(publish date ??)
A few years ago, someone started a rumor that there would be a worldwide shortage of toilet paper. Before long, people were buying rolls by the carton and stockpiling it in their basements, just in case the rumor was true.
Those involved in the industry may have been amused or dismayed by this all-out rush on their product; however, they were close enough to the supply to realize there was no danger of a shortage. The rumor simply wasn’t true.
I wonder if that is how other notions, even some widely-held ideas, are spawned. Do they start with rumors from people who are not close enough to the situation to really know for sure if what they say is true? Are they then perpetuated by human fears or other emotions?
For instance, some decades ago, a few people grabbed on to the idea that the Word of God no longer has authority over our lives. These people kept saying we are free to be our own boss, do whatever we want, forget God and the Bible. This notion permeated a culture that once took the Bible seriously. Even though we still make oaths with one hand on our heart and the other on the Bible, for the most part, it gathers dust.
This rumor was further fueled by slogans such as: “God is dead” or “the Bible is outdated” or “it was written by men therefore must be full of errors.” Unfortunately, people seldom checked any of it for themselves. Instead, their Bibles now occupy a bottom drawer or a dusty top shelf.
These notions have also infected the church. Some who call themselves Christian do not believe God’s Book is fully authoritative. For instance, consider the following statistics from the Barna group’s latest findings, published in April of this year. Among Christian men (possibly meaning “Evangelical Christian men”): 28% believe that Jesus was not physically raised from the dead, 27% believe that He committed sins, and 55% believe that everyone will have the same outcome after death, regardless of their beliefs.
Of course the Bible affirms otherwise. It says Jesus was “like us in every way except that He was without sin.” It also affirms that He rose from the dead in a body. It goes on to say that if He didn’t, the Christian faith is totally useless; all who believe it will “die in their sins.”
The Bible also warns about the options regarding eternal destiny. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth: a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God. . . all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.”
Oddly enough, the same survey showed that 47% still believe that there are absolute moral truths. Another 40% believe that the Bible and religion should be the main influences on moral thinking. In other words, the Bible apparently does have value, but not authority?
How then, if God’s Book is not believed in its entirety, is it possible to use it as an anchor for morality? What do we do when our self-focused natures eventually come to a place of resistance to what God says? Is it not His authority that we revolt against, even when we know what He says is true and right?
Mere mental assent to this Book may acknowledge it is God’s book or that it says things that are good for us. Faith is trusting in the One who wrote it and submitting to His authority over us. We already know we are not able to live as we ought. We need help. Faith is turning from our own way and our own efforts and giving ourselves to the care and leading of our Creator. It is yielding to and following Christ, fully dismissing that old rumor that He has no right to our allegiance.
Showing posts with label eternal destiny. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eternal destiny. Show all posts
Friday, April 21, 2017
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
My 27th Move ................ Parables 348
December 15, 1992
We have a few more than usual parcels to unwrap this Christmas, maybe over a hundred extra, but they are not all gifts!
No, we did not win a lottery nor do we have a wealthy relative; the parcels are moving cartons. For me, this is relocation number 27, but I am looking forward to it because we are returning home to Alberta.
Some people wonder, “You must have this matter of moving down pat by now?” Well, we can pack up and unpack fairly quickly. It does not take long to get things put away and life back to a normal routine. But lifting boxes and putting things where they belong is not the tough part of moving; it is the mental and emotional adjustment. In fact, researchers say one move requires a normal recovery time of about two years. Multiply that by 27 and it means I’m not old enough to know what it means to be “adjusted!”
Actually, some new orientation is fun, like making new friends and finding new sights to see. This time, we move into a brand new home (built by phone and fax!) and are going to be much closer to our family. All these pluses ease the pain of leaving wonderful friends and familiar conveniences here in Saskatchewan. They will also help us through frustrations like weeks of trying to remember where I put the scissors, stationery, and sugar canister. I’m sure I’ve spent half my life filing!
Just for fun, I did a word search on my computer to see how many times the word “move” is in the Bible. Even though the nation of Israel spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness, their society was a lot less mobile than ours. I found only a few passages that referred to moving in the sense of packing up and going somewhere else to live.
Most of our moves have been connected to my husband’s work — but there is no specific mention in the Bible of moving for that reason. In two cases, people moved because their enemies forced a relocation. In another situation, a Bible family moved because God called them to a new location.
I can relate to some of those but the verse I liked the best was this promise: “I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them any more, as previously...” (2 Samuel 7:10).
Hope of a final destination helps in adjusting to a mobile lifestyle right now. It also helps to accept it without complaining. God has given my husband wonderful skills and opportunities to use them in his work, and his work requires that we move now and then. Besides, each new location has great benefits; we keep meeting the most incredible people and have made some wonderful friends.
The best of those “move” verses didn’t have to do with moving a household, however it did offer encouragement for the upsets of writing final exams, moving from two houses (one here, one in Fort Saskatchewan) into one house, celebrating Christmas, and still remaining enthusiastic and sane. It says, “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24).
While we celebrate the gift of God’s Son, we also celebrate that He has made all 27 moves a growing, purposeful experience.
Merry Christmas!
We have a few more than usual parcels to unwrap this Christmas, maybe over a hundred extra, but they are not all gifts!
No, we did not win a lottery nor do we have a wealthy relative; the parcels are moving cartons. For me, this is relocation number 27, but I am looking forward to it because we are returning home to Alberta.
Some people wonder, “You must have this matter of moving down pat by now?” Well, we can pack up and unpack fairly quickly. It does not take long to get things put away and life back to a normal routine. But lifting boxes and putting things where they belong is not the tough part of moving; it is the mental and emotional adjustment. In fact, researchers say one move requires a normal recovery time of about two years. Multiply that by 27 and it means I’m not old enough to know what it means to be “adjusted!”
Actually, some new orientation is fun, like making new friends and finding new sights to see. This time, we move into a brand new home (built by phone and fax!) and are going to be much closer to our family. All these pluses ease the pain of leaving wonderful friends and familiar conveniences here in Saskatchewan. They will also help us through frustrations like weeks of trying to remember where I put the scissors, stationery, and sugar canister. I’m sure I’ve spent half my life filing!
Just for fun, I did a word search on my computer to see how many times the word “move” is in the Bible. Even though the nation of Israel spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness, their society was a lot less mobile than ours. I found only a few passages that referred to moving in the sense of packing up and going somewhere else to live.
Most of our moves have been connected to my husband’s work — but there is no specific mention in the Bible of moving for that reason. In two cases, people moved because their enemies forced a relocation. In another situation, a Bible family moved because God called them to a new location.
I can relate to some of those but the verse I liked the best was this promise: “I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them any more, as previously...” (2 Samuel 7:10).
Hope of a final destination helps in adjusting to a mobile lifestyle right now. It also helps to accept it without complaining. God has given my husband wonderful skills and opportunities to use them in his work, and his work requires that we move now and then. Besides, each new location has great benefits; we keep meeting the most incredible people and have made some wonderful friends.
The best of those “move” verses didn’t have to do with moving a household, however it did offer encouragement for the upsets of writing final exams, moving from two houses (one here, one in Fort Saskatchewan) into one house, celebrating Christmas, and still remaining enthusiastic and sane. It says, “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24).
While we celebrate the gift of God’s Son, we also celebrate that He has made all 27 moves a growing, purposeful experience.
Merry Christmas!
Monday, May 11, 2015
God sustains His church, even some of its meeting places .............. Parables 272
June 19, 1991
The Strasbourg cathedral in France is a magnificent structure with towers, ornate carvings, and an extraordinary spire, visible for miles. It was first built to honor God and is still a place of worship, just as it was originally intended.
As Bob and I sat bowed before the Lord in a side chapel reserved for prayer away from other tourists, we could almost sense the presence of believers from past centuries who had prayed here before us. Bob whispered, “If walls could speak...”
Those walls certainly housed a long history. Christianity spread to the Strasbourg area of the Rhine valley in the 4th century. While there is no accurate record establishing a date when they built their first worship centre, a large fire in 1176 necessitated the restoration of what was there. Thus construction began on what is now the present building, over 800 years ago. Later, in 1402, Ulrich von Ensingen, a man considered one of Europe’s most famous master-masons, designed the impressive spire.
We noticed huge bells, the oldest of which weighs 9000 kilograms or about 20,000 pounds, and magnificent sculpture. Some of the ancient carvings have been moved inside a nearby museum to protect them from erosion. The immense organ has been replaced a few times. The clock is newer. It chimes to mark each hour with a baby appearing and the angel of death removing an old man. Inside the vast main sanctuary, modern chairs replace whatever people sat upon in earlier days. The side-chapel where we prayed had woven cane seats that seemed a more suitable vintage. Every part of this building, from the crypt to the cross high on the spire, is the work of dedicated craftsmen.
We could not help but think of the heritage that belongs to the Christian faith. To be sure there are stains on the pages, from the Crusades to the recent televangelist scandals; but by far out-numbering the blots and blights are unsung faithful souls who believed in and loved Jesus Christ. This building endures as a reminder to the fact that despite how we mess up what God intended, the content of the Christian faith endures.
In our humanness, we have no inborn ability to hang on to an everlasting faith, yet the One who gives faith, the One in whom our faith is placed, can be depended upon to sustain our trust in Him. Furthermore, He is available to anyone of any era or century who recognizes His revelation of Himself through His Son and who trusts the work of Christ for forgiveness of sins.
Psalms 104:31 says: “The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever...” That means that God simply remains -- beyond this world, its contents, and beyond time itself. Hebrews 1:10-12 tell us: “You, Lord, in the beginning have laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of your hands: they shall perish; but You remain; and they all shall wear out as does a garment; and as a mantle you shall fold them up, and they shall be changed: but You are the same, and Your years shall not fail.”
When the Christians at Strasbourg erected their cathedral, they did it with God’s character in mind. Even though no building can be holy, sacred or eternal like He is, every time it was burned or bombed or eroded, they rebuilt, refurbished and restored because they wanted God’s eternal character to be honored as much as frail humanity could possible honor Him.
That is how we felt too, as we prayed on cane chairs under immense, arching and echoing ceilings and in the light of brilliant stained glass. God cannot be contained in a building but the building reminded us that He willingly offers to live in the hearts of those who trust Him and will remain there forever.
The Strasbourg cathedral in France is a magnificent structure with towers, ornate carvings, and an extraordinary spire, visible for miles. It was first built to honor God and is still a place of worship, just as it was originally intended.
As Bob and I sat bowed before the Lord in a side chapel reserved for prayer away from other tourists, we could almost sense the presence of believers from past centuries who had prayed here before us. Bob whispered, “If walls could speak...”
Those walls certainly housed a long history. Christianity spread to the Strasbourg area of the Rhine valley in the 4th century. While there is no accurate record establishing a date when they built their first worship centre, a large fire in 1176 necessitated the restoration of what was there. Thus construction began on what is now the present building, over 800 years ago. Later, in 1402, Ulrich von Ensingen, a man considered one of Europe’s most famous master-masons, designed the impressive spire.
We noticed huge bells, the oldest of which weighs 9000 kilograms or about 20,000 pounds, and magnificent sculpture. Some of the ancient carvings have been moved inside a nearby museum to protect them from erosion. The immense organ has been replaced a few times. The clock is newer. It chimes to mark each hour with a baby appearing and the angel of death removing an old man. Inside the vast main sanctuary, modern chairs replace whatever people sat upon in earlier days. The side-chapel where we prayed had woven cane seats that seemed a more suitable vintage. Every part of this building, from the crypt to the cross high on the spire, is the work of dedicated craftsmen.
We could not help but think of the heritage that belongs to the Christian faith. To be sure there are stains on the pages, from the Crusades to the recent televangelist scandals; but by far out-numbering the blots and blights are unsung faithful souls who believed in and loved Jesus Christ. This building endures as a reminder to the fact that despite how we mess up what God intended, the content of the Christian faith endures.
In our humanness, we have no inborn ability to hang on to an everlasting faith, yet the One who gives faith, the One in whom our faith is placed, can be depended upon to sustain our trust in Him. Furthermore, He is available to anyone of any era or century who recognizes His revelation of Himself through His Son and who trusts the work of Christ for forgiveness of sins.
Psalms 104:31 says: “The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever...” That means that God simply remains -- beyond this world, its contents, and beyond time itself. Hebrews 1:10-12 tell us: “You, Lord, in the beginning have laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of your hands: they shall perish; but You remain; and they all shall wear out as does a garment; and as a mantle you shall fold them up, and they shall be changed: but You are the same, and Your years shall not fail.”
When the Christians at Strasbourg erected their cathedral, they did it with God’s character in mind. Even though no building can be holy, sacred or eternal like He is, every time it was burned or bombed or eroded, they rebuilt, refurbished and restored because they wanted God’s eternal character to be honored as much as frail humanity could possible honor Him.
That is how we felt too, as we prayed on cane chairs under immense, arching and echoing ceilings and in the light of brilliant stained glass. God cannot be contained in a building but the building reminded us that He willingly offers to live in the hearts of those who trust Him and will remain there forever.
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Why does God allow poverty? ................. Parables 183
September 20, 1989
Some people say, “I would die before I’d ever go on social assistance.” Others respond, “Oh yea? Without it, I would have died.”
The have’s and the have-nots. Fat and lean. The rich and the poor. Whatever we call them, every society houses both ends of their own particular economic spectrum. Here, the poor seldom go hungry or homeless. In India or Africa, our poor might seem rich in comparison to their levels of poverty.
Some people ask why does God allow poverty? Others may wonder why He allows riches. Unknown to both, God has a social assistance program apart from whatever economic bracket we might be in. Furthermore, His supply of physical or material goods is merely a fringe benefit, icing on the “cake”.
Before we get to the “cake” though, it must be understood that according to Jesus, both rich and poor can put their focus on material wealth and lose sight of the “cake.” In one instance, a man concerned about an unfair division of inheritance approached Jesus. After refusing to act as a judge in his case, the Lord said, “...Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
Then He told this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops? ...I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul... eat, drink, and be merry.’
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ ...so is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God...”
Jesus address the poor person in the same sermon: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven... for where your treasure is there your heart will be also... no one can serve two masters... you cannot serve God and money... therefore, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on... look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ...your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things...”
Jesus then tells how to get the “cake” and qualify for God’s social assistance program. It is not by filling out forms or being out of work for six weeks. It is this: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you...” (Matthew 6)
Was He joking? How can a search for the realm of God’s rule fill anyone’s stomach? How can seeking His righteousness (which is not the same as our own brand) put clothes on anyone’s back?
David knew the answer long before Jesus made the promise, “I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread.” (Psalm 37:25)
Simply put, God takes care of His children. He makes sure they have enough to eat and wear. And that is the fringe benefit. The initial gift is new life through spiritual birth, not only entering into His family and receiving eternal life, but entering also into the greatest social assistance program ever.
Some people say, “I would die before I’d ever go on social assistance.” Others respond, “Oh yea? Without it, I would have died.”
The have’s and the have-nots. Fat and lean. The rich and the poor. Whatever we call them, every society houses both ends of their own particular economic spectrum. Here, the poor seldom go hungry or homeless. In India or Africa, our poor might seem rich in comparison to their levels of poverty.
Some people ask why does God allow poverty? Others may wonder why He allows riches. Unknown to both, God has a social assistance program apart from whatever economic bracket we might be in. Furthermore, His supply of physical or material goods is merely a fringe benefit, icing on the “cake”.
Before we get to the “cake” though, it must be understood that according to Jesus, both rich and poor can put their focus on material wealth and lose sight of the “cake.” In one instance, a man concerned about an unfair division of inheritance approached Jesus. After refusing to act as a judge in his case, the Lord said, “...Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
Then He told this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops? ...I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul... eat, drink, and be merry.’
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ ...so is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God...”
Jesus address the poor person in the same sermon: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven... for where your treasure is there your heart will be also... no one can serve two masters... you cannot serve God and money... therefore, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on... look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ...your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things...”
Jesus then tells how to get the “cake” and qualify for God’s social assistance program. It is not by filling out forms or being out of work for six weeks. It is this: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you...” (Matthew 6)
Was He joking? How can a search for the realm of God’s rule fill anyone’s stomach? How can seeking His righteousness (which is not the same as our own brand) put clothes on anyone’s back?
David knew the answer long before Jesus made the promise, “I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread.” (Psalm 37:25)
Simply put, God takes care of His children. He makes sure they have enough to eat and wear. And that is the fringe benefit. The initial gift is new life through spiritual birth, not only entering into His family and receiving eternal life, but entering also into the greatest social assistance program ever.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Russian roulette ................... Parables 070
Russian roulette is a deadly little game once popular in the movies. Players took turns putting a gun to their head and pulling the trigger, gambling that the chamber with the solitary bullet would not have their name on it.
A couple of modern Russian roulette players came to my attention this week. One was a driver who ran the warning ropes, red flags, and stop signs on highway 15 at the detour crossing. Fortunately for him, his number did not come up.
A friend told us of another one, a man made aware of the gospel and who knew that he would be separated from God for eternity if he did not confess his sins and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of his life. But he wanted to “do his own thing” for awhile, so he memorized the sinner’s prayer and practiced saying it with speed. He thought that if he was ever in an accident he would be prepared to quickly get right with the Lord.
One day, he was in a car that was suddenly struck by lightning. Hair standing on end, frightened, yet relatively unhurt, he realized that death does not always give anyone time to get their relationship with God in order. He changed his mind about, quit trying to play games with the Lord and prayed that prayer.
King Saul of Israel played a similar game. He knew what God wanted but made one excuse after another to do his own thing. Finally Samuel, God’s prophet, said to him, “... You have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you as king over Israel” (1 Samuel 15:26). Saul lost.
Jesus told of another roulette player, a rich man who played the game by hoarding his wealth, and deciding to “eat drink and be merry.” God told him, “You fool...this very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” (Luke 12:20). He lost the game too.
James, in the New Testament book he authored, warns about being a boasting roulette player. That is one who makes great plans for his future with no concern for the Lord’s will. He says, “Why you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14).
The survival rate for running through stop signs is probably higher than it is for being hit by a bolt of lightning; however, no one survives playing Russian roulette with their soul. Proverbs 29:1 says, “A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed -- without remedy.”
If a person listens to God and is prepared for whatever may happen, they are already a winner and disqualified from even playing the game. If they are not prepared - there is no greater loss.
A couple of modern Russian roulette players came to my attention this week. One was a driver who ran the warning ropes, red flags, and stop signs on highway 15 at the detour crossing. Fortunately for him, his number did not come up.
A friend told us of another one, a man made aware of the gospel and who knew that he would be separated from God for eternity if he did not confess his sins and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of his life. But he wanted to “do his own thing” for awhile, so he memorized the sinner’s prayer and practiced saying it with speed. He thought that if he was ever in an accident he would be prepared to quickly get right with the Lord.
One day, he was in a car that was suddenly struck by lightning. Hair standing on end, frightened, yet relatively unhurt, he realized that death does not always give anyone time to get their relationship with God in order. He changed his mind about, quit trying to play games with the Lord and prayed that prayer.
King Saul of Israel played a similar game. He knew what God wanted but made one excuse after another to do his own thing. Finally Samuel, God’s prophet, said to him, “... You have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you as king over Israel” (1 Samuel 15:26). Saul lost.
Jesus told of another roulette player, a rich man who played the game by hoarding his wealth, and deciding to “eat drink and be merry.” God told him, “You fool...this very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” (Luke 12:20). He lost the game too.
James, in the New Testament book he authored, warns about being a boasting roulette player. That is one who makes great plans for his future with no concern for the Lord’s will. He says, “Why you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14).
The survival rate for running through stop signs is probably higher than it is for being hit by a bolt of lightning; however, no one survives playing Russian roulette with their soul. Proverbs 29:1 says, “A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed -- without remedy.”
If a person listens to God and is prepared for whatever may happen, they are already a winner and disqualified from even playing the game. If they are not prepared - there is no greater loss.
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