labor for accolades and praise from people then people can easily discourage you. Lay up treasures in heaven.

If you are healthy and able, make sure you are contributing to the overall goals and being a help, not a drain on resources without contributing your share and then some.

Pace yourself, make it your goal to continue in this good work for a lifetime.

Push through the hard times and the resistance. Don’t let up, make your life count.

I Respected Him So Much I Didn't Pray For Him

2011-02-01T08:51:00.007-06:00

2 Thessalonians 3:1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: 2 And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.

Paul was a member of the most elite Christian missions team ever. But he was concerned that people wouldn't pray for them. I understand how this can happen. This may sound strange, but I have a dear colleague in ministry who I so deeply respected that I never prayed for him. Never even thought about it. In my mind he was the epitome of a servant of Christ, and everything a pastor should be.

The fact that I had never prayed for him struck me as he confidentially shared some deep struggles he was experiencing. I so respected him that I guess I thought he would be able to handle any problem that came his way. I suddenly realized how foolish I was to think there is any human on this earth who doesn't experience potentially overwhelming personal struggles.

If the Apostle Paul needed prayer, as he revealed in this verse, then I expect we all need prayer. Those who are the deepest into the spiritual battle-lines are our “go to” friends for leadership in our own struggles... but we must also be sensitive to their personal struggles. Paul's prayer request gives us insight into how we should pray.

Paul wanted the "word of the Lord" to "have free course.” Paul’s life was committed to the propagation of God’s word, and his desire was that it would run freely throughout that generation. Some might think his successes would insulate him from discouragement, but it really works the opposite. Success can magnify our failures, or cause us to doubt ourselves when things slow.

He wanted God's Word to “be glorified” in the lives of the hearers. Simply put, Paul wanted to see lives deeply changed by the Word of God. Even though this is God's work, it can be a deep source of comfort or discouragement in heart of Christ's servants. We want our lives and words to count.

It seems to me, from the language in verse two, that Paul was in conflict with people who professed to be believers, but were really unconverted… lost… professing a faith they didn't possess. But it could have been a catchall word for all unbelievers, both in and out of the church.

Paul said these people were unreasonable, wicked, and without faith. These are intense words of resistance to the work of Christ's ministry. The level of this resistance seems to rise and fall, but it is always present in some form. The times of great opposition and defection, which Paul seemed to have been experiencing, can become trying and profoundly difficult. If Paul had been married with children the difficulty would have touched them too. Don't forget to pray for the spouses and children of those you respect.

Put all three of these together and you have a ministry team under great assault. They needed prayer, and so do ministry teams around the world today. If you think they are “spiritual giants” that is all the more reason to pray, because they, too, have personal and ministry struggles to overcome. May God give them grace to stand. I have prayed for a number of friends today who I deeply respect and admire, and I haven't forgotten their spouses and children.

Killer Bird Helps Rebuild Australian Rainforest

2011-02-01T08:08:00.000-06:00

A few years ago Carol and I were blessed to be the guests of an Australian church for 2 weeks, and then we spent a week alone for our 30th anniversary. We spent this special week in northern Queensland, Australia. This area has been devastated this week by Yasi, a Category 5 Hurricane, or Cyclone as they call them in the Southern Hemisphere. One of the most exciting events for me was our journey through the rain forests to historic Daintree, and then to Cape Tribulation.

One of the reasons for my excitement was the wildlife which ranges this area, and the unique plants that grow there. Huge crocodiles, tree kangaroos, flying foxes, beautiful flowers, mangroves, and rare exotic insects live in this rain-forest. The people are pretty interesting too.

Perhaps the most famous animal in the area is the Cassowary. The flightless Cassowary is one of a few birds in the world which can cause a human serious injury or death. The females grow up to 6 feet tall. They can run up to 30 miles an hour and jump over 4 feet high. They are very territorial and have injured human invaders on many occasions through the years. They have a dagger like middle toe on each foot which they use to viciously stab intruders. Some Aussies say they have poked holes in their vehicles with this stiletto toe.

After the devastation of Yasi it will be the Cassowary that will help rebuild the vegetation. In fact, the Australian rainforest must have the fruit eating Cassowary to survive. It is the only animal big enough to eat large fruit from over 60 plants and spread the seeds. The Cassowary is a vital part of a delicately balanced system put in place by our Creator.

Trouble Finding Joy?

2011-01-29T08:10:00.000-06:00

As I mentioned before, the whole point of my Year of Joy is to help me re-focus on what's truly important. It helps keep the 'envies' at bay. It also helps me when I get bogged down in the unimportant disappointments in life. I'm emphasizing unimportant here.... I'm talking about the trifling, inconsequential disappointments. The ones that don't really matter. There are disappointments that matter. The big ones that make huge impacts on our lives. But that's not what I mean. I mean something like... getting stuck in traffic. Or having to do laundry when it's piled to the ceiling. Or burning supper. Or having your closing date changed.

Ya, that last one really got me down last week. I was prepared for Wednesday night to be our last night in this house. Everything except what we would need until Thursday was packed away. And I was upset to find out that we wouldn't be closing until the following week. But, really, how whiny is that?? We are fortunate enough to have just built a new house and I'm letting something so trifling effect my outlook and mood.

And then another 'go to' verse jumped into my mind:

Proverbs 15:13 A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

So I told myself to snap out of it already!! It's time to make my heart merry! We'll move... eventually. We'll deal with having just a few pairs of shoes and clothes and dishes out... I wasn't going to unpack anything, so we'd figure out a way to make do for another week. Big deal! And then I started to think of all the joyful things we could accomplish between that 'ugghhh' moment and the day we'd move. I came up with several things to do that would bring me (and the family) joy. After a few minutes I felt much better about the situation. And a bit ashamed of how I let inconsequential bad news get in my way of joy. There goes another conviction from God. Just like the 'evil of envy' conviction runs through my mind (as I mentioned here), not letting little, negative happenings get me down is another conviction that runs through my mind. And, as before, I believe it's given to me by God. And, as before, I thank Him for it. I don't want my life to be ruled by envy or negativity.

Not only would this lack of merry-ness affect me, but it would also affect anyone around me. That's rather unacceptable considering that I'm around my children almost 24/7. The word 'countenance' in this verse specifically refers to how I'm perceived on the outside. The Hebrew word (paniym) is most often translated as before, face and presence. So, according to this verse, my outward presence is made cheerful by a merry heart. And how can my heart be merry when I'm allowing silly, paltry events become significant and worth my worry? It can't. And my children will see this. And learn from this.

Lord, help make my heart merry.... it can't be done without You.

The Most Accurate Spitters In The World

2011-01-28T08:19:00.002-06:00

Spitting cobras are one of the most lethal snakes in the world. Their bite can inject a deadly neurotoxin into the victim's body. But when cornered, something you really don’t want to ever do, they can spit venom up to 6 feet with amazing precision and accuracy. Well... they don't actually spit, they spray venom.

If the venom simply lands on your skin it will usually have little affect, but you should still quickly wipe it off while you’re running. If it lands on your skin the cobra has made a rare miss, because it never aims for the skin, it shoots for the eyes of its victim. When it hits the eyes the venom can cause permanent blindness in a matter of minutes.

The venom is projected from a small forward facing hole close to the tip of each of the snake's two fangs. The muscles controlling the release of the venom are responsible for producing the power necessary to shoot the venom.

Researchers have found that the snake tracks the eyes and movement of the head of its victim. The snake moves its head in the same directions and speed ratio of the victim's head, and just as the victim's head changes direction the snake will instantly move its head that direction and fire the poison where it expects the eyes to be in 200 milliseconds. Researchers have found the snake to be amazingly accurate.

How did the spitting cobra learn its venom will only affect the eyes? And... how could venom that will only affect the eyes evolve by chance? It either blinds or it doesn't. Again, here is a complex system that must have been designed. This amazing system includes the muscular structure, precision holes in the fangs, brain function to track the eyes of the victim and coordinate with the body, and special venom. There is a Creator.

The Problem Of God 10 - 1 > 10

2011-01-27T08:41:00.009-06:00

God is an unpredictable problem to many in our world. He just can't consciously exist in their world, or He must at least be kept consciously out of the concrete operational side of human existence. To give Him a place in the conscious side of life creates a nonsensical equation... an irreconcilable problem.

This is a problem well known to the agnostic thinker. Here it is: if God is allowed to enter conscious human existence then an immeasurable factor has invaded a world of physical laws. There is no way around it. It is well known that if there is a Creator He must be all-powerful, at least within that creation, and transcend what He has created. Any involvement then in His creation after physical laws have been put into place is without a measurable cause and is unpredictable, so nothing in the creation can be considered to be permanent, stable, or absolute.

The moment a believer says God did this or that the believer has declared that there is a factor in their world, and the world of everyone else, that is without a measurable cause and is unpredictable. God is an independent all powerful intelligence who can do whatever He wants. But math and science are all about measurement, verification, and prediction. So for many, these days, God is not welcome in the realm of the measurable.

Let me illustrate the problem with a verse which the prophet Malachi says came directly from the Creator:

Malachi 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

The word tithe means a tenth. Under the law given by God to Israel there was a requirement that every citizen give a tenth of their income to God's “storehouse”. This post is not a discussion about tithing, it is about the implications of the equation of tithing. The Creator has stated in this verse that if one tenth of all income is given "into the storehouse" He will return more than that tenth back to the giver in the form of "a blessing”. Here's the equation:

10 – 1 > 10 (ten minus one is greater than 10)

That equation doesn't fit physical law. This is not an investment that bears measurable interest or brings dividends. The 1 is fully separated from the 10. It is given away. From the viewpoint of physical law it is an impossible equation. It is based solely on a statement from the Creator that He will act on behalf of the giver from outside the laws of economics. His action will be physically unpredictable and the cause will be immeasurable. This is what happens if God is in this world... and He is in this world. This is what faith is all about:

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

For this equation to be true the Creator must have access to and, therefore, control the economies of this world. He can change the math into an unpredictable equation. The implications of just this one verse-and there are many more-are earth-shaking, especially considering the current world economic turmoil. God is not the problem... we are the problem, He is the solution. And... He can do more than you think He can. Open your mind to God.

Death Threats, Stalking, Assault - Pastoring In Modern America

2011-01-26T10:14:00.011-06:00

While I rarely deal with current events, I felt constrained to address this one. That we are appalled by the deaths in Arizona, and the attempted assassination of Congresswoman Giffords is an understatement. I join our nation in mourning the dead and in heartfelt concern for the honorable Congresswoman and the other injured citizens.

It is my understanding that the perpetrator of this crime may be suffering from some unspecified mental illness. That's not surprising. Mental illness is a major health issue in the United States, and most people who serve in any public office know all to well about this sad reality.

The National Institute Of Mental Health says that 1 in every 100 adults in the U.S. suffer from Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD). This disorder is defined as: “a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood. People with antisocial personality disorder may disregard social norms and laws, repeatedly lie, place others at risk for their own benefit, and demonstrate a profound lack of remorse.”

1 in 100 is not a low number, especially considering the damage that can be done. That's 50 people suffering from APD in every 5,000. Add other disorders, like borderline personality disorder, and the numbers rise to 1 in 25. Some people suffering from these disorders are attracted to religion and politics for various reasons, and often preacher, teacher, and politician become the object of their sometimes homicidal obsessions. This has become all too common in the U.S. and other countries. Some countries have a much higher rate of APD.

I know this is ugly, but my own experience bears this out, and this is the first time I have written about it. I have been physically assaulted twice on church property (thankfully not my current church). In both cases the perpetrators were removed by police. A girl who lived in our home during her high-school years was brutally murdered by a sociopath (now in prison for life). I have been threatened with death numerous times. While serving as a pastor in another state I, and my wife and daughter, were stalked by a “church member” who is now serving 140 years in prison for horrible violence. There are times that I have been under police protection, and have even been asked, in the past, to not attend certain public functions (including preaching) because of security issues. And there's more, but I'll not go into it.

Granted... I'm not a normal pastor. I have served as a senior police chaplain, an elected official, a trained crisis intervention specialist, and I'm a trained mediator who specializes in church conflict. For twenty years I deliberately pastored troubled churches. So it is understandable that I would come into contact with sociopaths... and I have. (Now you may understand why I so enjoy our little peaceful church on the gulf coast)

My intent for disclosing all of this is to raise the awareness of what public officials, including pastors, face these days. This is why I am so dismayed that the discussion surrounding this most recent crime has turned into political wrangling instead of addressing a real root issue: APD. I believe there is an even larger spiritual issue behind all of this.

I have a whole shelf in my library full of books published in the past 20 years addressing the problems caused by the rise of ADP in churches. There are now teams of specialists who go into churches to help the churches survive amazing assaults upon the peace of the congregation. Generally there are a few people found to be driving the conflict who are what some of my Christian colleagues in conflict resolution call “pathological antagonists”. But this is not just in churches, since such a high percentage of these folks reside in our country it is a problem in every area of life from business to education.

Average Americans must be made aware of this epidemic. We must, as a people, begin to address this issue or the carnage will continue without much effort to understand it and take action to resist it.

This is a little longer than I intended, but its purpose has been to raise awareness. I am glad to discuss potential solutions in future posts if there is enough interest.

Follow The Light Turns 2 This Week

2011-01-25T07:59:00.004-06:00

This week (1/25/11) is Follow The Light's second birthday. My intent for Follow The Light has always been to keep the posts relevant to any time period by writing about timeless subjects. Hopefully most of what is written will be as relevant and readable in 2080 and beyond as it is today. Truth is timeless.

It seems God has used FTL to draw a number of people closer to Him during this past year. Hundreds have read the Gospel for the first time, some have trusted Christ, and others have gained strength and help for the day. This is what it is all about.

I am thankful that hundreds of new readers have discovered FTL this past year. Facebook followers have pushed FTL from just breaking into the top ten in Religion last year to number 3 in the ratings this year. Ratings in every category have continued to rise. The Lord is kind to bless these efforts as He has done.

One area in which I fail miserably is interlinks from my blog to other blogs. This is not an issue of arrogance, but of time and skill. FTL is the solo effort of a very busy husband, father, son, pastor, traveling preacher, and grandfather, etc. My apologies to all those highly skilled writers I read in the blogosphere. That many of you continue to read, link to, share, and follow FTL is humbling, and doesn't go unnoticed. There are some amazing writers out there who need to be linked-pray for me-that I will be able to address this issue in the coming year.

Another goal I have is to make the hundreds of posts on FTL more accessible and, therefore, usable without adding too much to the workload. Time... its always about time. Continue to pray that God will use FTL as He has in these past 2 years. A hearty thank-you to all the readers and followers who have made this effort worthwhile.

Joyfully Content

2011-01-22T07:29:00.002-06:00

My daughter, Betsy, a pastor's wife and mother of three, enjoys blogging for close friends and family. Her writing is insightful and uplifting, so I asked her if I could post some of her material. She agreed, so here is the first post.

Proverbs 14:30 A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.

A while back my Dad went through Proverbs during the Wednesday night service at church. Since I teach the youth class on Wednesday nights I was rarely able to hear any of it. But I often thought back on the few times that I did have the fortune of sitting in on these studies. I decided that since I couldn't always be there for the adult service that I would go through Proverbs myself. It is much slower doing it myself since I don't have the Bible experience of my Dad, but it has been a good challenge.

Proverbs 14:30 hit a chord with me and I think about it often. It's one of my 'go to' verses... along with Proverbs 17:22, Zephaniah 3:17, Romans 8:38-39 and a few others. It fits in well with where I find joy, so I thought I'd blog about it in hopes of helping y'all gain a better understanding of why I've been blogging on joy.

Being an adult means a lot of different things beyond simply turning of age. I am acquainted with many people who fit the technical definition of adult but who are rather childish. Part of truly being an adult is coming to a place of contentment. Don't confuse contentment with complacency. I don't mean that you ought be so smug to believe you should no longer strive to better yourself, your family or your situation. I simply mean to be fulfilled with what you have and the situation you are in. The situation in which God has placed you. And then thank that God for the blessings He brings your way.

We all have those friends and co-workers who are never happy with what they have. They are forever looking at what they could have or what they want to have. Or what someone else has. And wonder why they don't get whatever so and so has. It can be painful to listen to constant complaint of this sort.

My kids are like this. They see a child playing with a toy and declare that they, themselves, MUST have the same toy. Explaining to them why they can't have every toy that every other child has can be a challenge. But they are children, after all, and don't have the life experience and know how to understand budgets and bills, etc. Nora is just now grasping the concept of 'too expensive'.

But, as adults, we should be beyond these sorts of complaints. We have what we have and we don't have what we don't have. Get over it. Sounds rather harsh, I guess.

Part of my desire to look for joy this year stems from the notion of contentment. God convicts each of us differently and this is one thing He has continued to convict me with. I seem to have this theme often running through my mind-- being content with my own side and not desirous of the proverbial greener side. I am convinced that it continuously runs through my mind because God put it there*. When I begin to wish that I had this or that (my this or that presently being the Nook color) to the extreme of jealousy, thoughts of being content with what I've been given pop into my head. They pop into my head so quickly that I am instantly ashamed of my non-contentment and try to remind myself of what I have been blessed with. I may not have a Nook color but I do have this handy netbook. And I thank God for the monetary blessings of being able to have afforded it. :) And, while I'd rather have bought a Ford Flex than a minivan, I'm truly grateful for this minivan and the kind God who allowed an intervention so that we could afford it.

Thank you, God, for this conviction. Going through life believing that I don't have what I ought to have would be the very opposite of a joyful life. It would be a most miserable life to live.

So, I do my utmost to joyfully remember what we have been given. And joyfully congratulate those who might have been given something more. God blesses us each in different, unique ways after all.

*I do not mean to say that God is speaking to me directly... I believe it's a conviction He laid on my mind. Only God can do that. Only He can speak without really speaking. I only add this part about convictions so that no one thinks that I think that I am so good a person as to constantly remind myself to be content. No, that is not the case at all. It has nothing to do with me. Only by His gracious conviction am I am able to avoid a discontented life and find joy in what I have been given. Only by His grace am I allowed to quickly pull myself out of a despondent 'wish I had that' mood and remember my own blessings.

That was a lot longer than I intended it to be! But I shouldn't be too surprised... I am the daughter of a Baptist preacher, after all!

Mercy's Rainbow

2011-01-21T08:15:00.005-06:00

Genesis 9:13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.

The skeptic may look at this verse and reply, “The rainbow is simply a product of sunlight refracted in air-born water molecules, it is created by rain not God.” Well... the first part is correct, but the second betrays a misunderstanding of the text.

The key to understanding this passage is sunlight. There shouldn't be any, at least not enough for a rainbow. In fact, God's justice requires that the earth be covered by rainclouds until life is drowned out. Sunlight peeking through the clouds creating a rainbow is evidence God's justice is being withheld by God's mercy.

The story began in Genesis 6:1-8. God was finished with the earth and mankind, His justice seemed to have overridden the mercy He had extended to Adam, Eve, and their children. In 6:7 He declared the final, absolute destruction of all mankind including Noah and his family. Justice destined all to die in a cataclysmic flood with no rainbows visible. No sunlight would pierce these clouds.

But then in Genesis 6:8, just as in the Garden Of Eden, God allowed mercy to peek through the foreboding clouds of justice and lifted this judgment from Noah and his family. Noah had been condemned with the rest of humanity, so Noah wasn't freed from justice because of his goodness, he was freed by God's grace purchased on his behalf by Jesus' gospel work. Jesus future death was symbolized by the offerings in Genesis 8:20-22. Mercy withheld justice.

Noah and his children were lawbreakers just like the people who drowned in the flood, and the people who would come after them... us. Justice demands a flood again. Every moment of everyday since Noah, God's stormy justice has been withheld by His mercy in Jesus Christ. The sun always shines through the storm clouds somewhere on earth, so there is ever a bow in clouds on the mercy side of the storm... our side of the storm. These rainbows send us the mixed message of justice and mercy: we deserve destruction, but Jesus has secured mercy for us.

One more thing... when hurricanes hit our coasts I periodically hear the inland preachers of doom point the finger of judgment at us coastal dwellers and say our judgment is deserved. They are right, at least as far as they go. But the rest of the story is (and this is when the preacher of doom becomes a gospel preacher) that if justice had its way the storm would extend from the coast to them, and then past them to the whole earth... because they are cut from the same cloth we are... Adam's cloth. We all deserve the storm, but when the storm stops short the message is mercy. Mercy in Jesus Christ. The rainbows surround us, everyday, every moment. Thank God for His covenant of Mercy! Genesis 9:8-17

In The Eye Of The Octopus - An Evolutionary Nightmare

2011-01-20T07:50:00.006-06:00

One of the most interesting creatures known, at least to me, is the octopus. Recent research has gleaned a wonderful amount of information about these highly intelligent sea-creatures. One of the most interesting is the eye.

Octopus eyes are the closest to human in the animal world. Both eyes have a retina, cornea, an iris, lens, and a fluid-filled interior. This presents a problem to chance-based evolution, since both eyes developed completely separate. Their supposed common evolutionary ancestor would have had no eyes.

The optical system, which includes the brain, is amazingly complex, and difficult enough to explain without a creator, but when two developed separately at the same time the mathematical probability of this happening by chance becomes outrageously low even with infinite time for it to happen. Limit the development to millions of years, as atheistic evolution must, and the chances are ludicrously close to zero. If there were a million points between 1% and 0 the chances of this happening would reside in the last point closest to zero on the zero side of that point. I'm not kidding. These are the probabilities firmly rooted in atheistic evolution.

This equation of optical probability must include the development of the system supporting the eye, including not just physical structure, but the probabilities of life itself. An equation including the probabilities of life must also include the probabilities of the existence of a planet capable of producing and sustaining life... and eyes. Atheistic evolutionists sometimes play shell games with non-contextual probabilities, this means they start the equation someplace within the already existing environment of the organ and/or use genetics to make the probabilities a bit more palatable, but the percentages are still amazingly low.

The complexity is further compounded by the Octopus eye, since it’s based on skin cells. The Human eye is basically a cellular extension of the brain. So each must have necessarily evolved on different cellular tracks. While still impossible, it is easier to explain the development of a nervous system based eye, than a skin based eye. The nervous system of the skin based creature would have to “find” the eye, and develop a brain that could “see” with the skin cells. There is not enough time available in the evolutionary time table for this to take place. All this from the eye of the octopus... God is amazing.

Consolation, A Tender Word

2011-01-19T08:31:00.004-06:00

2 Thessalonians 2:16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,

This is a word which we must experience to really understand. It is a word of vulnerability, an emotional word, a tender word. In its basic use it is a strong earnest call to a friend, and then the friend's answer and encouragement. A plea none of us enjoy, but when comfort is needed it is good to have such companions in life.

This is the word for what happens when we have our spirits lifted by someone who really cares. By the time we communicate our struggle we may be feeling the weight of despair. Our friend comes quickly and puts an arm around us and speaks to our discouragement. That is Consolation.

On the other side of this relationship is the consoling friend, the giver of consolation. Sometimes a struggling friend's call for help may come in a facial expression, or just a word. This may be because this troubled friend doesn't want to burden or bother us, or may be embarrassed to show weakness in the face of struggle. We must train our ears and eyes to be alert for these calls, because the giving of consolation is most often deliberate. In the case of this verse the word “everlasting” tells us our faithful friend is always listening, watching, and prepared to console.

I have a friend, C. D. Ward, who is gifted with this treasure. He called across the miles last night because a few weeks ago he heard the struggle in my voice. I was vulnerable with him, because I knew I could be, and I knew I wouldn't harm him by sharing my burden, and... I knew he cared and was deliberately listening. Ah... to have such treasure in a friendship!

But this passage tells me that Jesus is such a friend, and perhaps that is why He gave this dear friend such a gift... because sometimes He needs a voice to speak His consolation, and an arm to warmly cover our shoulders and lift us up. So I thank both friends on this morning that is brighter because you cared and have been my consolation.

Relationship Over Circumstance

2011-01-18T07:13:00.011-06:00

2 Thessalonians 2:16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,

17 Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.

Reading the verses at the beginning of this chapter could leave our attention focused on a frightening view of the end times before Jesus returns. But by the time we get to the end of the chapter, the focus for believers has moved back to where it should always remain, especially in dark times. The focus has shifted from events and circumstances to what we have and who we are in Jesus Christ.

Look at the words: love, consolation, hope, grace. These words describe a permanent, compassionate relationship. This is what believers have in Christ Jesus: an everlasting, unchangeable, inside relationship with the Creator of this planet. I like the personal word “himself” as it is used by Paul in verse 16. When the day is dark, there is nothing like the personal attention and touch of Jesus. And that touch is what Paul prayed for here.

And… all of this comes to us “through grace.” Oh to grace how great a debtor! This means the benefit of the relationship is not based on our merit, for if it was we would have nothing stable and permanent in this relationship. But now, by faith in Jesus' gospel work, we have a personal everlasting consolation which transcends our circumstances. And this grace-based relationship is the fuel for the light shining through us in a world shrouded in darkness.

The Anticipation Of Beauty

2011-01-17T08:59:00.001-06:00

Revelation 22:3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

After all the arguments about the order of events at the end time are over this is what is left for those who have the Gospel. No matter when the rapture happens with reference to the tribulation, it will happen, but we will not yet be home. No matter if the second coming of Jesus is at the end or the beginning of the 1,000 years of Revelation 20, we will still have a ways to go until we get to that place.

It is home. My home. A greater longing for home grows within my soul with each passing year. I do not mean to imply there is no enjoyment here. God has been so good to us, but in the joys of this life I find hints of what it shall be like there.

The beauty here has more influence upon my anticipation than the ugliness. The ugliness in this life is temporary and will pass, and it is best to let it do so, but real beauty will continue on... ever increasing. There is nothing like experiencing beauty here to make me anticipate the beauty there... home.

Just to be there… to see the glory… to feel the radiance… to be bathed in the purity of an unspoiled creation, the creatures, the peaks, the valleys, the flowers… HOME! Come soon Lord Jesus!

Why Didn't God Do What He Said He Would Do?

2011-01-08T10:40:00.001-06:00

Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Adam's use of the garden of Eden was conditional. Like any conditional covenant, there was a clause detailing what will happen if the conditions are not met. In this case the penalty for breaking the covenant was immediate execution.

Some may say this is a difficult verse because, they observe correctly, Adam did actually break God's law, but the penalty of death was not executed as stated. To answer this glaring problem we might assume that “day” in verse 17 means a long period of time because Adam did die later (roughly 339,449 days later). But there are those who will argue that the word day used in the previous chapter for the seven day creation is a 24 hour period. They would be right and it is the same with this usage. Adam, using the language definitions God placed in His mind, would have believed he would die within the 24 hour period surrounding his disobedience. That is the common biblical usage of the word day, especially in the book of Genesis.

Perhaps we could hypothesize that Adam only died spiritually in that 24 hour period. Hmmm – Putting “spiritual death” (and any combination of those words or related words) into my Bible program search function finds no place in the Bible where it says that Adam exclusively died spiritually on that day. A. W. Pink said, “It is not said, “thou shalt die physically,” nor “thou shalt die spiritually,” but simply thou shalt surely die. The absence of any modifying adverb shows that the term death is here taken in its widest scope, and is to be defined according to whatever scripture elsewhere signifies by that term. It is the very height of presumption to limit what God has not limited.” The verb translated “die” appears in 64 verses in Genesis and every use is exactly as Pink said.

So the real question becomes: why did God not do what He said He would do? If we look carefully throughout the Bible we find this same cycle repeated over and again. God's law with its penalties is communicated clearly to someone by various means. They break the law. God declares their guilt. But the penalty required by justice is not immediately executed. Sometimes, we are told, people are permanently freed from their guilt and its penalty. How does that work?

The reason justice was stayed is Gospel mercy entered the scenario. God didn't do what justice demanded for Adam because another person committed to fulfill the demands of justice on behalf of Adam. Another person, Jesus the incarnate Son Of God, would by His death, burial, and resurrection secure forgiveness and grace for Adam. So Adam lived to see another day because Jesus would secure mercy on his behalf.

The reason Adam and Eve didn't die the very day they disobeyed God is because forgiveness was introduced into the world on that same day. God forgave Adam and Eve based on an everlasting Covenant which included Jesus Christ's gospel work on behalf of sinners. The reason we, Adam and Eve's children, are allowed to live is because this mercy of God in Jesus Christ still rules the earth, so justice is withheld by mercy. But this common grace, by which all sinners live on God's earth, gives way to eternal justice and death unless personal faith has laid claim to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

God's Winter Wonder - The Snowshoe Hare

2011-01-07T10:00:00.001-06:00

The snowshoe Hare has many amazing biological systems necessary for survival in the cold northern regions of North America. It’s name comes from its feet. They are abnormally large and can spread out to make it easier to walk or run on snow. The bottoms of their feet are fur covered to help keep them warm. They also use their feet to thump the ground to warn of danger. When a thump is heard all Hares cease any movement while watching and listening for any threat.

When they run they can reach speeds of up to 30 miles an hour and change directions on a dime. They can also jump 10 feet from standing still. When they need to, they can swim faster than most non-water based mammals. The creatures were made for their environment.

The hare has a white coat in the winter, and a rusty brown or beige coat in the summer. It has separate hair follicles for each coat color which may be regulated by day length. I have not been able to find any explanation for how this takes place. It seems molting is still somewhat of a mystery. But we do know it is a complex system obviously tied to the environment.

Their ears are like sensitive microphones which can be turned in varying directions. The brain fully responds to each direction of sound and can locate the sound source with amazing precision.

These beautiful creatures are born fully covered in fur, eyes open, and ready to run. God is amazing.

Lessons Learned In Public Office: How Much I Don't Know

2011-01-05T11:19:00.006-06:00

The boldly lettered fact that I am a man with much to learn has always been framed and hanging in the hallway leading to the cluttered library of my mind. Every once in a while I have to stop, while carrying new volumes into my gray bibliotheca, to lift this familiar truism off the wall and meditatively marvel at how ignorant I really am. Usually this musing comes in the wake of a venture into a new life experience, and there are few life experiences that have taught me how much I don't know like serving in elected office.

Perhaps one of the most stunning things I learned was the detail of the context within which local elected officials work. The context is law... lots of law. There are laws covering almost every aspect of elected office. Laws controlling the timing, place, and notice of meetings, laws placing limits on what can be said in meetings and outside meetings, and limits on who officials can talk to about what subjects. There are laws even covering some aspects of the notes an elected official takes at any time about any city business. There are laws limiting the content of some mail, e-mails, and what can be written in a publication. There are laws limiting what decisions legislative boards can make. And, believe me, there is much more. It isn't just statute law, there are volumes of case law and attorney general opinions which tweak and further define the statutes.

Even after over two terms on our city council I was still learning about laws, opinions, and case law that I did not previously know existed. I remember a respected friend with sixteen years in full-time elective office saying he wasn't aware of a specific statute related to his office that a political opponent brought to his attention. Another friend with over 10 years of service surprised me when she informed me she was unaware of a specific statute also brought up by an opponent. The closer I came to executive office the more I found myself depending almost totally on the advice of lawyers. The longer I stayed in office, and the more I learned, the more I became aware of how much I didn't know.

The existence and detail of law is always an indicator of the level of corruption within any culture. The more laws a country has, and the more brutal its penalties, the more it unmasks the corrupt nature and inclination of its people. I explain this in my post Cutting Off the Thief's Hand. Law is never evidence of righteousness, except to the extent that it illuminates the pure source of law. The overwhelming presence of such detailed law is a glaring indictment of us all. And... some of us want more laws, erroneously thinking it will make us better.

With that said, for the person who seeks to know and understand righteousness the law can be very instructive. As the law points out the dark paths of unrighteousness a perceptive student of the law can also make out the bright paths of righteousness. But the more one learns, the more complex the detail of law becomes because the application is alive, it is always moving. Following the light of law is a limitless quest, there are always more questions than answers... at least for someone like me who has so much left to learn.

The Liberty To Be Different

2011-01-03T13:22:00.003-06:00

Romans 14:5b Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

Differing beliefs and practices are present in all human relationships. Carol's grandfather used to say, “A monkey is a monkey no matter what tree it's in.” His point was that people will carry their humanity with all its complexity, frailties, and ever-changing limited knowledge into their group experiences. Moving from one group, church, or government to another doesn't change our basic humanity.

In this chapter Paul addressed the problem of differing beliefs and practices among Christians in the same church. That Christians do not agree on everything is a practical reality in any church, but how we handle those differences sends a message to the rest of the world about who we really are.

In this world the members of any organized group will never hold identical beliefs in all matters of life. For any group to function and fulfill its long-term purpose that purpose must be clearly stated, understood, and agreed to by all members. This agreement must be coupled with a well designed liberty to peacefully differ in non-essential matters. Non-essential matters are those matters which are not essential to the life and purpose of the group.

What a group cannot or will not prohibit it must allow. This allowance should not affect the liberty of another member if that member has the freedom to peacefully differ in non-essential belief and/or practice with fellow members. For true liberty to exist the right of peaceful dissent and non-participation must be vigorously protected by lawful authority and all members. Liberty is pierced when we are required to change or modify our beliefs, or to support or otherwise engage in behaviors that are against our conscience.

It is this liberty the Apostle Paul called for in this chapter. But this liberty becomes destructive error when it is the identity of a church. A true church is not defined by the freedom to believe and practice whatever any member wishes. A true church is defined by its unity in submission to Christ Jesus and His truth as revealed in the Scriptures. To believe everything is to believe nothing. A church is not the pillar and ground of the truth if it doesn't clearly state and believe the truth. Truth matters.

Balancing revealed truth with human frailties is one of the most difficult of Christian responsibilities, but, as difficult as it may be, balance must be maintained. Paul gives us the pattern to follow in this section of Romans.

24 Hour News - A Sort Of "god-like" View

2010-12-31T09:22:00.007-06:00

With Twenty-four hour news, the internet, and the blogosphere there are people scouring the planet looking for stories to publish and pictures to take... of us... Everyone is watched, and everyone is vulnerable to have some gaffe, sin, or unguarded moment recorded for all to see.

This expansive information glut gives us a limited sort of “god-like” view of humanity. In the past our lives were private and local, open to the limited view of friends and family, and God alone who sees it all. God has the unique collective view of everyone that no king or magistrate in years past could even begin to possess. But now we are exposed to a barrage of information about the lives of others. And while there is much to be thankful for in the sights and sounds, most of the images are far from flattering.

I am one who believes the images have changed little through the years. We have always struggled with our sin. What shines in all this is the mercy of God. The more we see of ourselves, the more we see His mercy. How long-suffering He is and has been for all these years. It is His mercy and grace that sustain us or surely absolute justice would put an end to it all.

At the end of this year I thank Him for His enduring mercy to my family, my church, my country, and me. It is comforting to see the cool rains of His common grace mist the heads and shoulders of Adam's fallen children. God is amazing and His mercy endures to all generations. Thank you Father for your grace given so rich and free in this past year. I have no right to ask, but in Christ I ask for mercy in the coming year.

Lamentations 3:22 It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Blood Pressure - Can't Live Without It

2010-12-30T08:11:00.001-06:00

The system that produces the pressure necessary to deliver blood to cells and then return the blood for re-oxygenation is one of the most complicated and vital systems on earth. Each individual human body has on average between 60,000 (96,000K) and 100,000 (160,000K) miles of blood vessels.

Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by the blood against the walls of the blood vessels, especially the arteries. This system is complex but basically has five parts. The first is the pressure sensory system. The body has sensors throughout the system which keep the brain constantly aware of the pressure. If the pressure is too low or high the body, under the brain’s direction, can adjust to change the pressure. These adjustments help us understand the other parts.

The pump or heart can speed up or increase its blood output to increase pressure. The opposite will decrease the pressure.

The walls of the blood vessels in a healthy person can dilate or contract. This change in resistance may decrease or increase the pressure on the walls. The length and size of blood vessels also affect the pressure of blood flow. The longer the vessel the higher the resistance, so the circulatory system is engineered for size and length to carry blood at a pressure below the level that would rupture vessel walls.

The brain can send more blood to the kidneys which will increase urine output. Urine is primarily water that is removed from the blood. When the kidneys make more urine the volume of blood decreases which can lower blood pressure. When we loose blood our brain can slow the blood flow to the kidneys to increase blood volume and, therefore, blood pressure.

I am told that salt has an effect on blood volume in some people. It tends to increase volume and may increase blood pressure. The kidneys can also regulate sodium retention in the blood.

The concentration of blood sugar may change the viscosity (thickness of fluid) of the blood. The more sugar (think of syrup) the thicker the blood.

How would life exist for long without all of the above at the same time? The human circulatory system is a marvel of creation engineering. Our Creator, the Chief Engineer, is amazing.

All Men Seek Him

2010-12-29T07:36:00.005-06:00

Mark 1:37 And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.

Seek… what a glorious word! It is among my favorites. I consider myself to be a seeker… this means I spend much of my time seeking. So what exactly am I doing when I seek?

Well... the first principle is I must know there is something I don’t know. This knowledge of ignorance usually comes from asking questions about what I think I do know. To know that I don’t know is vital to learning and living.

The second principle is the recognition of my need of this knowledge or answer. If I see no need or value I will not move to the third principle which is:

I am willing to expend time, energy, and wealth to find what I do not now possess. This is the calculation of life. What am I willing to sacrifice to get the answers I need.

The forth principle is that I do it… I sacrifice what I must to gain what I don’t possess. I get up and do what I need to do… Only then am I seeking.

These people were seeking the greatest of all objectives: Jesus! What is there in this life that is right for us to seek which cannot be found in or provided by Him?

Is it correct to say that “all men” seek Him? In one sense I think so... He is the treasure-chest of all things right. He is or He holds the answer to every reasonable question. If we seek those things that are exclusively found in Him then it can be said we are seeking Him even if we don't know that the answer resides in Him.

But those seekers the disciples speak of in this verse already knew Jesus held the answers... that He was the answer... now they were seeking a personal relationship with Him. What a blissful day it is when I move from not knowing the source of an answer to knowing the source and moving toward it. It is like moving from darkness to light, from being lost to being found.

There are billions each day in this world who seek answers that only He can provide.

Charles Spurgeon "All Things New"

2010-12-28T06:47:00.002-06:00

"And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new." Revelation 21:5

How pleased we are with something new! Our children's eyes sparkle when we talk of giving them a new toy or book. In this respect, we are all like children. Newness still fascinates the crowd.

I should not wonder, then, if the mere words of my text sound like a pleasant song in your ears; but I am thankful that their deeper meaning is even more joyful. The newness which Jesus brings is bright, clear, heavenly, enduring.

We are ready for a new year. We are glad to escape from what has been for many twelve-months of great trial. The last year had become gasping, coughing, and decrepit, in its old age; and we now lay it asleep. We hope that this newborn year will not be worse than its predecessor, and we pray that it may be a great deal better. At any rate, it is new…

But in some matters "the old is better." There are certain things that to change them for anything else would be to lose old gold for new dross. The old, old gospel is the newest thing in the world; it is forever good news.

In the things of God the old is ever new, and if any man brings forward that which seems to be new doctrine and new truth, it is soon perceived that the new dogma is only worn-out heresy skillfully repaired, and the new discovery in theology is only the digging up of a carcass of error which had better have been left to rot in oblivion. In the great matter of truth and godliness, we may safely say, "There is nothing new under the sun."

Let us go...

2010-12-27T09:25:00.007-06:00

Mark 1:38 And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.

This comment was made after Jesus left His bed “a great while” before daylight. He had spent the previous evening in spiritual close-quarters battle with the forces of evil. We are not told whether our Savior slept or not… but I think not. In the dark early morning hours he left the house for solitude.

Just as civilians often mistake war for romantic adventure while the battle scared soldier sees it in stark, cold, deadly images without romance or adventure, so the spiritual civilian sees the battle with evil in whimsical unreal images while the battle scared spiritual veteran, who has felt the breath of satan and seen the carnage of evil, bears a constant dark burden and sees the stark coldness of a war torn world. It will keep you awake at night… it will drive you to pray… it can make you wish at times that you were someone else doing anything else.

It is significant that Jesus could not even steal a few moments alone to pray and prepare. His sleepless, uneasy disciples must have heard Him leave the house, so they looked for Him... not wanting to be alone. When they found Him they said that “all men seek for thee.” Was there no place of rest in this war with sin? Not for this Captain, for wherever He went the war was there. But He would be nowhere else… this is what He came for and He would not retreat!

Hear the resolve in His words. If this past year has torn you... shaken you in your battle with evil. Take heart... your Captain will not stop advancing. If you're frightened or discouraged look for Him in those early morning hours... listen to His words of resolve: “Let us go...” Notice His use of the plural pronoun “us.” Mix His words of resolve with your own. Let “us” advance in this coming year, for this is why He has chosen us to be in this war with Him. And this long war is why He came. He is the Victor.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones On The Christian Feast

2010-12-25T13:51:00.003-06:00

Peter, in his Second Epistle, tells us that God “hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness”. That is what makes the position of the complaining Christian so groundless. We shall never be able to plead the excuse that there was not sufficient provision. The food is available, the 'heavenly manna' is provided; everything one can ever need is here in the Bible. Here is nourishment, concentrated, unadulterated.

The Lord is nourishing the church. The husband in his care for his wife works to provide food and all that she needs. Parents take care that their children have the right food, and plenty of it, and at the right time. The Lord is doing that for us in an infinitely greater way.

A part of His care is to provide acts of public worship. Believers should come because they realize that they cannot grow if they do not come. They come to be fed, to find food for the soul. The Lord has provided it.

Preaching is His way. He calls men, He separates them, He gives them the message, and the Spirit is present to give illumination. All this is a part of our Lord's way of nourishing His children.

As you enjoy your Christmas celebrations consider your commitment to feast at Jesus' table this coming year. Commit now to feast in a church where the Bible is preached and taught. In fact, His table will be spread tomorrow. Be there... His Spirit will be there too. If you don't know of a Bible preaching church in your area drop me a line and I'll try to find one for you. LJ

Charles Spurgeon on "Merry Christmas"

2010-12-25T08:01:00.002-06:00

Luke 1:46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

Observe the sacred joy of Mary that you may imitate it. This is a season when all men expect us to be joyous. We greet each other with "Merry Christmas." Some Christians don’t like the word "merry." But it is a right good old Saxon word, having the joy of childhood and the mirth of manhood in it. It brings before one's mind the old songs of the season, and the midnight peal of bells, the holly and the blazing log.

I love it for its place in that most tender of all parables, where it is written, that, when the long-lost prodigal returned to his father safe and sound, "They began to be merry." This is the season when we are expected to be happy; and my heart's desire is, that in the highest and best sense, you who are believers may be "merry."

Mary's heart was merry within her; but here was the mark of her joy: it was not such merriment as worldlings will revel in at Christmas, but such merriment as the angels have around the throne, where they sing, "Glory to God in the highest," while we sing "On earth peace, goodwill towards men." Such merry hearts have a continual feast. I want you, ye children of the bride-chamber, to possess today and tomorrow, yea, all your days, the high and consecrated bliss of Mary, that you may not only read her words, but use them for yourselves, ever experiencing their meaning: "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior."

How Did The Wise Men Know What The Star Meant? The Answer Is Really Interesting...

2010-12-24T09:55:00.020-06:00

Matthew 2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

Have you ever wondered who those wise men were? How did they know about Jesus' birth? How did they know what the star meant? Well… the answers are pretty interesting.

The words “wise men” are translated from the word “magi” or, in this instance, “magoi”. This word and other evidence helps us locate their home country. Magi is an old Persian/Babylonian word (Thayer, BDAG). So since this region was east of Israel, and these men were called magi “from the east”, and Persia/Babylon had a long history with Israel, we can be fairly certain they were from the region now called Iraq and Iran.

The Background: Babylon was the country that defeated Judah in war and then took the defeated Jews back to Babylon as captives. Babylon later became part of the Persian empire. The captives carried their Bibles with them, and some of them became great men in the Babylonian government. The Jewish prophet Daniel, for instance, was powerful and famous while in captivity. He was one of the “wise men” of Babylon and was appointed the chief magistrate over all the wise men. Daniel 2:13; 2:48 Later the Persian king Cyrus gave the captive Jews liberty to return to Judah. Ezra 1:1-3

The prophecy of the star at the birth of Jesus is found in Numbers 24:17. The wise men who were looking for Jesus knew about this prophecy, so it is obvious that the Jewish Bible was kept by the wise men of this region after the Jews returned to Palestine. In their libraries the wise men would have had access to the works of the great Jewish wise man Daniel who prophesied of the coming Messiah, and other Jewish Holy Books. So the wise men looked for the new born King of Israel because they read it in the scriptures.

It was through the ministry of Daniel, and other captive Jewish scribes, that the well-educated scribe Ezra had the complete (up to that point in history) preserved Bible when he returned to Jerusalem with the other freed captives. Ezra 7:6, 10, 11, 12, 25, Nehemiah 8:1-8 Ezra had the Scriptures, so did the wise men, and so do we.

The presence of the wise men after the birth of Jesus supports the truth that the Book of Numbers predates the Babylonian captivity. This was a problem for modern skeptics who believed Numbers was written after the captivity. Other skeptics guessed that Daniel and the other Jewish scribes wrote the Book of Numbers, and the rest of the Old Testament, while in captivity to bolster the Jewish claim to Palestine. Then in 1979 a silver amulet was found in an archaeological dig in Jerusalem with Numbers 6:24-26 etched into the silver. This amulet predated the Babylonian captivity, and is clear extra-Biblical evidence that the Old Testament book of Numbers existed before the captivity... so there is now even more evidence that the Jews took the scriptures into captivity which centuries later led the wise men to Jesus.

The wise men searched for this new King because they believed the Bible, and their faith guided them to Jesus... the Bible will do the same today for those who follow the light of that prophetic star.

Jesus' Birth Was Prophesied In Books Of The Bible Hundreds Of Years Before His Birth

2010-12-23T08:02:00.007-06:00

Here are a few of the Old Testament prophesies concerning Jesus' birth. The Dead Sea Scrolls contain manuscripts of the Old Testament dating from 300 BC to 70AD. I have noted whether any part of the book containing a prophecy is in the Dead Sea Scroll collection and what the estimated date is of the manuscript(s). There is no evidence that the residents of Qumran, the closest community to the location of the Dead Sea Scrolls, ever came into contact with Jesus.

1. The time period of His birth:

Prophesied: Daniel 9:25

Fulfilled: Luke 2:22

There are 8 Daniel manuscripts in the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS). The oldest is dated before 150 BC.

2. The city of His birth:

Prophesied: Micah 5:2

Fulfilled: Luke 2:4-7

There are 2 Micah manuscripts in the DSS. The oldest is dated in the 3rd century BC.

3. That His mother would be a virgin:

Prophesied: Isaiah 7:14

Fulfilled: Matthew 1:18

There are 22 Isaiah manuscripts in the DSS. The Great Scroll is a complete copy of the book and has been dated to around 100BC.

4. That He and His family would escape to Egypt.

Prophesied: Hosea 11:1

Fulfilled: Matthew 2:13-15

There are 3 manuscripts of Hosea, 2 commentaries, in the DSS. These are dated between 100 and 75BC.

5. That the innocents would be slaughtered:

Prophesied: Jeremiah 31:15

Fulfilled: Matthew 2:16

There are 6 manuscripts of Jeremiah in the DSS dated around 200 BC.

6. He is the Son of God:

Prophesied: Psalm 2:7

Fulfilled: Luke 3:22 (Matthew 3:17, Mark 1:11)

There are 39 manuscripts of the Psalms dated between 200-100BC.

7. He will be called Lord:

Prophesied: Psalm 110:1

Fulfilled: Luke 2:11

There are 39 manuscripts of the Psalms dated between 200-100BC.

8. That He would be a member of the tribe of Judah:

Prophesied: Micah 5:2

Fulfilled: Luke 3:33

There are 2 Micah manuscripts in the DSS. The oldest is dated in the 3rd century BC.

9. A descendant of Abraham:

Prophesied: Genesis 22:18

Fulfilled: Matthew 1:1

There are 24 Genesis manuscripts in the DSS ranging from 200-1BC.

10. A Descendant of Isaac:

Prophesied: Genesis 21:12

Fulfilled: Luke 3:34

There are 24 Genesis manuscripts in the DSS ranging from 200-1BC.

11. A descendant of Jesse:

Prophesied: Isaiah 11:1

Fulfilled: Luke 3:32

There are 22 Isaiah manuscripts in the DSS. The Great Scroll is a complete copy of the book and has been dated to around 100BC

12. A descendant of David:

Prophesied: Jeremiah 23:5-6

Fulfilled: Luke 3:31

There are 6 manuscripts of Jeremiah in the DSS dated around 200 BC.

Sobering Things I've Seen During The Christmas Season

2010-12-18T09:15:00.015-06:00

When I became a police chaplain I learned quickly that this time of year was not jolly for everyone. From November through February cases of depression and suicide soar. This is also a time of more alcohol related deaths including alcohol related suicide.

In the years since first becoming a chaplain I've counseled scores of people and preached too many funerals for victims of suicide, and fatal collisions. All--and I mean all--the fatalities I've ever worked during this time of year could have been prevented. Here are some important reminders:

The consumption of alcohol can lead to fatal collisions. I've seen families killed or maimed by drunk drivers... Don't drink and drive.

I've worked suicides of young adults who drank alcohol and did things or allowed things to be done to them they would never have allowed when sober.

Here's the best rule IF you must drink: Always have a sober trusted person with you who is committed to driving and also protecting you from others and yourself. If you aren't protected... don't drink.

If you suffer from any form of depression make sure you keep your support group intact and lean on them through this season. They are there because they care about you. There is no time of year when it is more important to carefully follow or seek your doctor's advice.

If you are in the support group of someone who suffers from depression, make sure to keep in touch regularly during this time of year. Don't let the busyness of the holiday season keep you from regular contact.

Don't let minors consume alcoholic beverages. Minors have more access to alcohol during this time of year. Not only is it wrong to give alcohol to minors... it is illegal. Don't do it.

Oh... be sure to get involved in a good Bible preaching church. It is amazing what Christ can do in a life committed to Him.

Do everything in your power to insure a safe, enjoyable holiday season. Carol and I wish you a Merry Christmas and a safe, happy New Year.

Jesus Was A Nobody...

2010-12-17T08:44:00.006-06:00

If the wife of an emperor, king, or powerful merchant gave birth to a child, it would have been widely known and celebrated. Everyone would know where that child was living.

But almost no one seemed to know Jesus was born. Herod would not have known if the Magi hadn't told him, and the Magi wouldn't have known if God hadn't told them by the use of a star. The shepherds would not have known if the angels hadn't told them. Even after Herod knew the Christ had been born he still was unable to find the child Jesus.

Jesus was born to such an unknown inconsequential family that He blended into the mass of humanity wherever his family lived. With few exceptions no one seemed to ever suspect this child born to Mary and Joseph was anything but just another face to feed in the mass of Jewish peasants.

Jesus' existence was so nondescript that even today some scholars question He ever lived. Think of it: He was virtually unknown until His baptism by John, and then only personally known in His local region in a small country in the Roman Empire. Even then His period of public notoriety was short lived, about 3 years, and he was executed with criminals as a law-breaker.

His short rise to fame was off the tracks people used to become famous. He didn't go to any famous schools or seminaries. He wasn't involved in the politics of His country. He wasn't in a scribal college and He was “unpublished.” He didn't seek license to teach... he just did it.

In a world where duplication was done by hand, 3 years is barely enough time to complete the publication of just a few copies of the biography of a famous person's life... but the life of a Jewish peasant?

Sure... there were writers who wrote about His life: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. But if no one valued their writings then there would have been no scribal duplication of their books. But the writings of these men became the most widely translated and widely read publications in human history. People like William Tyndale have died trying to get these writings into the hands of the masses.

Jesus' fame spread in the same way it generally does today: by one person telling another person. This is one of the most miraculous realities in all of human history. The fame of this virtually unknown Jew has been kept alive because people talk about Him. Jesus was and is a nobody only to people who don't know Him. But when you come to know Him He is somebody who must be talked about. There has never been somebody like Him.

People have tried to eradicate His fame from popular culture over the centuries only to see His fame spread more widely by their efforts. They find it is more like trying to put a fire out with gasoline.

How could this happen? Why is He so famous? Because of who He is, what He said, and what He did. If you don't know much about Him I suggest you begin your reading with the Gospel of John or with His Gospel.

A Sea Animal That Lives Over 200 Years

2010-12-16T09:07:00.002-06:00

What can live over 200 years, doesn’t look a day past 20, has eyes in the back of its head, and spines all over its body? Tap, Tap, Tap, I’m waiting... Did you say a sea urchin? RIGHT! How’d you know?

Recent research on sea urchins has been nothing short of amazing. Scientists have discovered that urchins have light sensitive cells at the ends of the spines that cover their bodies. It seems the more spines an urchin has the more ability it has to “see”. This means that the nervous system of the sea urchin is also attached to the complex network of light sensitive cells. Scientists have yet to tell how well the urchins can see, but they do believe the creature can see well enough to discern what may be harmful to it.

Another amazing find is that the sea urchin can live beyond 200 years. A cool fact is they don’t know how far beyond 200 years one can live without any predators present. It also seems there is little difference between a 20 year old urchin and a 200 year old urchin. It seems there is no record of death from old age.

Could it be there is a creature on the earth that doesn’t deteriorate with age? Hard to imagine this could be the case. Can’t wait to see what future research unveils. Another complex creature in a world of amazing biological systems designed by a glorious creator.

The Incarnation Changed Everything

2010-12-15T08:50:00.003-06:00

Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

The incarnation changed everything. Until God was revealed in Jesus we went to a place, a building, to meet with Him. We were bound to the mystical revelation of truth in symbols, temple design and furniture, and Words spoken by prophets. The only incarnation was in the content of meaning carried in those Words and symbols.

But now, born to us all, the very incarnation of the Son Of God. God filling the vessel of a human body with Himself. A body has eternally become the temple of God. Every cell controlled by deity. His every facial expression is the the expression of God. In Jesus we find the Transcendent. Emmanuel!

There are still many today who seek God in a building. They search for Him in symbols and abstractions. They claim to find him in lists of rules and laws... but He is found in a man—Jesus Christ. Look for Him there. Worship Him there. Find reconciliation and forgiveness there. It is all in Him.

The Death And Resurrection Of A Family

2010-12-14T02:10:00.026-06:00

Michael, Betsy, Nathan, Heather
Carol, Larry
Collin, Cory, Nora, Tyler

There was death in the waiting room of that hospital... Carol lay unconscious on a cold table in another room as a surgeon removed her life's dream. The disease had forced her to decide between the death of her body or the death of her dream: a radical hysterectomy at 23 years young. In her grief she thought it God's judgment upon her. And indeed it was, just as all death is the result of His justice. But He is also the God of resurrection.

Carol is the only child of Mary and Forrest. Two parents who had love enough for a house full of children, but, as God willed it, they gave their house full of love to her. Now that singularity seemed forever fixed... there would be no grandchildren. Dreams died.

Carol and I had just been married for four short years. Having been raised in a broken home, it was my dream to have an intact family--to be a faithful husband and father--but the second half of that dream was over... ending that day in that waiting room. Death came.

It is through death that the heart of Jesus is placed in the risen soul. It is life from the dead. We must know the pain and loss of death before we can experience the rapture of resurrection. And in resurrection He changes our hearts and our eyes. I am raised a different person than I ever would or could have been before death. We are born through death into His image, and He is, among other things, the Father of the Fatherless.

It is a choice He makes. He chooses who will bear what reflection of His image in this world. And this resurrection wasn't for Carol, Larry, Mary, or Forrest. It was for them-- the fatherless. Our death was necessary for them. Did you think resurrection was about you... about us? Death is about us... resurrection is about them... others, it's always about others.

There was life from the dead a few years later in the hallway of that hospital. Carol, Larry, Mary, and Forrest stood looking through the nursery window at Nathan's face. Resurrection! At birth Nathan became parent-less, but the Father of the Fatherless had resurrected a family for him. It was life in another hallway a few years later when Betsy--sweet Betsy-- was first placed in Carol's arms. For us it was and is heaven on earth.

It is life from the dead to hold our grandchildren. It is more than our dreams. It is life from the dead to hear the children at Amazing Grace Children's Home sing in the morning. It is resurrection when they crowd around us in a group hug, and look at us with eyes of love. You may not believe me... but Carol and I agree: death was worth it. We would not change a thing. Thank you, Lord, for taking us through that shadowy valley.

Thousands Of Homeless Babies Rescued By George Frideric Handel And His Messiah

2010-12-10T08:09:00.017-06:00

George Frideric Handel

A wealthy shipbuilder, Thomas Coram, retired early in an upscale district in London. He stayed fit by vigorous walks, but had no idea that something he found on these walks would change his life. Babies... he found dead and dying babies left on the streets. They were called foundlings.

Foundlings were babies born to unmarried women. These women where in a horrible situation since there were no homes to take their babies and no jobs for an unmarried woman with a child at her breast. It was starvation for both mother and child. So in the early morning hours these heartbroken mothers took their babies to the upscale areas of London to leave them on the doorsteps of well-off families who they hoped would have pity on their innocent infants. The babies who survived were usually taken to workhouses where the death rate for foundlings was over 90%.

Thomas was appalled and committed his remaining years to rescuing foundlings. There were homes for orphans, but foundlings were considered a different class because of how they were born. Orphan homes, like the famed homes of George Mueller, would not take in a foundling. Before George Mueller would receive a child into his homes evidence had to be provided that the child was born to parents who were married when the child was conceived. Adoption was not a legal option on either side of the Atlantic at the time.

Mr. Coram faced great difficulty getting permission to open a foundling's home (called a Foundling's Hospital). But permission was not enough. There were thousands of foundlings born each year... where would the money come from to feed, house, and cloth these children? Where would he get enough wet-nurses and other caregivers for the babies?

Enter George Frideric Handel, the Kapellmeister to the future King George of Great Britain. George Handel became a life-long supporter of the efforts of Thomas Coram to rescue foundlings. He was a beloved friend of the children, a governor of the Foundling's Hospital, and opened the doors for Thomas Coram to British aristocracy which led to the founding and survival of this great endeavor to rescue children. There is a permanent exhibit in the Foundling Museum in London dedicated to George Handel.

Thousands of children were rescued! Hundreds of babies were placed into the care of the home by heartbroken mothers. In the first few years, after the age for entrance to the Home was raised from 2 months to 12 months, the home received 15,000 babies!

George Handel annually performed the Messiah at the Foundling's Home and donated all the income to the home. He was the chief fundraiser for the chapel, built so the children could learn of this great Messiah's love for them. He bequeathed a full copy of the Messiah to the home which can be seen today in the museum along with the organ he presented to the home.

His music legacy in the home was great. One of the most popular choirs of the day was a choir filled with blind children from the home. Many of the foundlings made successful careers as musicians playing in orchestras and bands throughout Britain.

This Christmas don't forget the foundlings and orphans. Give to a Children's Home. If you don't know of one you are welcome to give to the home sponsored by our Church. It is Amazing Grace Children's Home (Formerly Rivers Of Mercy). Every cent given to the home goes directly to the home, we take nothing out for administrative costs. If you want to be placed on our mailing list simply send me your e-mail at blawrencejones@hotmail.com. Make your checks payable to Santa Fe Baptist Church with children's home in the memo of your check. The mailing address is:

Santa Fe Baptist Church

12902 6^th Street

Santa Fe, Texas 77510

These Frogs Freeze Solid And Live Through It

2010-12-09T07:04:00.001-06:00

During winter in Alaska, the wood frog (Rana sylvatica) freezes so that it looks like a frog-shaped piece of ice. While frozen, the frog stops breathing, its heart stops beating, its blood stops flowing, and it cannot move. However, when spring arrives, the frog’s body thaws and the frog returns to normal life.

This is an amazing feat that would certainly be highly unlikely to have developed by chance. To restart the function of the frog’s systems after they have been frozen requires extremely complex genetic programming.

The adult wood frog grows to be only about 3 inches long. The frog lives in Canada and also in the United States from Alaska to Alabama. The wood frog is one of only three species of frogs that live north of the Arctic Circle.

Before the severe Alaskan winter arrives, the wood frog stores glucose in its liver. When the frog’s feet begin to freeze, its liver releases lots of glucose into its blood stream.7 Much of this glucose enters the frog’s cells and acts like antifreeze to prevent them from freezing.

During winter, 35–45% of the water in the frog’s body freezes. This makes the frog as stiff as a lump of ice! When the spring thaw arrives, the frog’s frozen body revives. Lawson Schroeder (adapted)

Lawson Schroeder pointed out this amazingly complex system. Complexity doesn't just happen, it comes by design.

The Descent Into Christ-less Religion

2010-12-08T08:27:00.006-06:00

John 3:25 Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.

In a recent post I discussed the defection of some of the disciples of John the Baptist. The dispute in verse 25 happened some time after John had pointed his disciples to Jesus. When some of his disciples failed to move from following him to Jesus they began a descent into Christ-less religion.

Christ-less religion must have something to fill the empty space and time. What better filler than an argument about purification and the law. When Christ is not leading in the labor of the day religionists will always provide a list of fillers for the empty hours ahead. Fillers that only give the illusion that something worthwhile is really happening. If one tires of arguments about purification then culture and politics are always available for a good argument, lecture, or article. What are those Herodians up to anyway?

In vital Christianity Jesus is always leading in the work of the day. And there is always more to do than can be accomplished. Jesus is working in this world... right now. While productive Christians do have their arguments, those exercises take place while they work together in the fields of the Savior. It is the hard work that will keep them together, focus their efforts, temper their arguments, and sometimes silence them in shame as they look at the work that remains undone.

Inheriting Heaven

2010-12-07T09:19:00.006-06:00

1 Peter 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

In the United States we generally think of inheritance as gifts received from a person after their death. But in the cultural context of the Bible inheritance was viewed differently. Not understanding this difference can lead to confusion when coming across words like inheritance and testament in the Bible.

Under Old Testament law an Israelite was born into a family inheritance. It was property given by God to the perpetual generations of the inheritor's family. Each successive generation was given stewardship responsibility over this family possession.

When a senior family member inherited, upon the death of the family head, his inheritance was more of a legal standing than a possession. He was the one with legal standing to make decisions related to the possession. Each generation could strengthen, corrupt, enlarge, or diminish the inheritance.

This system is very relevant to Christ followers today. We are currently the generation who has been handed the rights to the earthly inheritance of Christ Jesus given through the apostles and early church. We are only inter-generational stewards of that inheritance, and can strengthen, corrupt, enlarge, or diminish that inheritance for future generations.

The manual for our inheritance is the New Testament, and when we carefully compare what has been handed to us by previous generations to this manual we will find some corruption. It comes with the human condition. Christian history is rife with corruption and defilement of the inheritance of truth, and that history is still being made today. This earthly inheritance is, in human hands, perpetually unstable.

But this passage speaks of an inheritance that awaits all those who have trusted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus has secured this inheritance on our behalf. He is our family head... our Adam. This possession is under His careful control and cannot be corrupted. It is “incorruptible”and “undefiled.” It is reserved for us, and awaits us in its pristine condition.

Think of the first moment in that inheritance! It will be the first inheritance ever handed to us as a single collective generation. Pure... glorious... ours forever... Home.

Jesus, The Transcendent Witness

2010-12-04T06:25:00.002-06:00

John 3:11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

Most religions (I use this word in its broadest sense) have a primary witness. Someone who claims to have seen or heard from God, or experienced a unique awareness of some force, power, or knowledge. The testimony of this witness usually becomes the foundation of the religion.

Christianity is multi-tiered in its cadre of witnesses. There are those who testify in the Bible that God spoke directly to or through them. Then there are those who, throughout history, have confessed to a definite, real, experience with God. I am in that group... I have experienced God.

But Jesus is the primary witness, and He is also the transcendent witness. By this I mean He is far past simply being a conduit of God's revelation or message. He is the revelation. He is the message. The fullness of His knowledge, being, and purpose transcends this existence. But He came to us... The Apostle John seems to have understood this reality better than most, so this insight is boldly woven into his writings.

This is the chief realism of Christ followers--Jesus is Emmanuel--God with us. He is the primary witness, and there is none like Him.

Damned... But Still Alive

2010-12-03T08:58:00.009-06:00

2 Thessalonians is a letter about the future written by the Apostle Paul. It is a weighty letter. Some of the future Paul shows us is dark. I'm aware that a number of the articles I wrote and published a year ago, and am now finally posting on my blog, carry that dark weightiness. But... that is the nature of consistent exposition of the Bible. There are high mountain peaks of truth to explore and deep valleys to journey through, but it is all equally true... and equally necessary.

2 Thessalonians 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

I published a post some time ago discussing the word “damned” in Mark 16:16. The word translated in that verse means: To be actually under sentence after a determination of guilt and the pronouncement of the sentence. The sentence is pronounced but the execution of the sentence is in the future. But the verb used in 2 Thessalonians 2:12 is slightly different.

This verb, as used in this verse, means: "the act of inflicting the penalty on one." Thayer Bauer-Danker says it this way: "the temporal punishment which God brings upon sinners." While in the first usage, Mark 16:16, there may be time between the legal process of judgment and the execution of the penalty, in this usage the penalty is being sealed and executed.

This verse in its context teaches us that God is constantly observing unbelievers. They have already been legally judged and condemned, but are living under His common mercy. He is aware of all their decisions and actions while His mercy restrains the justice that awaits them. There is a time, sadly, when God’s gracious patience gives way, mercy evaporates, justice is all that remains, and the penalty is executed.

The unique thing about this verse is their doom is sealed while they are still living on earth. Today, as far as we know, any unbeliever who draws breath can believe the Gospel and find everlasting freedom from condemnation and guilt. There is always hope. But this passage portends a time when God seems to close that opportunity for some. The rope of God's mercy securing their place on the precipice of life will be cut, but they will still retain life for the moment while they streak toward the rocks of His final justice waiting beneath them. Damned... but still alive.

In other words there really are consequences for sin and unbelief. If the consequence has not yet been experienced it is because God’s mercy has held it back. But never take His mercy for granted. The gospel is the only hope we have in this life.

Mosquitoes Can Sense Your Blood Type

2010-12-02T10:05:00.001-06:00

Why do mosquitoes seem to hone in on some people and not others? Well in recent studies scientists have discovered that some proteins found in mosquitoes’ antennae connect with specific chemicals emitted from our skin. The chemicals are emitted as a natural process and mark our presence for the hungry little buzzing predators. But we don’t all give off the same chemicals.

People who have been ingesting alcohol, for instance, put off a special chemical compound which tells the little creatures there might be a person here who can’t swat as quickly as normal… get him… One 12 ounce beer will light you up for a mosquito like a neon sign.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the breath is also a serious marker. This is one of the reasons expecting women fall prey to mosquitoes more than most: they emit 21 percent more carbon dioxide than the rest of us. Their temperature is also an average 1.26 degrees higher than normal which is another “come and get me” sign to a mosquito.

We also emit certain chemicals that identify our blood type, and it has been found that mosquitoes can be picky when it comes to blood. Researchers tell us that people with Type O blood are bitten 24% more than people with any other blood type.

The mosquito is a complex creature with complex on-board equipment. This system includes the equipment to collect chemical data on the molecular level, a nervous system to convey the data, a brain with the ability to decipher the data and make it usable, and then the ability to act on the data and move toward the prey. A complex system like this didn't just happen, it was designed.

An Abused, Angry, Sullen Woman

2010-12-01T09:06:00.006-06:00

John 4:17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: 18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

We must keep this conversation in the context of the culture of that day. It was a man's world, and for women and children not willing to show humility in the presence of men it was, sadly, a brutal world. I think one purpose of retaining the first part of this conversation was to give us insight into the nature of this particular woman within that culture.

Twice Jesus told this woman what to do, and twice she argued with Him, and then didn't do what she was told. In that culture her responses would have been openly disrespectful. Then, while alone with a man from a neighboring nation in conflict with her own, she tried to start a religious argument about the superiority of her national religion over his. Dangerous...

I would expect to see scars on the face and knuckles of a woman who responded to men in that culture the way this woman responded to Jesus. She was a sullen, angry, abused woman, who had experienced a difficult life of broken relationships. She was living, unmarried, with her sixth man.

But... Jesus knew this, and was patient and kind with her. To Jesus she was His lost sheep in the wilderness. She was the one He came to save. He left the ninety and nine righteous to look for her. Other men may have seen her as someone to abuse, use, belittle, or ignore. Jesus saw a beloved soul; a person to value and sacrifice Himself to redeem. Even his disciples were surprised to see Him talking to her as they returned from an errand. He could have gone to a Samaritan queen… but He went to that water-well to save that woman, and I'm glad He did.

Stealing His Bride

2010-11-29T08:50:00.018-06:00

John 3:29 ...this my joy therefore is fulfilled.

In ancient Israel marriages were arranged. Most of the time the bride and groom had little to do with choosing who they married. Special “friends” would negotiate marriages with the parents. But marriage negotiator was not exactly the role John the Baptist filled in the illustration he used in this verse. As a trusted friend he was sent by the groom to prepare the bride for His coming. John 3:29

For a moment let's move from the illustration to the reality. In his role John gathered a large group of baptized followers (the bride) who waited for the revelation of the Christ (the Groom). Until this revelation the followers would only see John. In fact, they were constantly mistaking John for the Christ. John 3:28

John was the one leading the work of gathering, baptizing, and teaching the people. So the Bride's eyes were constantly on him, and her ears listened to every word he spoke. I expect she was constantly complementing him too.

John could have taken possession of the bride--at least in his mind. It would've been easy to do. To avoid this John had to remember his role, and remember that the groom, his friend, was coming for His bride. The Groom trusted him...

Are we who serve Christ today any different than John when it comes to the practical aspects of his ministry? We work to gather and prepare a glorious bride for Jesus when He returns. And they, the people--His church, don't physically see Him they see us. (This thought actually affects me so deeply that I become a bit nauseous when I consider the responsibility of it)

His brides' eyes and ears are, in a sense, ours for the time being. This can be a heady thing. We can become bride thieves, at least in our minds, if we are not careful... a sort of spiritual adultery. And I don't speak only of those of us who are ordained. Having worked with troubled churches for over 20 years I know that some of the greatest problems in churches can be caused by members who take possession of what belongs to Christ alone.

I (we) must remember: the Groom trusts me with His bride. I am (we are) a friend He has sent to care for and prepare His bride. My (our) role is only temporary, limited, and ends with another of His friends stepping into this role when my time is finished, or when He comes. It is not about me, I'm nothing, it is all about Jesus and His bride. Even so come Lord Jesus so this our joy may be fulfilled.

Enjoy Your Authentic Mexican Food Tomorrow: Turkey

2010-11-25T19:13:00.000-06:00

Yep... you read that right. Enjoy your original Mexican food tomorrow. Turkeys only existed in North America and Mexico until the 1500s. Centuries before the first Europeans ever put a savory piece of Turkey in their mouths the Mexicans had domesticated and raised Turkeys for meat. That's right, domesticated turkeys originally came from Mexico. The Spaniards brought domestic turkeys to Europe in the early 1500s. England got them about the same time, and then introduced them into the USA in Jamestown. So while the United States has its own wild turkeys our domestics came from Mexico through Spain and then England. So if you aren't eating wild Turkey tomorrow you are actually eating authentic Mexican food!

That's OK with me... I love Mexico, the Mexican people, and Mexican food, but please don't try to tell me that cornbread dressing came from anywhere but the southern United States, unless of course you would like to make a case for it being the manna from heaven that the Children Of Israel ate in the wilderness. I think there might be some merit to that notion!

But God did give the Turkey something special for the ole USA. The turkey’s head can change colors quickly. The three colors are red, white, and blue. When turkeys get excited their heads turn blue, when they become enraged some say they turn red while others say white. This phenomenon seems to be regulated by blood vessels and muscles moving the blood to or away from the surface. Perhaps that's why Ben Franklin thought the turkey should be our national bird.

A little more trivia. The reason these birds were called turkey is the first explorers thought the Americas were actually Asia. They thought this new bird was actually a cousin to a Turkish bird called a turkey. Strangely the Turkish bird lost the name turkey and the American non-Turkish bird kept the name.

Mercy Rides On The Wings Of Thanks Giving

2010-11-23T08:40:00.005-06:00

Romans 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

One of the root causes of a culture's decline as described in Romans 1:24, 26-32 is the cold thanklessness of those in the culture who know God. The source of this thanklessness is, according to this verse, the result of a change in their way of thinking, or, perhaps more correctly, in the focus of their thoughts. The phrase in this verse “but became vain in their imaginations” means: “their thoughts became directed to worthless things.” Bauer-Danker

So the visible downgrade of a people who know God begins when they fail to discipline their minds to be appropriately vocal and sincere in their thankfulness to God. Growing out of this thanklessness, according to Romans 1:23,25, comes a movement to redefine God. To devise a new god more suitable to their new way of thinking... a more practical god. This all happens over time.

There is more in this section of Scripture than I can begin to touch in a short post, but let me just point out a few major truths which are laid out on the surface for us all to see: God listens for our thanks giving, observes the focus of our thoughts, and He measures our beliefs about His being. Based on His experience with us in these matters He decides to extend or withdraw His mercy. And His mercy is the foundation of the moral prosperity of any people. His mercy and our thankfulness are intertwined. It could be said that mercy rides on the wings of thanks giving.

God walks among us... especially those of us who know Him. Let us focus our minds upon Him, and let us appropriately thank Him without redefining Him. Our nation depends on our accuracy and faithfulness in this matter.

Presuppositions To Thanks Giving

2010-11-22T08:52:00.013-06:00

Romans 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The two words “thank God” may have more depth of meaning than any other human expression. Perhaps it is because I was raised close to atheism that the presuppositions supporting these two words sort of pop when I hear them used sincerely, or use them myself.

When I use these words I express the belief that I have received benefits from a Being outside myself. That this Being has special powers to touch my life without being seen. So this Being, I call God, transcends physical life. In these two words I celebrate His power to manipulate the physical world around me, and to effectively change or influence the events of my life, and the lives of others. He can keep me from being harmed, or make what harm comes my way profitable to me or to Him.

So... coupled to the power expressed in these words is a wisdom that sees all the potential outcomes of every possible option relating to my life. And in my thanks I express trust that He has chosen the right options for me and/or those who attract my pleas of concern on their behalf. I also realize that in this expression, thank God, I confess that I believe God controls the cosmos, for if He does not then His influence cannot be discerned from the natural forces and events that surround me. He becomes just another person in my life with powers limited by this existence.

In these two words I acknowledge that God, who controls the world, has an interest in the details of my life. That His interest reaches into the details of my life that are beyond my consciousness. He knows me better than I know myself. That this Being --this God-- with such wisdom and power, must have made a decision about me which resulted in His amazing benevolent attention upon me. This is the first conscious decision of love. In these two words, thank God, I express the truth that I know He loves me...

And when I examine myself for what would make me so loveable to my God I become more amazed and thankful because I don't find anything... in fact, I find many reasons for Him to not love me. So, to me, His love is unmerited and His actions on my behalf are undeserved. So in my words of thanks there is always a special intensity and depth of emotion drawn from the well of my unworthiness.

Even when I thank Him for the smallest benefit my thanks carries the expression of my unworthiness and knowledge of the price His love paid to bring me to this place in life where I offer my thanks... And my thanks is truly all I have to give Him in return for all He has given so freely to me. So today I bow before him, possessing nothing that has not come from His loving hands, to give my thanks with all its depth of meaning. Thank you... my Lord and my God. Thank you for loving me... for loving us.

"Eye For An Eye" And The Deterioration Of Civilization

2010-11-19T09:41:00.003-06:00

The Biblical phrase "eye for an eye" can summon an almost gruesome, primitive image: a knife wielding caveman removing another caveman’s eye while others hold him down. An image like this can make it difficult to believe that this phrase is profoundly important to civilized behavior and justice, and is historically very significant in the development of civilization. Civilized? How can taking someone’s eye be civilized? Well… a little thought will help answer that question.

This law is a two edged sword. It protects the injured by insuring an equitable settlement when an eye, or any other body part or possession, is lost due to a deliberate act or negligence by another person. The value of the lost eye will, based on this law, be compensated to the injured person by the order of the court and enforced by the authority of the government. The intent is not to remove the eye of the injurer but to make sure the full value of the eye and the effects of the damage to the injured person become the responsibility of the injurer. This is reasonable justice.

This law also protects the injurer from the government and the injured party. Based on this law the injurer only owes the equivalent value and effects of the lost eye to the person who has been injured. The government and courts are prohibited, based on this law, from taking more from the injurer than what is just and equitable. If the eye was damaged because of criminal or malicious intent then there are other statutes which also carry limits on the punishment which can be given for criminal acts. These limits protect the needs of the victim.

Often people who see only the criminal side of an action forget the victim's damages and needs. The victim can often be harmed further by over-reaching criminal prosecution or carelessness on the part of the government. The deterioration of a civilized society can be seen when the penalty for an injurer consistently overrides or ignores restitution for the victim. The victim is left standing on the side without an eye while the state seeks damages from the injurer and ignores the victim's losses. The victim has now been victimized twice. The other side of that coin of injustice becomes visible when the law or courts allow a victim to gain more than what is just considering the victim's true losses. That injustice makes a victim out of the injurer and an injurer out of the victim.

The goal of this law is to bring balance to civilization and justice for all parties involved. “Eye for an eye” is a great law when understood in its context.

New Research Has Disproved A Major Theory Which Supported Evolution

2010-11-18T09:33:00.000-06:00

A theory that has topped the evolutionary pre-DNA theories, the Metabolism Theory, has been permanently debunked in a study released by a team of influential scientists and published in the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences. One of the greatest problems atheistic evolution faces in the beginning of life is RNA or DNA replication. This is a problem mentioned by former atheist Antony Flew in There Is A God which helped lead him out of atheism.

Evolution requires that one of the first cells to exist must have been able to start a continual cycle of replication. Supporters of atheistic evolution hypothesize that there must be some connection or series of steps between that first cell and the non-biological substance from which it evolved. Until this study the foremost theory was the Metabolism theory which “allows for adaptation and evolution without any molecular replication.” There were also a number of other related theories that have now crumbled after this new research has come to light. These scientists proved that these “chemical networks” at the base of the Metabolism theory actually degrade instead of moving higher up the evolutionary tree. The report says at this time “no plausible chemical explanation exists for how these processes occurred.”

There must have been an agent to bring the biological structures of replication and reproduction into existence. There is no other plausible answer. Without an agent the first big problem is a pathway for a non-living substance to become a living substance by chance, but then the more complex problem is this new living substance must have had the biological structure to perpetually replicate itself. These two stand or fall together, because you cannot have one without the other and still have evolution. All the steps had to happen in perfect order the first time to bring non-living matter all the way to living replicating existence. The probability of this happening by chance is so infinitesimally close to 0 as to make the notion ludicrous.

Some say I shouldn't argue from the gaps in evolutionary theory... but this isn't a developmental gap in the process of evolution, it is a primary question upon which agency in evolution rests, and is a fundamental disagreement between deism and atheism. The numbers, logic, and revelation are on the side of deism. There is a Creator.

Whose Wife Will She Be In The Judgment Day?

2010-11-17T07:58:00.014-06:00

Matthew 22:23-33 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.

29 ¶ Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.

The question asked in verse 28 has to be one of the most amusing questions in the Bible. The people who asked Jesus this question with its lengthy setup were members of a Jewish religious sect called Sadducee who objected to the possibility of the resurrection. They hoped to corner Jesus with this convoluted question. But, as so many others have learned, Jesus doesn’t corner.

This question must have seemed so logical and ironclad when it was conceived in the self-justifying confines of some Sadducean meeting. But when it finally tumbled out into the light of day it became almost comedic instead of dramatic.

Jesus brushed the question aside with a rebuke, and then a brief answer. We can learn much from this answer.

First, from His rebuke we know that the Old Testament contains the doctrine of the resurrection. He proved that in verses 31 and 32.

Second, they failed to take into account the power of God to raise the dead. The Sadducees were theological well-diggers: the deeper they dug the smaller their view of the sky. For this group of Sadducees, the deeper they dug into the argument the smaller their view of God. We must never lose sight of the omnipotent God, nothing is beyond His power.

Third, it is concretely clear that Jesus believed in the resurrection of the dead. He knew that death would soon be defeated by His own resurrection.

Fourth, Each resurrected body will be individually made, which is similar to angels. Angels were individually created and, therefore, are not ordered by family units. There are no father or mother angels, or, for that matter, baby angels. There will be a finite number of resurrected persons, and they will not be born into family units. While we may carry the remembrance of our earthly families, each person will be an individual within a single invariable new earthly population of equals. Question answered...

The Well Of Religion Is Too Deep

2010-11-16T09:01:00.008-06:00

John 4:11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?

13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

In this historical account Jesus met a woman by an ancient water-well. To illustrate a truth in the ensuing discussion Jesus contrasted the water-well to living water, which is water flowing on the surface of the ground coming from an artesian well. The well is a metaphor for human religion, and living water was used to represent the everlasting salvation which comes freely though a faith relationship with Jesus by His Gospel.

In the metaphor of the water-well we find the marks of salvation-less religion. If your religion has these characteristics, then you can be sure it is not the salvation offered by Jesus and illustrated by the metaphor of living water.

First of all, “the well is deep.” The water of salvation in religion is always out of reach to the thirsty person who walks up to the well needing a drink. A person who is thirsty for righteousness and looks for salvation in man-made religion will never find it flowing freely on the surface within reach.

Second, “Sir, thou has nothing to draw with.” Gaining salvation by religion will always take something more than a person has available. Thirsty travelers will have to go to someone in that religion to gain the tools needed to reach the water. But even with the tools the water always seems to remain out of reach. The depth of the well creates an economic niche for religion, but leaves the thirsty traveler unsatisfied. Christ Jesus offers tool-less access to the water of life. He died and rose from the dead to bring the water close... because without Him the water is too deep for any of us to access.

Third, “Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:” Even when you know how deep you have to go for water, and have the tools to get there, human religion cannot give you a lasting, sure salvation. You find yourself chained to the deep well of religion by a reoccurring thirst for righteousness which religion can never quench. The process never ends... even when you purchase a golden bucket with a silk rope. In the Gospel we have all the righteousness we will ever need.

In the salvation Jesus offers, you go straight to Him for it, and He gives it freely. You don’t need anything but gospel faith, and you only have to go to Him once. He gives living water, an everlasting artesian well within you. It goes where you go. His salvation is free and eternal.

The Problem Of Fire In Biblical Justice

2010-11-15T10:03:00.017-06:00

KJV 2 Thessalonians 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

NIV 1:8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

These are two translations of the same verse. Notice any differences? I use this contrast to illustrate that the Bible words “flaming fire” and “vengeance” are unpopular and some folks would rather these words be softened or removed altogether. The NIV (New International Version) softened the word vengeance by translating it with the word punish, and then moved fire to the previous verse associating it with the brightness of Jesus' coming instead of the vengeance in His coming.

I can't get into the head of the NIV translators, and I'm sure they would defend their translation with technical arguments. But my intent for bringing this up is not to get into a technical argument about translation. I am more interested, at this point, in the effect of softening the language of justice.

That there is an inclination in our popular culture to soften the sometimes blunt language of justice used in the Bible is beyond argument. But every thinking person must realize that soft language will not soften the severity of justice. Justice is what it is, and it is harsh no matter what refined words we use to describe it. The only real effect I see from softening the language of justice is to dull the language of mercy.

Mercy is dependent on justice. It's the word we use when a guilty criminal doesn't get what is deserved by law and required by justice. The depth of mercy is in direct proportion to the intensity of the penalty justice demands for a crime. The more horrible the crime the greater the penalty, and the greater the penalty the greater the mercy when the penalty is forgiven.

Using soft words to a criminal about the penalty before he is convicted only serves to lessen his interest in mercy... but the soft language doesn't change the reality of justice or the severity of the penalty by even the smallest fraction. It only serves to dull the foreboding dread of the guilty.

A guilty criminal is done a great disservice by his lawyers when the harshness of the penalty faced is degraded and made unclear by their choice of words. My first request to my lawyers, if I was facing a criminal trial, would be, “Tell me in plain English what I'm facing if found guilty.” I would then ask, “What are my chances of being found not guilty?” If they answered "none" then my next question would be, “Is this judge known for being merciful?” These are straight questions which demand clear straight answers.

After studying the Bible for decades I know it is mercy I need when facing the justice of God... great mercy. I know this because the Bible is clear about what I am facing: hell. Don't be fooled by the soft language of popular religious culture. We--that means all of us--need great mercy, because the penalty for our sins is extreme and we have no chance of being found not guilty. Call me coarse or unrefined if you will... but, as I said earlier, that will not change the reality of justice or the severity of the penalty by even the smallest fraction. Thankfully our Judge is merciful and He has given us access to everlasting mercy in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Big Numbers Leave Little To Chance

2010-11-11T08:42:00.008-06:00

I am always amused when an atheistic evolutionist begins throwing around “billions” of years to support the contention that random mutation brought life to where it is today. I read the same numbers they read... and the probabilities just don't add up in their favor. The numbers are so big that they leave little to chance.

It's the big picture numbers that cause atheistic evolutionists so much difficulty. Let me explain. There are at least three big biological questions that have yet to be precisely answered. The estimated answers to these questions will help us see the Big Picture.

How many living things are on the earth? Let me give you one writer’s answer: “There are 3 x 10 to the 33rd power (3,000 quintillion) individual living things on this planet.” Other estimates are equally astronomical. These are numbers we can’t get our minds around. Counting the living things on the earth is like counting the grains of sand on the earth or stars in the sky.
How many species exist? The modern definition of a species is a “set of all individuals between which there can be gene flow.” Gene flow means an animal can mate, or could mate if functionally able, and not produce sterile offspring. The National Science Foundation Tree of Life project says there are 1.75 million identified species. NSF also says, “the 1.75 million known species are only 10 percent of the total species on earth.” That means there are potentially 17.5 million species on earth at this time. Another scientific estimate is that 99% of all species that have ever lived are extinct. This means there are estimates that 1.75 billion species have existed.
There is one more issue that remains to be solved. How many unique and common biological systems exist? How many unique systems exist in individual species? If there is an average of 5 per species (and there are arguably many more that that) then the number of unique biological systems on this earth today is 87.5 million. Taking potentially all species in history this number could be as high as 8.75 billion unique systems.

Here’s the problem. Modern science estimates the earth is 7.5 billion years old. They say the earth was without life for the first 3.5 billion of those years. That leaves 4 billion years with developing life on earth. But for 3.5 billion of those years there was no life that could be seen with the naked eye. Modern evolutionary biology teaches that all life and modern species large enough to be seen with the human eye evolved over a 500 million year span.

This means the most complex systems went from non-existent to existent during a 500 million year period. 100 million of those years only produced invertebrate marine life. But let's just work with the 4 billion years figure. If we divide 4 billion by the estimated number of species that have lived on the earth, 1.75 billion, shear chance would have to produce 1 new species an average of every 2.2 years. If we just take the known species on earth today then it is 1 new species every 228 years. And we haven't even discussed the complexities of the evolution of species or the "Cambrian explosion". When we divide by the number of unique systems the range is 1 new biological system every 5 months to 45 years. That doesn't include the complex issues of the integration of systems within a species. The associated probabilities tied to these numbers are so close to 0 as to be almost non-existent. And... atheistic evolutionists know this.

It is numbers like these that helped convert the great atheist, Antony Flew, to deism. He said, “I believe that life and reproduction originate in a divine Source. Why do I believe this, given that I expounded and defended atheism for more than a half century? The short answer is this: this is the world picture, as I see it, that has emerged from modern science. Science spotlights three dimensions of nature that point to God. The first is the fact that nature obeys laws. The second is the dimension of life, of intelligently organized and purpose-driven beings, which arose from matter. The third is the very existence of nature.”

Atheistic evolution requires us to believe this all happened by chance… No… The numbers don't hold up... and they never have. I’ll take God. Considering the numbers I often wonder how many modern atheistic evolutionists are really closet deists.

An Atheist At Thanksgiving

2010-11-10T16:30:00.000-06:00

An atheist at Thanksgiving helped open my young mind to God. Let me explain. When I was a child Thanksgiving week was usually spent with my paternal grandparents on their windswept northwest Texas farm. My grandfather, a veteran of World War 1, was a man I loved and deeply admired. He was an attentive, loving grandfather, and was a gentle man in all his ways. As an adult I never enter the Thanksgiving season without remembering him, and his atheism.

He participated in all the Thanksgiving family gatherings. While he would politely discuss his unbelief at other times, he always refrained from such discussions during the holidays. But I would see a slight change come over him during these times. It wasn’t anger or irritation I saw… the best I can describe it is a look of loneliness, or perhaps emptiness. This was very uncharacteristic of him at other times.

I once asked my grandmother if grandpa was OK, she replied that the holidays can be difficult for someone “who thinks like your grandpa”. Grandpa’s silent struggle at Thanksgiving actually caused me to think more about God than I normally would on any other occasion. The coldness of God’s absence from his life on days set aside to celebrate His presence moved me. To believe there is no God to thank for all of this seemed so awkward to me, so… empty. All this was going on in the mind of a boy who claimed no religion.

My grandfather’s atheism on Thanksgiving inclined me to sort of let God in… and He did come in… I haven’t spent a Thanksgiving without God in my life for almost forty years. But if my grandchildren ever see a change come over me on Thanksgiving day, it is not an empty loneliness they will see, but sadness at the memory of my Grandfather who never experienced the warmth of a real Thanksgiving. Strangely it was his emptiness that pushed me toward God. God is always at work… even where atheists dwell. And I am thankful.

Second-Guessing Jesus

2010-11-10T08:51:00.002-06:00

John 4:3 He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee. 4 And he must needs go through Samaria.

The disciples of Jesus looked to Him for leadership. Without His guidance they would have had no notion of what to do or where to go. Jesus had the plan and knew what He was doing. He walked in the light, so those who walked with Him, following His plan, also walked in His light.

When He said he was going through Samaria, some of His disciples may have thought His light had dimmed. We are quick to judge His commands based on our own comfort levels. The Samaritans and Jews were not on friendly terms, and had not been for centuries. In fact, Pilate was removed from Palestine by the Roman authorities because of his mafia-like tactics in dealing with their ongoing feud. Jews had been killed just traveling though Samaria. But Jesus said go, so they went. He was in full control of His Government. He controls it still.

It became clear, after the fact, what Jesus' purpose was in going that way. It has been my experience that it is often only afterward that His motives become visible. Sometimes His purpose is never made visible to us. I guess that's what faith is all about. His purpose was to preach the Gospel to the Samaritans. And that is just what He did.

Jesus’ authority has not withered away with time. He still commands His forces and accomplishes His plans in an organized purposeful way. He leads His disciples where He wants them to go, and He uses them to accomplish His plan. It is wise to walk in His light.

The Burden Of Eternity

2010-11-09T08:15:00.009-06:00

Matthew 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

I still remember the period in my pre-teen years when I began mentally struggling with the physical and soulish concepts of eternity, a struggle that continued throughout my teen years. My turmoil over the physical side of eternity came with the realization that I will die.

What bothered me about this reality then is the same thing that bothers me now, this may sound a bit strange, but it was not the pain surrounding death that concerned me, it was the realization that the world would continue on... and I wouldn't be here to see it.

One of the basic tenets of the brand of atheism I was exposed to was that matter is eternal, so I knew that the moment I breathed my last breath nothing in this material world would change... it would just continue on... and on... and on. (By eternal I mean without beginning or end. Orthodox Christianity teaches that matter had a beginning, but is now everlasting. A basic philosophical argument between deism and atheism is not what will be the state of matter, but what was the state of matter.)

This mental exercise over the physical reality of existence immediately led me to contemplate the unique nature of human existence in the cosmos. Are we just dust, or is there something non-physical about us that is as everlasting as matter? This led me to contemplate the existence of God and what He is if He exists. My conclusion, and one I still hold to today, was that there is a God, and this God must be a non-material transcendent intelligence, and the creator of all things including us.

This realization, for me, elevated conscious existence to a higher level than matter as the only knowable eternal substance. Could it be possible that I, not my body... but my being, might transcend matter and exist beyond death? I came to the conclusion that it was not only possible, but probable. This deepened my struggle.

I skimmed a book years ago by a man named Alexander. I remember almost nothing about the book except his comments about the burdens a spiritual person will carry through life. One of the heaviest burdens he said was the "burden of eternity." A spiritual person sees past this life… there is more than this… and this knowledge is the greatest burden of this existence. I felt this was a good expression of what had happened to me. The realizations that I mentioned above gave me this burden of eternity, and that weight has never left me.

It is a burden for self which manifests in the question: What will be the state of my being after this life? How can I know what the Creator has in store for me? I knew that the answer would not be found in the physical, it must be revealed mind to mind. And that revelation must be in harmony with what is visibly revealed in this created conscious existence: absolute law, justice, conscience and guilt, mercy that honors law and is, therefore, not capricious. This precise synthesis of revelation I found uniquely in Jesus and His Gospel.

But this realization of eternity also manifests itself as a burden for others... and the loving question that ever flows from that burden: “Where will you spend eternity?”

A Bridge To Clarity

2010-11-08T08:13:00.003-06:00

Romans 15:20 Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named,

The Apostle Paul, the writer of this verse, was chosen by God for a special kind of work. He was the first pioneer missionary. This means he was sent to work with people who had never heard the name of Jesus Christ, and had no cultural context or influence from Christianity.

Because Paul was a pioneer missionary his books take on a special value to modern Christ followers. They were written to first generation churches. So Paul's writings are a bridge to clarity unburdened by centuries of tradition. If there is a form of Christianity which doesn’t look like this record then we can be fairly sure it is loaded down with traditions not found in the churches started by Paul.

Paul also had to work through the complex merger of two types of people in some of these early churches: Jews, who had a long history of customs and traditions, and non-Jews, who had no knowledge of ancient Jewish customs. So in Paul's letters we have a record of this cultural clash. Because of this clash the writings of this missionary Apostle give us a clear guide to resolving differences between the New Covenant and the Old. His writings are also a guide to handling the traditional, cultural, and doctrinal differences between people who serve the same Lord.

The Bible becomes a bridge over the chasm of the centuries. We can cross that bridge to Paul's writings and bring a purity back with us into today. An uncluttered reality. And for those who are not willing to cross that bridge, we have guidance on how to structure and maintain a vibrant relationship with them.

This Apostle has become a dear friend and counselor to me through the years. His writings have changed my life and thinking in so many ways. I have a list of Paul's confirmed writings below:

Romans

1 & 2 Corinthians

Galatians

Ephesians

Philippians

Colossians

1 & 2 Thessalonians

1 & 2 Timothy

Titus

Philemon

Mercy... It's In God's Hands

2010-11-02T09:32:00.002-05:00

Psalm 94:18 When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up.

In God’s justice there is no choice or liberty for the accused. There is no help for the condemned. God's Justice is solid, unquestionable, irreversible, unchangeable… absolute. A person is tried by a perfect law, and judgment flows from an absolute purity in God called Holiness.

But since God's Grace and Mercy entered the scenario of life nothing has been solid in this existence except God, His Word, and His Sovereignty over the affairs of life. Life's experiences under Mercy's rule are fluid, questionable, reversible, changeable… mysterious to us. We can be forgiven...

The first man Adam, who justice condemned to die the very day he broke God's law, was, by God's mercy, allowed to live… but... for how long, and to what extent would he now be punished while he lived? Who decided when the penalty would finally be executed, and what the quality of his life would be while he lived under this Mercy? God. He alone decides when mercy ends and justice begins. We are indeed “at His mercy”.

There are those who would like to concretely say of every matter in life, “If you do that God will do this!” But... we live lives overwhelmed by Mercy not Justice. If it were Justice that ruled... well... we wouldn't be here would we? While we are under the pleasant rule of Mercy we do not always or often receive the punishment we deserve. But don't let the joys of God's mercy lull you to an apathetic sleep, for without the promises found in Jesus and His Gospel, withheld Justice will pile up like storm-water behind a dam of Mercy, a dam which God will one day remove, and unrestrained justice will flow.

For Mercy to exist there must be a Being who has all authority over justice, and, therefore, authority over all the affairs of mankind. This authority extends to the powers of death, hell, and the grave, and liberty from the same.

God Cannot Because He Will Not

2010-11-01T07:49:00.003-05:00

Psalm 89:14 Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne:

God is the great lawgiver since the origin of Law is His nature. Divine Law is therefore as unchangeable as God. A consequence of God being the lawgiver is justice, which also flows from His nature.

Justice involves a measurable standard by which all reasoning creatures are judged equally. This standard is eternal and unchangeable because it comes from Him, and His being is unchangeable.

Justice also involves the method by which all are judged. Justice brings order to judgment. Some say God is sovereign and can do anything. Well in a sense that’s true, but in another sense it is very inaccurate. God does what His nature inclines Him to do. And it is in His nature to be Holy and Just, therefore He cannot, because He will not, capriciously override justice.

Justice is the reason Jesus had to die. God, in accord with justice, tried and convicted all of us because of our sin. No person convicted in the courts of heaven can then be set free without the demands of justice being met. Justice and judgment must be answered. Jesus chose to answer the demands of justice on behalf of all who believe and trust His Gospel. God's Love and Justice required that Jesus take our judgment upon Himself, thus fulfilling our obligation to the just demands of the law of God, and opening the door for eternal reconciliation.

Unjust Accusations Are Destructive... Even During Election Time

2010-10-30T09:51:00.007-05:00

Deuteronomy 19:15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

When a nation allows free speech outside the halls of institutional justice, personal discipline by the citizens of that nation is necessary or the very fabric of civilization will be shredded. Unjust accusations can eat like a cancer at the most valued assets of a free society: trust and volunteerism. We must be cautious when making accusations of illegal behavior outside the structure of justice. For a Christian to accuse another person of wrong-doing, whether allowed by secular law or not, outside a just system is contrary to Biblical order.

Evidence presented in the context of a just hearing, is a basic building block of a civilized and ordered nation. Those who make unjust accusations under the guise of patriotism or liberty are actually eroding the very freedoms they claim to be upholding, and are moving their culture toward tyranny. Trust, discipline, and order are fundamental to liberty.

This verse, and others like it in both Testaments, show God's interest in justice. Not even a king (or Pastor) was lawfully allowed to bypass the fundamental requirements of justice. Standards of evidence and methods of justice differ from nation to nation, and age to age, but the principle of a fair hearing should be accepted as the only pathway to justice.

Making unjust accusations is easy to do... I've done it... especially when a person thinks he/she has been harmed, or in periods of high stress, or anger. A charge of wrong-doing might even be accurate... but the context of that accusation may be unjust, and the overriding principle of justice and fairness is higher than any personal grievance.

It is not my intent on this blog to unjustly speak about or accuse any person, in fact I try to write about timeless subjects, so anyone from any generation, nation, or context can read and find value. That doesn't mean I won't fail at some point. When I do make an unjust accusation in any context, please feel free to point it out. If I agree, then I will remove the comment, and, if necessary, issue an apology.

(This article was first published in print 10/08, posted here 10/30/10.)

Faster Than Its Shadow

2010-10-28T08:15:00.001-05:00

A few years ago orthodox Jews in New York were horrified to find out that crustaceans were in the public water supply. Ingesting crustaceans is against Jewish law. Some non-Jews are probably a little bothered by it too. This new revelation gave birth to a new industry in copepod water filtering systems.

Copepods, small crustaceans, literally populate all the earth’s water systems. Some can be seen with the eye while others are microscopic. They are the major ingredient in zooplankton which is in all the world oceans and is the ecological base for sea dwelling animals.

Because of their minute size swimming in the ocean is like a human swimming in thick syrup. It would be difficult and exhausting for us, but even more difficult if we had to capture our food in the syrup. As we reached for lunch our movement through the syrup would push our food away from us. So how do blind ocean dwelling copepods get their food if moving toward it moves it away? Fast… really, really fast.

When a copepod senses food moving through the syrupy water within a few milliseconds it can accelerate to over 100 times its body length per second. For me that would be 620 feet per second in syrup. It can move so fast that the fluid viscosity around it changes, so their prey isn't pushed away and is easily captured.

Scientists are still studying copepods to gain more knowledge about how this happens. But we know that the system necessary to move this quickly in fluid takes streamlined bodies, raw muscle power, and an amazing nervous system to sense the prey and move directly to the target. Seems like this animal was designed to do this... if fact how could a blind copepod capture food and survive without a system like this? It couldn't...

Apostasy

2010-10-27T07:47:00.007-05:00

2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first,

The word translated “falling away” in this verse is apostasy. This Greek word is defined as a condition of rebellion within the true religion resulting from changing loyalties. It is important to understand that this rebellion doesn’t come from outside, it comes from within.

We have a practical example of the use of this word. The translators of the Greek Old Testament used apostasy in 2 Chronicles 29:19, “the vessels which King Ahaz in his reign did cast away in his transgression (apostasy),” King Ahaz mixed the worship of Jehovah with other gods. He set up idols throughout Jerusalem, and added pagan worship vessels to the Temple. He also modified the location, structure, and uses of the vessels ordained by God. In further rebellion he sent Temple vessels to be used in pagan temples in other kingdoms.

The NT usage would mean rebellion by openly professing Christians to the express will and doctrine of Jesus Christ. This apostasy will be so pervasive it will, in its final form, be clearly visible to faithful Christians who know the Word. While there have been apostasies in the past, this one will be more seductive than all the rest. It has been prophesied in other passages: 1 Timothy 4; 2 Timothy 3 & 2 Timothy 4. All of these passages describe various aspects of this end time apostasy. The only remedy to the apostasy is the “love of the truth.”

Reading Jesus

2010-10-26T08:13:00.000-05:00

John 3:32 And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony.

Many people believe in Jesus. They have the image of a great man in their minds. They even see him as more than an historic figure, and may even attest that He is their Savior… but they know little, if anything, of what He said while he was here. How many of His professed followers have never read His words?

If these assertions seem true to any degree, then it is easy to understand what John meant when he said, “no man receiveth his testimony.” There is a difference between following someone because you like him, or respect him, or think he has a shining personality, and following him because of what he teaches. And at this point in His ministry, it seems, Jesus had only a few followers who followed because of what He said… they followed Him because of what He did.

Jesus’ first position in a life is that of teacher. Otherwise He has no substantial position at all. He just becomes another feature in an already cluttered life.

His words set him apart from everyone else, and His words are vital for the Christian life. His words are God’s words. There is no space between the conscious intellect of Jesus and the eternal God. True disciples follow Him because of His words.

Righteous Vengeance, A Warning

2010-10-25T09:07:00.000-05:00

2 Thessalonians 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

The troubled Christians mentioned in these and surrounding verses where being persecuted for their faith. Christians continue to be persecuted in this world. Unless persecutors have certain criminal disorders their delusional self-justifying reasons have satisfied them enough to attack another human.

This passage teaches that their self-justification and subsequent actions are really a “token” of God’s present and future judgment of them. A person who commits a crime of hatred against and in the sight of the Judge of all the earth has willfully endangered himself. Judgment will come.

Vengeance, as used in this verse, can mean retaliation, vindicating justice, or punishment. In this case it is not retaliation. It is justice that vindicates the harmed person(s) and justly punishes the person(s) who harmed them.

Righteous vengeance is not bad or wrong. It is the result of a process involving evidence and a judge with the jurisdiction to hear and decide the case. In this situation the Judge is God, the judged are those who have persecuted His children, and punishment of the guilty is intense and justified.

It is clear that those who persecute Christians are the ones intended in this passage to be recipients of this righteous vengeance. Some modern translators have tried to lessen the intensity of the language, but, believe me, this is a harsh, brutal warning. But it is also clear that the persecutor can be freed from this deserved vengeance by obeying the Gospel. Obey means to repent, believe, and trust the Gospel. The writer of this passage, the Apostle Paul, had been a horrible persecutor of Christians, but he obeyed the Gospel and found forgiveness for all his sins including those committed against God’s children.

God Walked In The Garden

2010-10-21T13:23:00.002-05:00

I was standing in waist high grass when I took this shot

Genesis 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day:

I recently had the opportunity to spend a couple of weeks in a tropical rainforest that can receive up to 300 inches (25 feet) of rainfall a year. This and other factors make the forest explode with vegetation. A tropical rainforest is home to 1,000s of plants, insects, birds, and other animals. The flowers and fragrances can be amazing.

I realize the method for watering the pre-flood earth was different from today, but all the species, plus thousands of extinct species, grew on the earth and, I expect, in the garden. But this creation without physical controls, enforced limits, and oversight can become virtually uninhabitable to humans. Just getting to the beauty in an overgrown rain-forest is tough.

Some tropical trees are measured by the acreage they cover

Many tropical rainforests are overwhelmed by tall, large trees, which means the ground is wet, covered by roots, saplings, plants, vines, debris, insects, seeds, and it is always dark. Open areas are soon taken over by vines, bushes, grasses, and bamboo (which is in the grass family and can grow up to a few feet per day) making human travel very difficult. I walked for at least a mile in matted, tangled, waist to chest deep grass and each of my steps was cradled by the tangled grass at least a foot off the ground. It was similar to walking in deep snow.

Rainforest Bamboo

It is clear in this passage that God chose to physically enjoy His creation, but He required a special creature to enhance its beauty and productivity. This creature needed to have the senses to experience the beauty and value of this garden, and understand what it was experiencing. It needed to have the intelligence to recognize beauty and productivity derived from orderliness. The creature also had to have the functional ability to maintain a complex, fast growing garden so this beauty and fruit could be enjoyed and used.

Man was God’s solution. He created him with the senses to see, touch, smell, taste, and hear the garden. He gave him the intellect to appreciate the information his senses deliver. He was given the intellectual ability to understand change and its effects on his environment, and to plan these changes. He was given the physical ability to execute the plan, and then assess the result. Humans were not created to simply survive and reproduce. Mankind was created to make a beautiful, bountiful creation more fruitful by giving it order and making it accessible.

Accessible, it seems, primarily to God… God used man to maintain His garden for His own pleasure. He walked in the garden. I wonder if He still walks earth’s gardens?