The Bible: An Overviewe

 Have you ever wondered why the Bible books were arranged the way that they are? There are Bibles that try to put different passages in chronological order. My favorite Bible scholar, Michael Rydelnyk, says that each book is written as a whole message. Cutting them up to achieve chronological continuity loses the sense of the overall book. I think I agree. As we study the Bible, the order of the books also gives a “whole message.”

It begins with Genesis and the account of how everything came into existence, including man. Man began as a perfect being, with, what Charles Ryrie calls, untested holiness. When the test came, man forfeited his state of holiness and, consequently, his perfection. Genesis 3:15 sums it up. The Lord God is addressing Adam and Eve, and Satan, camouflaged as a snake, and spells out history.

“I will put enmity between your and the woman and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head and you will bruise His heel.” Satan has been intent on thwarting God’s plan for man and the world ever since. Without going into extreme detail, we will trace that conflict and results. (For the full story, begin at Genesis 1:1, and read it through.)

Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden to prevent them from eating from the Tree of Life which would have doomed them to eternally exist in the corrupted state into which they had descended. The following chapters, up to chapter 6 lists the genealogies of both lines of “seeds.” One was Adam’s seed line through Seth and the other arose through Cain. (Little detail: Cain attempted to terminate the godly line by murdering his brother Abel. But that is another long story.)

The lines propagated and led to the statement in Genesis 6:5. “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Read on: v. 8. “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.”

So God instructed Noah to build an ark and, by faith, save his family from the flood that covered the entire earth. Once that was over, Noah and his sons began civilization again. And the result was that the seed of the Serpent decided to replace God by building a tower and inserting themselves into His role as Ruler. (Gensis 11) The Lord dispersed them by confounding their once common language into numerous dialects and tongues. This led to a separation of the population over large portions of the globe.

God’s next step was to choose one man, Abram, later named Abraham, as the one to take the message of salvation to all people. Abram was a antithetical choice as his occupation and life style was that of an idol maker. But God chose Abram and Abram responded, by faith, to God’s instructions and took his family from his homeland to a new territory which the Lord had prepared and promised him. (Genesis 12)

The story continues with the birth of Isaac and his fathering Esau and Jacob. Jacob was given the blessing and burden of carrying the godly Seed line. He went to Egypt for 400 years and waited for the Lord to continue to fulfill His promise to give the family a homeland. End of Genesis.

Exodus begins with God’s preparation of Jacob’s family to leave their home for the last 400 years and return to the Promised Land, aka, Abraham’s possession. First the “friendly” home in Egypt became hostile and the Pharaoh, leader of the country, subjected all of the Hebrews to slavery. The collective name of Jacob’s family was Hebrews, but they called themselves the Children of Israel or Israel for short. Later they became the Jews. FYI.

Out of this slavery, God chose and called a man named, Moses, to lead them from Egypt and to the Promised Land. They went willingly, to escape slavery, then reneged and even tried to return to Egypt. After 40 years of wandering in the wilderness east of Egypt and south of their Promised land, now named Israel, they came to the end of Exodus. The books of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy give God’s laws to keep Israel pure, an accounting of the people who left Egypt, and a second explanation of the law. 

Then the people are ready to finally enter the Promised land and Joshua led them into that land and portioned the land to the twelve different tribes. They represented the 12 children of Jacob who went to Egypt and now they are a mighty multitude, which some commentators number as nearly six million. So God inserted them into the land with the command to 1) occupy it, by 2) expelling the wicked nations living their now. This expulsion included the prohibition of worshiping their gods and intermarrying with the wicked residents.

The book of Judges chronicles the events following the death of Joshua. This led to the people rejecting God’s rule over them and demanding a king. So First and Second Samuel, First and Second Kings, and First and Second Chronicles chronicle (sorry) the succession of Kings from Saul, David, and Solomon, down through the divided kingdom. (Another long story.) The result of all of these kings is that both the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom were carried into captivity by Babylon. This was predicted, warned by Moses and subsequent prophets.

Then Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther tell about the times after the Israelites were released to go back to the land. And, sadly, Ezra and Nehemiah both report that they people did not follow God’s plan. But, as an encouragement, the godly line of Seth had been continued through King David and on. It is pointing to the ultimate coming of the Seed. Hang on.

Then Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon are poetry books. They mix a look back at history, ahead to prophecy, and just plain worship and adoration. There is even some complaining about how “people are treating me.” But endure. Read on and get to the praise for God’s provision. 

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, and Ezekiel are “major” prophets that expand the warning and results that the people are suffering from their disobedience to God’s commands to Moses. Daniel sets in there with a description of how God worked in the empires of Babylon and Persia. This led to the people being released back into their homeland. (See Ezra dn Nehemiah.) Daniel also throws in a generous helping of future prophecy, up to and past the Seed victory, to His ultimate rule of the nations.

Oops, that was a spoiler. Let’s go on. The final prophets are after the people are back in the land and the Temple, started in Ezra and Nehemiah, is completed. The prophets still warn about not following the Lord. Then Malachi closes the Old Testament and what follows is a 400 year hiatus of God speaking to His people.

The New Testament begins with a quartet of accounts about the coming of the Messiah, the godly Seed, His ministry, and finally the climax of His ministry. This is the finale of the “crushing of Satan’s head and his striking of the Seed’s heel.” What was not outlined in Genesis, is, that although the Seed would suffer and die, the death was not permanent. It was only for three days, then He arose! And in so doing, He defeated Satan and death forever. Hallelujah!

Acts then relates the establishment and spread of the Church, focusing on the major agent of change, Paul. Then the Gospel has been spread from Israel clear to Rome and many spots in between. It may have even passed beyond that, both to the the east and west. (The Bible does not detail that fact, but history does.)

Now, with God’s plan of Salvation complete from Genesis to the Resurrection in the Book of John, and the spread of the church, we come to Romans. Romans is a systematic discussion of the theology from beginning to end. Chapter 1 is the discussion of sin and how it infects and affects every single person in history. It continues to explain that this includes Gentiles and Jews. Both the ungodly line and the godly line, (with the exception of the Messiah), are included in Romans 3:23. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 4, 5, and 6 expand this, finally culminating in how God’s plan of salvation overcomes the original sin in all of our lives. Romans 6:23 “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Read the book up to here to see the progression.)

Romans 7 outlines the struggle between our new and the old natures. It culminates in v. 24. “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” Don’t stop reading. V. 25 “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.”

Then Romans 8 is the high point of the Scriptures. “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” The rest of the chapter raises that to ecstatic heights. V. 38 “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Read the progression aloud and accentuate and accelerate on each word.) Hallelujah! Glory!

The Paul continues in Romans 9-11 to explain how God’s plan for Abraham has not changed, and will not change. So the entire world, Jews and Gentiles are covered by the plan of salvation. How does that apply to us now?

Romans 12 explains that we can and should live in such a way is pleasing to God, just like the ancient Hebrews, and Israelites, and Jews did. Then it continues with how that will affect our behavior in interpersonal relations, the government, and even how to interact with people who do not exactly agree with us. (Romans 12, 13, 14) The chapters 15 and 16 go into Paul’s personal interactions with individuals. We can even learn from that in seeing the breadth and width of his friendships and acquaintances. 

Then First and Second Corinthians gives us insight into how to deal with problems in churches. The rest of the Epistles from Galatians to Philemon deal with different situations that Paul addressed in the different churches that he had initiated.

Hebrews, James, and First Peter are written by different church leaders to address other problems. Second Peter, the Johns, and Jude deal with false prophets. After dealing with the “positive” problems in the Epistles, the teaching turns to this terrible negative aspect of false teachers. The rise of cults can be directly traced to the initiation and growth of false teachings. Beware! In fact, all other religions follow the Babel tactic of trying to replace God.

Finally, Revelation is John’s description of God’s finale to the plan of Salvation. There will be a one thousand year reign of Christ, the Messiah, the Seed from Genesis 3, followed by the ultimate destruction of Satan and his followers. In the end, God wins. We win. What a story. And just in case you wondered, Satan, the Serpent, will spend eternity in the lake of fire. God prepared it for Satan and his angels. The Book tells us how to avoid spending it with that great deceiver and snake.

And read it again. It is a complete story. And it tells all that we need for life and eternity. Do not miss any part of it. It never gets old. 

Glory.

Answers to Prayer

Did you ever ask the Lord to do something and the answer was not exactly the same result as you had expected it to be? Often, when we pray, God answers, but in a manner that is far different from what we anticipated or even desired. But it is always best.

Paul gives us an example in Romans 15. Let’s take a look. Beginning with verse 22...

For this reason I have often been prevented from coming to you; 23 but now, with no further place for me in these regions, and since I have had for many years a longing to come to you 24 whenever I go to Spain—for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while— 25 but now, I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. 27 Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things. 28 Therefore, when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain. 29 I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

As usual, we need to keep things in context. Look at the first three words, “For this reason....” What reason is that? Our quest today is simple. Just go back two verses. V. 20

And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation; 21 but as it is written, “They who had no news of Him shall see, And they who have not heard shall understand.”

Paul had just finished a travelography (is that a word?) a travelography of his missionary visits to places that were mainly in Asia Minor. He was anxious to take the Good News to people who had no had a chance to hear. And, as we read in the first passage, he is extending his ministry farther west to Spain. That would mean that he was going as far as he could, because the Atlantic Ocean would block his way.

So Paul’s intended itinerary was set. First take a gift to Jerusalem, then head for Spain with a layover in Rome. (Probably not the exact terminology that he would have used, but you get the idea.) Let’s take a quick side trip. 

Verse 26: “For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.” The believers in Asia Minor were “pleased” to make a contribution. Have you ever heard a pastor say that we are pleased to give our offering? I have heard many say that they are pleased to receive the offering, but it is our privilege to give. Just a thought.

Back to Paul’s journey. So he went to Jerusalem. We can read the account in Acts 19:21. “Now after these things were finished, Paul purposed in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, ‘After I have been there, I must also see Rome.’”

The story continues through chapters 20 and 21. It culminates is 21:27. “... the Jews from Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, began to stir up all the crowd and laid hands on him....” The rest of chapter 21, 22, and 23 detail the intrigue of Paul’s “trial” in Jerusalem and subsequent transfer to Caesarea. There he was examined again and ultimately appealed to the jurisdiction of Rome. Then in chapter 27, after several sessions with Roman puppets, we read in v. 12. “Then when Festus had conferred with his council, he answered, ‘You have appealed to Caesar, to Caesar you shall go.’” Caesar was in Rome.

The remainder of the book of Acts is a chronicle of Paul’s journey to Rome. It is not exactly the luxurious accommodations that one might expect, but, it was effective and efficacious. Not only did Paul arrive in Rome, many new converts littered his trail.

There is an old poem by our friend William Cowper (pronounced “Cooper”)

God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform.

He plants his footsteps in the sea And rides upon the storm.

Deep in the dark and hidden mines, With never-failing skill,

He fashions all his bright designs And works his sov'reign will.

Old William was a pretty good theologian, wasn’t he? I wonder if he had just read Romans 15. We can have that same testimony in our lives as we watch God “perform His wonders.”

And the refrain of the poem carries the message for us today.

So God we trust in You. O God, we trust in You.

When tears are great and comforts few, We hope in mercies ever new,

(O God) We trust in You. Parenthesis added. JRL

To read the rest of the poem check: https://hymnary.org/text/god_moves_in_a_mysterious_way

Our Hope In Life and Death

I have heard this song before, but had not really let the words sink into my mind and soul until now. Read it along with me. (Or aloud. I will append a link for some music.)

What is our hope in life and death? Christ alone, Christ alone.

What is our only confidence? That our souls to Him belong.

Who holds our days within His hand? What comes, apart from His command,

And what will keep us to the end? The love of Christ in which we stand.

Oh, sing hallelujah Our hope springs eternal. Oh, sing hallelujah 

Now and ever we confess. Christ, our hope in life and death.

What truth can calm the troubled soul? God is good, God is good.

Where is His grace and goodness known? In our great Redeemer's blood.

Who holds our faith when fears arise? Who stands above the stormy trial?

Who sends the waves that bring us nigh Unto the shore? The rock of Christ.

Oh, sing hallelujah Our hope springs eternal. Oh, sing hallelujah

Now and ever we confess. Christ, our hope in life and death.

Unto the grave, what will we sing? "Christ, He lives, Christ, He lives!"

And what reward will Heaven bring? Everlasting life with Him.

There we will rise to meet the Lord. Then sin and death will be destroyed,

And we will feast in endless joy, When Christ is ours forevermore (forevermore)

Oh, sing hallelujah Our hope springs eternal Oh, sing hallelujah 

Now and ever we confess Christ, our hope in life and death (oh, sing)

Oh, sing hallelujah Our hope springs eternal Oh, sing hallelujah 

Now and ever we confess Christ, our hope in life and death

Now and ever we confess Christ, our hope in life and death

This is a series of questions and answers. Just let those words suffuse your heart and mind. “What is our hope in life and death?” Is there a more cogent and germane question in all of life? There is only one answer. No thing or no one can give an answer. “Christ alone, Christ alone.”

Then it goes the next step. “What is our only confidence?” And again there is only one answer. “That our souls to Him belong” Keep going. This phrase has a triplet. “Who holds our days within His hand? What comes, apart from His command, And what will keep us to the end?” The world is  desperate for an answer, especially for the final query. Can we survive without knowing that everything that happens is controlled by Him? And here it is: “The love of Christ in which we stand.” That is a long meditation by itself.

Doesn’t that prompt, no, demand that we cry, “Oh, sing hallelujah Our hope springs eternal Oh, sing hallelujah, Now and ever we confess Christ, our hope in life and death.”

If the song stopped there, it would be good, but there are some further thoughts. “What truth can calm the troubled soul?” Were the authors reading my mind? “God is good, God is good.” (Check the previous paragraph.)

The next logical question is, “Where is His grace and goodness known?” And the answer is blasted out of the speakers in the Bible. “In our great Redeemer's blood.” But it does not stop there. “Who holds our faith when fears arise? Who stands above the stormy trial? Who sends the waves that bring us nigh Unto the shore?” I have never been lost on the stormy ocean, but have read some accounts. There is either a peril or secure location as we approach the shoreline. “The rock of Christ.”

Sing, “Oh, sing hallelujah Our hope springs eternal Oh, sing hallelujah, Now and ever we confess Christ, our hope in life and death.”

One last question remains. What comes next? “Unto the grave, what will we sing?” And our confident response is the refrain. "Christ, He lives, Christ, He lives!" We exultantly anticipate, “And what reward will Heaven bring?” Hold on to your hats. “Everlasting life with Him.” (That needs a few exclamation points!!!!)

But that is not all. Get ready to load the wagon. “There we will rise to meet the Lord, Then sin and death will be destroyed, And we will feast in endless joy When Christ is ours forevermore (forevermore).”

Glory. Open up all the stops. “Oh, sing hallelujah Our hope springs eternal. Oh, sing hallelujah Now and ever we confess Christ, our hope in life and death. Oh, sing hallelujah Our hope springs eternal. Oh, sing hallelujah, Now and ever we confess Christ, our hope in life and death.”

And one last time for the sake of singing. “Now and ever we confess Christ, our hope in life and death.”

Our Pastor in Longview, Texas, would exclaim “Glory,” when something particularly touched him. But there were times when it was, “GLORY!” And I join with Pastor Paul today. GLORY!

Listen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDY3F5SYiXs

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Matt Boswell / Matt Papa / Keith Getty / Jordan Kauflin / Matthew Sherman Merker

There Is A Fountain Filled With Blood

  There Is a Fountain Filled With Blood 

With thanks to William Cowper, John Newton, and Chris Tomlin 

There is a fountain filled with blood Drawn from Immanuel’s veins;

And sinners, plunged beneath that flood, Lose all their guilty stains:

Lose all their guilty stains, Lose all their guilty stains;

And sinners, plunged beneath that flood, Lose all their guilty stains.”

What a gruesome, gory picture. A pool of blood? That is what some people think when they hear this song by William Cowper. (Cooper is the correct pronunciation.) But once that flood has flown over a person, the image is God’s glorious grace and mercy. Immanuel is God. He died to provide this.

And look what happens to those, admitted sinners, are plunged into the pool. “Lose all their guilty stains.” The conscious consequence of Adam and Eve’s sin was guilt. They did not die immediately, but they knew something was wrong. Check Genesis 3. Once they ate, they knew what they had done. The tree was, “The Knowledge of Good and Evil.” They had done evil and they knew it. No wonder they hid when God entered the Garden.

I think that they had the Shekina of the Holy Spirit about them, because they were sinless. But when they sinned, it left, and exposed them completely. What was their response? To try to replace that covering with something else. But the guilt was still there. They knew and they knew that God knew. So they ran and hid.

And what was God’s response? Do you think that Adam and Eve were shocked and surprised when He took a lamb, or possilby two, slit the throat or throats and poured out the blood. We know that is what happened, because Moses gave instructions for killing of animals, either for food or sacrifice, and it included “pouring the blood on the ground.” Then the skins were draped over their naked bodies. The “covering” they sought had to involve the spilling of blood.

They remembered the caveat, “Eat and die.” And they understood the meaning of die to be “separation” because they were separated from God. Part of what shocked them was probably that the death was for the innocent lamb.

Cowper captured that in his remarkable verse. The blood, from Immanuel, the application to the sinner, and now the release from guilt. What a glorious thought. Now read on.

The dying thief rejoiced to see That fountain in his day;

And there may I, though vile as he, Wash all my sins away:

Wash all my sins away, Wash all my sins away;

And there may I, though vile as he, Wash all my sins away.

Another sinner was plunged beneath the flow. And, as our theological friend, Pogo, announced, “We have found the enemy and he is us.” Only now we are talking about the sinner. “He is us.” We cannot stop here.

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood Shall never lose its power,

Till all the ransomed ones of God Be saved, to sin no more:

Be saved, to sin no more, Be saved, to sin no more;

Till all the ransomed ones of God, Be saved to sin no more.

(Some translations say, “church of God,” instead of ones.) Adam and Eve, the dying thief, and I were included in that precursor of Calvary played out in Genesis. And you are included too. God is infinite. Immanuel is infinite. So His sacrifice is infinite. That is enough to cover the sins of the whole world. Infinite sin. And how do we appropriate that for ourselves? Adam and Eve accepted the skin coats. Down through the ages, those who believed in the sufficiency, by faith...well, let’s go on.

E’er since by faith I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply,

Redeeming love has been my theme, And shall be till I die:

And shall be till I die, And shall be till I die;

Redeeming love has been my theme, And shall be till I die.

We choose to accept, by faith, that stream from His wounds and we are forgiven and changed. We are “saved to sin no more.” Sin is no longer our master, as Paul pointed out in Romans 6:12 and 15. Sin is no longer our master. We are free from condemnation and domination.  We are free from guilt. And it is all because of the Love of Immanuel. Shout it out. Our theme is, “My guilt is gone, I’ve been set free. I’m redeemed.” Let’s continue...

When this poor lisping, stammering tongue Lies silent in the grave,

Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I’ll sing Thy power to save:

I’ll sing Thy power to save, I’ll sing Thy power to save;

Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I’ll sing Thy power to save.

We sing with a “poor lisping, stammering tongue,” but the message is powerful. It is noble, sweet, and saving. Another song continues, “My chains (guilt and sin) is gone, I’ve been set free, my God, my Savior has ransomed me!” What a sweet song. I’ll sing it now and throughout eternity. Glory! 

Church choir with words

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UszEEI9v7gQ

Solo soprano no words

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61U5w1yK0qM

Choir and words (Instrumental) good

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE7BcmnO_G4

Amazing grace

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7R8V9Czx5E

Interesting thought

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNuQbJst4Lk

Problems (...)

We recently joined in a celebration of life for a believing brother. A question that occurred was why would such a godly man have to suffer so long before the Lord took him home? The next day we had a Sunday School class that focused on the greatness of God and how worthy of worship He is. So the question arose again. “If God is so good and great, that is, powerful, all-knowing, and loving, why do (...) happen?” This can be applied to sicknesses, disasters, terrible losses, and misfortunes specifically and in general. “Why does (...) happen if God is in control? If God is all-powerful? If God is really good?”

If we want to answer this conundrum, we need at least five talking points, five lines of thought or reason. First, what are (...) and where do they come from? This is an easy answer. Since God is good, He created a good earth, a good place to live, and a good man to live in it. Turning to Genesis 3 reveals the answer. God’s good creation was perverted and distorted.

Let’s look at a few specific (...). Our friend had a lung disorder that was finally debilitating and death resulted. Did Adam and Eve et.al. have diseases of any kind? Nope, nada, negative. All was perfect until the great destroyer damaged the environment. In fact he messed up everything. Diseases and disasters are one of, what we loved to call in debate, “mis, mal, or non-feasance.” 

Misfeasance was unknown or inadvertent failure to operate or function as it should. Children born with birth defects are the result of too many chromosomes, not enough chromosomes, or damaged chromosomes. How do such things happen? This damaged creation causes genetic mistakes and they are transmitted to the unborn child. Cancer is generally a case of “normal” cells suddenly beginning to reproduce at an unchecked rate. This results in a tumor or other abnormal growth or stops the normal functioning of other cells. Other examples will follow.

Malfeasance is when the failure is deliberate. It is widely thought that Covid-19 was the result of a “gain of function” experiment in a laboratory somewhere. (Notice and appreciate how circumspect I am.) The genetics were modified in order to cause them to do more than they normally or behave in ways that lead to interference with normal cell and organic function. 

Nonfeasance is when something simply does not happen. Sometimes your car just stops. It can be a result of poor lubrication or failure of a part, but often it is simply because in the normal course of action, something wears out and just stops working. Or regular maintenance is not done.

It is interesting that sins can be categorized as deliberate acts, accidental acts, and omission, a  failure to act or unknowingly acting. All of these are directly related to the father of lies, Satan, who instigated and initiated the whole debacle of decline and decay, resulting in destruction. Jesus said tht Satan was the father of lies and he comes to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10) Can you see mis, mal, and nonfeasance in that trilogy?

Even natural disasters can be lumped into this triumvirate of unhappy effects. Fire is a good thing, when in the fireplace. It is not so good when it is on the living room floor. (Google could not find a source for that, but I think I read it in a C. S. Lewis writing. It is a good proverb, even if it isn’t in the Bible.) The recent fires in California are a perfect example. Fire is used to clear underbrush and overgrowth. It keeps us warm...when it is in the fireplace. But when fires are uncontrolled and driven by Santa Anna winds, they become quite destructive. They were possibly deliberately set, or accidentally ignited. (Mal and/or mis) They grew and and were driven by the winds (mis again), and the infrastructure was unprepared to deal with them. (Mis, mal, and non)

Recent floods on the eastern portion of the country were also too much of a good thing in the wrong place. Earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, volcanoes are all “natural disasters” but are not “natural.” Our conclusion that all these events are not the normal course of affairs, comes from the perfect creation. This planet is not supposed to harbor toxic chemicals, infectious diseases, or experience extraordinarily destructive events. They all fall under the label of “steal, kill, and destroy.”

Our first point is that (...) the fire on the living room rug, is not caused by God. Our second point is, “Why does He allow these things, since He made it all? Or can He stop it?” Let’s take an example. We have an SUV. A lot of companies make them including Honda, Nissan, Toyota, and others. I saw a Mercedes SUV the other day. I bet that puppy cost a pretty penny. But I digress. (We won’t use it for our illustration.)

A brand new SUV rolls off the assembly line, fully functional and in perfect operating order. Its buyer takes it out on the highway speeds up to 90 MPH and slams into, for sake of decency, slams into a concrete abutment and is killed instantly. (It is better, for our illustration’s sake, to hit some cement instead of another car.) As you drive by, do you muse that it is “funny” that Honda, (et.al.) would build such a pile of junk and kill the guy inside? Nope, nada, negative. This would be the result of mis, mal, or nonfeasance on the part of some third party.

We have already established that God is not the author or cause of (...). An extension of our second thought is, “But can He keep all these things from happening?” Back to the car example. Could the builders of SUVs make them able to withstand a head-on crash? Yes, those are called M-1 tanks. If Adam and Eve had been bunkered, individually, in little refuges outside of the Garden of Eden would they have suffered (...) all of these bad things? Probably not. But what kind of life would they have lived? Remember, God created them to experience the exquisite pleasure of knowing and worshiping Him. How would existence in an isolated bunker or cell  result in that? They could not observe, explore, and experience this wonderful creation, and Him.

Wouldn’t God’s goodness and greatness be displayed if He left His created worshipers to live in this damaged world and He overcame (...)? And when these events and disasters occur, His followers not only survive them, but can even overcome them. Sounds like a Bible verse, doesn’t it? (Romans 12:21 “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” and Romans 8:31-39 especially v. 37 “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.” We can survive this, and ultimately, it will end. It might be here and now or later on earth, but definitely in the Millennium when all of these adverse events will be eliminated. The Great Perverter will be cast into the bottomless pit for 1000 years. Glory. What a day!

Our third consideration to answer the question is that God is so great and so good that he not only overcomes (...) He can and does turn (...) into something that blesses us. Romans 8:28 is a little ways back from where we were in Romans 8 before. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Notice that Paul did not say, “All things are good.” Because they are not. But God can and does use them to work for our good. All of them. 

Joni Eareckson Tada who was crippled as a teen has testified that she is glad for her time with (...). She would not trade a functioning body for her experience with the Lord over these years. And, she will get that new body in the Millennium and it will last forever in heaven. She is happy to trade her fellowship with the Lord for a “short time,” for an eternity with Him. 2 Corinthians 4:17 “For our momentary light affliction is producing for us anFor our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory.weight of glory.” (I like that, “absolutely incomparable eternal.”)

There are uncounted examples of God using (...) to bring about His glory in the lives of those who love Him, those who are called according to His purpose. That gets another, “Glory!”

Three down, two to go. We kind of hit this in the examination of the first three, God is go great and so good that (...) will all end someday. Satan, who is in control of this earth, the prince of the power of the air, will be completely and eternally overcome. The PotPotA reference is in Ephesians 2. Read the v.1-10 and and rejoice. Especially notice, “But God....” He takes care of the (...). God is in control of the one who thinks he is in control.(I’ll include it below.)

Number five in our explanation is to answer the Question, “Can God step in to prevent this?” Remember our SUV example. Look around. Is (...) normal? Does everyone, and every where, suffer this? I think not. But God, in His grace and mercy, allows us to enjoy this wonderful world, this wonderful family and friend group, and this wonderful body to preview what He has for us “over there.” We may not have it perfect now, but it will be. A number of songs come to mind. “It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus.” You can find or recall others.

Will we know the reason for all of the (...) that befall us? Probably not here on earth. Job, according to our knowledge, didn’t know why the (...) happened to him. But He praised God through it all (Another song.) And now he knows. We will know then and praise Him.

Here is a song that extols Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. Be sure to listen about 4 or 5 seconds after it ends. That summarizes the whole answer. It has been running through my mind for a couple of months since I heard it at Christmas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fpsj25M1QdI

Come to Jesus, come to Jesus...and live.

Ephesians 2 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens, the spirit now working in the disobedient. 3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, 5 made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! 6 Together with Christ Jesus He also raised us up and seated us in the heavens, 7 so that in the coming ages He might display the immeasurable riches of His grace through His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— 9 not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.

I Had A Dream

 Do you ever have dreams that seem real? Well, I had a dream the other night and it seemed exceedingly real. M. L. King wasn’t the only one to dream, I guess. 

I was traveling somewhere, I don’t know where and was flying. There was a connecting flight as it wasn’g nonstop. So I was in a terminal somewhere, and there were no signs anywhere. Nothing to tell where it was, or where anything was, including rest rooms or even identify the kiosks and sales nooks. But more importantly, no signs for Departures, Arrivals, or even Ground Transportation. Just white walls.

But there were people. They were hurrying everywhich way. I would stop one and ask where the departing flight lounge was and they just shrugged and kept on moving. I went to a couple of kiosks and even a resturant asking the same question. They were “anchored” to their spot so had to answer, but it was always, “I don’t know.”

I was beginning to worry that I might miss the flight to where ever I was going. Finally, a guy with brown hair and a suitcase came by. Did I mention that everything was white, including the  people. Not bleached, but not even blond. Just no color. So this guy stood out like a beacon.

“Do you know where the departing flights are located?” I asked.

“Yes I do,” he answered. “Just follow me and I will show you where to go and how to get the flight you want.”

Then I woke up. It immediately occurred to me that this was a real life situation. I am in a world that if filled with people scurrying here and there, ultimately looking for a way to get to heaven. And there are no signs directing them and no one to tell them how to go. 

But I know the way. I should be anxious and ready to answer anyone and everyone who asks and wonders, “I know the way. I am going there. Follow me.”

I am not Elijah or Daniel, who led Ahab and Nebuchadnezzar, but I can lead someone to know the Lord and the way. And, as a believer, you know the way. We just have to tell them about Jesus and His death for us. And He rose again. Tell everyone you can.

Don’t go alone.

Is there a God?

I talked to some friends recently about the question of God and His existence. I told them that I could show an atheist that the statement, "There is no God," is impossible to prove. Here is how.

Draw a large circle on a blank paper. "This is the totality of all knowledge in the universe." Then hand them the pen and ask them to draw a circle that includes all of the total knowledge that they know. You learn a lot about their perspective here.

Then ask this question. "You say that there is no God. And, we can assume that this circle," indicating the one that they drew, "is the totality of knowledge that is available to you. So the rest of the big circle is all of the rest of the knowledge that you do not know. Is it possible that the knowledge of God is in the big circle, but you do not know it? It isn’t in your circle."

Here you find out if they are intellectually honest or just want to argue. "Since you admit that you do not know everything, then is it possible that the existence of God is not in your understanding, but can be 'out there’ somewhere?'"

"So you have to admit that you are not a true atheist, but an agnostic. You don't know that God exists, but you cannot prove it either way." This is a big step in the direction of the truth. 

If they respond that they just know that there is no God, respond, "So, you are claiming to know everything, to be omniscient. That is a characteristic of God. If you know everything, then you are God. And obviously, that rules out the option of 'atheist.'"

This will not lead a person to confess Christ at this point, but you will have moved them a ways down the path to Truth. If this is a really hard case, a bit of candor might either break the ice or drive them off. "So if you recognize and admit that there is a body of knowledge that you do not know, yet you continue to refuse to admit that there could be a God in that body of unknown knowledge, you are demonstrating that you are both ignorant and dishonest. Ignorant, in that you do not know something, and by refusing to admit that you do not know, you are intellectually dishonest." (You can use "stupid" for dishonest if you really want to shake up the box.)

Again, our job is not to convince, convict, or convert the people we meet. We are to give them the Truth, the Gospel. Sometimes hard cases refuse to respond, but that is not my purview. I can expose them to the Message and they must decide what to do with it. 

In Ezekiel 33, the watchman is not responsible for saving the hearers, but only warning them of the coming peril. And we have the advantage of knowing more of what is in the big circle, and God is there.

The last approach is clearly not kind or compelling. But it does drive the conversation to a conclusion. It does not have to end the dialogue, but we should always drive towards moving everyone we meet closer to the Lord. Regardless of whether they believe or not, everyone we meet can move closer to the Savior. Amen.

Follow Up to the Circle Discussion

Using the same set of circles, take the pad and put a dot one the circumference of his circle. “Here is my circle of knowledge–enlarged to show detail.” (A little humor never hurts.)

Continuing, “Would you agree that you know some things that I do not?” They always answer in the affirmative. “Would you also agree that my circle of knowledge includes some things that yours does not?” Again, the answer is affirmative, most of the time.

“The circle of my knowledge includes the fact that there is a God. And, here is some good news. This bit of knowledge is very close to the boundary of what you know. If you want to, it is possible for you to expand that area and know God. Incidentally, many famous atheist/agnostics have made that expansion. But that is a discussion for another day.

“And when you come to the knowledge that there is a God, you will also find some better news. That God already knows about you. The big circle, all knowledge, is what He has. God knows everything. It is called ‘omniscience.’ And that knowledge includes all about you.

“Here is even better news. The God Who knows everything wants you to know Him. Not just that He exists, that He created the whole universe, but to know Him personally. Imagine that. The perfect God wants to have a personal relationship with you and me. Only, I am not perfect. How can a perfect God allow an imperfect being, like me, into relationship with Him?

“That brings us to the best news of all. This perfect God sent His perfect Son to die for the sins, shortcomings, that mar me. I have missed the mark of living up to His perfection, and the consequence for that is death. Imagine a rocket being shot at Mars. (This really happened.) The scientists who programmed the rocket mixed up miles and meters. So when the landing craft descended into the atmosphere of Mars it shut down its motors at the proper METER distance from the surface, it ‘thought,’ but it was actually miles away. It crashed on the surface, much to the chagrin of its controllers. It was a mistake, although a costly one.

“We are in the same deadly descent. Our perfection, or holiness, if you please, will run out long before we reach the landing point. We will crash and burn, literally. But the perfect God sent a rescue mechanism, His Son, to ‘crash for us,’ and cushion our landing–in heaven. But we can know Him now, in the present.

“And this knowledge is just outside your circumscribed body of knowledge. All you have to do is to reach out, and take it. It is a matter of the mind, and the will. I have done it. This transaction, trading my fatal descent for a gentle landing, is available to anyone who will accept it.”

Here is where we let them respond. What ever choice they make is theirs. You can ask what it is or let them tell you. I always like to ask for a decision. Regardless of the answer, do not argue. Just accept it. If they say, “Yes, I want to believe,” rejoice with them. That is great. Let’s pray.

If they say, “No,” just accept it. Keep the door open. You can offer to pray for them, but always leave on a pleasant standing.

The Holy Spirit does His best work in the dark, at night. Your job is done, except to pray and love your friend. God set up the moment, a God-moment, and He will orchestrate the finale. All we can say is, “Amen. Glory hallelujah!”