But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
2 Peter 2:1-3
Brothers and Sisters, I have been deceived. It was not a heresy or blasphemy that deceived me. God has blessed me with discernment enough to see these for what they are and call them what they are. The deception was that it was OK for me to overlook and dismiss these heresies as insignificant in light of other factors. I am speaking of the very popular book amongst Christians by William P. Young called The Shack. This book contains many wonderful Biblical truths. For example, this book speaks of God’s great love for His children and how He loves each of them in a special and unique way. It speaks of how God deeply desires to have a relationship with His children and will meet them in their time of greatest need. In fact, it places our relationship with God as being infinitely greater in importance to the traditions of religion. It speaks of how God desires to redeem all of mankind, even those who may have committed heinous sin. It also speaks of how fallen and twisted our world has become, how it is our own desire to be independent which has perverted His gifts to us, how this perversion is the source for pain and suffering in the world, and how God in His Sovereignty works that pain and suffering to His good. These are wonderful Biblical truths that every believer needs to know and understand and Young presents these truths through a powerful and moving story which literally made me cry like a little baby. I enjoyed the story tremendously.
Unfortunately, every since I read this book, I have been deeply convicted that my acceptance of this book, despite these truths, also provides tacit approval for the heresies contained within it – and the book contains some serious heresies. It is not so much that God the Father is portrayed as a female African American servant that concerned me. It was clearly explained in the book that this was only done because it was necessary in order for the main character to be able to relate to God. I can somewhat understand that. However, the book denies that God is Just or that God will bring punishment on the wicked. This is a critical truth that all men and women must acknowledge before they can accept the truth that they need Jesus. Although the book acknowledges that the justice of God is the sole reason that Christ came and was punished, it does not acknowledge that our rejection of Christ will bring about that judgment on our own souls. Instead, the book implies that God will not bring about punishment on any man because of what Jesus did on the cross. Indeed, the book goes as far as to say that Jesus makes himself known through all religions and does not necessarily desire us to become “Christian”. These are lies straight from – well – you know… these heresies cannot be overlooked.
Brothers and Sisters, my desire would be that you not read this book. However, if you do, know what you are reading. Do not be deceived.
A journey in the daily struggle to totally surrender to Jesus Christ.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Why do Catholics know the names of all the demons?
The Bible says in 2 Timothy 2:4, “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” (NIV). I got up Friday morning, the fourth day into my own personal battle with the H1N1 virus. If ever there were a time when I was “out of season,” it was then. My cough was extra-croupy. I was having difficulty breathing – so much so that I had to use a rescue inhaler. My voice was essentially non-existent, unless you considered a low, rumbly, grumbly, near unintelligible rasp a voice. I didn’t really want to go back to the doctor’s office, but if this got worse, I might be in real trouble. Plus, it was Friday and my doctor would not be in the office the next day if it did get worse. I managed to speak to my doctor’s office, who suggested that I come back into the office right after lunch. Friday afternoon in a doctor’s office – you can imagine how crowded it was – and I didn’t have an appointment. It was going to be a while.
I sat in the small, but crowded waiting room reading a book while I waited my turn (“Ethics for a Brave New World” by Feinberg and Feingberg – I recommend it to all Christians in this world of compromised ethics and upside down conviction). Sitting immediately adjacent to me was a fairly rough looking woman of middle age, who just a few minutes prior had been both smoking and coughing uncontrollably outside the front door (the waiting room was, of course, smoke free!). Without batting an eye, the woman looked directly at me and asked “Why do Catholics know the names of all the demons?” First of all, why ask me? There were about twelve other people in the room she could have asked. Second of all, why would I possibly know the answer to that? Did I look Catholic? Third of all, I don't think the Catholics claim to know the names of all the demons, just a few of them.
Since I was so “out of season,” I really didn’t want to be disturbed. Plus, I didn’t have a voice. As a result, I simply responded with “That’s really not something very relevant, is it?” and I went back to my book. Surprisingly, my voice was very normal. Very little rasp at all. She, however, was not satisfied with my trite response. “But I really want to know; don’t you want to know?” I wanted to say “Why would I want to know such a ridiculous thing?” Instead, I said “For me, I am satisfied with the grace that God has given me and knowing that it is sufficient for all things. I don’t really need to worry about the names of the demons.” Good answer. Now maybe I can return to my book? Nope, not yet.
It was clear that I was not getting out of this one when the woman responded back with (slightly paraphrased due to poor memory) “You know, there are so many truths to learn in all the religions of the world, I just want to piece them all together and find out the whole truth.” Ok, now it is a full on spiritual battle and an opportunity. Time to put the book down and actively engage.
I quoted her John 14:6 and explained to her how that Christianity was the only true religion because only through Christ can we achieve forgiveness of sins and heaven. I further explained how there was no need even considering the other religions of the world because we can not achieve salvation through them. At this point, I didn’t even think as to whether or not she was categorizing Catholicism as a separate religion or not, but that didn’t really matter. She retorted “But don’t the other religions have a measure of truth to them as well?” I further explained that when Jesus said he was THE TRUTH, he meant that he was the only truth. There is no other truth except the truth about Jesus Christ. Everything that God has chosen to reveal to us, he has revealed through the truth of His Word, the Bible. There it was. I had managed to get the gospel out there to a crowded room of sick people and my voice was holding up very well. My job was done, right? Wrong.
“I just think that God has called me to look into all these other religions too.” Really? Now it is time for the gloves to come off. I wanted to say “I don’t think that it is God calling you to do that, I think it is the devil!” but that would not have been “careful and patient instruction.” Instead, I challenged her a bit more gently: “I think that maybe God is calling you to believe in Jesus Christ and accept him as your savior and the only one who can forgive your sins.”
There it is. She could either accept it or reject it, but she couldn’t ignore it. You know, one should never be surprised at how people respond when you are sharing the gospel. “Oh, I’m not worried about that. I’ve already done that.” Right – and I am supposed to believe you on that one?
For a few moments there was silence, broken by one last act of desperation on her part. “I’m just looking for some direction.” As amusing as this story is, what is not amusing is the truth of the utter confusion and delusional spell that Satan has cast on the world. People really are desperate for direction, but remain blinded to the truth when it is placed right before them. My compassion for this woman was now growing as I responded “Let me ask you a question, how much time do you spend reading God’s word and praying?” She lied. Well, I can’t honestly say I know that she lied, but do you believe that she spends a “significant amount of [her] time reading the Bible”? Neither did I. So I went on to explain to her that all the direction we need is in the Bible. Because it is the only source of truth, we can find comfort and direction and peace through that truth. Furthermore, when we accept Jesus Christ as our savior, he sends the Holy Spirit to come and live in our lives and the Holy Spirit then helps guide and direct our lives if we let him and we listen to him.
Now there was truly silence and there were no more questions. Oddly enough, throughout the discourse, not one single person in the waiting room had been called to the back. When the door finally opened to call back the next patient, guess who it was. As the woman stood up to go to the back, I touched her arm and said these final words – “Go home tonight and read the Bible. First read the Gospel of John; then read Romans. I think you will find the direction you are looking for there.”
Maybe the conversation was for her. Maybe God was speaking to her – but maybe it was for someone else in the room. Someone who couldn’t help but hear what was being said. Either way, it reminded me that sharing the gospel is never really “out of season.”
I sat in the small, but crowded waiting room reading a book while I waited my turn (“Ethics for a Brave New World” by Feinberg and Feingberg – I recommend it to all Christians in this world of compromised ethics and upside down conviction). Sitting immediately adjacent to me was a fairly rough looking woman of middle age, who just a few minutes prior had been both smoking and coughing uncontrollably outside the front door (the waiting room was, of course, smoke free!). Without batting an eye, the woman looked directly at me and asked “Why do Catholics know the names of all the demons?” First of all, why ask me? There were about twelve other people in the room she could have asked. Second of all, why would I possibly know the answer to that? Did I look Catholic? Third of all, I don't think the Catholics claim to know the names of all the demons, just a few of them.
Since I was so “out of season,” I really didn’t want to be disturbed. Plus, I didn’t have a voice. As a result, I simply responded with “That’s really not something very relevant, is it?” and I went back to my book. Surprisingly, my voice was very normal. Very little rasp at all. She, however, was not satisfied with my trite response. “But I really want to know; don’t you want to know?” I wanted to say “Why would I want to know such a ridiculous thing?” Instead, I said “For me, I am satisfied with the grace that God has given me and knowing that it is sufficient for all things. I don’t really need to worry about the names of the demons.” Good answer. Now maybe I can return to my book? Nope, not yet.
It was clear that I was not getting out of this one when the woman responded back with (slightly paraphrased due to poor memory) “You know, there are so many truths to learn in all the religions of the world, I just want to piece them all together and find out the whole truth.” Ok, now it is a full on spiritual battle and an opportunity. Time to put the book down and actively engage.
I quoted her John 14:6 and explained to her how that Christianity was the only true religion because only through Christ can we achieve forgiveness of sins and heaven. I further explained how there was no need even considering the other religions of the world because we can not achieve salvation through them. At this point, I didn’t even think as to whether or not she was categorizing Catholicism as a separate religion or not, but that didn’t really matter. She retorted “But don’t the other religions have a measure of truth to them as well?” I further explained that when Jesus said he was THE TRUTH, he meant that he was the only truth. There is no other truth except the truth about Jesus Christ. Everything that God has chosen to reveal to us, he has revealed through the truth of His Word, the Bible. There it was. I had managed to get the gospel out there to a crowded room of sick people and my voice was holding up very well. My job was done, right? Wrong.
“I just think that God has called me to look into all these other religions too.” Really? Now it is time for the gloves to come off. I wanted to say “I don’t think that it is God calling you to do that, I think it is the devil!” but that would not have been “careful and patient instruction.” Instead, I challenged her a bit more gently: “I think that maybe God is calling you to believe in Jesus Christ and accept him as your savior and the only one who can forgive your sins.”
There it is. She could either accept it or reject it, but she couldn’t ignore it. You know, one should never be surprised at how people respond when you are sharing the gospel. “Oh, I’m not worried about that. I’ve already done that.” Right – and I am supposed to believe you on that one?
For a few moments there was silence, broken by one last act of desperation on her part. “I’m just looking for some direction.” As amusing as this story is, what is not amusing is the truth of the utter confusion and delusional spell that Satan has cast on the world. People really are desperate for direction, but remain blinded to the truth when it is placed right before them. My compassion for this woman was now growing as I responded “Let me ask you a question, how much time do you spend reading God’s word and praying?” She lied. Well, I can’t honestly say I know that she lied, but do you believe that she spends a “significant amount of [her] time reading the Bible”? Neither did I. So I went on to explain to her that all the direction we need is in the Bible. Because it is the only source of truth, we can find comfort and direction and peace through that truth. Furthermore, when we accept Jesus Christ as our savior, he sends the Holy Spirit to come and live in our lives and the Holy Spirit then helps guide and direct our lives if we let him and we listen to him.
Now there was truly silence and there were no more questions. Oddly enough, throughout the discourse, not one single person in the waiting room had been called to the back. When the door finally opened to call back the next patient, guess who it was. As the woman stood up to go to the back, I touched her arm and said these final words – “Go home tonight and read the Bible. First read the Gospel of John; then read Romans. I think you will find the direction you are looking for there.”
Maybe the conversation was for her. Maybe God was speaking to her – but maybe it was for someone else in the room. Someone who couldn’t help but hear what was being said. Either way, it reminded me that sharing the gospel is never really “out of season.”
Friday, September 11, 2009
Is the Bible True?
Have you ever wondered whether the Bible could really be trusted? After all, is everything in the Bible really true? Are we really supposed to believe that Noah filled the ark with every kind of animal? Are we really supposed to believe that Moses parted the Red Sea or that Elijah was carried up into heaven on a chariot of fire? Was Jonah really swallowed by a giant fish? And what about the miracles that Jesus supposedly performed – did they really happen?
These are actually not new questions. Libraries full of books have been dedicated to the integrity of scripture – on both sides of the argument – so it is not likely that I can give a full and complete explanation in a short article. However, I can hit the high spots…
These questions have been around in some form or other since the beginning of time. In recent history, the “Enlightenment” movement of the 18th and 19th century came to the conclusion that the supernatural aspects of the Bible were all fictional. In fact, Thomas Jefferson created his own version of the New Testament that removed all miracles and supernatural aspects of Jesus’ life – leaving only his moral teachings… but was he right in doing this?
Jefferson only dealt with the fantastic things, but even if such amazing things actually happened, how do we know we have the right scriptures. After all, there are ancient works that are not included in our Bible and the works that are included are different if you are Catholic versus Protestant. Who decided that the collection of scriptures we use are the right set of scriptures?
When you consider all these things, it is no wonder that Satan has convinced so many people that the Bible cannot be trusted. To confuse matters, high profile doubters such as Bart Ehrman make it their goal in life to confuse believers about their faith in the scriptures. They write books containing misleading statistics that question the reliability of the texts we call the inspired word of God.
On the other hand, since the first century AD, the organized church has stood firm on the foundational premise that what we now consider the Bible is the inspired word of God. Every major denomination holds to this principle. For example, the very first words of the first article of the Baptist Faith and Message says
The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy.
Similary, the first chapter of the Westminster Confession of Faith, used by the Presbyterian church, says
The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed, and obeyed, depends not upon the testimony of any man, or Church; but wholly upon God (who is truth itself) the author thereof: and therefore it is to be received, because it is the Word of God
The Confession of Faith of the United Methodist churches says
We believe the Holy Bible, Old and New Testaments, reveals the Word of God so far as it is necessary for our salvation. It is to be received through the Holy Spirit as the true rule and guide for faith and practice. Whatever is not revealed in or established by the Holy Scriptures is not to be made an article of faith nor is it to be taught as essential to salvation.
The very first of the sixteen Fundamental Truths of the Assemblies of God states:
The Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired of God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct.
And even though the Roman Catholic church includes books in their Cannon that are excluded by the Protestant churches, the Catechism of the Catholic Church acknowledges the authority of scripture as well by saying
The inspired books teach the truth. "Since therefore all that the inspired authors or sacred writers affirm should be regarded as affirmed by the Holy Spirit, we must acknowledge that the books of Scripture firmly, faithfully, and without error teach that truth which God, for the sake of our salvation, wished to see confided to the Sacred Scriptures.
Universal acceptance of scripture as truth is fundamental to each of these (and other) denominations. How can all of these communities of faith make such claims about scripture? What is the basis for making what appears to be such an outlandish assertion? Wouldn’t common reason dictate otherwise?
Actually, it is reason itself that proves the authenticity and authority of scripture. Although as Christians we must take by faith that scripture is inspired and trustworthy, it is not a blind faith. Rather, it is a highly intellectual and reasoned faith that we maintain. Such reasoning goes as follows:
First, we must begin with the premise that God exists. This, in itself, is obviously a major philosophical debate and a matter of faith. However, although it is too complicated and distracting to this argument to discuss the philosophical matters of the existence of God, suffice it to say that it takes just as much faith to not believe in God as it does to believe in God. Therefore, for the purposes of this discussion, we will assume the existence of God.
Second, we must examine the nature of that God. Unfortunately, we must do this through the scripture and therefore open ourselves up to criticism regarding use of scripture (which is what we are debating) to prove the authenticity of scripture. However, what we are examining in this instance is not the miracles or accuracy of scripture, but rather the testimony of man regarding the nature of God. Accordingly, we find that God is Holy, perfect, and true. In fact, we find in Dueteronomy 32:4 that he is a God of Truth – a testimony repeated throughout the Old Testament scriptures. Numbers 23:19 says that God does not lie as does Titus 1:2. Hebrews 6:18 actually says that it is impossible for God to lie. 1 John 4 tells us that “God is light” (i.e., completely pure). Therefore, we must conclude that a Holy, truthful, and pure God can be trusted. Is there an element of faith in this assertion? Yes, there is, but we shall come back to this in a moment.
Third, we examine the testimony of the scripture itself regarding the scripture. This, indeed, is the most precarious point because we are using scripture to validate scripture. However, it is important to note what historical, biblical figures have said about scripture before making our rational arguments. Furthermore, we shall see that what the Bible says about itself is important in ascertaining whether or not the Bible itself is true.
1. Jesus himself confirmed the validity of scripture. He studies the scriptures as a child. He read the scriptures in public. He quoted and referenced the scriptures in his teachings.
2. Peter claimed that the scripture was spoken by the Holy Spirit (who is God) – Acts 1:16
3. Paul used scripture to reason with the Jews and uses scripture throughout his writings to prove the gospel
4. 2 Timothy 3:16 says that all scripture (in the Greek, literally EVERY scripture) is God breathed or inspired (in the Greek, literally EXHALED BY GOD).
5. James, the brother of Jesus, quoted scripture
6. In 2 Peter 1:21, Peter says that the writers of scripture were carried along by the Holy Spirit as they spoke the word of God
7. Proverbs 30:5 says that every word of God is flawless
8. In the same sense that the prophets spoke the word of God, the gospel was considered by the apostles to be the word of God
9. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 2:13 that scripture is not the word of man, but the actual word of God
Now we are able to put these together and make a rational argument regarding the validity of scripture.
Premise 1: If God is Holy, true, and pure, then his word can be trusted.
Premise 2: If God is Holy, true, and pure, then he cannot lie (which is confirmed by the testimony of scripture).
Premise 3: If God can be trusted, then the word of God can be trusted.
Premise 4: Because God’s word can be trusted, if the Bible is the word of God, it can be trusted.
Premise 5: The Bible claims to be the word of God.
Premise 6: If the Bible is the word of God, every word in it must be true because God cannot lie.
Premise 7: If any portion of the Bible is not true, then the Bible cannot be the word of God.
Premise 8: If the Bible is not the word of God, then nothing in the Bible can be trusted because its claims about itself are false.
By logic, therefore, we can state that either (a) the Bible is God’s Holy word, totally complete and totally accurate or (b) the Bible has made false claims about itself and can be trusted for nothing. Notice that it is not necessary to take on faith that the Bible is God’s Word. It is only necessary to take on faith that God exists and that God is Holy, true, and pure. One must then choose – accept all of scripture or reject all of scripture based solely upon its claim that it is the word of God. We choose to accept all of scripture – including the many fantastic things that Jefferson and other “enlightened” people might wish to remove from that scripture.
Unfortunately, this still does not answer the question as to whether we have the right scripture and whether or not that scripture as we have received it through the centuries and translated it is reliable. Regarding the inclusion of the proper ancient texts, there is a clear disagreement between Protestant churches and the Catholic churches – particularly around the inclusion of the apocrypha. However, the Jewish religious leaders at the time of Jesus Christ had a very well established cannon of (what we now call Old Testament) scriptures. These scriptures would be the scriptures that Jesus himself studies, referenced, and taught. The Jewish religious leaders did not include the apocryphal books in that cannon and Jesus did not reference or teach from them. Therefore, the Protestant church does not consider them as part of their cannon.
Regarding the New Testament cannon, which was confirmed (not selected, confirmed) in the latter half of the third century, the criteria for including texts in the New Testament scriptural cannon was based primarily upon four criteria:
(a) Consistency regarding the message of the gospel
(b) Authorship by or closely associated with an apostle (particularly early, first century authorship)
(c) Universal acceptance by the first and second century church
(d) Universal use by the first and second century church (i.e., read during worship)
By definition, therefore, these criteria are not a “selection” of texts, but a confirmation of universally accepted texts.
Regarding its reliability, there are literally hundreds of thousands of surviving original texts from which
scripture has been collected, with many of them dating back as far as the third and fourth centuries. Of these hundreds of thousands of texts, there are admittedly some discrepancies. However, the discrepancies account for less than one percent of the text. Of the less than one percent of the texts that are in discrepancy, there are less than one percent of these that are of significant difference. Most are spelling of words, placement of words within a sentence, use of equivalent words, and grammar differences. Finally, of the less than one percent of the less than one percent of significant discrepancies, none have any theological significance and most modern English translations will make a note of these. Two of the most well known of these are the passage concerning the adulterous woman in John chapter 8 and the end of Mark chapter 16, neither of which are contained in some of the earliest remaining manuscripts but neither of which have a bearing on any significant point of gospel theology.
From this, we can conclude with significant confidence that we have a reliable understanding of the original, God inspired text of scripture. Where there is any doubt to this effect, there is no significant impact on our understanding of the gospel, God’s nature and purpose for our lives, the theological teachings of Christ and his apostles, or his commands to us. As a result, we can conclude, therefore, that the Bible is indeed true. Believe it.
These are actually not new questions. Libraries full of books have been dedicated to the integrity of scripture – on both sides of the argument – so it is not likely that I can give a full and complete explanation in a short article. However, I can hit the high spots…
These questions have been around in some form or other since the beginning of time. In recent history, the “Enlightenment” movement of the 18th and 19th century came to the conclusion that the supernatural aspects of the Bible were all fictional. In fact, Thomas Jefferson created his own version of the New Testament that removed all miracles and supernatural aspects of Jesus’ life – leaving only his moral teachings… but was he right in doing this?
Jefferson only dealt with the fantastic things, but even if such amazing things actually happened, how do we know we have the right scriptures. After all, there are ancient works that are not included in our Bible and the works that are included are different if you are Catholic versus Protestant. Who decided that the collection of scriptures we use are the right set of scriptures?
When you consider all these things, it is no wonder that Satan has convinced so many people that the Bible cannot be trusted. To confuse matters, high profile doubters such as Bart Ehrman make it their goal in life to confuse believers about their faith in the scriptures. They write books containing misleading statistics that question the reliability of the texts we call the inspired word of God.
On the other hand, since the first century AD, the organized church has stood firm on the foundational premise that what we now consider the Bible is the inspired word of God. Every major denomination holds to this principle. For example, the very first words of the first article of the Baptist Faith and Message says
The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy.
Similary, the first chapter of the Westminster Confession of Faith, used by the Presbyterian church, says
The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed, and obeyed, depends not upon the testimony of any man, or Church; but wholly upon God (who is truth itself) the author thereof: and therefore it is to be received, because it is the Word of God
The Confession of Faith of the United Methodist churches says
We believe the Holy Bible, Old and New Testaments, reveals the Word of God so far as it is necessary for our salvation. It is to be received through the Holy Spirit as the true rule and guide for faith and practice. Whatever is not revealed in or established by the Holy Scriptures is not to be made an article of faith nor is it to be taught as essential to salvation.
The very first of the sixteen Fundamental Truths of the Assemblies of God states:
The Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired of God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct.
And even though the Roman Catholic church includes books in their Cannon that are excluded by the Protestant churches, the Catechism of the Catholic Church acknowledges the authority of scripture as well by saying
The inspired books teach the truth. "Since therefore all that the inspired authors or sacred writers affirm should be regarded as affirmed by the Holy Spirit, we must acknowledge that the books of Scripture firmly, faithfully, and without error teach that truth which God, for the sake of our salvation, wished to see confided to the Sacred Scriptures.
Universal acceptance of scripture as truth is fundamental to each of these (and other) denominations. How can all of these communities of faith make such claims about scripture? What is the basis for making what appears to be such an outlandish assertion? Wouldn’t common reason dictate otherwise?
Actually, it is reason itself that proves the authenticity and authority of scripture. Although as Christians we must take by faith that scripture is inspired and trustworthy, it is not a blind faith. Rather, it is a highly intellectual and reasoned faith that we maintain. Such reasoning goes as follows:
First, we must begin with the premise that God exists. This, in itself, is obviously a major philosophical debate and a matter of faith. However, although it is too complicated and distracting to this argument to discuss the philosophical matters of the existence of God, suffice it to say that it takes just as much faith to not believe in God as it does to believe in God. Therefore, for the purposes of this discussion, we will assume the existence of God.
Second, we must examine the nature of that God. Unfortunately, we must do this through the scripture and therefore open ourselves up to criticism regarding use of scripture (which is what we are debating) to prove the authenticity of scripture. However, what we are examining in this instance is not the miracles or accuracy of scripture, but rather the testimony of man regarding the nature of God. Accordingly, we find that God is Holy, perfect, and true. In fact, we find in Dueteronomy 32:4 that he is a God of Truth – a testimony repeated throughout the Old Testament scriptures. Numbers 23:19 says that God does not lie as does Titus 1:2. Hebrews 6:18 actually says that it is impossible for God to lie. 1 John 4 tells us that “God is light” (i.e., completely pure). Therefore, we must conclude that a Holy, truthful, and pure God can be trusted. Is there an element of faith in this assertion? Yes, there is, but we shall come back to this in a moment.
Third, we examine the testimony of the scripture itself regarding the scripture. This, indeed, is the most precarious point because we are using scripture to validate scripture. However, it is important to note what historical, biblical figures have said about scripture before making our rational arguments. Furthermore, we shall see that what the Bible says about itself is important in ascertaining whether or not the Bible itself is true.
1. Jesus himself confirmed the validity of scripture. He studies the scriptures as a child. He read the scriptures in public. He quoted and referenced the scriptures in his teachings.
2. Peter claimed that the scripture was spoken by the Holy Spirit (who is God) – Acts 1:16
3. Paul used scripture to reason with the Jews and uses scripture throughout his writings to prove the gospel
4. 2 Timothy 3:16 says that all scripture (in the Greek, literally EVERY scripture) is God breathed or inspired (in the Greek, literally EXHALED BY GOD).
5. James, the brother of Jesus, quoted scripture
6. In 2 Peter 1:21, Peter says that the writers of scripture were carried along by the Holy Spirit as they spoke the word of God
7. Proverbs 30:5 says that every word of God is flawless
8. In the same sense that the prophets spoke the word of God, the gospel was considered by the apostles to be the word of God
9. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 2:13 that scripture is not the word of man, but the actual word of God
Now we are able to put these together and make a rational argument regarding the validity of scripture.
Premise 1: If God is Holy, true, and pure, then his word can be trusted.
Premise 2: If God is Holy, true, and pure, then he cannot lie (which is confirmed by the testimony of scripture).
Premise 3: If God can be trusted, then the word of God can be trusted.
Premise 4: Because God’s word can be trusted, if the Bible is the word of God, it can be trusted.
Premise 5: The Bible claims to be the word of God.
Premise 6: If the Bible is the word of God, every word in it must be true because God cannot lie.
Premise 7: If any portion of the Bible is not true, then the Bible cannot be the word of God.
Premise 8: If the Bible is not the word of God, then nothing in the Bible can be trusted because its claims about itself are false.
By logic, therefore, we can state that either (a) the Bible is God’s Holy word, totally complete and totally accurate or (b) the Bible has made false claims about itself and can be trusted for nothing. Notice that it is not necessary to take on faith that the Bible is God’s Word. It is only necessary to take on faith that God exists and that God is Holy, true, and pure. One must then choose – accept all of scripture or reject all of scripture based solely upon its claim that it is the word of God. We choose to accept all of scripture – including the many fantastic things that Jefferson and other “enlightened” people might wish to remove from that scripture.
Unfortunately, this still does not answer the question as to whether we have the right scripture and whether or not that scripture as we have received it through the centuries and translated it is reliable. Regarding the inclusion of the proper ancient texts, there is a clear disagreement between Protestant churches and the Catholic churches – particularly around the inclusion of the apocrypha. However, the Jewish religious leaders at the time of Jesus Christ had a very well established cannon of (what we now call Old Testament) scriptures. These scriptures would be the scriptures that Jesus himself studies, referenced, and taught. The Jewish religious leaders did not include the apocryphal books in that cannon and Jesus did not reference or teach from them. Therefore, the Protestant church does not consider them as part of their cannon.
Regarding the New Testament cannon, which was confirmed (not selected, confirmed) in the latter half of the third century, the criteria for including texts in the New Testament scriptural cannon was based primarily upon four criteria:
(a) Consistency regarding the message of the gospel
(b) Authorship by or closely associated with an apostle (particularly early, first century authorship)
(c) Universal acceptance by the first and second century church
(d) Universal use by the first and second century church (i.e., read during worship)
By definition, therefore, these criteria are not a “selection” of texts, but a confirmation of universally accepted texts.
Regarding its reliability, there are literally hundreds of thousands of surviving original texts from which
scripture has been collected, with many of them dating back as far as the third and fourth centuries. Of these hundreds of thousands of texts, there are admittedly some discrepancies. However, the discrepancies account for less than one percent of the text. Of the less than one percent of the texts that are in discrepancy, there are less than one percent of these that are of significant difference. Most are spelling of words, placement of words within a sentence, use of equivalent words, and grammar differences. Finally, of the less than one percent of the less than one percent of significant discrepancies, none have any theological significance and most modern English translations will make a note of these. Two of the most well known of these are the passage concerning the adulterous woman in John chapter 8 and the end of Mark chapter 16, neither of which are contained in some of the earliest remaining manuscripts but neither of which have a bearing on any significant point of gospel theology.
From this, we can conclude with significant confidence that we have a reliable understanding of the original, God inspired text of scripture. Where there is any doubt to this effect, there is no significant impact on our understanding of the gospel, God’s nature and purpose for our lives, the theological teachings of Christ and his apostles, or his commands to us. As a result, we can conclude, therefore, that the Bible is indeed true. Believe it.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Covetousness - American Idolatry
The other day I pulled into a restaurant parking lot. There, parked off by itself was a brand new Dodge Challenger – black with red stripes. All I could do was make a few guttural, primordial grunts. Honestly I sounded a bit like Tim Taylor from the old TV show, Home Improvement. I took a picture with my phone and sent it to my son, who had a very similar reaction. Muscle cars are a visual and auditory pleasure that my sons and I share. We love to look at them. We love to hear the roar of their engines – especially if they have a good exhaust system. We would love to drive them – but we don’t get the chance, so we must look from afar. We have a running joke at home: “Dad could never own a muscle car because he would worship it.” Of course it is not that I would go out into the driveway and bow down and pray to it – “Oh muscle car, help me through this day.” That would be silly.
What is not silly, however, is the extent of our American covetousness. Colossians 3:5 tells us that covetousness is nothing short of idolatry. Maybe we don’t bow down to and pray to our idols, but we worship them nonetheless. To worship something doesn’t mean to bow down and pray to it. To worship something means to ascribe to it worth, but we are to worship only the Lord our God. God alone has true value. God alone is truly worthy. Obviously, everything has some intrinsic worth - at least in human terms - so how do we distinguish between appropriately valuing something for its intrinsic worth and worshipping it.
We worship something when we give it greater worth than it deserves. God is to be first in our life, but we put so many things before God. Our careers, our family, our possessions - they all find places of worship in our lives that are inappropriate.
We also worship something, however, when we covet it. Covetousness is nothing more than greed, and greed is idolatry because it is placing greater worth and greater desire on something than it deserves. As a county, we have become greedy. We hold tightly to our possessions. We work diligently for greater possessions. Enough is never enough. Richer is better. The winner is the one who dies with the most toys. How sad, because none of the things to which we ascribe worth can ever make us happy. Romans 1:25 says that we worship and serve the created rather than the creator. This is so true. We are servants to our debt and our materialism. We won’t admit it to ourselves, but we place greater value – and greater dependence - on our wealth than on our creator. We say that we are being good stewards or that we are simply being wise by preparing for the future. The truth, however, is revealed when our wealth is challenged.
How would you respond to God if he asked you to give up everything you owned? But He wouldn’t do that, you declare! Really? Do we really know what God may ask of us? What if God wanted your house? Would you give it to him? What if God wanted your job? Would you give it to him? What if God wanted your credit rating? Would you give it to him? What if God wanted your 401k? Would you give it to him?
They are just things, right… or are they something more than that? Our goals? Our security? Our safety?
God alone gives us the ability to enjoy things. God alone can provide for our needs. God alone is worthy of our worship. Maybe it is time we tore down our idols
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Man of Sorrows
I just love the movie “O Brother Where Art Thou.” In it, the Soggy Bottom Boys sing a song called “Man of Sorrows.” I can so relate.
Most of us can relate, can we not? Why is it that this life is so full of sorrows? Why must we go through such hardships? Doesn’t our creator love us enough to keep us from these times? Man, that just gets down to the heart of the matter doesn’t it?
Depression is such a rampant problem in our society. Most of us are plagued by it from time to time. I myself struggle with it. Depression is not something new, though. Some of the greatest men in the history of the world suffered with it, including godly men such as Charles Spurgeon, who had depression so bad that often he could not even preach. It just must be a part of our human experience to suffer. Let’s be real with ourselves. Deep down, doesn’t that somehow and sometimes just make you want to question the loving nature of your creator? Think about these situations:
Most of us can relate, can we not? Why is it that this life is so full of sorrows? Why must we go through such hardships? Doesn’t our creator love us enough to keep us from these times? Man, that just gets down to the heart of the matter doesn’t it?
Depression is such a rampant problem in our society. Most of us are plagued by it from time to time. I myself struggle with it. Depression is not something new, though. Some of the greatest men in the history of the world suffered with it, including godly men such as Charles Spurgeon, who had depression so bad that often he could not even preach. It just must be a part of our human experience to suffer. Let’s be real with ourselves. Deep down, doesn’t that somehow and sometimes just make you want to question the loving nature of your creator? Think about these situations:
Job obviously suffered:
- If only my anguish could be weighed and all my misery be placed on the scales! It would surely outweigh the sand of the seas—no wonder my words have been impetuous. (Job 6:2-3)
David suffered on numerous occasions:
- Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long? (Ps 6:2-3)
Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak. (Ps 31:9-10)
Jeremiah was called the weeping prophet:
- Oh, my anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain. Oh, the agony of my heart! My heart pounds within me, I cannot keep silent. (Jer 4:19)
Daniel was deeply distressed by the visions God gave him:
- I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing before me, "I am overcome with anguish because of the vision, my lord, and I am helpless. How can I, your servant, talk with you, my lord? My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe." (Dan 10:16-17)
Paul suffered on numerous occasions, had a thorn in his side, and grieved over his brothers:
- I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit— I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, (Rom 9:1-3)
In fact, all of the apostles were persecuted and according to tradition and church history most died horrific deaths. Different sources provide different accounts, but by all accounts they were almost all martyred.
Jesus himself was called THE man of sorrows:
- He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Is 53:3)
Just before his death, which itself was of great tribulation and suffering, Jesus faced great personal anguish and sorrow:
- An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground (Luke 22:43-44)
Well-intended people may give lots of reasons why we face such difficulties. Like Job’s friends, they may suggest it is the result of our sin – and sometimes it may be. They might suggest that it is Satan attacking them – and like Paul’s thorn in the flesh – it may be. They might suggest that it is just the way things are – and wisest man who ever lived, Solomon, would agree that it may be… he said:
- Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. (Ecc 3:19)
- There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: righteous men who get what the wicked deserve, and wicked men who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless. (Ecc 8:14)
The truth is, we spend way too much time worrying about why such things happen and trying to lay blame for them on anything we can think of, including God. We will never be able to figure out why God allows things to happen the way he does. For example, why did Jesus allow John the Baptist to be beheaded in prison, but he sent an angel to rescue Peter from prison? Why did God rescue Paul from prison so many times only to leave him to remain in prison for several years and to ultimately lose his life in Rome? Solomon figured this out when he said
- So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God's hands, but no man knows whether love or hate awaits him. (Ecc 9:1)
We are going to go through hard times, but we must remember that God is in control:
- When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. (Ecc. 7:14)
Even Jesus himself warned us of such:
- "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (Jn 16:33)
As I write this, I am personally going through some of the darkest times of my life. Those around me have no idea exactly how difficult the times I am facing really are. There are so many people depending on me and I fear that I will let them all down. The troubles are greater than any I have ever experienced and the potential consequences are life-altering. I so relate to these words from Paul to the Corinthians
- We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. (1 Cor 4:8-9)
Except that I wonder when I will be crushed. I often feel abandoned. And destruction often seems inevitable. Depression. Yes, I too am a man of sorrow. It is OK to question God. Jesus himself on the cross cried out “My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?” So I too can ask the question: Why, God? I don’t understand. And yet, in my questioning, I cannot lose faith. It is not for me to understand so much as it is to trust. Trust in the Lord. Have faith. Stand firm. I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. When all else fails, I still must say with David…
- Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. (Ps 20:16)
The best way to deal with these difficulties is to change the way we think about them. When facing such difficulties, we need to focus on God’s promises rather than on whatever fear has beset us. God is our fortress; he is our strength; he is our salvation.
- But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. (Ps 59:16)
Oddly enough… despite all the troubles I am facing and the fear I experience and the depression I know that I am feeling… I’ve been waking up every morning with praise songs in my head. Was I singing in my sleep? This morning, the “cafeteria lady” caught me whistling… I didn’t even know I was whistling. These are gifts from God, not my own doing.
- The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. (Ps 28:7)
- Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." (Is 12:2)
- The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. (Ps 118:14)
We must always remember that it is God’s strength that carries us. We cannot carry on in our own strengths. If you knew what all I have been facing, you would say “how are you managing it?” I am not. If I had any idea what you were facing, I’m most certain I would be amazed and ask you the same question. Never forget that you are not alone…
- The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? (Ps 118:6)
And we must trust that he will answer us before we have reached the point where we can no longer bear it
- In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free. (Ps 118:5)
- I was pushed back and about to fall, but the LORD helped me. (Ps 118:13)
But regardless of what happens, whether it is what we want or something that we could never imagine might happen to us, we must remember this:
- And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Rom 8:28)
This we must believe… We have no idea how immense the plan of God is. He knows far more than we can ever imagine and his omnipotence is such that even evil can be used by him for good. I think we forget that sometimes.
This life is nothing more than a vapor. We may have to suffer, possibly even face death, but our hope is not in this life. Our hope is in eternity. If nothing else, that should drive away whatever fears are besetting us:
- For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. (Rom 8:15-18)
Think about it… would you abandoned your children? Neither will he.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
The Nails - Part II
How many days had Jonathan wandered looking for anyone? Had it been weeks? Months? Years? He certainly had lost count and had no conception of the passage of time. He wasn’t wearing a suit anymore, but had picked up some casual clothes somewhere along the way. He had given up trying to shave so now he had a full beard and his hair was shoulder length. Each day he awoke and spoke the names of those he loved – hoping that somehow by calling their name they would appear. At first, he had limited his chant to his immediate family – his wife and his children. But soon, he had expanded to his parents, his sister and two brothers, and his in-laws. Eventually, he was calling out the names of everyone he knew. It was as much a matter of maintaining his sanity as it was anything else. He wandered from city to city, calling out the names of those he knew and loved, but secretly hoping that he would find anyone at all. It was somewhat of a ritual, now, though because he had long since lost any hope of ever seeing anyone again. He hadn’t admitted it to himself yet, but Jonathan knew in his heart of hearts that he was totally alone in the world.
It was just about the time that Jonathan was ready to make that confession that he heard a sound in the distance. He was leaving the city limits of a small town in the Midwest and in the distance he could faintly but clearly hear the sound of a large, heavy hammer hitting a nail. Jonathan was both scared and excited as he ran toward the sound.
When he was about 150 yards away, Jonathan pulled up short because he finally saw what was causing the noise. From this distance he could see that there were three men there. One was lying down, with his arms spread wide. He was lying on something, but Jonathan could not tell from this distance what it was. Whatever it was, though, the other two men were nailing him down to it! He couldn’t believe his eyes, so he rubbed them to make sure he was not hallucinating. No, it was real. They were nailing his left hand down to whatever it was the man way lying on.
“STOP IT!” he yelled as he ran towards the three. They paid him no notice, but moved from the left hand to the right hand and continued hammering. As Jonathan quickly closed the gap, he yelled again “WHAT ARE YOU DOING? STOP!” He did not even slow down as he plowed shoulder first into the man with the large hammer, sending the man sprawling across the ground and the hammer spiraling up into the air. Both the man and the hammer landed about 15 yards away. Jonathan himself tumbled as a result of the blow but quickly pulled himself up so that he could take a run at the second man, who was still holding the large nail to the third man’s wrists.
Suddenly Jonathan realized and wondered at the fact that the man was not fighting to free himself. As he walked up to the two, he stood in shock and awe as he realized what he was seeing. It was a classic crucifixion scene like he had seen played out so many times during Easter passion plays. This scene, however, was not a play and was not fake. The man lying on the cross was naked and was literally being nailed down, but he gave no resistance. His body was bruised, battered, and bloody as if he had been beaten. There was a crown of thorns in his head just like he had seen in the pictures. The man was clearly in agony. Jonathan didn’t recognize him, and he certainly did not look like the paintings of Jesus that he had seen all his life. He looked at the two men, who were dressed as Midwest farmers. The one he had tackled was standing up and retrieving the hammer.
“What is this, what is going on?” Jonathan demanded.
The man holding the hammer simply walked back over to the cross. He did not, however, return to his hammering. Rather, he held the hammer out for Jonathan to take and simply said
“Finish it.”
Jonathan was horrified, but he held his composure, knocked the hammer out of the farmer’s hand, and simply said “No, this is insane.” Suddenly the two men were gone. Only Jonathan remained with the man lying on the wooden cross. The man looked at Jonathan and even though he was battered and disfigured, he could see clearly the love in his eyes.
“Jonathan.” His voice was strained through the pain, but when he said his name, Jonathan knew who he was. It was like a parent calling out a child’s name. But how could this be? How could this really be Jesus? Jonathan’s head swam and he thought he would faint, but when Jesus said his name again he recovered his senses.
“I don’t understand” he said. “What is happening?”
“You must complete the task, Jonathan. It is for you that I do this.”
“No… you can’t… not for me… I’m not worth it!”
“Yes, Jonathan, for you. Even though you are the only person in the whole world, I must die for you.” Tears began streaming down Jonathan’s face. “Now take up the hammer and finish it.”
Slowly, Jonathan reached down and picked up the hammer. He held it over his head and hesitated.
“No” he whispered again, but the loving eyes of Jesus said what his voice did not…
“Yes.”
Jonathan close his eyes and let the hammer fall. With the deafening sound of the hammer hitting the nail, Jonathan’s mind flashed to his childhood. He could see himself bullying little Sally from next door. Laughing as he pushed her down. The tears continued rolling down his face as he raised the hammer again. This time, when the hammer fell, he saw himself as a teenager in Algebra class, cheating on a test. Each and every time the hammer fell, he saw himself again and again in some act of disgrace or evil. Jonathan cringed at things that he had long since forgotten. To the world, Jonathan was a good man… but at the same time he was not a good man. So many hidden sins. So many secrets. So many memories. Arguments with his wife… little acts of indiscretion… compromises of his integrity.
As he moved from Jesus’ hands to his feet, Jonathan said weakly “I did this to you?”
Jesus did not respond.
By the time Jonathan completed nailing his feet, he was weeping uncontrollably. He walked over to the head of the cross and began lifting the cross. Jonathan strained as he raised the human-laden cross and set it into the hole in the ground especially prepared for that purpose. When the cross was fully raised, Jonathan approached Jesus and began kissing his bloodied feet. He was still weeping and as his face became covered with the blood from Jesus’ feet, he simply said “I’m sorry” and he collapsed into a sobbing mess at the foot of the cross, covering his face with his hands in shame and sorrow.
Jonathan had no idea how long he sat there. It may have been minutes or hours or even days, but it wasn’t until he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder that he uncovered his face from his hands and looked around. The cross was gone, but Jesus was standing next to him. Jesus reached down and gently lifted him to his feet. He was fully clothed in white linen. He seemed to glow and a gentle, loving smile was on his face.
“Jonathan,” he said, “do you love me?”
Jonathan wasn’t exactly sure why he was asking the question and suddenly he remembered a similar scene from the Bible… the gospel of John if he recalled correctly. The correct response if he was not mistaken was “Lord, you know I love you.” But as he started to say it, Jonathan noticed on the horizon a large crowd of people making their way toward the two. At this distance, he could not make out who they were, but they were definitely headed that way. Jonathan pointed towards the crowd and opened his mouth to ask about them, but he hesitated as Jesus said it again.
“Do you love me, Jonathan?”
The crowd was now growing closer. They were still generally too far away for him to distinguish faces for the most part, but out in front of all of them were four that he could clearly distinguish even at this distance. It was Gena and his three children. He wanted to rush to them, but he wanted to stay with Jesus. He was torn, but for the moment anyway, he stayed.
“Yes, Lord, I love you.”
Once more Jesus asked the question. “Jonathan, do you really love me. Do you love me more than these? Do you love me more than anything else in all the world?”
The question cut to his soul. His time in solace had made Jonathan keenly aware of how much he loved his family. He would do anything for them. He looked up and could clearly make them out now, walking toward him. He could make out others as well. In fact, he knew them all. It was all those whose names he had been calling each day. Everyone in his sphere of influence was now coming his way. He was somewhat taken aback by how many there were, but he quickly realized that over the last days and weeks he had grown to love them all – even in their absence. Yes, he loved them all. But did he love them more than he loved Jesus? He realized now what Jesus had done for him. He never really realized it before. He never really comprehended that it was because of him that Jesus had to die. He was grateful for that. He was even more grateful that death had not contained him. It was true. He did love Jesus and he loved him more than all these. Jonathan turned from the approaching crowd and looked at Jesus.
“Yes, Lord… I love you even more than these.”
Jonathan’s family was only about 100 yards away now. Jesus looked deep into Jonathan’s eyes and replied… “Then feed my sheep.”
Jonathan sat up in bed with a gasp. His face was sweating – or was it tears? He looked over at the alarm clock, which was glowing a dim blue in the darkness of his bedroom. It was 3:30 a.m. His wife was sleeping peacefully at his side. Was it a dream? And yet it seemed so real. Could it have really happened? There was no denying that it at least felt real. He could remember the days and weeks and months of wandering aimlessly and alone, but now he was back in his bed as if nothing had ever happened.
A dream - that is what it was. It was a dream. But it was also real to him and he knew that he would never be the same as a result. He would be a better father and husband. He would be the spiritual leader of their family. He would not be defined by the office, but rather would be defined by the savior. He would stop running from his calling. He would teach his family and his friends the truths of scripture. He would take a stand.
Jonathan raised his hand up to wipe the sweat – or was it tears – from his face. Only then did he realize that he was grasping on to something tightly. So tightly in fact that his hands were white. Slowly, he opened his hand to reveal what was inside – two small miniature masonry nails.
It was a dream… right?
Note: Even if you were the only person on the Earth, Jesus would have still died for you!
It was just about the time that Jonathan was ready to make that confession that he heard a sound in the distance. He was leaving the city limits of a small town in the Midwest and in the distance he could faintly but clearly hear the sound of a large, heavy hammer hitting a nail. Jonathan was both scared and excited as he ran toward the sound.
When he was about 150 yards away, Jonathan pulled up short because he finally saw what was causing the noise. From this distance he could see that there were three men there. One was lying down, with his arms spread wide. He was lying on something, but Jonathan could not tell from this distance what it was. Whatever it was, though, the other two men were nailing him down to it! He couldn’t believe his eyes, so he rubbed them to make sure he was not hallucinating. No, it was real. They were nailing his left hand down to whatever it was the man way lying on.
“STOP IT!” he yelled as he ran towards the three. They paid him no notice, but moved from the left hand to the right hand and continued hammering. As Jonathan quickly closed the gap, he yelled again “WHAT ARE YOU DOING? STOP!” He did not even slow down as he plowed shoulder first into the man with the large hammer, sending the man sprawling across the ground and the hammer spiraling up into the air. Both the man and the hammer landed about 15 yards away. Jonathan himself tumbled as a result of the blow but quickly pulled himself up so that he could take a run at the second man, who was still holding the large nail to the third man’s wrists.
Suddenly Jonathan realized and wondered at the fact that the man was not fighting to free himself. As he walked up to the two, he stood in shock and awe as he realized what he was seeing. It was a classic crucifixion scene like he had seen played out so many times during Easter passion plays. This scene, however, was not a play and was not fake. The man lying on the cross was naked and was literally being nailed down, but he gave no resistance. His body was bruised, battered, and bloody as if he had been beaten. There was a crown of thorns in his head just like he had seen in the pictures. The man was clearly in agony. Jonathan didn’t recognize him, and he certainly did not look like the paintings of Jesus that he had seen all his life. He looked at the two men, who were dressed as Midwest farmers. The one he had tackled was standing up and retrieving the hammer.
“What is this, what is going on?” Jonathan demanded.
The man holding the hammer simply walked back over to the cross. He did not, however, return to his hammering. Rather, he held the hammer out for Jonathan to take and simply said
“Finish it.”
Jonathan was horrified, but he held his composure, knocked the hammer out of the farmer’s hand, and simply said “No, this is insane.” Suddenly the two men were gone. Only Jonathan remained with the man lying on the wooden cross. The man looked at Jonathan and even though he was battered and disfigured, he could see clearly the love in his eyes.
“Jonathan.” His voice was strained through the pain, but when he said his name, Jonathan knew who he was. It was like a parent calling out a child’s name. But how could this be? How could this really be Jesus? Jonathan’s head swam and he thought he would faint, but when Jesus said his name again he recovered his senses.
“I don’t understand” he said. “What is happening?”
“You must complete the task, Jonathan. It is for you that I do this.”
“No… you can’t… not for me… I’m not worth it!”
“Yes, Jonathan, for you. Even though you are the only person in the whole world, I must die for you.” Tears began streaming down Jonathan’s face. “Now take up the hammer and finish it.”
Slowly, Jonathan reached down and picked up the hammer. He held it over his head and hesitated.
“No” he whispered again, but the loving eyes of Jesus said what his voice did not…
“Yes.”
Jonathan close his eyes and let the hammer fall. With the deafening sound of the hammer hitting the nail, Jonathan’s mind flashed to his childhood. He could see himself bullying little Sally from next door. Laughing as he pushed her down. The tears continued rolling down his face as he raised the hammer again. This time, when the hammer fell, he saw himself as a teenager in Algebra class, cheating on a test. Each and every time the hammer fell, he saw himself again and again in some act of disgrace or evil. Jonathan cringed at things that he had long since forgotten. To the world, Jonathan was a good man… but at the same time he was not a good man. So many hidden sins. So many secrets. So many memories. Arguments with his wife… little acts of indiscretion… compromises of his integrity.
As he moved from Jesus’ hands to his feet, Jonathan said weakly “I did this to you?”
Jesus did not respond.
By the time Jonathan completed nailing his feet, he was weeping uncontrollably. He walked over to the head of the cross and began lifting the cross. Jonathan strained as he raised the human-laden cross and set it into the hole in the ground especially prepared for that purpose. When the cross was fully raised, Jonathan approached Jesus and began kissing his bloodied feet. He was still weeping and as his face became covered with the blood from Jesus’ feet, he simply said “I’m sorry” and he collapsed into a sobbing mess at the foot of the cross, covering his face with his hands in shame and sorrow.
Jonathan had no idea how long he sat there. It may have been minutes or hours or even days, but it wasn’t until he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder that he uncovered his face from his hands and looked around. The cross was gone, but Jesus was standing next to him. Jesus reached down and gently lifted him to his feet. He was fully clothed in white linen. He seemed to glow and a gentle, loving smile was on his face.
“Jonathan,” he said, “do you love me?”
Jonathan wasn’t exactly sure why he was asking the question and suddenly he remembered a similar scene from the Bible… the gospel of John if he recalled correctly. The correct response if he was not mistaken was “Lord, you know I love you.” But as he started to say it, Jonathan noticed on the horizon a large crowd of people making their way toward the two. At this distance, he could not make out who they were, but they were definitely headed that way. Jonathan pointed towards the crowd and opened his mouth to ask about them, but he hesitated as Jesus said it again.
“Do you love me, Jonathan?”
The crowd was now growing closer. They were still generally too far away for him to distinguish faces for the most part, but out in front of all of them were four that he could clearly distinguish even at this distance. It was Gena and his three children. He wanted to rush to them, but he wanted to stay with Jesus. He was torn, but for the moment anyway, he stayed.
“Yes, Lord, I love you.”
Once more Jesus asked the question. “Jonathan, do you really love me. Do you love me more than these? Do you love me more than anything else in all the world?”
The question cut to his soul. His time in solace had made Jonathan keenly aware of how much he loved his family. He would do anything for them. He looked up and could clearly make them out now, walking toward him. He could make out others as well. In fact, he knew them all. It was all those whose names he had been calling each day. Everyone in his sphere of influence was now coming his way. He was somewhat taken aback by how many there were, but he quickly realized that over the last days and weeks he had grown to love them all – even in their absence. Yes, he loved them all. But did he love them more than he loved Jesus? He realized now what Jesus had done for him. He never really realized it before. He never really comprehended that it was because of him that Jesus had to die. He was grateful for that. He was even more grateful that death had not contained him. It was true. He did love Jesus and he loved him more than all these. Jonathan turned from the approaching crowd and looked at Jesus.
“Yes, Lord… I love you even more than these.”
Jonathan’s family was only about 100 yards away now. Jesus looked deep into Jonathan’s eyes and replied… “Then feed my sheep.”
Jonathan sat up in bed with a gasp. His face was sweating – or was it tears? He looked over at the alarm clock, which was glowing a dim blue in the darkness of his bedroom. It was 3:30 a.m. His wife was sleeping peacefully at his side. Was it a dream? And yet it seemed so real. Could it have really happened? There was no denying that it at least felt real. He could remember the days and weeks and months of wandering aimlessly and alone, but now he was back in his bed as if nothing had ever happened.
A dream - that is what it was. It was a dream. But it was also real to him and he knew that he would never be the same as a result. He would be a better father and husband. He would be the spiritual leader of their family. He would not be defined by the office, but rather would be defined by the savior. He would stop running from his calling. He would teach his family and his friends the truths of scripture. He would take a stand.
Jonathan raised his hand up to wipe the sweat – or was it tears – from his face. Only then did he realize that he was grasping on to something tightly. So tightly in fact that his hands were white. Slowly, he opened his hand to reveal what was inside – two small miniature masonry nails.
It was a dream… right?
Note: Even if you were the only person on the Earth, Jesus would have still died for you!
Friday, May 1, 2009
The Nails - Part I
The Nails
Copyright 2009 Joel Dison
Jonathan stood perplexed on the sidewalk facing his large, suburban home. It’s well-manicured and professionally landscaped yard a testimony to the success Jonathan had experienced over the last few years as a financial advisor. It was not the product of his handiwork, of course, because his long hours at the office gave him precious little time to work in the yard. Rather, his wife, Gena, had long since hired a gardener for that task.
Jonathan was perplexed because he couldn’t remember driving home today. He remembered every detail of his busy day at the office, but then everything seemed to fade out until he found himself here, staring blankly at his house. He stood there limply holding his leather briefcase at his side. His medium-priced suit was wrinkled from his long day and his power tie hung loosely around his neck to reveal that the top button of his shirt had been unbuttoned. How did I get here he thought to himself.
Even as he stood there staring at his house, he somehow knew that the house was empty. He didn’t know why, but he knew there was no one at home. Usually when he came home, the house was busy with the carefree activities of his three children – all under the age of 12. Usually when he came home, his wife was busy cleaning, or cooking, or helping with homework, or something equally as domestic. Today, however, Jonathan was keenly aware that there was no stirring in the house.
Jonathan usually didn’t bother with that stuff. Typically when he came home, he would retire to the shelter of his study to recover from the pressures of the day. He didn’t know that Gena had long since discovered his secret hiding place where he kept a bottle of Wild Turkey. One drink a day. That’s all, just one, but he felt it was necessary to dull the pain. He knew his pastor would probably frown on him for it. In fact, as a deacon in his small Southern Baptist church, he was supposed to refrain from alcohol altogether. One drink a day though didn’t hurt anything, did it? After all, he wasn’t an alcoholic and he never got drunk. One drink, that’s all.
Jonathan was home earlier than normal today. It was normally dark when he came home – even during the long days of summer – but not today. Jonathan turned and shielded his hands as he looked at the sun. It was still two or three hours above the horizon. What time is it he thought as he looked down at his watch. He was even more perplexed as he saw that the face of his watch was blank. It contained no markings and no hands to indicate the time of day. Jonathan then scanned around the quaint suburban street and suddenly realized that none of the houses had any activity. Jonathan dropped his briefcase and slowly walked to the edge of the street. As he scanned the houses up and down the street, he noticed that they all seemed dark and silent. In fact, there was no one in the neighborhood at all. There were no cars passing by on the street. There were no kids playing in the yards. Not even the sprinklers were running. It then hit him that even the neighborhood pets were gone. Harold’s chocolate lab was usually wandering the neighborhood playing with the kids. Bob’s crazy chow was usually barking incessantly at anything and everything from behind his fenced prison. Nothing. Not even a bird… Where are the birds?
Jonathan turned back and looked at his Ford Excursion. He had been meaning to trade that monster in for one of the new hybrid jobs or even something a bit more practical like a small or mid-sized car, but had not gotten around to it yet. He bought it out of pride a few years back when all his buddies were buying the big SUVs. He had to buy the biggest and the baddest there was. Of course he didn’t really need it.
Not sure exactly what was going on, Jonathan decided that he needed to head back to the office to try and figure things out. That was Jonathan, all right… everything could be figured out by going to the office. It is where he typically went whenever he and Gena had a fight. There had been several times he even spent the night there. Today, however, he just needed to clear this fog in his head and find out why the world had suddenly gone empty. He walked over to the SUV and climbed up into the cockpit, but when he inserted the key and turned the ignition, nothing happened. That’s odd, he thought, the battery shouldn’t be dead. But when he then went to the garage and the same thing happened to his wife’s minivan, he knew something was wrong.
More confused than ever, now, Jonathan took to the street, walking right down the middle of it towards what he knew would be activity and civilization. His office was 20 miles away. He wouldn’t be able to walk all the way to his office, but there was a major shopping center about 5 miles away. For lack of anything better, he decided to head in that direction. At first he walked very casually, but then he came to the first major cross street. Looking up and down this major road, he realized that it, too, contained no activity. A dull fear was creeping into his head, so he turned down this road and began a slow, steady jog. By the time he reached state highway 10, full blown panic had set in. Where are all the people? Where are the cars?
By this time Jonathan was running at a full sprint. As he crested a small hill just prior to the local commerce and shopping center, he all but collapsed from over exertion and lack of breath. He stood there with his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath as he looked down into the valley below. The shopping center was like a ghost town. No cars. No people. No nothings. There was a cool breeze blowing across the street and Jonathan startled as an empty cardboard box rolled past him coming from nowhere going to nowhere. It was the only movement he had seen since he awoke from his dazed state in front of his house.
Jonathan’s immediate thoughts were that his pastor was finally right… the rapture had come and he had been left behind. But wait a minute…. If the rapture had come, he wouldn’t be the only one left behind. There would be others. Where were the others? No, this wasn’t the rapture, this was something else. Surely he could find someone somewhere who could tell him what was going on.
Hours of wandering found Jonathan in the dark sitting under a tree at one of the town parks. He was tired, scared, confused, and could think of nothing but his family. Why had he ignored them so? Why had he spent so much time at the office? Right now he would give anything if they would just show themselves. Where could they be? Where could anyone be? Jonathan sat there remembering many things about his family. He was distraught, though, that most of those memories came with the realization that he had not been the father and husband that he should have been. How many birthdays had he missed because of a big project at work? How many school plays should he have attended but didn’t. He thought about the blonde receptionist at work that he so playfully flirted with on a daily basis. On more than one occasion, she had made it clear that he could take things to the next level. He never did, but he couldn’t help but admit to himself the fact that on several occasions he gave it very serious consideration. If the opportunity had truly presented itself, he probably would have caved in to the temptation. As he drifted off to sleep, he was softly sobbing to himself. He had never felt so alone – or so ashamed.
Jonathan startled himself awake. Expecting to find himself in his own bed, he quickly realized that he was still lying under the same tree in the park. His suit was now disgracefully wrinkled and dirty as well. Jonathan took off his coat and his tie and dropped them on the ground. He left them there as he walked away, once again in search of anyone.
Realizing that he was hungry, Jonathan walked into a convenience store and grabbed a package of donuts from the shelf and a carton of 2% milk from the refrigerator section. When he reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet, he realized that there was no one to take his money. Not knowing what else to do, he returned his wallet to his pocket and walked out the door.
Copyright 2009 Joel Dison
Jonathan stood perplexed on the sidewalk facing his large, suburban home. It’s well-manicured and professionally landscaped yard a testimony to the success Jonathan had experienced over the last few years as a financial advisor. It was not the product of his handiwork, of course, because his long hours at the office gave him precious little time to work in the yard. Rather, his wife, Gena, had long since hired a gardener for that task.
Jonathan was perplexed because he couldn’t remember driving home today. He remembered every detail of his busy day at the office, but then everything seemed to fade out until he found himself here, staring blankly at his house. He stood there limply holding his leather briefcase at his side. His medium-priced suit was wrinkled from his long day and his power tie hung loosely around his neck to reveal that the top button of his shirt had been unbuttoned. How did I get here he thought to himself.
Even as he stood there staring at his house, he somehow knew that the house was empty. He didn’t know why, but he knew there was no one at home. Usually when he came home, the house was busy with the carefree activities of his three children – all under the age of 12. Usually when he came home, his wife was busy cleaning, or cooking, or helping with homework, or something equally as domestic. Today, however, Jonathan was keenly aware that there was no stirring in the house.
Jonathan usually didn’t bother with that stuff. Typically when he came home, he would retire to the shelter of his study to recover from the pressures of the day. He didn’t know that Gena had long since discovered his secret hiding place where he kept a bottle of Wild Turkey. One drink a day. That’s all, just one, but he felt it was necessary to dull the pain. He knew his pastor would probably frown on him for it. In fact, as a deacon in his small Southern Baptist church, he was supposed to refrain from alcohol altogether. One drink a day though didn’t hurt anything, did it? After all, he wasn’t an alcoholic and he never got drunk. One drink, that’s all.
Jonathan was home earlier than normal today. It was normally dark when he came home – even during the long days of summer – but not today. Jonathan turned and shielded his hands as he looked at the sun. It was still two or three hours above the horizon. What time is it he thought as he looked down at his watch. He was even more perplexed as he saw that the face of his watch was blank. It contained no markings and no hands to indicate the time of day. Jonathan then scanned around the quaint suburban street and suddenly realized that none of the houses had any activity. Jonathan dropped his briefcase and slowly walked to the edge of the street. As he scanned the houses up and down the street, he noticed that they all seemed dark and silent. In fact, there was no one in the neighborhood at all. There were no cars passing by on the street. There were no kids playing in the yards. Not even the sprinklers were running. It then hit him that even the neighborhood pets were gone. Harold’s chocolate lab was usually wandering the neighborhood playing with the kids. Bob’s crazy chow was usually barking incessantly at anything and everything from behind his fenced prison. Nothing. Not even a bird… Where are the birds?
Jonathan turned back and looked at his Ford Excursion. He had been meaning to trade that monster in for one of the new hybrid jobs or even something a bit more practical like a small or mid-sized car, but had not gotten around to it yet. He bought it out of pride a few years back when all his buddies were buying the big SUVs. He had to buy the biggest and the baddest there was. Of course he didn’t really need it.
Not sure exactly what was going on, Jonathan decided that he needed to head back to the office to try and figure things out. That was Jonathan, all right… everything could be figured out by going to the office. It is where he typically went whenever he and Gena had a fight. There had been several times he even spent the night there. Today, however, he just needed to clear this fog in his head and find out why the world had suddenly gone empty. He walked over to the SUV and climbed up into the cockpit, but when he inserted the key and turned the ignition, nothing happened. That’s odd, he thought, the battery shouldn’t be dead. But when he then went to the garage and the same thing happened to his wife’s minivan, he knew something was wrong.
More confused than ever, now, Jonathan took to the street, walking right down the middle of it towards what he knew would be activity and civilization. His office was 20 miles away. He wouldn’t be able to walk all the way to his office, but there was a major shopping center about 5 miles away. For lack of anything better, he decided to head in that direction. At first he walked very casually, but then he came to the first major cross street. Looking up and down this major road, he realized that it, too, contained no activity. A dull fear was creeping into his head, so he turned down this road and began a slow, steady jog. By the time he reached state highway 10, full blown panic had set in. Where are all the people? Where are the cars?
By this time Jonathan was running at a full sprint. As he crested a small hill just prior to the local commerce and shopping center, he all but collapsed from over exertion and lack of breath. He stood there with his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath as he looked down into the valley below. The shopping center was like a ghost town. No cars. No people. No nothings. There was a cool breeze blowing across the street and Jonathan startled as an empty cardboard box rolled past him coming from nowhere going to nowhere. It was the only movement he had seen since he awoke from his dazed state in front of his house.
Jonathan’s immediate thoughts were that his pastor was finally right… the rapture had come and he had been left behind. But wait a minute…. If the rapture had come, he wouldn’t be the only one left behind. There would be others. Where were the others? No, this wasn’t the rapture, this was something else. Surely he could find someone somewhere who could tell him what was going on.
Hours of wandering found Jonathan in the dark sitting under a tree at one of the town parks. He was tired, scared, confused, and could think of nothing but his family. Why had he ignored them so? Why had he spent so much time at the office? Right now he would give anything if they would just show themselves. Where could they be? Where could anyone be? Jonathan sat there remembering many things about his family. He was distraught, though, that most of those memories came with the realization that he had not been the father and husband that he should have been. How many birthdays had he missed because of a big project at work? How many school plays should he have attended but didn’t. He thought about the blonde receptionist at work that he so playfully flirted with on a daily basis. On more than one occasion, she had made it clear that he could take things to the next level. He never did, but he couldn’t help but admit to himself the fact that on several occasions he gave it very serious consideration. If the opportunity had truly presented itself, he probably would have caved in to the temptation. As he drifted off to sleep, he was softly sobbing to himself. He had never felt so alone – or so ashamed.
Jonathan startled himself awake. Expecting to find himself in his own bed, he quickly realized that he was still lying under the same tree in the park. His suit was now disgracefully wrinkled and dirty as well. Jonathan took off his coat and his tie and dropped them on the ground. He left them there as he walked away, once again in search of anyone.
Realizing that he was hungry, Jonathan walked into a convenience store and grabbed a package of donuts from the shelf and a carton of 2% milk from the refrigerator section. When he reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet, he realized that there was no one to take his money. Not knowing what else to do, he returned his wallet to his pocket and walked out the door.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Hidden Treasure
Here is a question for your consideration: What good is hidden treasure?
This past Saturday we had our annual Easter Egg Hunt at FBC Springville like so many other churches, communities, and families do every year. Why do we love hunting for Easter Eggs. I can remember all the various hunts that I went to as a kid. I remember the thrill as all the kids took off together into the vast treasure yard. I remember the joy of finding the hidden eggs that the other kids passed by. Of course in those days, the eggs were hard boiled and their coloring came from the fact that someone lovingly took the time to dye them. Your treasure was the fact that you got to eat the egg later. Now the eggs are brightly colored plastic and your treasure is the hopes of the prize that lies within.
The hunt! The find! The joy of the hidden treasure within! That thrill doesn’t really go away. Now we can even hunt virtual Easter Eggs on Facebook, and based on the hundreds of “soandso just found the whatchmacalit egg” notifications I’ve received over the last few weeks, there’s a lot of you out there who still like hunting Easter Eggs.This year, about 40 or so kids took off into the churchyard looking for approximately 800 eggs – each of which was filled with a candy treat, small change, or a special toy prize.
Yes, we all like finding the treasure… and the granddaddy of the Easter Egg treasure is the elusive GOLDEN EGG! This year, we put out 8 golden eggs. 1 for the babies, 2 for the preschoolers, and 5 for the older children. 6 of the golden eggs contained a “golden” dollar coin. 2 of the golden eggs contained a $5 bill! And I personally hid each of these 8 special eggs.Why so many? Doesn’t that devalue the mystique of the elusive golden egg? Maybe… and maybe I am just a pushover… but in all the years that I hunted Easter Eggs, I never ever found the golden egg. I guess I just know how disappointing it is to miss out.
Ironically, when the hunt was over, I decided I needed to make one last sweep around the church. I expected to find a few eggs here and there that the kids missed – but I didn’t… In performing a “general sweep” of the area I didn’t find one single egg – amazing how efficient those diminutive treasure hunters can be! Then I decided to double check the places where I had hidden the golden eggs. I don’t know why I looked because I honestly thought they all had been found. But there it was. One single golden egg with its precious treasure inside – neatly tucked away in its hiding place. And the real irony here is that when I hid that particular golden egg, I thought it was such an obvious hiding place that it would be the first golden egg found!
As I write this note, I am looking at this golden egg and wondering… what good purpose did this egg serve? Did it bring happiness to a child? No. Did it thrill a child? No. 40 kids and 800 eggs and this one remained hidden.
This egg makes me think about the wondrous treasure of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The joy that a little plastic, paint, and spare change bring is nothing compared to the real joy that comes through salvation in Jesus Christ. And yet like the golden Easter Egg, we don’t just hide it, we hide it so well that no one can find it. We have the golden egg, yet we tuck it neatly under a rock or a bush and we watch while the world scambles around looking for all the other brightly colored eggs – none of which have the true treasure. What good will all those other false treasures do them if they never find the truth!
Don’t let the gospel be like the golden egg that was never found. Don’t assume as I did with that one golden egg that those helpless little egg hunters will find it own their own. Proclaim it boldly so that all may find it!
Jesus said let your light shine before all men – don’t hide it under a bush! After all, everyone likes finding the treasure!
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