The apostle Paul experienced the internal struggle that you may can relate to: wanting to do better, feel better, or be better, even wanting to please God, but missing the mark - perhaps regularly:
22
For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.
23
But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my
mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my
members.
24
O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
25
I thank God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I
myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
Do you sometimes feel "wretched"? We are sinful creatures, but we are also called saints - a contradiction, perhaps? Well, not necessarily - it's a matter of identity vs. behavior. We are new creatures in Christ - that's who we are, but we also have areas of vulnerability and are tempted to sin by internal desires and the lures and traps that the enemy would set for us. But, God has given us powerful resources in order to combat temptation, to escape the guilt, and to experience true freedom - it's a struggle, sometimes an intense one, but we can hold on to the promise that we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus.
James chapter 1 gives a great indication about the process of temptation, beginning in verse 14:
14
But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
15
Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
16
Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
You may remember that on The Meeting House a few months ago, I had Todd Hunter as a guest. He has written the book, Our Favorite Sins, in which he outlines some survey data gathered by Barna that indicates which sinful behaviors Americans commonly participate in. Barna has released some of the data within the past few days, and the results are quite informative regarding what actually tempts us to sin:
One of the emerging areas involves technology. According to Barna's website, the research shows nearly half of Americans (44%) say they
are tempted to spend too much time with media, including the Internet,
television and video games. Another “new” media-related temptation is
to express anger or “go off” on someone by text or email. Overall, one
out of nine Americans (11%) say they often or sometimes feel tempted to
do this.
Though sexual sins are nothing new, viewing pornography online
continues to escalate and take on new forms as the Internet and social
media evolve. Nearly one in five Americans (18%) say they are tempted to
view pornography or sexually inappropriate content online. Men more
commonly admit being tempted to view porn than women (28% versus 8%).
I think it is interesting, as Barna points out, the more serious the sin, the fewer people admit
to being tempted by it. Which, perhaps explains why “eating too much” is
up near the top of the list of admitted temptations—more than half
(55%) say they are tempted to overeat. While doing something sexually
inappropriate with someone is at the bottom—less than one in ten
Americans (9%) admit to this.
When it comes to other more “traditional” sins, about one-third of
Americans admit to spending too much money (35%), one-quarter say they
are tempted to gossip or say mean things about others (26%), a similar
number struggle with envy or jealousy (24%), a little more than one in
ten admit to being tempted to lie or cheat (12%) and about the same
number say they are tempted by alcohol or drugs (11%).
There are also what are regarded as uniquely "Western" sins. For instance, three out of five (60%) Americans say they are tempted to worry or be
anxious and the same number say procrastination or putting things off is
a serious temptation for them. In a similar vein, 41% of Americans say
they are tempted to be lazy and not work as hard as they should.
Why do people give in to temptation? Half of the respondents say they don’t know. Of those who could identify a reason, one
in five (20%) say they give in to escape or get away from “real life”
for a while. Other responses given were listed by less than one in ten,
but included: to feel less pain or loneliness, to satisfy people’s
expectations, to take a shortcut to success, for
personal pleasure or because “I enjoy it”, or simply as a result of
human or sinful nature.
Interestingly enough and troubling - most Americans (59%) say they don’t do anything specific to avoid the tempting situation. Almost 2-in-10 say they pray, with only about 10% saying they just say "no".
Sin is serious business. And, the Bible is clear that we are tempted according to our own unique vulnerabilities. Sin activates the pride within our hearts - we decide that our way is better than God's way. Pride is what truly drives us to choose the wrong path - it drives us to envy and jealousy, to put others down, or to engage in pleasures that don't line up with God's standards. But, we can overcome it - God has given us the tools, through prayer, through knowing and applying His word, and responding in a Biblical manner when the Holy Spirit points out our sin and convicts us - we must confess our sins and repent of those activities not pleasing to Him.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Hope in a Pessimistic Age
In Romans chapter 5, we gain some insight into how hope works:
3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
This tells me that believers in Christ should be the most hope-filled people on the face of the globe. Even when we encounter trials, we can be confident in the Lord that He is developing His character in us, making Himselk known through us. In this we can have hope, which does not disappoint! In an age of pessimism, when we can become disillusioned by the systems and the philosophies of this world, we can display a sense of confidence and hope in the Lord that can attract people to our Savior, and give us an anchor as we navigate sometimes turbulent times.
A passage in Hebrews chapter 6 can help to shape our attitudes toward our society today:
Verse 18 gives some good news: it is impossible for God to lieAnd we read on that because of this: we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. 19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,
The inauguration ceremony for the second term of President Barack Obama is coming up on Monday, January 21st, and the expectations for the occasion have been reduced from the huge celebration that was held in the nation's capital 4 years ago, when nearly 2 million people flocked to the National Mall to see Obama take the oath of office. This time, DC officials expect between 600,000 and 800,000 people for Obama’s public swearing-in on the steps of the Capitol.
The invocation will be given by Myrlie Evers-Williams, widow of civil rights activist Medgar Evers. And, the benediction will be delivered by Louie Giglio of the Passion movement, who has been recognize by the President more than once for the movement's work to reduce human trafficking.
This every-four-years event becomes a milestone for not only political activity, but sociological research, as evidenced by a recently-released poll from the Gallup organization and USA Today. By a 50 - 47% margin, respondents say the country's best years are behind us.
In the poll, more than three of four Americans say the way politics works in Washington is causing serious harm to the country. By a 4-1 margin, respondents disapprove of the way Congress is doing its job.
And, in another poll, by Public Policy Polling, Americans have a higher opinion of traffic jams, by a 56 - 34% margin, colonoscopies (58%-31%) and cockroaches (45%-43%) than Congress. But, Congress still ranks higher among survey respondents than actress Lindsay Lohan (45%-41%) and playground bullies (43%-38%). It has more comfortable margins over Cuba’s Fidel Castro (54%-32%) and the reality-television Kardashians (49%-36%). And Congress trounced communism (57%-23%).
There is quite a contrast in the USA Today/Gallup poll with the results of a similar survey in 2008.
Then, two-thirds said they were "optimistic" and "proud" in reaction to Obama's election; now, about half cite those emotions in response to his re-election. Then, six in 10 were "excited"; now, four in 10 feel that way.
Negative reactions run higher now. Three in 10 were "pessimistic" in response to his election four years ago; now 43% are. Then, 27% described their response as "afraid"; that number has jumped to 36%.
There are a couple of spiritual takeaways from this information:
1 - if we are placing trust and confidence in the political system, it is certainly misplaced.
2 - the actions of our political leaders should not affect our outlook
3 - ultimately, our hope is in the Lord.
I really think there's a tendency to focus so much on the activities of our political leaders that we become distracted or discouraged. And, in this era of hopelessness and pessimism, we have a unique chance to radiate the hope that comes from a relationship with Christ. When governmental leaders let us down - and they will - we can point people to someone who will never let them down. We can promote a dependence on God by displaying the love of Christ, rather than a dependence on government to provide for our needs and make us happy. So, be hopeful today, God is still on the throne!
3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
This tells me that believers in Christ should be the most hope-filled people on the face of the globe. Even when we encounter trials, we can be confident in the Lord that He is developing His character in us, making Himselk known through us. In this we can have hope, which does not disappoint! In an age of pessimism, when we can become disillusioned by the systems and the philosophies of this world, we can display a sense of confidence and hope in the Lord that can attract people to our Savior, and give us an anchor as we navigate sometimes turbulent times.
A passage in Hebrews chapter 6 can help to shape our attitudes toward our society today:
Verse 18 gives some good news: it is impossible for God to lieAnd we read on that because of this: we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. 19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,
The inauguration ceremony for the second term of President Barack Obama is coming up on Monday, January 21st, and the expectations for the occasion have been reduced from the huge celebration that was held in the nation's capital 4 years ago, when nearly 2 million people flocked to the National Mall to see Obama take the oath of office. This time, DC officials expect between 600,000 and 800,000 people for Obama’s public swearing-in on the steps of the Capitol.
The invocation will be given by Myrlie Evers-Williams, widow of civil rights activist Medgar Evers. And, the benediction will be delivered by Louie Giglio of the Passion movement, who has been recognize by the President more than once for the movement's work to reduce human trafficking.
This every-four-years event becomes a milestone for not only political activity, but sociological research, as evidenced by a recently-released poll from the Gallup organization and USA Today. By a 50 - 47% margin, respondents say the country's best years are behind us.
In the poll, more than three of four Americans say the way politics works in Washington is causing serious harm to the country. By a 4-1 margin, respondents disapprove of the way Congress is doing its job.
And, in another poll, by Public Policy Polling, Americans have a higher opinion of traffic jams, by a 56 - 34% margin, colonoscopies (58%-31%) and cockroaches (45%-43%) than Congress. But, Congress still ranks higher among survey respondents than actress Lindsay Lohan (45%-41%) and playground bullies (43%-38%). It has more comfortable margins over Cuba’s Fidel Castro (54%-32%) and the reality-television Kardashians (49%-36%). And Congress trounced communism (57%-23%).
There is quite a contrast in the USA Today/Gallup poll with the results of a similar survey in 2008.
Then, two-thirds said they were "optimistic" and "proud" in reaction to Obama's election; now, about half cite those emotions in response to his re-election. Then, six in 10 were "excited"; now, four in 10 feel that way.
Negative reactions run higher now. Three in 10 were "pessimistic" in response to his election four years ago; now 43% are. Then, 27% described their response as "afraid"; that number has jumped to 36%.
There are a couple of spiritual takeaways from this information:
1 - if we are placing trust and confidence in the political system, it is certainly misplaced.
2 - the actions of our political leaders should not affect our outlook
3 - ultimately, our hope is in the Lord.
I really think there's a tendency to focus so much on the activities of our political leaders that we become distracted or discouraged. And, in this era of hopelessness and pessimism, we have a unique chance to radiate the hope that comes from a relationship with Christ. When governmental leaders let us down - and they will - we can point people to someone who will never let them down. We can promote a dependence on God by displaying the love of Christ, rather than a dependence on government to provide for our needs and make us happy. So, be hopeful today, God is still on the throne!
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Don't Believe Everything You See
The Bible encourages us to walk in the ways of God, grounded in the reality of His truth. In 3rd John, we read in verses 2-4:
2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. 3 For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. Prosperity of the soul involves absorbing God's truth into our consciousness and walking according to its principles. As we grow in our knowledge of the Lord, we become more skilled in knowing and following the truth. The world offers us a varied set of illusions, but God can give us a sense of reality in Christ - not chasing fantasies, not wondering what may or may not be true, not relying on the world to give us advice, but giving us an objective, absolute standard by which we can live our lives. The world's illusions are deceptive and temporary - God's Word lasts forever!
Ephesians 5 can challenge us to walk in God's truth:
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
The BCS National Championship Game is now history, and once again, for the fourth consecutive year, a team from Alabama is king of college football. The Crimson Tide made it 3 out of the last 4 with a resounding victory over Notre Dame.
Fans of both schools received e-mails yesterday congratulating their team on winning the game, that had not yet been played. The notes came from Amazon.com:
The one that went to Fighting Irish fans, according to ESPN.com said:
"Congratulations to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, NCAA National Football Champions. Customers who have shown an interest in the Notre Dame Fighting Irish might like to see NCAA championship merchandise and additional team fan gear."
The same note, substituting in Alabama, was sent to those whom the website had identified as Crimson Tide fans, presumably because of their past ordering profiles.
Later in the day, Amazon sent out an apology, saying they made a mistake, they could not predict the future, and, "We hope you enjoy the game".
ESPN referred to a similar mistake in 2011, when Macy's ran an ad in the Miami Herald selling Miami Heat championship gear. On the same page was an article with a story mentioning that the Heat lost to the Dallas Mavericks in six games.
So, you can't believe everything you see - think about the hype leading in to the national championship game. There was some compelling evidence that it would be a clash of the titans, a game for the ages, the return to prominence for #1 Notre Dame and their awesome defense. Victories over 9 bowl teams, including Stanford and Oklahoma, but also Pitt, Southern Cal, and Purdue. Heisman Trophy finalist Manti Ta'o. Turns out that Notre Dame may have been more of a pretender than a contender. I would say that at least 5, maybe more, SEC teams in a head-to-head matchup beat the Irish. Exposed by the team that has become the standard in college football; even Coach Kelley said as much.
It's a stark reminder to us that we as believers have to be grounded in truth - we can't believe everything we see or hear. That includes not only media, but the thoughts that go through our mind. If our thinking is tainted by fear or inaccurate appraisals of situations, then we will respond in an improper manner, outside of God's will for our lives. The truth is our standard, our compass, our beacon - and while we may be tempted to develop mental scenarios that end up being empty fantasies, God's word and the leadership of His Spirit will keep us going in the right direction.
2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. 3 For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. Prosperity of the soul involves absorbing God's truth into our consciousness and walking according to its principles. As we grow in our knowledge of the Lord, we become more skilled in knowing and following the truth. The world offers us a varied set of illusions, but God can give us a sense of reality in Christ - not chasing fantasies, not wondering what may or may not be true, not relying on the world to give us advice, but giving us an objective, absolute standard by which we can live our lives. The world's illusions are deceptive and temporary - God's Word lasts forever!
Ephesians 5 can challenge us to walk in God's truth:
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
The BCS National Championship Game is now history, and once again, for the fourth consecutive year, a team from Alabama is king of college football. The Crimson Tide made it 3 out of the last 4 with a resounding victory over Notre Dame.
Fans of both schools received e-mails yesterday congratulating their team on winning the game, that had not yet been played. The notes came from Amazon.com:
The one that went to Fighting Irish fans, according to ESPN.com said:
"Congratulations to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, NCAA National Football Champions. Customers who have shown an interest in the Notre Dame Fighting Irish might like to see NCAA championship merchandise and additional team fan gear."
The same note, substituting in Alabama, was sent to those whom the website had identified as Crimson Tide fans, presumably because of their past ordering profiles.
Later in the day, Amazon sent out an apology, saying they made a mistake, they could not predict the future, and, "We hope you enjoy the game".
ESPN referred to a similar mistake in 2011, when Macy's ran an ad in the Miami Herald selling Miami Heat championship gear. On the same page was an article with a story mentioning that the Heat lost to the Dallas Mavericks in six games.
So, you can't believe everything you see - think about the hype leading in to the national championship game. There was some compelling evidence that it would be a clash of the titans, a game for the ages, the return to prominence for #1 Notre Dame and their awesome defense. Victories over 9 bowl teams, including Stanford and Oklahoma, but also Pitt, Southern Cal, and Purdue. Heisman Trophy finalist Manti Ta'o. Turns out that Notre Dame may have been more of a pretender than a contender. I would say that at least 5, maybe more, SEC teams in a head-to-head matchup beat the Irish. Exposed by the team that has become the standard in college football; even Coach Kelley said as much.
It's a stark reminder to us that we as believers have to be grounded in truth - we can't believe everything we see or hear. That includes not only media, but the thoughts that go through our mind. If our thinking is tainted by fear or inaccurate appraisals of situations, then we will respond in an improper manner, outside of God's will for our lives. The truth is our standard, our compass, our beacon - and while we may be tempted to develop mental scenarios that end up being empty fantasies, God's word and the leadership of His Spirit will keep us going in the right direction.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Just Trust
Romans 8 gives us encouragement that no matter what the external circumstances of our lives may be, we can be strengthened internally by the presence of Almighty God, as we trust in Him:
(37) in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. The consistent, abiding presence of Almighty God, the comfort of the Lord Jesus Christ, can strengthen us and give us peace and even a sense of supernatural joy even in the darkest moments of our lives. When we experience tragedy, disappointment, adversity, and pain in our lives, we can continue to trust Him. In the darkest hours of our human experience, He is light and life to us. When the externals don't line up the way we think they should, we can be confident that He is at work on the internals, bringing us into a deeper place in Christ.
In the midst of tragedy, utterly defeated, in a sense, in the game of life, Job declared His faith in God - we read in chapter 1:
20 Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord."
A young man who plays college football said this: “Football is just a game...Then there’s the game of life.”
Those are the words recorded by The Sporting News as spoken by Heisman Trophy finalist and Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o, who has not only had an amazing season for the Fighting Irish, but he has been fighting through personal tragedy - the death of his girlfriend and his grandmother, within six hours of each other.
Manti didn't miss a second of a game - in fact, after these deaths, he turned in a 2-interception performance against Michigan. He said, "I felt a sense of peace knowing that so many people cared about Manti instead of No. 5...And I had a feeling that I know people are starting to understand what life is truly about.”
And, for the Christian, we can know what life is all about - and we can play the game of life with our trust completely in the Lord, realizing no matter what might come our way, nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
Tonight, Manti Te'o will be the pursuer - and the pursued understands just a bit about what life is about, too. A.J. McCarron could not have made it this far to lead the Crimson Tide - he almost lost his life in a jet ski accident when he was 5. Tonight, he will be wearing a yellow bracelet, the same one he wore in last year's BCS National Championship Game - it says, "Just Trust".
It was given to him by a little girl from Mobile named Starla Chapman. This time last year, it looked as if she wouldn't make it - her little body ravaged by leukemia, the same disease that took the life of Manti Te'o's girlfriend a few months ago. A.J. bonded with the young lady after some of the Alabama players visited the hospital where she was in 2011. He gave her a Christmas present, Starla gave him the bracelet, with that saying that she had spoken to her parents in the midst of her chemotherapy.
I don't know a whole lot about the faith perspective of either of these guys, but I do know that these stories can inspire us. Even though Monti and A.J. play at a high level in college football, they realize that there's more to life than football. So, we can ask ourselves - what's important to us? For the Christian, our hope is found in the Lord, and our relationship with Him and with others are paramount. This can sustain us in times of loss, when the externals don't go the way we think they should - we can still say, no matter what, "Blessed be the name of the Lord" - we can declare "just trust"!
(37) in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. The consistent, abiding presence of Almighty God, the comfort of the Lord Jesus Christ, can strengthen us and give us peace and even a sense of supernatural joy even in the darkest moments of our lives. When we experience tragedy, disappointment, adversity, and pain in our lives, we can continue to trust Him. In the darkest hours of our human experience, He is light and life to us. When the externals don't line up the way we think they should, we can be confident that He is at work on the internals, bringing us into a deeper place in Christ.
In the midst of tragedy, utterly defeated, in a sense, in the game of life, Job declared His faith in God - we read in chapter 1:
20 Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord."
A young man who plays college football said this: “Football is just a game...Then there’s the game of life.”
Those are the words recorded by The Sporting News as spoken by Heisman Trophy finalist and Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o, who has not only had an amazing season for the Fighting Irish, but he has been fighting through personal tragedy - the death of his girlfriend and his grandmother, within six hours of each other.
Manti didn't miss a second of a game - in fact, after these deaths, he turned in a 2-interception performance against Michigan. He said, "I felt a sense of peace knowing that so many people cared about Manti instead of No. 5...And I had a feeling that I know people are starting to understand what life is truly about.”
And, for the Christian, we can know what life is all about - and we can play the game of life with our trust completely in the Lord, realizing no matter what might come our way, nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
Tonight, Manti Te'o will be the pursuer - and the pursued understands just a bit about what life is about, too. A.J. McCarron could not have made it this far to lead the Crimson Tide - he almost lost his life in a jet ski accident when he was 5. Tonight, he will be wearing a yellow bracelet, the same one he wore in last year's BCS National Championship Game - it says, "Just Trust".
It was given to him by a little girl from Mobile named Starla Chapman. This time last year, it looked as if she wouldn't make it - her little body ravaged by leukemia, the same disease that took the life of Manti Te'o's girlfriend a few months ago. A.J. bonded with the young lady after some of the Alabama players visited the hospital where she was in 2011. He gave her a Christmas present, Starla gave him the bracelet, with that saying that she had spoken to her parents in the midst of her chemotherapy.
I don't know a whole lot about the faith perspective of either of these guys, but I do know that these stories can inspire us. Even though Monti and A.J. play at a high level in college football, they realize that there's more to life than football. So, we can ask ourselves - what's important to us? For the Christian, our hope is found in the Lord, and our relationship with Him and with others are paramount. This can sustain us in times of loss, when the externals don't go the way we think they should - we can still say, no matter what, "Blessed be the name of the Lord" - we can declare "just trust"!
Friday, January 4, 2013
The Problem of Evil
Psalm 51 reflects the writer's desire to be clean before God:
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
The Bible says in Jeremiah 17: 9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? 10 I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings. As humans, we were born with a propensity to sin. It's in our spiritual DNA, and the curse can only be reversed through an injection of the presence of Christ. He is our redeemer and He will enable us to walk in victory over the power of sin. We also have to be careful not to allow sins to build up within our souls - since God wants us to be clean and has provided us the tools to do so, we can release the power of confession in order to experience His cleansing power.
Out of almost 7 million visits, the King James Bible Online determined the most viewed Bible verse of 2012. And, it just might surprise you.
It's not Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." That was number 2.
Or, John 3:16 - that placed third.
The most popular Bible passage is Psalm 23:4, which reads: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."
God certainly doesn't want us to walk in fear of evil, or anything else - the Bible tells us that He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. So, how do we deal with the problem of evil?
For one thing, we have to recognize that evil exists. In a relativistic, "anything goes", culture, that can be a problem for some people.
We also have to call evil what God calls evil. The Bible is full of references to what displeases God. Evil is external, in the fallen world around us. We resist the external evil, without fear.
And, evil is internal, within us - within our hearts and minds - and we have to deal with the sin nature by appropriating the resources of Christ, who died and rose again to defeat the power of sin. And, the Bible tells us to confess our past sins, realizing He is faithful and just to forgive us. God wants us to be clean before Him and to walk in holiness.
That was apparently a desire of Sir Isaac Newton, a scientist whose personal journey at the age of 19 reveals 57 wrongdoings - Newton's "secret sins", if you will, found in what is called the Fitzwilliam notebook.
Some examples, from the MentalFloss.com website:
• “Eating an apple at Thy house.”
• “Peevishness at Master Clarks for a piece of bread and butter.”
• “Stealing cherry cobs from Eduard Storer” and
• “Denying that I did so.”
• “Threat[e]ning my father and mother Smith to burne them and the house over them.”
• “Wishing death and hoping it to some.”
• “Striking many.”
Newton had a high regard for the Sabbath at this stage of his life, too, confessing these sins:
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
The Bible says in Jeremiah 17: 9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? 10 I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings. As humans, we were born with a propensity to sin. It's in our spiritual DNA, and the curse can only be reversed through an injection of the presence of Christ. He is our redeemer and He will enable us to walk in victory over the power of sin. We also have to be careful not to allow sins to build up within our souls - since God wants us to be clean and has provided us the tools to do so, we can release the power of confession in order to experience His cleansing power.
Out of almost 7 million visits, the King James Bible Online determined the most viewed Bible verse of 2012. And, it just might surprise you.
It's not Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." That was number 2.
Or, John 3:16 - that placed third.
The most popular Bible passage is Psalm 23:4, which reads: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."
God certainly doesn't want us to walk in fear of evil, or anything else - the Bible tells us that He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. So, how do we deal with the problem of evil?
For one thing, we have to recognize that evil exists. In a relativistic, "anything goes", culture, that can be a problem for some people.
We also have to call evil what God calls evil. The Bible is full of references to what displeases God. Evil is external, in the fallen world around us. We resist the external evil, without fear.
And, evil is internal, within us - within our hearts and minds - and we have to deal with the sin nature by appropriating the resources of Christ, who died and rose again to defeat the power of sin. And, the Bible tells us to confess our past sins, realizing He is faithful and just to forgive us. God wants us to be clean before Him and to walk in holiness.
That was apparently a desire of Sir Isaac Newton, a scientist whose personal journey at the age of 19 reveals 57 wrongdoings - Newton's "secret sins", if you will, found in what is called the Fitzwilliam notebook.
Some examples, from the MentalFloss.com website:
• “Eating an apple at Thy house.”
• “Peevishness at Master Clarks for a piece of bread and butter.”
• “Stealing cherry cobs from Eduard Storer” and
• “Denying that I did so.”
• “Threat[e]ning my father and mother Smith to burne them and the house over them.”
• “Wishing death and hoping it to some.”
• “Striking many.”
Newton had a high regard for the Sabbath at this stage of his life, too, confessing these sins:
Thursday, January 3, 2013
The Canvas of the Heavens
In Isaiah 40, the Scriptures establish that God is the Creator of the earth and the entire universe:26
Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who
brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the
greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is
missing.
27
Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: "My way is hidden from the Lord, And my just claim is passed over by my God"?
28
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the
Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
Unbelievable - way beyond our own human understanding - this is the God who is truly able to do exceeding abundantly beyond what we can ask or think. The heavens tell a story, and Psalm 19 says that they declare the glory of God. You could even regard the skies as a canvas through which God displays His glory and character. He tells us how mighty that He is as we look at these incredibly numerous, highly majestic, created begins - the stars, the planets, the vastness of space. And, He presides over it all - but He's not too large to be unconcerned with the intricacies of our lives.
In Psalm 33, we get just an idea of the might and majesty of our Creator God. Picking up with verse 6, we can read:
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. 7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. 9 For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.
Last night, actually early this morning, marked the peak of the Quadrantids meteor shower. There was even live streaming available through Huntsville's Marshall Space Center. The meteor shower is named after an extinct constellation and only lasted a few hours, unlike the Perseid and Geminid meteor showers.
The Quadrantids originated from an asteroid, which could be a piece of a comet that broke apart several centuries ago. The meteors last night represented small debris from that. The Quadrantids have been orbiting the sun for hundreds of years and enter the atmosphere at 90,000 mph and burn up 50 miles above Earth's surface.
I really begin to think about how the heavens represent a canvas on which God displays His glory. Consider this new announcement from Space.com: The Milky Way galaxy is home to at least 100 billion alien planets, and possibly many more.
The Kepler-32 planets orbit an M dwarf, a type of star that is smaller
and cooler than our sun. M dwarfs are the most common star in the Milky Way, accounting for about 75 percent of the galaxy's 100 billion or so stars, researchers said.
Unbelievable - way beyond our own human understanding - this is the God who is truly able to do exceeding abundantly beyond what we can ask or think. The heavens tell a story, and Psalm 19 says that they declare the glory of God. You could even regard the skies as a canvas through which God displays His glory and character. He tells us how mighty that He is as we look at these incredibly numerous, highly majestic, created begins - the stars, the planets, the vastness of space. And, He presides over it all - but He's not too large to be unconcerned with the intricacies of our lives.
In Psalm 33, we get just an idea of the might and majesty of our Creator God. Picking up with verse 6, we can read:
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. 7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. 9 For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.
Last night, actually early this morning, marked the peak of the Quadrantids meteor shower. There was even live streaming available through Huntsville's Marshall Space Center. The meteor shower is named after an extinct constellation and only lasted a few hours, unlike the Perseid and Geminid meteor showers.
The Quadrantids originated from an asteroid, which could be a piece of a comet that broke apart several centuries ago. The meteors last night represented small debris from that. The Quadrantids have been orbiting the sun for hundreds of years and enter the atmosphere at 90,000 mph and burn up 50 miles above Earth's surface.
I really begin to think about how the heavens represent a canvas on which God displays His glory. Consider this new announcement from Space.com: The Milky Way galaxy is home to at least 100 billion alien planets, and possibly many more.
"It's a staggering number, if you think about it," lead author Jonathan
Swift, of Caltech in Pasadena, said in a statement. "Basically there's
one of these planets per star."
Swift and his colleagues arrived at their estimate after studying a
five-planet system called Kepler-32, which lies about 915 light-years
from Earth. The five worlds were detected by NASA's Kepler Space Telescope, which flags the tiny brightness dips caused when exoplanets cross their star's face from the instrument's perspective.
That really says it all - God has created the heavens and the earth, and as we gaze into the skies, we can worship the maker of the skies and all that is in them. The One who has incredible power, but is incredibly concerned with even the most minute detail of our lives - how great is our God!
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Under the Dome
Isaiah 61 lays out the wonderful purposes of God, recognizing that where His Spirit is, there is freedom:
1 "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
Christ came to set the captives free, by His truth, He has come to bring freedom to all of us - freedom from the slavery of sin, from the fear of death, and from the past that can keep us bound in the present and bound from the hope and future God wants to give to us. But - the good news is that as we exalt God in our lives, He will exalt us and pull our hearts out of captivity, and He will empower us to extend a helping hand to others who are facing bondage in their own lives - spiritually and physically.
In Isaiah 26, we read this verse, that highlights our purpose - it's verse 8::
8 Yes, in the way of Your judgments, O Lord, we have waited for You; The desire of our soul is for Your name And for the remembrance of You.
It is indeed a strange and wonderful juxtaposition during the last day of one year and the first four of the next in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. You see, New Year's Eve is the fixed date for the bowl game once known as the Peach Bowl, now called simply by the name of its title sponsor. And, a crowd estimated at over 68,000 witnessed an epic finish before the clock struck midnight Monday night. The game made such an impact that Chick-Fil-A was a trending topic on Google.
Less than 24 hours after that game-winning field goal by Clemson, the Dome was transformed into a venue for a far greater epic event - the annual Passion conference, with some 60,000 students from over 2,000 colleges and university. And, from reading the abundance of tweets, there is a sense of expectation of what God is going to do - already, there are reports of an incredible first night.
There is an element of both these events that I wanted to bring out. I read a Forbes article that characterized the Chick-Fil-A bowl as the most charitable of all bowl games. The article is quoted as saying:
Along with donating money directly to the “Play It Smart” program, this year the Chick-fil-A Bowl utilized the program to expand upon its scholarship endowments. According to Chick-fil-A Bowl President and CEO Gary Stokan, the bowl is linking the scholarships it has endowed at 18 universities back to the “Play It Smart” program.
The idea here is to give back - tying in a greater purpose to an event. And, that's what the Passion conference is doing, as well. These young adults are coming together to worship and to be inspired and motivated - they're being challenged to make Jesus famous, and they're also given the opportunity to be involved in addressing modern-day slavery. The Christian Post reports that since 2007, over $5 million has been given to causes around the globe in Jesus' name through Do Something Now. "As a result we've seen slaves freed, children released, the hungry fed, the Church equipped, women restored, scripture translated, wells dug, healing provided, and so much more," said Bryson Vogeltanz, chief steward of Do Something Now for Passion Conferences, in a statement.
The Passion 2013 freedom causes are focused around four central themes in the fight to end slavery: Awake, Prevent, Rescue, and Restore. Passion is partnering with a number of anti-slavery organizations including the A21 Campaign in Thailand, Bombay Teen Challenge in India, and Wellspring Living in the United States. At Passion 2012 students and supporters gave a total of over $3.3 million toward the freedom cause, and this year's goal is to raise even more money and awareness.
It's thrilling to see how a greater purpose can drive people. As we display the love of Christ and look beyond ourselves, we call attention to the God of the universe, the God of glory, who is exalted through His people.
1 "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
Christ came to set the captives free, by His truth, He has come to bring freedom to all of us - freedom from the slavery of sin, from the fear of death, and from the past that can keep us bound in the present and bound from the hope and future God wants to give to us. But - the good news is that as we exalt God in our lives, He will exalt us and pull our hearts out of captivity, and He will empower us to extend a helping hand to others who are facing bondage in their own lives - spiritually and physically.
In Isaiah 26, we read this verse, that highlights our purpose - it's verse 8::
8 Yes, in the way of Your judgments, O Lord, we have waited for You; The desire of our soul is for Your name And for the remembrance of You.
It is indeed a strange and wonderful juxtaposition during the last day of one year and the first four of the next in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. You see, New Year's Eve is the fixed date for the bowl game once known as the Peach Bowl, now called simply by the name of its title sponsor. And, a crowd estimated at over 68,000 witnessed an epic finish before the clock struck midnight Monday night. The game made such an impact that Chick-Fil-A was a trending topic on Google.
Less than 24 hours after that game-winning field goal by Clemson, the Dome was transformed into a venue for a far greater epic event - the annual Passion conference, with some 60,000 students from over 2,000 colleges and university. And, from reading the abundance of tweets, there is a sense of expectation of what God is going to do - already, there are reports of an incredible first night.
There is an element of both these events that I wanted to bring out. I read a Forbes article that characterized the Chick-Fil-A bowl as the most charitable of all bowl games. The article is quoted as saying:
In a day and age when talk about bowl games centers more upon television contracts and team payouts, the Chick-fil-A Bowl’s charitable efforts are a nice reminder of why many bowl games got their start: to stimulate their local economy while also giving back to those in need in the community.Over the last decade, the Chick-fil-A Bowl has distributed over $15.7 million to charities and scholarship funds. During the last six years, the bowl has given charities over $1 million annually, with $1.485 million to charities in 2012. The game provides scholarships for the universities playing in their games and their conferences. Plus, the Bowl participates in the “Play It Smart” program, which was created by the National Football Foundation in 1998. The program provides academic coaches to high school football players in economically disadvantaged communities. This year, the Chick-fil-A Bowl donated $180,000 to the program, and has donated $1,080,000 since 2002.
Along with donating money directly to the “Play It Smart” program, this year the Chick-fil-A Bowl utilized the program to expand upon its scholarship endowments. According to Chick-fil-A Bowl President and CEO Gary Stokan, the bowl is linking the scholarships it has endowed at 18 universities back to the “Play It Smart” program.
The idea here is to give back - tying in a greater purpose to an event. And, that's what the Passion conference is doing, as well. These young adults are coming together to worship and to be inspired and motivated - they're being challenged to make Jesus famous, and they're also given the opportunity to be involved in addressing modern-day slavery. The Christian Post reports that since 2007, over $5 million has been given to causes around the globe in Jesus' name through Do Something Now. "As a result we've seen slaves freed, children released, the hungry fed, the Church equipped, women restored, scripture translated, wells dug, healing provided, and so much more," said Bryson Vogeltanz, chief steward of Do Something Now for Passion Conferences, in a statement.
The Passion 2013 freedom causes are focused around four central themes in the fight to end slavery: Awake, Prevent, Rescue, and Restore. Passion is partnering with a number of anti-slavery organizations including the A21 Campaign in Thailand, Bombay Teen Challenge in India, and Wellspring Living in the United States. At Passion 2012 students and supporters gave a total of over $3.3 million toward the freedom cause, and this year's goal is to raise even more money and awareness.
It's thrilling to see how a greater purpose can drive people. As we display the love of Christ and look beyond ourselves, we call attention to the God of the universe, the God of glory, who is exalted through His people.
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