Biblical Worldview – Page 3 – Hope and Passion Ministries

Inside-Out God

Posted on June 9, 2011 by admin

God has a magnificent ability to turn things inside out. How often it appears that evil prevails, when all the while God stands in full control, ready to unravel a plan that sets righteousness at the forefront. Working at times in paradoxes, God tells us that we need to give up our life to Him in order to save it (Luke 9:24). He assures us that though we suffer earthly discomfort and loss for His sake, we gain eternal, heavenly reward (Matthew 5:11-12). Most prominently, it is the message of the cross that is the very power of God! (I Corinthians 1:18)

Having studied God’s paradoxical workings for many years, none seemed to crystallize the overall hope we have in Him more than the one I discovered months ago. In preparing to share a Christmas sermon with people of all ages, I came across the famous Luke 2:7 (ESV), “And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” We recognize the well-known problem Mary and Joseph faced as they looked to rightly comfort their newborn child, our Savior. Ironically, Jesus Christ – the Creator of the Universe – found no place to rest in one tiny spot on the face of the earth He created!

Ponder for a moment . . . Jesus is the Everlasting God. He chose to put on flesh and blood to come and save us from our sin (Hebrews 2:14-15). He entered the womb of a woman, even though He is infinite. Despite the fact that everything, everyone, and every place derives from Him and ultimately depends on Him for existence, Jesus limited Himself in this way to freely come to us in human flesh. After growing in Mary’s womb for one or two months, Jesus would have been about as big as your pinky fingernail! God . . . that big for our sake!

He came to this universe, to this particular solar system, to this specific planet, to one continent, to a humble town in the Middle East, to one simple house of lodging, and . . . He could not find a place there! Unbelievable! His parents then lay His tiny body in an animal feeding trough, because there was no place for Him in the inn.

May I introduce you to the irony of all ironies? In Revelation 20:11 (NIV), the apostle John is speaking of the vision he was given of Jesus in the future, “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.” Did you catch that phrase about the earth and heavens? There was no place for them! When Jesus Christ finally steps to the throne of His judgment at the end of time as we currently now it, His awesome holiness will force even the earth and sky to flee; and when they run, they can find no place to be!

Though Jesus found no suitable location the first time He came to this time-space continuum, He will overtake all locations when He comes back again! The first time, He came as a Servant to bear the penalty of our sin (I Corinthians 5:21). The second time, He will come to judge all of creation and make it right. As Romans 8:21-22 tells us, even this old earth knows it needs remade by its Creator; it needs set free from the curse of sin. As Romans 8:23 and Philippians 3:20-21 informs, we, too, are waiting for Jesus to remake our pitiful bodies into glorious ones.

Jesus Christ will utterly turn things inside out. He who was despised by those He came to save and rejected at the outset to the point of resting in a feeding trough because there was no place for Him . . . this same Jesus will overtake all places in order that He may prepare them for His redeemed. Remember John 14:2 (NASB, emphasis mine), “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.”

If you have not repented of your sin and yielded your life to Jesus, take no comfort in a situation that makes it appear God has no place. No, friend, please understand He rightfully owns all places, and He is coming back to make that clear. If you do now walk with Your Savior, Jesus, take heart! He Who had no place, will take all places, and we shall walk with Him unhindered throughout the world He made!

Pondering Stephen Hawking’s Statements

Posted on May 17, 2011 by admin

I am pondering the profoundly sad conclusions of Stephen Hawking, the brilliant physicist. Although God has given to him a valuable brain, Mr. Hawking has chosen to disregard his Creator and, therefore, His Creator’s unfathomable plan.

As reported by Liz Goodwin on May 16, 2011, at “The Lookout,” a Yahoo News Blog, Stephen Hawking said, “I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark.” Given all of his scientific musing, I cannot understand why Hawking does not recognize that computers are always the result of design, and so the metaphorical “computer brain” must also be the consummation of design. Humans contrive computers and build them of earth’s content, and the devices stand devoid of soul or consciousness. God created people and the universe out of nothing, and He deposits in His grand creatures, humans, a living soul. A computer shows similarities to a brain (although it is far less superior than the human organ) precisely because the CPU is designed by people whose minds are made in the image of God. God created human minds, and His creatures make computers. Hence, we trace God’s hand in the technology. Computers being the obvious result of intricate human planning, why cannot Hawking see that human brains must also be the result of intricate divine planning?

Of course there is not an afterlife for broken down computers . . . because there is no “now” life for computers. Mankind alone received at creation the “breath of life” from God. However, the “human computer,” as Hawking may like to refer to it, has life now. People (and their minds) were made to live. God has prepared for them an afterlife. Evidenced throughout history is man’s innate desire to live. Always, people have generally had a great aversion to death. Carlos Eire (2010) quotes Pierre Chaunu,

The death of any human being is an outrage; it is the outrage par excellence, and all attempts to diminish this outrage are contemptible, no more than opium for the masses . . . Death is the unacceptable. The annihilation of one memory cannot be compensated for by the existence of the universe and the continuance of life. The death of Mozart, despite the preservation of his work, is an utterly evil thing. (p. 1)

Even the atheist philosopher, Bertrand Russell, admitted to a need for “safety” regarding annihilation. As Eire (2010) also quotes Russell, “Brief and powerless is Man’s life; on him and all his race the slow, sure doom falls pitiless and dark. Only within the scaffolding of these truths, only on the firm foundation of unyielding despair, can the soul’s habitation henceforth be safely built” (p. 14). Eire then adds his own thought, “Safety in despair: if that is not a leap of faith, nothing else is” (p. 14).

We humans long for eternity because we were made by an eternal, transcendent God. The Bible declares, “[God] has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11, NIV). Having been made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26), we have a slight grasp on eternity – we sense it and we long for it. When we call on the God of the Bible for salvation, He grants to us eternal life. While we cannot yet know the experiential reality of that fact in its fullness, we begin to operate in a hope that “blows our mind.” One day, when we stand in the presence of our Creator, the perfect will come, and the partial will be done away (I Corinthians 13:10). We will begin to see clearly the amazing, true nature of eternity. For now, we trust the “imperishable seed” that has been planted in us through the Word of God (I Peter 1:23, NASB).

As far as heaven being a “fairy story for people afraid of the dark,” I am not so much scared into Heaven, as I crave what I know is the greater reality. Just because the idea of everlasting life in a perfect place seems too good to be true does not make it untrue. In this life we often say, “[This or that] is too good to be true” because this world is, in fact, a sinful mess. We find ourselves held within a realm of brokenness and incompletion because of sin. We must believe in and live for a home of righteousness that is infinitely greater than the present universe in its collective state of rebellion against God in order to realize what is actually “not too good to be true”! Ironically, genuine fear should come into the picture only when dealing in damning reality, not made-up tales. What should justly haunt humans is the very real existence of Hell, a place of complete separation from God and all that is right. Heaven is not a fairy tale, and Hell is to be feared.

When Stephen Hawking was asked what humans should do to lend meaning to their lives since we are all destined to power-down like computers, Hawking said, “We should seek the greatest value of our action.” This is the point that confuses me the most. If, as Hawking posits, nothing of our existence survives the death of the body, the value at its highest point evaporates. For, no matter what earthly good someone achieves – whether medical advances for the sick, accruement of great wealth for family, the provision of more entertainment for bored masses, the enhancement of personal rights, or any other earthly thing – all of this comes to naught quickly for both the one who acts and the one who receives. The paradigm of the atheistic person leaves no room for anything lasting in the case of any individual person. The “greatest value” of any action amounts to nothing in just moments, hours, days, or years.

On the other hand, the simplest of obedient acts for the sake of Jesus Christ and His kingdom leads to the proliferation of eternal things. When I deal in eternal investments – prayer, human conversations, study of the Bible, kindness to others, generosity reflecting God, teaching others of His Truth, etc. – I get a return on my action that is currently unimaginable to me. The greatest value is not any finite amount, but rather an infinite reality. Matthew 6:19-20, II Corinthians 4:16-18, and I Peter 1:4 are just a few of the places in God’s Word where the reality of eternal investment is made clear.

Stephen Hawking has great knowledge of math and science. Sadly, he has suppressed the truth. I say this standing on the authority of the Word of God. Romans 1:18 makes clear that those who reject God and His Gospel are those who actively “suppress” or “hold back” the Truth. Truth is in front of us, revealed generally, through all God has made (Romans 1:20); and it is available especially to all who cry out for it, as Jesus is the Truth (John 14:6). He stands ready with His Word to answer those who will quit pushing back, with tired arms, the obvious Truth. I pray even Stephen Hawking responds to His Holy Creator and is made new by Jesus and fit for Heaven – the place that is not too good to be true (II Corinthians 5:17 and Revelation 21:1-5).

Reference: Carlos Eire, A Very Brief History of Eternity (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2010)

Living in Heavenly Places

Posted on May 11, 2011 by admin

A recent, sweet conversation with my nephew reminded me of our access to all spiritual blessings of the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3). My nephew assured me that he remembered vividly a ten minute period of time that occurred eight years ago. He recalled the place we were during a moment of emotional distress and the words I spoke from the Bible concerning the New Heavens and New Earth. That precious boy’s eyes lit up as he listened to me review that conversation of long ago and my counsel that Jesus will keep His promise to make things right so that one day people who love each other will no longer have to be separated. As we remembered together, I could see the wheels of his mind turning furiously. He had held onto the truth of God’s Word all this time. For him, the book of Revelation and II Peter had been sealed as reality.

What struck me the evening of our recollection is the power of spiritual blessings. When we focus on and access the stuff of God’s Word and kingdom, eternal and life-changing phenomena occur. Though much of the time the drudgery of everyday living can mask the workings in the spiritual realm, God moves through us when we choose to think and act in the heavenly arena. For example, I just encouraged a friend of mine who uses the text message medium to send Bible verses to others. In a world of technological overuse and abuse, I wanted her to know that often the Lord confirms His leading through her “heavenly thinking” when it comes to such a common thing as text messaging. This woman accesses the spiritual blessings of God’s Word, chooses to think about her Savior during the course of ordinary days, and then positively affects another person’s walk with the Lord. Eternal differences are made rather than just the proliferation of more gibberish so common to texting.

Paul instructs in Ephesians 1:3 (NASB), “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” How many times do we miss those spiritual blessings simply because we do not recognize our position in the heavenly places? A dinner table in a restaurant, for example, can be a heavenly site when food and laughter are shared and savored to the glory of God. Our Lord made us to enjoy the earth He has created, and we reflect His image in holy fellowship with one another. The location on the map is one thing, but children of God are seated in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6) and allow God to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.

A year or so ago, one of my young relatives expressed the need for some school clothes that fit well. I went to a department store and a drug store and stocked up on clothes and supplies for him. I felt the glory of God in those stores, because the act of obedience was in the spiritual realm. The clothing became a tool for Heaven. I wrote a letter to go with the supplies and outfits, and I explained that all of our needs are ultimately supplied by Jesus. He is the reason and the source of all we receive. Clothing a loved one became sacred.

How often do we waste our time stuck in the ordinary? God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing! He tells us these blessings are in heavenly places in Christ. Make no mistake about it, a New Age type of spirituality is not what is mentioned here. We have access to the blessings because of – and in – Jesus Christ! We used to be dead to spiritual things, but the sacrifice of Jesus made us alive! (Ephesians 2:4-5) Now we ought to live – and live abundantly! A bird flying through the yard now reminds us of the freedom from sin we have in Jesus. The simple acts of reading and thinking now remind us of the creativity and orderliness of our great God, who has things yet unimaginable in store for us. A drink of iced tea reminds us of His faithfulness to quench our spiritual thirst and bring contentment even now. A look at the tall trees stretching toward the sky, growing more intricate with each expanding branch, hints of our approach toward Heaven and the New Jerusalem.

Please live in heavenly places in Christ. Be always communing with Him and ponder His Word (Psalm 1:1-2). Be perpetually giving Him glory as we stand amazed at all He has given and all he does. Make moments and experiences count for eternity. We have been blessed with all spiritual blessings; we have to live in heavenly places in Christ.

Swordtails and God’s Sleeve

Posted on May 6, 2011 by admin

When I was in middle school, I had an aquarium full of tropical fish. One of my favorite types of fish was the orange swordtail. The difficult part of adoring these particular creatures is that their young are born live, and the adult fish eat them. In order to protect the precious little baby fish, I would have to separate the fry in a rectangular net on one corner of the tank. Catching the tiny, agile babies is not easy.

The fact is that I had to get personally involved in the protection of the new swordtails. When one of the females was pregnant, I knew I had to get off the school bus quickly and run into the house to check on the situation each afternoon. I certainly could not design an eye-catching poster to hold up in front of the aquarium that warned, “Swim behind the castle little fish . . . swim!” Fish cannot read. It was pointless to kneel down in front of the tank and yell loudly, “Hide behind the plant . . . hurry!” Fish cannot hear us. The only way to help the swordtail babies was for me to roll up my sleeve and dip my arm into the sometimes algae-ridden water full of slimy fish and all their waste. Yes, if I was to save the fry, I had to invade their world.

Similarly, God crashed into our world to save us. When we were overcome by our sin and had no way to escape the curse, our God entered this space/time continuum. We are helpless without His personal intervention. He rolled up His sleeves, and entered a world of pain, sorrow, and mess to rescue us by His own hand. He put on human flesh and endured all the discomfort and longing earthly life brings. Then – in one particular season of time – He suffered more spiritual, emotional, and physical pain than we could ever imagine, as He willingly took on the sin of the world at the Cross. With His own body – with His own being – He saved us.

The great prophet Isaiah asked, “Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?” (Isaiah 53:1, NASB) What poignant words! What critical consideration! All of life boils down to this . . . do we believe the message of the God who revealed His own arm in the mission of saving us? This question is paramount, for its answer differentiates biblical Christianity from all other religions and worldviews. Whereas the various religions of the world involve the work of humans to one degree or another in their salvation, true Christianity says that God saves – and the rolling up of our own sleeves is useless. His holy, strong arm is the one that redeems us from the pit of sin and hopelessness.

I can see the devil and the powers of Hell shaking in their boots as God Almighty begins to roll up His sleeve! Jesus, the God-Man, comes to redeem His people! As the tiny swordtails were placed safely in the net by my own hand, so we are drawn out of the kingdom of darkness and placed safely in the kingdom of God by God’s own hand.

The question is, “Do you believe this message?” The Hebrew word for believe in Isaiah 53:1 is the root from which we get the widely used term, “Amen.” Belief means that we truly agree. We stake our very life on it. We hear the message and we say, “So be it!” It is right! The arm of our strong and gracious Jesus has been revealed! When He rolls up His sleeve, I am safe!

Why Doesn’t God Do Something?

Posted on May 2, 2011 by admin

I had the recent privilege of sitting with a young lady after I had preached the Word of God at a women’s event. The woman was crying, and she told me she was angry. After having endured the drug overdose death of a friend and having witnessed the neglect and disability of children, she wanted to know, “Why doesn’t God do something?” She added, “Why does God not hear the cries of people?”

We sat for some time as I listened and shared. Our productive time ended in sincere prayer and led me to think through more thoroughly the Bible’s clues to what God is doing; because, my friends, He is doing something, and He will do something. Our human inability to see and understand it all does not negate the reality of a supernatural God’s working.

First, God sees what happens. “The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men; from His dwelling place He looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, He who fashions the hearts of them all, He who understand all their works, ” declares Psalm 33:13-15 (NASB). God is fully aware of the good and bad deeds of all people. He is cognizant of every pain suffered, every injustice endured, every sin committed, every oversight, every evil scheme, and every disappointment. He takes it all into account. In fact, I was recently encouraged while reviewing Bible passages I have memorized. I came to Ephesians 3:17 (NASB) and was reminded it is God’s desire that “Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” Christ dwells in my heart! He is right there in the mix with all the emotions I experience! Of course He knows exactly how I feel. Of course He is paying special attention to all the feelings of His people! He understands the works of all people, and He dwells particularly in the midst of His children’s hearts.

Second, God is waiting to bring final judgment. Although it does not appear that God is correcting wrongs and answering desperate pleas, He will act one day with finality and accuracy. For now, He is waiting because “[He] is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9, NASB). God’s judgment of the horror of sin and its effects is so terrible, so final, and so unimaginable that He wants to ensure all have had a chance to repent and turn to Him. Please do not be disturbed by the unimaginable nature of His judgment, for you know the indescribable horror resulting from sin throughout the centuries. The judgment is commensurate with the gravity of sin. Somehow, God’s waiting provides a way for all to have opportunity to repent before facing God’s wrath.

Third, the judgment lies on the other side. The essence of Biblical Christianity is faith. Hebrews 11:6 (NASB) proclaims, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He exists and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Faith declares that God’s people will be rewarded – on the other side of death. Likewise, Revelation 20:13-14(NASB) states, “Death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.” Faith also declares that God’s enemies will be punished on the other side of death. While we reap natural consequences in part in this present world, precise and comprehensive judgment and reward takes place at another time.

Do you believe this? Can you affirm what Paul said in I Corinthians 13:12 (NASB), “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face”? Do you believe that the next world is the right world? (II Peter 3:11-13, Revelation 21:1-5) Do you believe that the God who made everything out of nothing actually has a New Heaven and a New Earth to follow an accurate and final judgment? Do you believe that the omniscient God of the universe can sort out the rights and wrongs of every human heart? Do you believe that He will serve justice because He is – by His very nature – just?

If you believe these things, then you will be most miserable unless you also believe that Jesus Christ stands waiting to absorb your guilt! As I counseled that sobbing young lady, allow me to tell you that you also can “throw your sin on Jesus, because He can handle it; you cannot!” II Corinthians 5:21 (NASB) says, “[God] made [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Only an infinitely powerful and completely holy God can handle our sin. We cannot pay for it. We cannot hold it inside. If we do not take it to God now, then He will judge us later. Sin demands payment. An infinite, holy God can absorb that sin in one, finite moment of time (just as He did on the Cross). On the other hand, a finite, sinful human being could never pay for his or her own sin. A person would have to go on forever, in complete separation from God without ever finding rest or resolution for the sin problem. Hell is as logical as Heaven, and both lie on the other side.

God has done something, He is doing something, and He will do something. Trust the work of Jesus on the Cross two thousand years ago as payment for your sin, assist God in the mission to see others repent while we await the final judgment, and – finally – hope in the realities of the other side!

Distracted to Death

Posted on April 20, 2011 by admin

Choices abound. Distractions are pervasive. Our demise may very well be our decision to lend too much credence to choices and distractions. While I may feel good about standing in a cereal aisle at the grocery store with the freedom to choose from hundreds of quite similar options for an early morning feast, it may not be in my best interest to spend an inordinate amount of time differentiating between wheat and oat delights. Similarly, just because our current culture offers us myriad options for filling our time, it is not necessarily in our best interest to allow limitless distraction for the sake of pleasure and entertainment. Where do so many options leave the soul?

“Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet, then all your ways will be sure,” says Proverbs 4:25-26, ESV. God lets His people know that a direct approach to living is best. We ought to keep our focus forward and fixed on the path God has given to us. Looking constantly to the lives of other people can lead to envy, bitterness, or even idolatry. How much time do we waste speculating about others or adoring their lives as ours passes us by? Looking frequently to potential activities rather than actually engaging in the one God has set before us leads to nonfulfillment, dissatisfaction, and wasted resources. Looking often to ways to escape the sometimes arduous task of committed work can lead to laziness and unrealized dreams.

God is clear: Look directly forward. Furthermore, He tells us to ponder the path of our feet. In other words, be intentional about what you are doing. Always take time to consider your actions and their alignment with the revelation of God. In this forward momentum of life to which the Lord has called us, be doubly sure to forsake all turns of your feet that run counter to God’s heart. Keeping your eyes on your Savior, never hesitate to step over or step away from obstacles on the path that are contrary to biblical principles. Ponder that path beneath your feet, and God promises to make your way sure. Your life will be one of clear purpose and stability.

Finally, our Creator prefaced the two aforementioned verses with another that appears critically tied to the same notion. Verse 24 proclaims, “Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you.” One aspect of the direct gaze we are to have toward our Savior and His plan is a mind that determines to act and speak truthfully and beneficially. Do not waste time talking wrongly of others, and do not lie. Rather, let your speech be honest, springing from a heart genuinely desiring the best for others. At times talk will be easy and at times it will be difficult, but it must always be truthful and rightly motivated.

“Let your eyes look directly forward.” This proverb reminds me of Hebrews 12:2 (NIV), “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Stay focused for the sake of Jesus and His kingdom. The byproduct is a life of surety, rather than demise.

Greater than a Fairy Tale

Posted on April 11, 2011 by admin

If God brings us to Himself through the death of His Son, can you imagine what He does through the life of His Son, now that we are near? If God loved us enough to reconcile us to Himself while we were still in rebellious sin against Him, can you imagine what He will do for us now that we are on His side?

The questions above reflect the heart of God’s Word found in Romans 8:10 (NASB), “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” The words of this passage have on different occasions penetrated my mind and soul at least three times in the past few months.

Perhaps at times fearful we will be functioning in fairy-tale land if we hope too much, I believe followers of Jesus sometimes live far beneath His blessing because we do not digest His truth as He intended. The message is right there in Paul’s letter to the Romans: God saved us from His wrath by Jesus’ death, and He shall surely deliver us in all ways imaginable by Jesus’ life. We need not be afraid that this verse is too good to be true. After all, fairy tales are the result of human imagination flowing from a mind given by a God who has an unbelievable “end” to this “story” of life. In other words, we can only dream of great endings because we were made in the image of the all-creative God who has planned from the foundation of the earth a real and tangible culmination to history that defies the highest expectation of limited, human reasoning. Fairy tales do not discourage me, but rather remind me that we were originally intended to “think big.” The momentous point to remember is that the God behind our creation is actually able to complete His plan for reality! Human fairytales are feeble, short-sighted shadows pointing to an Almighty God who works in the stuff of actuality and truth.

Friends, stand on the promise that “we shall be saved by His life.” Jesus’ death was so powerful it brings sinners close to a holy God. How much more powerful is the life of Jesus! For one, we know that as He lives, He intercedes for us. Hebrews 7:25 (NASB) proclaims, “Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” The sacrifice of Jesus’ life and blood paid the cost for our nearness to God, and now that we love our King, Jesus is so pleased to present us continually to the Father for help and deliverance.

We also know that the resurrection of Jesus has caused us to be “born again to a living hope” (I Peter 1:3, NASB). As a child comes out of a mother’s womb and is surrounded by air he must now breathe, so Christians emerge from sinful darkness and are now enveloped by the hope of God they must now take in.

Do we face difficulty and disappointment? Certainly we do. However, do we have God’s promise for ultimate deliverance? Absolutely, we do! As surely as spring follows winter – and as surely as Jesus’ resurrection followed His death – that is how surely our deliverance will follow difficulty and disappointment.

If God loved us when we were rotten and staunchly turned against Him, will He not love us now that we have run into His arms? If God thought us valuable enough to send His Son to die, does He not count us valuable enough to benefit from His Son’s life? This metanarrative – this overarching plan of God for the universe – turns out greater for followers of Jesus Christ than our minds can comprehend.

Actually, it does not just “turn out” that way; it exceeds what we can imagine in this present moment, because not one circumstance is lost in the working of God. Jesus, the Son of God, is all-knowing. He lives and intercedes for us. He does not miss one thing. Not one. As He goes to the Father on our behalf for every great and infinitesimal circumstance of our lives, the Holy Spirit moves in ways sometimes obvious and often mysterious to save us completely. We are being shaped into who we need to be for God’s glory and to shine in that beautiful Heaven of His. This is no fairy tale, but a true account of the God in charge of reality.

Imperishable Seed Beyond the Boundary of Science

Posted on March 22, 2011 by admin

My recent trip to the local library led to my finding a new non-fiction book, “Long for this World,” by Jonathan Weiner. I have not read the volume, only its inside front cover. The book’s subtitle is “The Strange Science of Immortality,” and the last sentences of its main description are “could we live forever? And if we could . . . would we want to?”

The pursuit of immortality has always intrigued mortals precisely because we are just that – mortal. Created by an eternal God, we long for the everlasting. Having had death introduced to us with the commencement of human sinfulness, we most naturally long to regain what has been lost – eternal life. Those of an atheistic bent seek immortality by walking the path of science, hoping for continued advancements right up to the point of deathlessness. The problem is that science can only investigate the natural world, which – for the astute Christian – hints persistently at the attributes of the biblical God (Romans 1:20). However, the natural world alone contains not the solution for death. For the obliteration of ultimate human demise, we must turn to the supernatural. Science is limited by God; its boundaries are set in such a way that it cannot fix the human spirit. Only the Maker of both natural and supernatural things can reach into the depths of the unseen spirit of men and women, and only He can do work there. Death comes to the natural body because death has come to the spirit. The spirit must be fixed for the body to live.

Enter the glorious words of I Peter 1:23-25 (NIV), “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For ‘All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.’ And this is the word that was preached to you.” As God’s Word proclaims, not only are we as fleeting as the grass in the field, but our glory is as transitory as the flower’s blossom. One day we see it, and the next day it is withered. In stark contrast stands the mighty Word of God that literally endures forever.

The key for our help comes from verse twenty-three, which declares that we can be born again of a seed that never perishes. Inside a person, an eternal seed of life can be planted through the Word of God that has the power to carry a mortal over the chasm of earthly death into the astonishing reality of life everlasting. Moreover, this precious, indescribable Word is very close. Peter declares that this living and enduring Word of God “is the word which was preached to you” (I Peter 1:25, NIV). The Word that enables a sinful, dead spirit to be reborn into a righteous, living spirit is the Word about which you are reading right now! God has not kept this Word from us, but He has sent it to us!

The Bible is God’s written Word, and Jesus Christ is God’s living Word. At this very moment, He has come to you to deliver the incorruptible seed of life. A human spirit is dead because of sin; it needs a living seed planted in it in order to live and last forever. No string of scientific breakthroughs can ever blast through the impenetrable wall of mortality; only the eternal Word of God, Jesus, can carry a mortal past death to life.

Jesus said, “I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!” (Revelation 1:18, NIV). Jesus begins alive. We begin dead. We are born into corruption by our very nature. Jesus is God, and so “Before the mountains were born or [He] gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, [He] is God” (Psalm 90:2, NASB). Jesus was alive before He came to earth, and He rose from death after bearing the penalty for our sin. Notice God’s Word says Jesus is the Living One, that He was physically dead for a brief period, and that He is presently alive forever and ever.

Jesus can plant the imperishable seed of His salvation in us. Then, we can follow Him in this world. Ultimately, we can follow Him in His pattern of life after death. One amazing day, we will be able to stand with Him in Heaven and say, “I was dead, but now I am alive forever because of Jesus!”

Back to the inside cover description of “Long for this World.” The last question is, “And if we could [live forever] . . . would we want to? In a world that is itself crying out for redemption and restoration (Romans 8:20-23), I believe we realize we would not want to live forever in the present state of things; with disaster, disease, and disappointment abounding in every direction. “This world” needs changed, just as we do. We long to be immortal, but in a perfect world. The flawless world is coming, my friends. In the same way that we are made imperishable – by the Word of God – this creation will be rendered right. II Peter 3:5, 7, 12-13 (NIV) tells us, “Long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water . . . By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men . . . That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.”

There it is . . . crystal clear. The Word of God brings an imperishable seed to humans and to the universe. Immortality is not so much a “strange science” as it is the loving work of a redeeming God. Our supernatural God blasts through the natural to deliver to us immortality and an unbroken cosmos, something science can never do. Though you may have enjoyed or endured many science classes, know also that the Word of God has come to you this day, offering an imperishable seed!

Rescue from the Wrath to Come

Posted on February 27, 2011 by admin

“Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.” – I Thessalonians 1:10b (NASB)

There is a wrath to come. Oddly enough, I affirm that statement with both grief and gratefulness. God does not delight in the pouring forth of His wrath (II Peter 3:9, NASB). In fact, He delights in the demonstration of mercy (Micah 7:18, NIV). As one of His children, I also do not take joy in God’s wrath, but I imperfectly grasp its necessity.

I am aware of horrible things in this current world system: children starve to death, dictators wield unjust power, people suffer with myriad debilitating diseases, parents neglect and abuse little ones, angry people kill other humans, desperate people give up on themselves, natural disasters destroy homes and lives, people speak hateful words, humans die in loneliness, entire groups wage war on nations, and some orphans never find homes. In light of these observations, I thank God that one day He will set things right and refuse to allow sin to influence anymore. The Bible makes clear that the sinfulness of human beings has brought a curse to this world. All who choose to follow the sinful nature will have to be dealt with in order for God to bring to reality a right world. All who choose to follow Jesus and accept His righteousness in exchange for their sinfulness will abide eternally in that right world (John 3:36, NASB).

At the helm of sinful choices stands Satan. He leads those who want to follow him in rebellion against God and God’s ways. He leads the march against all that is right. Satan leads the march toward destruction, because God must pour out His holy wrath on sin and all its horror. Revelation 20:10 (NASB) declares, “And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” The greatest tormentor will be tormented so that horror will finally be confined. Atrocity and pain will be imprisoned with sinful rebellion in a place of God’s making. Justice will be served so that Heaven can flourish. There is wrath to come.

Following the ultimate demise of Satan, Revelation 20:14-15 (NASB) proclaims, “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” And there we have it. All people who have chosen death instead of life by choosing sin instead of Jesus (Romans 6:23, NASB) will be confined to the same place of torment in which their leader will exist. The wrath of God Almighty will be poured forth on all the sinfulness that has perpetuated the horrible things of which I spoke earlier. God hates sin, and God hates what sin does. God also dignifies His human creatures. We are made in His image, with the freedom to choose. Sin, therefore, originates in the human heart (James 1:13-15, NIV). Unless Jesus is asked to stop it, sin continues to reign in the souls of those who choose it to be so. Therefore, the wrath of God must extend to those souls. In His mercy, God must one day eliminate sin and its indescribable damage.

Let us now focus on our hope found in the Scripture we are studying. I Thessalonians 1:10 (NASB, emphasis mine) describes our hope as “Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.” Jesus Christ, the Son of God, can rescue us from this wrath. He is our Way to the right world God is preparing (John 14:1-6, NIV). We have no chance of escaping God’s wrath but by divine rescue. Ours simply cannot be a mission of self-help. There is nothing we can do to change the bent of our heart from sinfulness to righteousness; for us, only one answer exists – rescue by Jesus Christ! He alone can make our whole being brand new – apt to love and serve Him (II Corinthians 5:17, NIV).

Two millennia ago, Jesus died on the cross of Calvary to suffer the wrath of God on behalf of humans He loves. The infinite, holy God bore the wrath of the infinite, holy God so that finite, failing humans who believe in Him may enjoy eternal life rather than suffer eternal wrath. God’s holiness demands justice. Jesus offered to meet the just requirement of payment for sin on our behalf by shedding His own blood. We must now run to Him and yield our hearts and lives to Him.

I have asked Him to save me from the wrath to come by re-making me so that I am fit for righteousness through Him. His sacrifice is my only hope. Please turn to Him this moment and ask Him to save you from the wrath to come. The divine rescue of Jesus – and the needed wrath of God – work together to give us the eternal hope that we will one day suffer no more!

The Vital Connection Between Learning and Humility

Posted on February 1, 2011 by admin

Our perpetually plugged in, multi-tasking culture poses some threats to deep thinking and learning. Barely able to focus for more than a brief period of time due to multiple technological interruptions and background noises, many people today lack the ability to explore and think critically about issues and texts. As Bauerlein (2011) states,

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Modesty is a precondition of education

Read the last sentence of Bauerleins’s quote again. Notice how he emphasizes the vital nature of modesty. Our world falsely portrays everyone as an expert in any area of his choosing. We are quick to speak, and slow to listen – let alone methodically and patiently digest deep thoughts and incredibly complex content. Ironically, God tells us to do the opposite. He says we are to be quick to listen and slow to speak (James 1:19).

Professor Bauerlein brings to light a biblical truth, even if this was not his intention. He reminds us that all truth is God’s truth when he declares that “modesty is a precondition of education.” God expressed this proverb in His Word, “When pride comes, then comes dishonor, but with the humble is wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2, NASB).

Furthermore, God directly expressed the heart of the matter when it comes to intelligence, wisdom, and learning. He says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10, NASB). In other words, wisdom cannot even truly get started until a person honestly reverences God. The beginning point for wisdom is humility – an understanding that God is big and I am small. Wisdom starts when I realize I do not know it all; in fact, I know nothing compared to the infinite wisdom of God, from Whom all reality flows.

We humans need put in our proper place; it is befitting that we grapple with our need for God and His ways. My mind was created to relate to God, and only in the context of that relationship can I learn to full capacity. As long as I ridiculously attempt to stay as the center of my world, my pride prohibits considerable understanding. People’s atheistic bents notwithstanding, the human mind was created in the image of God with a desire to learn, but only as it is rightly directed by God. It is part of human nature to be limited, and in need of the realization that it is in my best interest to admit the endless things I yet need to learn.

Though our culture promotes hyperindividualism, it is in our children’s best interest to promote the vastness of God and His world, and to impress on them the necessity of a desire to learn deeply. As a corollary, we must relate to them that learning takes humility and time. First, we must admit we have things to learn. Second, we must treat that need with respect, investing uninterrupted time in reading and pondering. This requires the realization that my sent or received text messages will not change the world. My ego does not need fed by innumerable email responses, tweets, or snippets of entertainment from the television set or iPod. Humility declares that I need to sit down for quite awhile and absorb the expertise of respected others.

Proverbs 9:9 (NASB) declares, “Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.” Truly wise people realize their need for instruction first from God, and secondarily from people God has gifted in areas of knowledge. Wise people will then persevere in wisdom, growing moment by moment. The righteous man is humble enough to seek learning no matter how smart others think him to be. He will become a person of insight, able to teach others.

God is a God of creation and discovery. He is the One who gave us the innate desire to learn, explore, and be creative. Our God created this world of fascinating things, from creatures of the deep to galaxies afar. He made us in His image to rule over this creation by knowing it and interacting with it (Genesis 1:26). The creativity we see in the natural order and the human mind is there because our God put it there. He intends us to enjoy learning.

True wisdom only comes when one rightfully fears the Lord. Though people of great intellect who ignore God may seem to accomplish much, their enjoyment of God’s image in them will abruptly end at a particular point in time (Psalm 1:5-6, Psalm 37:38, I Peter 1:24). Only those who come to God for salvation through Jesus Christ will continue on into the unending beauty and exploration of the New Heavens and New Earth (John 5:24, John 14:2-3). We were originally destined to live and learn forever in a world of righteousness. And that will happen for those who make their goal God’s glory and the righteousness that comes from Jesus.

Can you imagine entering our home of righteousness, where we will see Jesus face to face? Can you imagine learning and exploring and creating in a way unhindered by shortcomings and pain and time constraints? In God’s presence – with cares all gone – we will walk with our God and enjoy all that He intended as we take in wonder after wonder . . . forever.

Reference:

Bauerlein, M. (2008, February). Too dumb for complex texts. Educational Leadership, 68(5), 28-32.

Upsetting the World

Posted on January 30, 2011 by admin

After being imprisoned in Philippi for sharing the Good News of Jesus, Paul and Silas proceeded to Thessalonica and were accused of something most peculiar. A mob gathered to come against Paul and Silas and said of them, “These men who have upset the world have come here also” (Acts 17:6, NASB).

What a wonderful accusation! The apostles were guilty of upsetting the world. Oh, that we would be known for the same, as this world certainly needs shaken. The world system is inside-out and headed in the wrong direction. It is on a fleeting, selfish, and deceptive course toward destruction. We need men and women who will follow God in swimming upstream, against the flow of sin and confusion.

Ads of all kinds attempt to convince people that more things and expensive things are necessary to be respectable. This notion flows from the false assumption that the respect or envy of other people won through materialistic efforts holds the potential to bring real joy. The glitz of fancier modes of entertainment pushes people to believe contentment is found when we have more time and ability to laugh mindlessly and to avoid reality as we deny the core questions of the heart. Recently, a television commercial portrayed a grown woman as amazingly excited to discover seven people were searching for her online. Does it really change our lives to know a handful of other mortals is looking for us? Can self-centered living bring peace?

When Jesus saves people, He turns them inside-out; He makes them new (II Corinthians 5:17). On this earth, Jesus begins to prepare His people for the new world He is someday making. Jesus begins to shape individuals who are no longer content to waste hours, days, and years accumulating things that distract us from the pursuit of God. Jesus molds men and women who radically race toward what is broken in order to bring healing. Jesus transforms people into those who embrace the greatest paradox – that in giving our lives away to God, we gain everything (John 12:25).

As a Christian, I ought to feel the friction of my travels in a direction opposite the flow of the current, unrighteous world system. When I undergo new birth in Jesus, every fiber of my being ought now to sense that sin is to be battled vehemently.

Our Jesus is coming back to make a home of righteousness (II Peter 3:13). In other words, He will invade again the space-time continuum to make a world that is as it ought to be. Obviously, right now this world is far from being as it ought to be. The earth is broken (as seen in natural disasters and the second law of thermodynamics), bodies are broken (by disease, disability, and aging), relationships are broken (by selfishness, impatience, and unrealistic expectations), and hearts are broken (in ways innumerable). But, the Maker of the universe will miraculously remake the universe. Only the God who made everything from nothing can make wholeness out of brokenness. The fixing of this world will come by no human endeavor. It will take the invasion into history of our God . . . and He will do it!

Meanwhile, Jesus remakes people one at a time as He redeems us from sin. And then He calls us to “upset the world” – to live radically different from this vanishing, sinful flow. Jesus has the power to overcome brokenness in your life. Sin pulls us away from wholeness in our hearts. Sin also set into motion the tendency toward disorder and disintegration we see in the natural world; scientists refer to this deterioration as the second law of thermodynamics. When we shake a puzzle box and then drop the pieces to the floor from a few feet above, the pieces land randomly – scattered all about. The more we shake the box and the higher from which we drop the pieces, the more randomness and separation we observe.

Picture your heart as those puzzle pieces. Left to sinfulness without Jesus, our hearts – our lives – fall shattered, making no sense. However, if Jesus shakes your heart, the unexpected happens – the pieces fall out and are fully connected! He overcomes the natural, and forms the whole picture, causing things to make sense! He fixes us – against every plan of the enemy and every apparent triumph of wrong.

We need to reflect our Savior in shaking the world in which we live. We need to pursue the wholeness Jesus intends. We need to go against the flow.

Upset your world with a heart of service instead of a heart of power, private integrity in place of facade, kindness in the midst of attack, value of prayer and Bible study above entertainment, truth-telling though it cost much, giving of resources in the midst of selfishness, gentleness though surrounded by harshness, forgiveness when revenge is easier, sacrifice of time for those in need, and love of God above love of all else.

May Christians be accused as Paul and Silas were – of upsetting this world.

The Implications of Worry

Posted on January 5, 2011 by admin

The Implications of Worry: A Biblical and Research Discussion
By Shelli S. Prindle, M.A. Educational Leadership

Current brain research demonstrates that students under the distress of anxious thoughts do not learn as well as is possible. Stress and worry have a distinct negative impact on a person’s ability to process and work properly with new information. In fact, Willis (2006) notes in regard to PET scans and fMRI scans,

[These] reveal significant disturbances in the brain’s learning circuits and chemical messengers when subjects are studied in stressful learning environments. In particular, the amygdala becomes overstimulated by stress, and in that hypermetabolic state, information cannot pass from sensory awareness into the memory connection and storage regions of the brain. (58)

Research is making clear that stress is a disruptor, causing a break in the normal processes of learning. If you will, it is as if the brain process becomes broken when anxiety appears on the scene. The emotional state rises to prominence, and deep and rational connections cannot be made. As Sprenger (2005) notes, “The brain is captivated by the emotion and turns attention to it. When these emotions capture the brain’s attention, working memory is flooded and cannot be effective in working with the task at hand.” In fact, Willis (2006) posits,

If the state of anxiety and stress is prolonged, it can lead to destruction and loss of critical connecting dendrites and synapses in the hippocampus. This means that new information does not reach the brain regions where it needs to be processed, associated with previous knowledge and experience, and stored for later recall. (60)

Obviously, then, heightened and prolonged anxiety inhibits true learning. Our bodies are designed for optimal learning when a general sense of peace and safety is present. My mind goes to Adam and Eve in the garden, as they were given the entire created world to explore and learn and work. While walking unhindered with their Creator, this process was a beautiful one. However, human rebellion against our God has brought disruption and misery to all the processes of life. This world is now broken; and so are we and all the functions of body and life. Fear floods in when a heart completely yielded to God goes out.

Jesus instructs His followers in Matthew 6:25 (NASB), “Do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on.” The Greek word for worry in this quote comes from a root that means “to be drawn in different directions; to be divided, separated into parts, or cut in pieces.” Wow; to be worried is essentially to have a divided mind! That is precisely what worrying feels like – our mind is cut in pieces so that we cannot stay focused on what matters. We are distracted and irritable and may even begin to feel hopeless. The mind was not meant to be divided, but whole.

Recall that brain research informs us of the dividing nature of anxiety. Students who are under stress simply cannot learn well because the entire process of learning becomes broken. Recall also Jesus’ answer to worry in our lives: “But seek first [God’s] kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). Jesus tells us here to not allow our minds to be divided by giving undue attention to the basic needs of life. The stress of worrying about these things slices our minds and hearts into distracted pieces; we are no longer able to do what ought to be done – focus on God.

Worry is sin because it goes against the will of God for us. We are designed by God to seek His kingdom and righteousness with all our heart. Jesus proclaims the cure for worry is to unite our mind under one goal: Him! In fact, God promises to add to our life all that we need for daily living as we commit to an undivided heart and mind. If we seek His kingdom first, then He will properly align the needs of life for us underneath the main goal. I have sketched below a picture of the concept. On the left is a worried person having his mind divided by many future cares. On the right is a person trusting in God and focusing on His kingdom. Noticeably, the needs of life are brought to this trusting person by God.

As brain research tells us about classroom learning, so it goes with thinking for all of life. If my mind is to be used for God’s glory – focused on His Word and His will – my mind needs to be united and peaceful. The division of worry destroys the purpose for which the mind was created – to grow in God’s kingdom.

I submit to you another Biblical example of the truth concerning worry and learning. When Jesus spoke to His disciples about their future persecution, He boldly proclaimed in Luke 12:11-12,

When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.

Jesus here tells us that our mind need not be divided because of the future. Jesus is instructing his disciples about a future event, and He wants them to be assured that He is already in the future. When the moment in time comes for the disciples to answer the authorities, God Himself (the Holy Spirit) will teach them what to say. Notice the use of the word teach. We can truly learn when our mind is focused on God and not divided by anxiety.

This Scripture passage is particularly amazing to me because of its clear implication: God connects our future needs with His present peace. Because our Lord is timeless, He is not bound to one moment or another. He is with us now, and He is in the future. He has the authority to assure us that our minds need not be preoccupied with future concerns. When the need arises, the power of the Lord for that particular moment will come to light. His available power for our tomorrow is as sure as His available peace for our today.

Teachers of our day ought to heed the Bible first and foremost. In doing so, they will marvel at the alignment of true scientific discovery with God’s Word. An atmosphere of peace and safety promotes better learning than an atmosphere of stress.

Moreover, people everywhere ought to heed God’s command to live a life focused purely on Him. The root of the sin of worry in the Biblical sense is the idea of a mind divided. This division keeps me from serving God wholeheartedly. This division also causes the human brain to function at a reduced capacity; the learning process breaks. God wants us to learn and learn well. Learning of Him and the creation He has graciously given is a blessing we enjoy now, and we will enjoy it eternally in a home of righteousness, if Jesus is our Savior.

References:
Sprenger, M. (2005). How to teach so students remember. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Willis, J. (2006). Research-based strategies to ignite student learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.