Our Hope Lies in a Savior

"O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth" - Isaiah 25:1

The battle is 2000 years old.  The players have changed, but the contest has not.  One side will claim that the other is close-minded, while they rest upon their own laurels without a full investigation of the truth.  From the very lips and actions of one of the most revered missionaries of all time, Saul of Tarsus (Paul the Apostle), to the Jewish religious leaders of the 1st century AD, to the Roman Empire through the 4th century AD, and from Islam from the 7th century on, the Christian church has suffered persecution, torture, and even death.  Through the years, other religions have come along.  Some sustained time, others did not; some denying the very existence of this man Jesus Christ, others acknowledging him as a great prophet or kindly man, but denying His deity.   The question(s) have never really changed: “Prove that He lived”; “Prove that He was born of a virgin”; “Prove that He died, rose again, and ascended to heaven”; “Prove that He is the Messiah foretold in the Prophecies.”

Many have now resorted to disputing the very existence of God at all, and thereby deducing that there is no Son of God.  Atheism is defined as the rejection of belief in deities.  The first known acknowledgement of atheism came in the late 16th century.  It actually has some scriptural reference as far back as 62 AD, by Paul in his letters to the Ephesians (2:12), where he clearly calls out those who believe that there is no God within the world. It’s evident that even in the days of Jesus followers in Colosse, Ephesus, and Corinth, there were those who also believed in a world without God.

So, for all of these years, the growth of Christianity has spread into countries all around the globe.  People of every race, creed, culture, and economic class are following this One called Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of their lives.  What is it that ties all of these believers, including myself, together?  The stories of Jesus paint a picture of a loving God, a compassionate lover of the oppressed and helper of the weak.  A miracle maker who could turn water into wine, raise the dead, heal the lame, and even forgive sins.  The scriptures tell of His glory, His demeanor, and His mercies.  His wisdom is evidenced through His teachings and knowledge of the scriptures and customs of the time, well before He was mature.  He wasn’t educated in the Universities like the Sadducees and Pharisees, nor was he skilled in money collection like those who worked for Rome.  His knowledge was far superior and came from somewhere beyond human capabilities.  This is the man Jesus Christ that the scriptures tell us about.  So to deny Jesus Christ means two things: A) the person has no belief that the scriptures are true, and B) the person has no ability for faith in things unseen/unproven.

Some are looking for facts, proof of this man’s existence and position in God’s Kingdom.  Yet, to what benefit is there in proving these things?  Christianity is a monotheism, indicating that there is one and only one way to God the Father, and that is through Jesus Christ the Son, as stated plainly in the scriptures in John 14:6.  What is required then is to have faith in something that you cannot see, and hope in something beyond our understanding.  People continue to look for proof though; – the Shroud of Turin, the tomb of Mary, or Veronica’s veil as examples.  These people are seeking verification that A) their heart is not lying to them; and B) substantiation that their hope is well-founded.

By nature, we are constantly looking to solve life’s mysteries so we can check that box and move on.  I think there are those in life who would like to put a checkmark in the salvation box and then get on with living their life unchanged, unmotivated to pursue righteousness and satisfied that they would still receive heaven in the end.  This is not following the Savior and Lord of our lives.  Faith and Hope are often tied together as basic tenets of Christianity along with love, because they are beyond our perception and physical acceptance.  Hope is essential.  It keeps us focused on the end game.  It gives us reason to wake up and live one more day to fulfill God’s plan for that day.  Faith is essential.  It provides the confidence that what we know in our heart is the truth, and without proof, we are still willing to accept it and live up to the expectations therein.  Love is essential.  Christ loved us through His redeeming grace and suffering on the cross.  Likewise, we are to love others as He has loved us.  FAITH – HOPE – LOVE; the building block of your walk with God begins here.

The Defense Rests (pt 7 of There is a God)

"Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!" - Job 40:2

My Thoughts:

I'm the first to admit that I have no clue about God's ways. Where does He go in the late afternoon's after the sun sets in Houston? Will His physical presence envelope the Earth, Milky Way and Universe all at the same time? How will we recognize each other in heaven, if we leave our physical body behind? What on earth did God mean by Psalm 137:9 "... seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks." ? Where is Noah's Ark? Why did God need to rest on the seventh day?

I'm sure you have come across those that will question God and criticize you for your faith. With the globalization of the communication network we are constantly bombarded with those that have contrary views to that of a Christian. It's humorous to me though, to see the perspectives of those trying to justify their disbelief by ridiculing those of us that do believe. I am often tempted to jump in and try to defend God, then I pause and ask, "Does God need me to defend Him?" Of course He doesn't need me to defend Him. The Creator of the Universe is perfectly capable of striking His opponent's dead at any given moment, should He desire that. And that's the key - He doesn't desire that, or at least I don't believe He does.

You see, you and I are incapable of loving those that criticize and ridicule our foundational beliefs, and this is the very foundation of our Lord. His love is not segmented to this man or that woman or these people and not those. The very love of God is available to ALL and this leads me to the belief that God wants even His critics to come to an accepting faith, that not one should perish (Matt 18:14; 1 Timothy 2:3-4)

So what is our role in enlightening those that attack our faith? First, we must be able to share the good news of Jesus Christ. You could argue with an atheist for hours, days and in some cases a lifetime around the life of Christ and the biblical proof of God and His followers, yet at the end of the debate - most atheists are unchanged. Without scientific proof, and with apparent contradictions throughout the New Testament, it often seems like an uphill battle. When it all comes down to it, those questioning the existence of God and disregarding the divinity of Jesus Christ are actually lacking a significant capability in life.

They lack the ability to accept the reality of God on faith. Yet, when we question them and they realize just how much of their own belief is on faith in something and not actual facts, it many times helps them see things a little more clearly.  This lack of faith in God doesn't make them unworthy of God's love, just blind to it. So, can you give faith to someone who doesn't possess it? Can you get it on e-Bay, at Wal-Mart or at church? It's an intangible, logical and emotional response that those of a certain personality type just can't bring themselves around too. Let me ask you to decide for yourself right now - why do you have faith in God - Jesus Christ, His Son - and the Holy Spirit? I'm going to ask you to take a moment and right that down. You need to know this. It needs to be muscle memory so when you are backed into a corner you are strong in your understanding of your own faith. You can't get it from your parents, your grandparents or even your priest or pastor. Your faith is just that - yours.

You believe for a reason without questioning God, because for one: you are capable of respecting the hierarchical nature of life. You recognize that there are authorities over all things, except God - Himself. Certainly, by acknowledging that you have a faith and belief in God gives you a foundation to accept that there are things you will never know and rightfully so. If you want to get a glimpse of some of the mysteries of God's wisdom read Job 38 & 39. Then you will have the capability to share this glimpse with those that choose to question His existence. As an example: Who is it that drew the lines between the sand (shore) and the water of the mighty ocean?  Or, Who places the constellations in the exact location every night so that we are able to enjoy their brilliance?  Is this magnificence by happen chance only or is it a part of a perfect design?

As a child of God, we must come to realize that God is sovereign and certainly has given us free will to decide on what we will do with this faith and belief structure. Do not allow yourself to engage in debate with someone trying to destroy your faith.  Remember, we simply ask questions to allow the antagonist to contemplate their own thinking.  Never do this without first inviting God to represent you in the debate. His ability to defend Himself greatly outshines your ability to defend Him, so I highly suggest letting Him do it for and through you.

Be Blessed,

Rich

 

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I Believe in Evolution (There is a God pt 5)

‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill.   Acts 17:28-29

My thoughts:
Truth is truth, and fact is fact.  Our role is to determine what is truth and fact vs. what is hypothesis and fallacy.  This is why we ask questions when faced with challenges to our faith.  Over the last few weeks we’ve looked at a few different examples of how to address certain challenges that continuously attempt to disprove the existence of God.  This week, I am looking at another area, which I learned from supporting RDOF Ministries (www.facebook.com/rdof ) and that is the area of evolution.

Evolution is a fact.  We can all say that with confidence, yet everyone of us are afraid of the word itself, because we believe it implies that the human evolved from an ape.  What you need to realize is that there are many types of evolution, and although the 21^st century education system will try to lump it all into that belief, the reality is that things do evolve.  Daryl Youngblood has taught us that there are at least 4 basic types of evolution:  Micro-evolution, Microbial-evolution, Chemical-evolution and Macro-evolution.

Micro-evolution: variation within a species over a period of time, generally to adapt to it’s environment.  Examples might include moths, bird beaks, salamander spots or even guppies adapting to .  There is common acceptance across all sectors (religious or science) that Micro-evolution is indeed a fact, but does NOT create a new species.

Microbial-evolution: genetically driven changes that occur in microorganisms and that are retained over time.  Examples might include viruses, bacteria and parasites.  This is well-known in the pharmaceutical industry and is indeed a fact, but it does NOT create a new type of micro-organism it simply changes an existing one.

That brings us to Chemical-evolution: also know as Abiogenesis (as I discussed last week)- the unproven theory that non-living chemicals can create life.  There is no factual evidence of this type of evolution and therefore we must say that it is false.

Finally, we have Macro-evolution: the gradual transformation of one species into another (example: apes to man, dinosaurs into birds and wolves into whales.  This has never been observed, but is at the heart of the Atheist’s argument, based on the Darwin book “Origin of the Species” theory of Natural Selection.  It is presented as a fact in most of their dialogues, yet there is no evidence or observable proof to substantiate it.

So, as you can see it is okay to agree with evolution, but it is important to carry the conversation on to the next level.  What type of evolution are you referring to?  If one says Macro-evolution or Chemical-evolution; then it begs a deeper discussion.

If we are to be convinced that indeed our genetic code, through Natural Selection, has caused us to evolve there are several things that must happen (from a scientific perspective).  In the Natural Selection process, every change must provide a unique and beneficial advantage over the previous design in order to be retained in all future generations.  If it actually happened that we evolved from apes, or whales from wolves, then where are the failed, older designs that natural selection refused.  Are we to assume that this genetic process of natural selection can see into the future and adapt something unknown, in it’s complete, detailed and perfect function on the first try?  If we evolved from apes to mankind, why are there still apes?  They would have been discarded by Natural Selection as an inferior representation.  Also, think about the bone structure differences and eye differences, nose, brain cavity, heart cavity, etc. that all must have evolved over time.  Which one evolved first, and what was the benefit of the first phase of that evolution?  Every change must represent a benefit or it is discarded by natural selection.

These simple questions to dig a little deeper usually finds the antagonist searching for answers and questioning their own understanding.  You see, they will claim that you must prove God exists, when in reality, they should be proving that He doesn’t.  The only way all of these complex animals and life forms could exist at the same time is because they were created by intelligent design, not by randomness.

Feel free to check out Daryl’s teachings on http://www.rdof.org .  I highly recommend watching the video Evolution & God: Fossils, Fallacies and Facts.  God Bless.
     

Be Blessed,

Rich

 

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