And the World Keeps Turning

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” – 2 Corinthians 5:17

 

Storm after storm, raging wild fires, earthquakes, tsunamis, wars and political unrest have become norm in the last few years.  Have we become numb to the pain and suffering in the world?  Are we so overtaken by the volume of events and information that it’s impossible to engage and take a stance?  The world continues to teeter on the very brink of destruction, according to the global warming community; while those in opposition spend time and waste resources trying to disprove it.  Do these individuals actually believe that mankind in our minutia are capable of destroying what God has created?

Consider that the earth does have a life cycle, a timeline and an end point for existence.  But to think that we have control of that finite timeline is awful arrogant on our part.  The exactness of creation is unfathomable when we stop to truly think about our place in all of existence.  Consider the perfection of His design of the solar system, universe, galaxies, clusters, Sun, planets, earth, moon, gravity, oceans, land, atmosphere, water, trees, animals, mankind, brain, organs, blood, cells, atoms, molecules, neutron, electron, neutrino, quark and plank; and understand that it’s simply not random. His finger put it all in perfect place, perfect relationship to each other, and dependence upon this perfect relationship for the cooperative existence.  Shall we believe that we can upset this perfection from our actions?   If indeed we do have this much control doesn’t it bring into question why God would allow us this power?    

The hard question to address: In this world, is there enough evil for mankind to destroy what the Lord has created?  First, we must understand that EVIL DOES EXIST IN THIS WORLD, and that God is not the author of evil, we are.  In our flesh we are drawn to the desires of the world, the temptations and the lustfulness based on our short-sided desire for instant gratification.  Each day we are faced with decisions that will either bring glory to God or bring glory to ourselves.  It really is that simple.  When we take what He has given us for granted and think only about ourselves, we are destroying the beauty, the paradise that He provided.  We can eliminate the natural resources He provided, we can contaminate the nearly infinite water supply He provided, we can pollute the perfectly balanced atmosphere that He provided; all in the name of progress for our desires.  So, the answer is Yes, we have created enough evil in this world to destroy what He created, but it doesn’t mean He isn’t in control.

For you see, in His word, God tells us in Matthew 24:35 – “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” and in 2 Peter 3:7 – “But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.”  and again in Revelations 3:12 – “…city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God…” We are destroying the earth because of our lack of knowledge, selfishness and belief that we are actually in control.  God has revealed to us that we are destined for death on this planet in one way or another,  Hebrews 9:27-28 – “And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people.  He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.” 

Jesus is coming back, and if we, as followers and believers, are fortunate enough to still be on this planet on that day, we will be taken with Him.  For those who have refused, they will see the complete and utter destruction of this earth, and in that day be consumed with it.  So, yes global warming is real, and caused by man’s selfishness and greed; but it is not unpredictable.  For God has revealed it all in His Word for all of those who are willing to listen.  Fear not child, but be ready for the day is nearing when we shall all be with Him once again in the new Jerusalem.

Be Blessed,

Rich

 

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Unproven Faith

“Awake, awake! Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in days gone by,  as in generations of old..” – Isaiah 51:9

I love studying history and watching shows on the history channel.  I find it interesting to see where we came from, how we got here and the passion and vigor for which those of previous generations fought to have what we now often take for granted.  I particular enjoy learning about the history of ancient Israel and the times before and shortly after the life of Jesus Christ.  I watch as scientists, archaeologists, studied professionals and pundits all try to piece together an accurate portrayal of what life must have been like in those days.  Often times, I challenge their opinions and question what they might claim as factual, simply due to emotion and biasness that they harbor when doing their research. 

 Doing research is often deemed scientific and the output used to justify the hypothesis by which the research was commissioned.  The truth be told though, research is nothing more than finding what you want to find to substantiate your belief system.  I propose that true objectivity does not exist when we are dealing with the areas of theological beliefs, parenting and sports.  Often times the person doing the research will be so strongly biased by their emotions and beliefs that it makes it impossible to discover something that would prove that belief wrong.

 We take what we have and try to apply human logic to it.  To most this would seem appropriate given that all things must work together in life and death. When it comes to the area of researching theological history though, mankind is at a serious disadvantage.  We take logic and principals that are contained in our finite minds and apply them to something that is not contained in finite proportions.  You can’t pick up the Bible and read it under the restriction that it must make sense within the limitations of our knowledge base.  If you, like me, are truly seeking the will of God and the purpose for what He wants in your life, you must be able to separate your understanding from your beliefs.  This is the act of faith and trust. 

 You can’t prove that God parted the Red Sea.
 You can’t prove that God rained down sulfur and fire upon Sodom and Gomorrah.
 Did Abraham and Sarah truly conceive in their old age.
 You can’t prove that the walls of Jericho came tumbling down, simply by blowing on a horn.
 You can’t prove that Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, lived, died on a cross and rose from the dead on the 3rd day.

 We must accept the fact that the Bible contains God’s truth.  It has been handed down for generations and generations.  The Torah (first five books of the bible) has been communicated in both written and verbal form from older family members to the younger generations over thousands of years.  Learning from those that have gone on before maintains the original intent.  The Torah outlines the laws and guidelines given to Moses, and held up by Jewish tradition to this very day.  If I were to open up the book of Genesis in my English (NIV) translation, it would represent the exact details captured by Moses in the original writings thousands of years ago.  It is the thread, the fabric by which my belief structure is based.  If I can’t accept that God created the heavens and the earth by faith, because I trust the bible to be true, than nothing in the Bible is true.

 We must never forget from where we came from as children of God.  Reading the Bible to me is like reading a history book and a personal letter from God to me at the same time.  I read from Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy with as much faith and trust in the truth that lies therein, as if I were reading the Wall-Street Journal to discover yesterday’s news.  Often times, there is more truth between Genesis and Revelations than could ever come from the news media in today’s culture.  I’m so often taken aback by those that will surf the internet, discover something written by an individual and accept it as fact, gospel and complete truth.  Yet, that same person will look straight at you and tell you that the Bible is a collection of fantasy stories passed down over the ages.  This is a person that has no ability to believe in something intangible or to just trust by faith that the word of God is authentic and has been passed down intact from generation to generation for thousands of years.  In some cases the only thing that can be done for these individuals is to pray that God opens their heart and eyes.  Try as we might, there is no way to prove within the knowledge base of mankind that His word is authentic.  God knows the hearts of every man, and has placed within each of us the desire to seek His truth.  Sometimes, we just need to let God by God and love others as Christ loved us.  Live by His testimony and share His word when allowed, but let Him remove the scales from their eyes.  He’s done it before and can certainly do it again. 

Be Blessed,

Rich

 

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You Can’t Put Them Back

“Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing”
– Proverbs 12:18

As the words echoed through the quietness it immediately becomes apparent that once again my tongue has outpaced the ability for my brain to stop the syllables.  Many of you recall as children we were told sticks and stones may break bones, but words will never hurt you.  Words can be hurtful whether intentional or not, and cannot be taken back.  Do you also recall the story of the tube of toothpaste?  I remember this from a youth camp activity in my teen years.  The counselor came into the room one night while many of us horsing around.  One young man let a few discretionary words escape his lips and the room went quiet.  All eyes turned to the counselor to see his reaction.  The counselor asked the young man to go to his overnight bag and get a tube of toothpaste.  He then proceeded to squeeze the toothpaste out of the tube onto a plate until all of it was sitting in a pile.  He handed the tube to the young man and with just a few words made a very strong point, “Please put the toothpaste back in the tube for me?”  With that the counselor left the room and we all had learned a valuable lesson about choosing the words we say.

We are reminded throughout the scriptures to watch our tongue and words that come from our lips.  Paul, Peter and James write frequently of the evil and deceit that comes from the lips of man.  It is critically important to keep alert and aware of the words that we speak, knowing that we cannot take them back and that they will have a definite impact on those within hearing distance.  We all fail at times inadvertently say something that hurts the feelings of those around us.  If we are not quick to retract those words, consider the long term damage they may cause to your relationship.  Anger often gets the best of us and we say things that we truly never meant, but if we’re not big enough and humble enough to take them back and apologize, it is almost as if we are telling the other person we truly meant what we said.  Friendships and relationships can forever be changed by a word or combination of words said in a solitary moment.  It doesn’t have to be so.

 Because the flesh is weak, we are all susceptible to unrighteousness in many ways while we are still walking upon this earth.  It is impossible to live your entire life without a slip of the tongue.  Knowing this, we are all to be held accountable to make amends where we have inflicted pain, suffering and sorrow from our lips.  In addition, we should be quick to seek the forgiveness of the Father for our weakness and carelessness.

They cannot un-hear once the words have left the tongue but there is healing in the apology, repentance and actions to love others as Jesus loved you.  This should be our goal in these situations.

Be Blessed,

Rich

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If Not Now, When?

Why don’t we trust God?  Why do we allow fear and worry to overtake our faith?  I propose to you that we don’t have a proper respect of God and just how much He loves us.

What is God asking you to do with your life?  You know that thing that is in your heart and continues to come to the forefront every time you think about doing more.  You and I both know that God wants more from you than you have given Him.  For that matter He wants all of you and surprisingly still loves and accepts you even though you give Him such a small part of who you are.  Each of us have our respective list of excuses.  Mine is longer than most and I review it frequently and challenge myself to look past the false limitations I have place in front of my total commitment to God.

Several years ago I was at a Promise Keeper’s conference with Pastor Kerry Shook and Randy Reeves here in Houston.  On the bus home from an absolutely inspiring conference Pastor Kerry looked at each of us and asked one question:  “If tomorrow you woke up and every limitation you can imagine had been lifted from your list of burdens: finances, job, education, time, fears of speaking, etc.; and you were given a blank checkbook to an unlimited bank account, what would you do for God?”
It truly makes one think about their priorities in life and where one places God on the list of things to focus on.  The list of excuses is endless and I’m sure you can add to this list:

1. If I could become financially independent, I would tithe to God and spend my life serving Him.
2. I’ve got this big project at work, I just can’t break away for enough hours to dedicate to serving God right now.  As soon as this is over I will.
3. As soon as the kids are grown and move away to college, then I’ll focus on serving God.
4. There just aren’t enough hours in the day; with work, the drive time to and from work, kid’s school, soccer, cheerleading, dentist office, dinner, bathtime, helping with homework, catching up on e-mails, more work into the night and getting sleep each day – I can’t take on another thing.  I just don’t have the time right now.
5. I’m afraid if I give up my job to serve the Lord, I will lose everything I have.

 

What is it that is keeping you from serving God completely?  Time management, finances, work, relationships, laziness or the lack of desire?  I challenge you this week to focus on how your using your time, and by next weekend, what you would be willing to give up to spend more time giving back to God.  Get a picture in your head of just how big God is.  If God had a physical hand, the Earth, moon, stars and Sun would look like a spec of dirt under His fingernail; yet He wants desperately to have an intimate one on one relationship with you.  If you don’t feel close to God or are wondering where He is; you should be looking in a mirror, because He never moved nor changed; you have.  Stretch your mind and get a big vision for how you can impact God’s kingdom, than ask yourself “Why not?”  Put aside those answers and fears and focus on trusting God to see it through.

 

Be Blessed,

Rich

 

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A Simple Man’s Understanding the Trinity

Let’s begin to unpack the Trinity, as I introduced last week.  As I challenged you to provide your thoughts on The Trinity (Triune God) from a scriptural point of view, I thought I would take the opportunity to share my perspective with you (fair is fair – right).  First, I am not a theologian, nor have I done an in depth study of the Trinity and it is a highly complex principal belief of the Christian faith.  I will not be able to provide you a comprehensive understanding, for I pale in qualifications to do so.  What I would like to do though is provide you with some scripture references that may be beneficial to you if you are ever faced with the question from a skeptic.

So in layman’s terms what is the Trinity:
Point 1: There is only One God
Point 2: God is Three persons in One – The Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit.  Each of them are personas of God yet independent of each other.  The Father is not the Son nor the Holy Spirit, The Son is not the Father nor the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is neither the Son nor the Father; yet all of them are God.
Point 3: All three possess the characteristics and holiness of God Almighty

Now, having said this, how do we back it up with scripture.
Deut. 6:4 - “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!”

Isaiah 42:1-2 – “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.” – describing Jesus (my servant, my chosen) and the Holy Spirit (my Spirit) clearly states that God – Jesus – Holy Spirit are separate but all part of God (from first person).  Yet Jesus [he] will bring justice to nations. 
    Following this read Luke 18:7 - “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones.” – God through Isaiah prophesies that Jesus will bring justice, and then Jesus in a parable states in Luke, “God will bring justice”. 

John 1:1-3; 14 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made…. (14)The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  - Read this verse and replace the Word, with Jesus. 
     Refer back to Genesis 1:26 – “Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our
      likeness…” – God has clearly stated that man has the image of God, yet God has no physical form (reference to [Exodus 3] burning bush, [1 Kings 19] gentle whisper), so who’s image was He referring to?  Jesus came in the flesh as the physical form of God Almighty, to whom mankind was created in the image of.

Acts 5:3-4 – “Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?   Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal?  What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”  - Peter speaks clearly to Ananias that his lie was to the Holy Spirit, and then in the same statement states that his lie was to God.  This clearly identifies that the Holy Spirit is God.

John 20:17 – “Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”  - Jesus’ words to Mary Magdalene clearly connects the Father to God as One, and separates Father from Jesus and God from Jesus and God from Father.  Two of the three persona’s of God are represented here, and yet associated one to the other.  Jesus ascends to the Father and to God.  The Father and God are not the same, yet both are in a place to be ascended to, which connects them as One.  Several verses throughout Jesus life reference “The Father” as a persona of God acting in this world and in heaven.  “Father, Lord of heaven and earth”, “Father, forgive them, for what they do.”, “Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at work….”, “the Son can do nothing, only what he sees his Father doing..”, “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”,etc.

John 8:54 – “Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.”  Jesus is speaking to the Jewish leaders regarding their father Abraham and their claims that Jesus is a demon-possessed man.  He continues later in the chapter:
John 8:57-58 - “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”
“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”  - Jesus here claims that he was there before Abraham and uses the same words as God when he appeared to Moses – “I am” [Exodus 3:14]

Nowhere in the scriptures does it clearly state that God is three in one, but I have shown you several instances where the scriptures reference that the Father is God, the Son is God and the Holy Spirit is God.  We must try to comprehend that we are incapable of comprehending God with our limited knowledge and wisdom.  The Father is a persona of God that gives us an insight to the characteristics of God that we can understand – love, grace, mercy, compassion, discipline, wisdom, sovereign, judge of right/wrong and so on.  The Son is a persona of God in flesh that we could physically see, talk to, observe, learn from, and comprehend in a human form (Jesus Christ - Son of Man and Son of God).  As a man his flesh can be tempted, will hunger, will tire, will weep, will worry, will bleed and will die.  The Holy Spirit is a persona of God that exists in this world, in the hearts of mankind, to guide our walk with God in this life.  Jesus introduced the Spirit to mankind after His resurrection as our comforter, our advocate, our helper to teach us all things from the Father.

So do not lose faith, but realize that the Trinity is a cornerstone of our faith and I strongly encourage you to study it, learn it and to make it your own.  There will come a time when others will ask you to explain it, and you should be able to.  Share your thoughts below, I’m very interested in your comments.

Be Blessed,

Rich

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Yes, Bad Things Will Happen

“Now as Jesus was passing by, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who committed the sin that caused him to be born blind, this man or his parents?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but he was born blind so that the acts of God may be revealed through what happens to him.” – John 9:1-3 

 

Today, I am sharing with you the question that so many have asked over centuries and millennia.  “Why does God allow for bad things to happen?”

You’ve likely asked this question yourself once or twice I’m sure.  Why did God allow my divorce?  Why did God make my kids so rebellious?  Why does God allow suffering in my life?  Why did God take my child or loved one?  You get my point.  We all have tragedies that happen in our lives and in our hearts and minds we know that God could have chosen to prevent them from happening; but didn’t.

Why did God watch the Roman soldiers beat Jesus Christ body to a point where it was unrecognizable?

Why did God allow Jesus Christ to be blasphemed, spit upon and tortured by the people of Jerusalem?

Why didn’t God come down and save His Son when he was hanging on the cross?

Well, these are easy questions to answer, right?  God chose not to save Jesus Christ from this death because through this death He was creating a pathway to heaven for all of mankind.  There was a purpose to God’s choices then and there is a purpose to His choices in your life.  We have an infinitely small capability to comprehend the magnificence of God’s sovereignty in life.  His will is going to be done, whether we like it or not.  You aren’t going to change God’s plan for humanity.  Rather, you and I need to change to better understand His plan and how we align to it. 

Everything has a purpose.  A death, a divorce, a lost child, a broken heart, a violent abuse case; they all have the potential to lead to something great for God if we are willing to seek His counsel, love and comfort through the pain.  As Jesus told the disciples, regarding the blind man, some things happen so that the acts of God might be revealed through the inflicted person.  How are you using your inflictions and tragedies in life as a testimony for the greatness of God?  If not, then perhaps today is the day you should start.

 

Be Blessed,

Rich

 

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Walk in His Light

1 John 2:3-5   “We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them”

Is it just me or it is so hard to remain consistent in our Christian walk?  Every word, every action reflects our inner self, and it is my fear that too many times this is reflecting the world’s view and not God’s love.  When other’s see this type of activity, judgments are made relative to the Christian faith.  You and I are representatives of Jesus Christ in this life and we ought to truly consider that before we act or speak.

As a parent I think about the words I have said to my children over the years.  I am saddened by the times when my temper got the best of me and they were left crushed in their spirit.  In reflection, what would have happened if I had paused, thought it through and reflected God’s love and sense of Fatherhood in the situation?  How much more of a positive impact might I have had on their lives, and how much more would they have been trained to do the same.  When we look at our children’s actions, we must pause and look at our own; for you see in most circumstances their actions mirror what they have learned from you.

Just as a Christian should reflect the love for God and the truth and peace of Jesus Christ, our children reflect the image of their parents.  Are you seeing anger, poutiness, selfishness, disrespect and pride in your children or are you seeing love, compassion, peace, servanthood, empathy and respectfulness in your children?  Either way, the likelihood of them getting these attributes from outside of the house is slim.  They observe you and your actions from the moment they begin to learn.  You’ve heard that the formative years are from 1 to 5, I would propose that it is actually 1 to 18.  These children are your precious lifeblood.  They will carry on these attributes throughout their entire life.  You set the bar, and should take it seriously. 

The Father has demonstrated love, grace, compassion, servanthood, peace, generosity, truthfulness and respect for others; through His Son Jesus.  We are to strive to carry these forward from generation to generation and instil them in our children and their children.  Teach them to love, to cherish, to empathize and to serve others.  Teach them to reflect Jesus Christ and they will carry it forward.

Be Blessed,

Rich

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