Life After Death – Page 3 – Hope and Passion Ministries

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)

Get a Taste of This Kingdom!

Posted on April 5, 2011 by admin

Weariness. Struggle. Disappointment. Separation. Helplessness. Grief. Illness. Battle. Pain. Regret. Fear. Disillusionment. Sorrow. These are just a few of the words to describe parts of our experience in the kingdom of this world. By “this world,” I mean the aggregate of all things earthly – the entire system of this currently broken cosmos. Temporarily, Satan is permitted to exert influence and humans are free to rebel against God. Hence, the Psalmist notes, “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed” (Psalm 2:2, ESV). The apostle Paul also reminds us of the devil who is “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2, ESV). The force of evil rebellion is wielded, and God’s creation suffers.

Enter Jesus Christ. Diving wholeheartedly into the mess, Jesus begins to tread the dirt of this earth two millennia ago. At the inauguration of His ministry, he walked to Capernaum by the Sea of Galilee and began preaching some of the sweetest words I have ever heard, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17, ESV). The kingdom of heaven is at hand! Praise God! We can now begin to sense the infiltration of a kingdom ruled by what is right; the invasion of all we have longed for has begun!

Just in case we are questioning what the rule of God’s righteousness is honestly like, Jesus works His way through all of Galilee “teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people” (Matthew 4:23, ESV). Did you catch the wonderment of His action? Jesus healed every disease and affliction that broken humans could present to Him. He single-handedly demonstrated the heart of God . . . to cure what ails and destroys us. This heart of God prevails with the kingdom of heaven, so let us go back to Jesus’ prescription for the ushering in of that glorious kingdom.

Jesus exhorted, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The prerequisite for my part in this kingdom is repentance. I must rightfully acknowledge my guilt in the hellish schemes of a sinful heart. I must confess that I am a sinner, and that I desire to be forgiven of my sins. The gist of repentance bids me go further – to agree to turn away from sin and toward God by the power Jesus grants to me. A repentant heart says, “I run to God and away from sin; and I desire to never look back, even though I know the cost will be great.”

You will notice that after calling people to repentance in anticipation of God’s kingdom, Jesus approaches individuals and asks them to follow Him (Matthew 4:18-22) – not just in a walk by the lake, but in a walk of self-denial and God-exaltation. He asks Peter and Andrew to come with Him, and both men left their fishing nets and embarked on a relationship with Jesus Christ. They deemed Him worth the adventure and all that would be asked of them.

After the call to repentance and the invitation to follow in the everyday walk of life, Jesus begins to display the heart of the heavenly kingdom with His miracles. How overjoyed the disciples must have been to begin realizing the momentous nature of that of which they had become a part. God wants things right! He wants our hearts right, our words right, our actions right, our relationships right, our bodies right, and our universe right! Jesus began in that small province in the Middle East to shine forth hints of what the kingdom of heaven is, and what indescribable joy we shall experience when – finally – “the kingdom of the world [becomes] the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ” (Revelation 11:15, ESV).

Friends, as surely as the words of John 3:16 are true, the words of Revelation 11:15 are true. One day this world’s dark kingdom will be replaced with the kingdom of our Lord. Then we will witness in full what Galileans witnessed in part in the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry. We will see with our own eyes afflictions disappear, weariness turn to strength, love prevail without challenge, grief be obliterated, fear become trust, sorrow vanish, regret run away, the earth be restored to perfection . . . and Jesus take charge forever.

Get a taste of this kingdom now, and join me one day when we feast together with our Savior!

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!

Far Beyond Gasoline Prices

Posted on March 15, 2011 by admin

The devastation in Japan is heartbreaking, to say the least. I have spent time praying that God will intervene as He sees fit, especially in the area of the human soul. I have prayed that this disaster will turn people to God, rather than away from Him. I have asked the Lord that people who feel helpless and hopeless will find their ultimate help and hope in the salvation of the God of the Bible. As many of us know in a familiar way, the Lord often gets an honest hold of us through tragedy. Since, “even the darkness is not dark to [God], and the night is as bright as the day” (Psalm 139:12, NASB), we know that the Lord can use even the most horrible of situations to accomplish His greatest work – the salvation of a human being.

Today, I heard a radio commentator connect the Japan catastrophe to a jittery stock market and even greater rises in the cost of gasoline. Not anything close to an economist, I do not understand completely the fragile relationships behind the economic changes. I do, however, realize the effect of the changes on many people. Some of us focus mainly on the tsunami’s effects on our own, material lives. We are frustrated to pay two or three more dollars to fill our tanks. For those struggling financially, this can have a profound effect on the household. However, in a broad sense, we need to get hold of our reactions and trace the problem back to what really matters.

Instead of focusing on the higher gas price or lowered portfolio value, realize what the devastation in Japan truly represents. The tragedy reminds us human beings just how amazingly close we are to the end of earthly life. We are on the precipice. We are so fragile. In a moment – in a heartbeat – we may cross from life to death. Though myriad people try desperately to forget the reality of death – and they push it away with any number of meaningless distractions – death will still come. We are one tsunami, one accident, one affliction, or one calamity away from our standing before the God and Judge of existence.

As I drove by a gas station and noted the ten cent increase per gallon of fuel, I refused to let it frustrate me. Instead, I allowed it to remind me of what thousands upon thousands of people are facing. They are recognizing the brevity of human, earthly life. They are apprehending the vital nature of spiritual truth. They are contending with the deep questions only a real God can answer.

We who are relatively safe and content (for now) ought to allow the calamity in Japan to spur us to prayer for others and to a dynamic change in our thinking. Disaster and death are strange friends, reminding us that the status of our soul in relation to God is at the forefront of reality. Our mundane preoccupations notwithstanding, a brief life will end, and we will face God to receive the eternity He grants according to His will and His Word.

Genuine Christians need to remember two truths during these difficult days: 1) Our mission is clear and critical, and we only have limited time. Jesus said, “As long as it is day, we must do the work of Him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work” (John 9:4, NIV). Friends, direct your energy to the work of God. Live the Gospel. Preach the Gospel. 2) Our focus is essential. The apostle Paul proclaimed, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (II Corinthians 4:18, NIV). We must shed the non-essential and live for what lasts. Think eternal. Live for the everlasting.

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!

Spanning the Gap

Posted on February 16, 2011 by admin

Tomorrow, I don’t know you;
I’m only familiar with today.

The problem with tomorrow is,
From my vantage point, it’s a chasm away.

Before I reach tomorrow,
Unknowns will proudly abound.

So clinging to the One who knows all
Is the glorious solace I have found.

The chasm between now and then
That threatens my sanity

Is obliterated by the One
Who defines eternity.

Oh, can’t you see it, friend,
Although I don’t know how,

My Savior calls to me from tomorrow,
Even as His arms embrace me now?

No gap for Him stands between
What is and what will be.

He is always eons ahead
Of what the keenest eye can see.

When I walk the road with Him beside,
Nothing shall surprise and be my undoing.

For Jesus always knew
The place my path was going.

And when I fear I shall be swallowed
By an ominous gap ahead,

Jesus reminds me that He bled and died
To remove my fear and dread.

That gap between now and then
Into which I think I’ll tumble

Is spanned by the very Cross of Jesus,
A bridge to tomorrow for the helpless and humble.

And not only tomorrow
Can Jesus safely transport us to,

But He will even span the gap
When the end of earthly life’s in view.

He is already in tomorrow,
Building a smooth bridge for me to travel from today.

He is already in eternity,
Ready to clasp my hand when I fly away.

He stands ready
In the next moment I shall endure.

No gap will I be lost in,
For He is my Bridge, my Way for sure!

“I [Jesus] am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” – Revelation 22:13 (NASB)

Outside the Box

Posted on February 10, 2011 by admin

“I pray that you . . . may have power . . . to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” – Ephesians 3:17-18

“He measured the city with the rod and found it to be . . . as wide and high as it is long . . . I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.” – Revelation 21:16,22

A simple square
Of length and width,
So distinct, and very clear.

If it is raised
And given height,
A cube it now becomes.

In three dimensions,
Volume calculated
By length times width times height.

I can determine
The amount of space
My cube occupies.

Multiply, I will
The length by width by height.

My basic math procedures
Will not suffice, however,
To measure the amount of love
My God has for me.

Little cubes
In the three space dimensions I know
Have capacity determined
By how long and wide and high.

But the love of God,
In dimensions unknown,
Has magnitude unbelievable!

Paul prayed
That we would have the power to grasp
How long and wide and high and deep
Is the love of Christ.

Four dimensions to the expanse of God’s love!
Exceeding all I know in this world alone,
Defying my calculations,
His love goes a dimension deeper.

Oh, Lord,
We need your love
To be as long as our lives endure,
As wide as our unfaithfulness,
As high as Heaven can take us,
And as deep as human misery goes.

Oh, Lord,
Your love’s volume
Covers all I know,
And all I don’t know.

We read of your love’s dimensions
In the vision you gave to John.

He saw the New Jerusalem
Come down from Heaven,
Measuring as long as it is wide as it is high –
A perfect cube.

And then He saw,
In that glorious city
Of length and width and height,
No temple did abide.

For the fourth dimension –
The depth of that city –
Is the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb.

Beyond all comprehension,
Deeper than any physical glory could ever be,
Stands the love of God in Jesus,
The Lamb slain for you and me.

So when tempted to think
All is lost –
That we could have possibly exhausted
The length and width and height of
The love we grasp,

Remember the added dimension –
The depth –
The unfathomable depth –
That passes our understanding –
The depth of the love of Christ.

How long, how wide, how high
And – gloriously –
How deep
Is the love that makes me think
“Outside the box.”

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,

Federalist Papers

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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.

What If Every End Were a Beginning?

Posted on January 24, 2011 by admin

What if we could find a way to ensure that every ending is really a beginning? What if we could promise that the phrase, “Something wonderful is right around the corner” is more than just a platitude? After all, is not one of the great dilemmas of humanity the “race against the clock”? Do we not dread the end of what is good even while we enjoy it?

Consider a mind-blowing statement from God: “In the way of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death” (Proverbs 12:28, NASB). Right goes on forever; it simply cannot be stopped. When I follow the way of right, I will suffer no final blow of death. My peace cannot die if it is right – based squarely on Jesus’ victory; my dreams cannot die if they are right – pleasing to the God who designed me; my hope cannot die if it is right – planted on God’s strength, not mine; and my joy cannot die if it is right – based on my God unseen, not on fleeting circumstances. Astoundingly, not even my physical body will ever be overcome by death in any final sense if this body is walking the path of righteousness. My God promises death will be swallowed up in victory, and my body will go on in glory to experiences untold.

Even now, in the minute details of life, right goes on unstopped. Righteousness is the original plan of God; and though a fierce war rages against it, right has unmitigated victory. Our responsibility is to ensure we are walking rightly, holding God’s standard as our only benchmark – not the ideas of men.

Though a long-term plan be cut short, do not dismay if you are in the way of righteousness. For right is the continuum of God’s plan – the thread stringing this moment of apparent disappointment to the revelation of the good about to burst on the scene. Though it feels your spiritual investment produced no valuable returns, hang on. If not the passing of years, then Heaven itself will reveal the solidity of the investment. Nothing done on the path of righteousness shall ever be lost.

The power of this promise is stated beautifully in Isaiah 9:7 (NASB), “There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace; on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore.” When Jesus finally steps to the throne and God rules this universe unhindered by the devil He will have destroyed, His peace and government will increase eternally. Things will finally be as they ought to have been all along. With Satan and sin conquered, the peace will multiply boundlessly. Our enjoyment of God, His new creation, and His righteous rule will go on forever and ever. We shall love and explore always, with no hindrance of wrong.

My appeal to every reader is that you run into the arms of Him who shed His blood to make you new and right (I John 1:9 and I Corinthians 5:17). Put off no longer the endless promise of a right life, brought to us by the God-Man, Jesus Christ. Live for what never ends.

The Day the Earth Runs

Posted on November 7, 2010 by admin

When a person is most sure of his conclusion, we may hear him say, “I’m as sure as the ground I’m standin’ on.” To which I might reply, “Really? Because the ground we are all standing on is not as secure as you might think!”

Despite its relative smallness when compared to the vastness of the known universe, earth is a pretty big deal to us. It is our planet. The terrain feels solid beneath our feet. The power of its natural laws keeps our activity within God-ordained boundaries. We have a well-deserved respect for earth, such a mysterious place. And though this orb may seem tiny compared to billions of galaxies, it is quite overwhelming to the countless humans residing here.

However, the earth will one day have to flee. Revelation 20:11 makes clear, “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.” Amazingly, this earth and the heavens surrounding are incredibly unstable when compared to their Maker. When God steps to the throne as Judge, not even this miraculous sphere will survive His magnificence. Earth and sky are suffering the same conundrum that sinners are; they are on the path of ruination because of sin. They must flee until the time of their remaking. All things must be perfected for the people God has saved.

To be sure, the Great Architect – God Almighty – will perfect the earth and heavens in keeping with His promise of a home of righteousness for His people (II Peter 3:12-13). The new Earth and New Heavens will function properly: no disasters, no obstacles to harvest or discoveries, no killer species, no deadly or damaging virus, and no decay.

The remaking will happen after the earth infused with sin has flown appropriately from its Holy Judge. God will deal with the old earth in His time. Therefore, I put no stock in this firm ground beneath my feet. As the old hymn rings out, “On Christ the Solid Rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.” Or, shall we say, “Fleeing turf”?

Do not trust in anything but the Holy Judge who will ultimately destroy what is wrong and rebuild to make right. Earth seems dependable, but it will answer to God in the end. Put not your trust in what you see, but in the God who is unseen and infinitely greater than what He has made.

The question remains, how will I stand on that day when even the earth has to run? I will stand because – unlike earth and sky – I have already been remade! II Corinthians 5:17 boldly declares, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” The old earth flees, but I am already new in my heart!

Take heart. The Bible says, “If anyone is in Christ. . .” Choose to be found in Christ today. Then – and only then – will your footing be sure.

Burst of Brilliance at the Death of Me

Posted on October 21, 2010 by admin

The radiance of autumn leaves
In all their warm grandeur
Strikes at the core of me.

What a burst of brilliance
Comes rushing to the scene
As the air grows cold.

Reds and oranges and yellows
Demanding to be admired;
We are drawn to their glory.

Burst of brilliance
You come
As death proceeds.

Oh, little leaf of green,
Your color changes
And gushes forth as gold,

Only as you die.

Colors hidden formerly
Erupt boldly on the scene
As the leaves prepare to drop.

Burst of brilliance at death;
As it is with leaves,
So it is with me.

Burst of brilliance comes
When I recede,
And Jesus advances.

Burst of brilliance comes
When I die to self,
And Jesus lives in me.

And for all the burst of brilliance known on earth,
None will e’re compare
To the radiance we’ll see

When death takes us finally.

Color there – indescribable.
Creation there – perfected.
People there – as they ought to be.

God, remind me that both now and then –
the burst of brilliance comes
at the death of me.

From MESSY to GLORY

Posted on October 18, 2010 by admin

We are familiar with the beauty of the adult monarch butterfly. The orange and black pattern of the delicate wings reminds us of life’s small miracles. We know the butterfly was once a caterpillar. The crawling insect became a thing of grace that sails in the air around us.

Do you realize the caterpillar started as a tiny egg about the size of the period at the end of a sentence? And do you further realize that the bright little caterpillar shed its final layer of skin to become a chrysalis? The green chrysalis is not a cocoon, but rather the actual body of the monarch caterpillar.

Truly amazing is what happens to the chrysalis while hanging on a silk pad. The caterpillar body’s own digestive juices eat away the caterpillar tissue. The whole thing breaks down into a rich culture medium, or – put simply – mush! Then a miraculous process takes place in that mysterious liquid as imaginal cells begin to form the parts of the new, butterfly body! Cells in that mush direct what used to be a caterpillar to now grow wings!

Soon the fluid media begins to transform into a butterfly. What a process! The caterpillar turns to liquid in the chrysalis, and the liquid turns to butterfly.

Now, if we were to interrupt the process and try to peek inside the chrysalis too soon, we would see what appears to be a gooey mess. In fact, a first grade class at my school saw this when a caterpillar bit a hole in a chrysalis. The liquid came out of the chrysalis, and the soon-to-be butterfly was destroyed. Sure, the process is somewhat messy when the chrysalis is young, but the splendor is just around the corner.

When it comes time for the monarch butterfly to emerge with its newly transformed body, the chrysalis undergoes a stunning change – it becomes clear. The green turns translucent when the gorgeous butterfly is about to appear.

God is demonstrating glorious truths in the metamorphosis of the monarch butterfly. First, the work of the Lord in a person’s life can at times appear messy. The goo of the chrysalis may not seem attractive, but God works miracles in that goo! The cells he has placed in the liquid are working their way into a butterfly. In the same way, our lives –and the lives of fellow Christians – may not always seem as they ought. But, God is working miracles in the mess!

Second, there exists a certain mystery to who we truly are in Christ. For now, we struggle with sin in a broken world, and the truth of our being may not be clear at all times. Just like the green of the chrysalis in the beginning stages, God is yet working His plan in this age of grace. However, when Jesus comes back, we will appear with Him in glory! The real me will then be seen. The heart that has been cleansed by the blood of Jesus will be truly set free to be as He is in that New Heavens and New Earth. Just as the glory of Jesus is not completely revealed until the splendor of His Second Coming, so the glory of His followers is not yet visible. It will be, though. Without a doubt, when Jesus appears in all His glory, we will appear as we ought!

Do not give up, do not be discouraged, and do not give in. Let the goo of the chrysalis remind you of the beauty of the butterfly. We will be free!

“For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with Him in glory.” – Colossians 3:3-4