"Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
Speak of all His wonders."
-I Chronicles 16:7-9
During this time of Thanksgiving, I have seen people speak of (and even spoken of myself) a lot of things for which we are thankful. Everything from an iPhone to a car to the weather. I am of course thankful for a healthy and beautiful wife and daughter, a loving mother and siblings, and the security of being spoiled in this country.
Job, however, reminds us that we own nothing. It is all God's. As the Scripture above states, there is really one overarching purpose in giving thanks. It is simply to glorify God.
We give thanks to God for His work, not ours.
We give thanks to God for His goodness, not ours.
We give thanks to God for His mercy, for we need it.
True thankfulness is the recognition that we don't deserve or own anything, but that God allows us to have it by His mercy. Ultimate thankfulness is recognizing we don't own or deserve eternal life, but we have it in Christ Jesus by His mercy.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
Is the Bible Reliable?
All of the Scripture we have today is based on ancient sources. It wasn't printed until after 1500 AD. There are many opportunities to question the validity and reliability of scripture. As I said in the last blog post, I have been sharing the Gospel with just such a person - who denies the reliability of scripture. But here are some interesting facts...
Homer's Iliad was written in 8th century BC. The oldest manuscript we have is from the 13th century AD. That's 2,000 years where there is no manuscript for this. There is no existing original. There are 643 copies.
The Golic Wars is a history written in the first century. The oldest manuscript we have is from 1,000 years later. There are 10 copies.
A history by Thucydides has eight manuscripts from 1300 years AFTER it was written.
No one questions the authenticity of these documents. In fact, we read the Iliad without really knowing if Homer ever even wrote it, considering our oldest copy is 2,000 years older than him.
Yet day after day, people question the Bible's reliability. Here are the facts...
There are over 25,000 ancient manuscripts of the Bible!
The oldest ones are dated within the first 100 years after Christ, and people who saw Christ were still alive when these were penned.
There are over 32,000 quotes from scripture in the early church fathers' writings. In fact, we can recreate the New Testament without any manuscripts, using only quotes from the early church fathers!
There are early manuscripts that are different than our modern Bibles. But these have been discredited due to the MASSIVE volume of manuscripts that agree word for word!
643 copies of the Iliad written 2,000 years later. Or 25,000 copies of the Bible, some within the lifespan of the first Christians. Which would you trust?
Homer's Iliad was written in 8th century BC. The oldest manuscript we have is from the 13th century AD. That's 2,000 years where there is no manuscript for this. There is no existing original. There are 643 copies.
The Golic Wars is a history written in the first century. The oldest manuscript we have is from 1,000 years later. There are 10 copies.
A history by Thucydides has eight manuscripts from 1300 years AFTER it was written.
No one questions the authenticity of these documents. In fact, we read the Iliad without really knowing if Homer ever even wrote it, considering our oldest copy is 2,000 years older than him.
Yet day after day, people question the Bible's reliability. Here are the facts...
There are over 25,000 ancient manuscripts of the Bible!
The oldest ones are dated within the first 100 years after Christ, and people who saw Christ were still alive when these were penned.
There are over 32,000 quotes from scripture in the early church fathers' writings. In fact, we can recreate the New Testament without any manuscripts, using only quotes from the early church fathers!
There are early manuscripts that are different than our modern Bibles. But these have been discredited due to the MASSIVE volume of manuscripts that agree word for word!
643 copies of the Iliad written 2,000 years later. Or 25,000 copies of the Bible, some within the lifespan of the first Christians. Which would you trust?
Sunday, November 6, 2011
I'm Back!
You know, having an infant really cramps my blogging life. haha
We were placed with a beautiful baby girl in June, and she will be 5 months old tomorrow!
But now things have finally settled to a point where I feel I can be consistent and blog regularly each week or two.
"For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." 1 Corinthians 2:2
Over the past few months, a few of us at work have been sharing the Gospel with a very difficult customer. His protestations and arguments against the Gospel are shockingly bad and unfounded, but it made me realize these are pretty common objections to the Gospel today.
Firstly, he objects to the validity and accuracy of the Bible. We will confront this on the next blog.
Secondly, he objects to the exclusivity of the Gospel. "It's not fair".
And finally, he objects to having to change his mind about evolution, abortion, and a host of other issues.
I think the last objections are his strongest, and there is a reason for it. We have politicized our Gospel to the point that it's hard for a person to separate the Gospel from the political issues Evangelicals have supported over the years. But it's important to make something clear: your stance on evolution, abortion, gay marriage, taxes, regulation, or foreign policy do not save you.
Jonah reminds us "Salvation belongs the the Lord."
What my customer friend doesn't realize is he doesn't have to change his mind about any of these things to become a Christian. There's only one thing he has to change his mind about, and that's his sinful nature. If he can admit he is a sinner and needs Jesus, he's there!
Then the follow up comes, via Romans 12:2, and then he will eventually change his mind on these other things to one degree or another.
I was a believer for years before I became pro life. Until recently I still felt a pull towards evolution. The Holy Spirit has taken time to work on me and mold me in that regard.
And as far as taxes and regulations and other issues, I am much leftier than my friends would like.
Yet I am saved, because I understand Jesus took my place, paid for my sin, and as I abide in Him, I am free from the wrath of God and entitled to His inheritance in eternity.
What's sad is that people believe they have to change all of their attitudes to believe the Gospel. What they fail to realize is the Gospel is what will change them. The simply need to accept the Gospel, and let God take care of the rest.
We were placed with a beautiful baby girl in June, and she will be 5 months old tomorrow!
But now things have finally settled to a point where I feel I can be consistent and blog regularly each week or two.
"For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." 1 Corinthians 2:2
Over the past few months, a few of us at work have been sharing the Gospel with a very difficult customer. His protestations and arguments against the Gospel are shockingly bad and unfounded, but it made me realize these are pretty common objections to the Gospel today.
Firstly, he objects to the validity and accuracy of the Bible. We will confront this on the next blog.
Secondly, he objects to the exclusivity of the Gospel. "It's not fair".
And finally, he objects to having to change his mind about evolution, abortion, and a host of other issues.
I think the last objections are his strongest, and there is a reason for it. We have politicized our Gospel to the point that it's hard for a person to separate the Gospel from the political issues Evangelicals have supported over the years. But it's important to make something clear: your stance on evolution, abortion, gay marriage, taxes, regulation, or foreign policy do not save you.
Jonah reminds us "Salvation belongs the the Lord."
What my customer friend doesn't realize is he doesn't have to change his mind about any of these things to become a Christian. There's only one thing he has to change his mind about, and that's his sinful nature. If he can admit he is a sinner and needs Jesus, he's there!
Then the follow up comes, via Romans 12:2, and then he will eventually change his mind on these other things to one degree or another.
I was a believer for years before I became pro life. Until recently I still felt a pull towards evolution. The Holy Spirit has taken time to work on me and mold me in that regard.
And as far as taxes and regulations and other issues, I am much leftier than my friends would like.
Yet I am saved, because I understand Jesus took my place, paid for my sin, and as I abide in Him, I am free from the wrath of God and entitled to His inheritance in eternity.
What's sad is that people believe they have to change all of their attitudes to believe the Gospel. What they fail to realize is the Gospel is what will change them. The simply need to accept the Gospel, and let God take care of the rest.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Astonishing Faith
In an astonishing leap of faith, noted scientist Stephen Hawking has declared that there is no heaven.
"I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail," the physicist said in an interview published Sunday in Britain's Guardian newspaper. "There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark."
I love science. I am amazed by the work of science. Psalm 129 says the "heavens declare the glory of God". While most evangelicals twist in their seat when they watch the Discovery Channel, I eat it up! But there are some logical fallacies perpetrated by some in the science realm.
What is particularly amazing about Hawking's statements are three-fold:
1) With no scientific evidence that the universe created itself from nothing, Hawking claims it did.
2) Hawking prefaces this claim by saying it is necessary for gravity to exist in order for the universe to create itself, but offers no scientific explanation for the existence of gravity.
3) Hawking acknowledges a "beginning" of time, but fails to fulfill the centuries-old law of science, "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction". For the universe to be created, something must have been the catalyst.
And so, once again, science cannot explain the universe, and must take a leap of faith, afraid of the scientific consequences of acknowledging God's work, rather bowing down to worship the almighty work of gravity and spontaneity.
"I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail," the physicist said in an interview published Sunday in Britain's Guardian newspaper. "There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark."
I love science. I am amazed by the work of science. Psalm 129 says the "heavens declare the glory of God". While most evangelicals twist in their seat when they watch the Discovery Channel, I eat it up! But there are some logical fallacies perpetrated by some in the science realm.
What is particularly amazing about Hawking's statements are three-fold:
1) With no scientific evidence that the universe created itself from nothing, Hawking claims it did.
2) Hawking prefaces this claim by saying it is necessary for gravity to exist in order for the universe to create itself, but offers no scientific explanation for the existence of gravity.
3) Hawking acknowledges a "beginning" of time, but fails to fulfill the centuries-old law of science, "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction". For the universe to be created, something must have been the catalyst.
And so, once again, science cannot explain the universe, and must take a leap of faith, afraid of the scientific consequences of acknowledging God's work, rather bowing down to worship the almighty work of gravity and spontaneity.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Marriage
As my church family works through Colossians 3, the focus on family and marriage has become more central toward the end of the chapter. I don't think it's a coincidence that immediately preceding a list of commands as husband and father, the fruit of the spirit is emphasized - clothing ourselves with kindness, gentleness, compassion, humility...
But what struck me the greatest was an observation at a wedding I played last weekend. The oft-quoted Ephesians 5 - "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her."
I always thought of this verse in two basic ways. Firstly, I should be willing to literally die for my wife. Secondly, I should be willing to die figuratively - that is to serve her in a selfless manner. But when we think of Christ, we often remember his sacrificial death, while forgetting his perfection in life. Christ's death on the cross means nothing if He is just another sinner. He has to be without spot or blemish.
In the same way, if we are to imitate Christ's love for the church in our relationship with our wives, we must be willing to resist a multitude of temptations, as Christ did, to live in a pure way.
I don't know about you, but it is easier for me to resist those temptations by reminding myself that Christ also resisted, rather than by simply willing myself into perfection. That never works.
But what struck me the greatest was an observation at a wedding I played last weekend. The oft-quoted Ephesians 5 - "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her."
I always thought of this verse in two basic ways. Firstly, I should be willing to literally die for my wife. Secondly, I should be willing to die figuratively - that is to serve her in a selfless manner. But when we think of Christ, we often remember his sacrificial death, while forgetting his perfection in life. Christ's death on the cross means nothing if He is just another sinner. He has to be without spot or blemish.
In the same way, if we are to imitate Christ's love for the church in our relationship with our wives, we must be willing to resist a multitude of temptations, as Christ did, to live in a pure way.
I don't know about you, but it is easier for me to resist those temptations by reminding myself that Christ also resisted, rather than by simply willing myself into perfection. That never works.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Sanctified
Sanctified - to be set apart, made holy, changed...
Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” - Exodus 33:15-16
1) You will be different if the Presence of God lives in you.
2) Your different-ness will set you apart in the world.
3) Your different-ness will grow, and you will become even differenter.
4) People see this, and they too are changed.
Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” - Exodus 33:15-16
1) You will be different if the Presence of God lives in you.
2) Your different-ness will set you apart in the world.
3) Your different-ness will grow, and you will become even differenter.
4) People see this, and they too are changed.
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