Einstein Couldn't Figure God Out!

Last weekend, a book review in the Wall Street Journal caught my attention: “God: A Biography.” The author provides a psychological study of God—troubled but talented, spontaneous but moody, and very conflicted in His roles as creator, destroyer, judge, warrior, father, and mother. The book is a sad effort to figure God out.

God wants to be known—not figured out. The Bible says God reveals Himself to everyone through His creation. But there is special revelation to those born of His Spirit (1 Cor. 2:14). And that is the ‘key’ to knowing Him. The “natural” man cannot know God—only the “spiritual” man can. God will not be known by intellect and intelligence.  In fact, Jesus said God hides Himself from those who think they are wise and clever but  reveals Himself to those who are childlike (Lk 10:21).

Maybe it’s because natural men cannot know God that they try so hard to “figure Him out.” But to that God says: “You thought I was like you, but as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Ps. 51:25; Is. 55:8-9). Albert Einstein, an avowed agnostic, once said: "In my opinion the idea of a personal God is a childlike one."  At least he got that right!

A Broken Washing Machine and a Sunny Day

Our washing machine broke earlier this month, and due to a series of regrettable circumstances, we were without one for 2 weeks. For the first time in 25 years, I went to a Laundromat.  Sitting there, waiting for my clothes, I was convicted of how many things I take for granted.

During the almost-two years I lived in Afghanistan, I had no running water, let alone hot water. In fact, I didn’t even have clean drinking water. We had to boil our water for 10 minutes to disinfect it. I couldn’t even take electricity for granted due to frequent power outages. Every day, in order to take my daily sponge bath, I had to boil a bucketfull of water. I remember thinking I would never take a hot shower for granted. Thirty years later… I do.  Sometimes when Altha and I are taking a drive, she will say "Aren't you glad it's not raining?"  And I say "yes," but I know I was just taking it for granted.

Human beings have an infinite capacity for taking things for granted. The Apostle Paul wrote, "In everything give thanks" (1 Thess. 5:18). I think we may be reading this verse backward—we think it means to be thanking God in spite of bad things. But if we give thanks on the front end—thanking God for all the good things we normally take for granted—we would be preconditioned to give thanks in everything.  And besides, what a shame to take a sunny day for granted!

Satan’s Finest Hour

With the advent of the Republican National Convention this week, Romney is the man of the hour.  Remember when Jesus said, “My hour is not yet come” (John 2:4)? His death on the cross was his “finest hour.”  Satan is waiting for his hour. With Europe’s debt, upheaval across the Middle East, Iran’s aggression toward Israel, global terrorism, and a myriad of other evils, the world is ripe for a leader who will fend off economic collapse, and bring about peace.

A vast majority of the world, especially in the West, are still hopeful that things will turn around. One wonders how educated and sophisticated Americans can be so gullible to believe any person can accomplish the task of making things right again. This naiveté will set the stage for a person who will lead and unite the world.

This person will rise to power with a brilliant 7-year plan for world peace, prosperity and safety (Rev. 13). His charisma, accompanied by miracles, will be so persuasive even post-rapture believers will be deceived (Matt. 24:24).  He will be worshipped as the Messiah.  It will be Satan’s finest hour.

“Positive Thinking” Theology

When I saw this picture juxtiposing Joel Osteen's book of positive thinking with suffering children, I knew I had to write a post about it.  Even though a picture is worth a 1,000 words, I will add a few of my own.

The message of  Joel Osteen's book "Everyday a Friday" is that if we live our lives with a more positive and optimist spirit, we will be happier (think TGIF).  Tell that to the starving children of Africa, for whom everyday is one of misery, despair, and death.

Sound Bible teaching must be applicable to rich and poor, and to powerful and marginalized alike: the true gospel message must be relevant to all peoples and cultures.   The message of prosperity and positive thinking may look good on a greeting card, but it is shamefully lacking in sound doctrine and good exegesis (1 Tim 1:10; 2 Tim. 2:15).

Judging without being Judgmental

In the last century, “fundamentalism” was born out of the controversy over the inerrancy of the Bible. Fundamentalism was perceived as narrow-minded and judgmental. In the last two decades, conservative churches have distanced themselves from fundamentalism. For example, most conservative Baptist churches have abandoned the name ‘Baptist’ for more neutral sounding names, like “Fellowship” or “Community.” One San Jose church names itself after the local mall.

In our culture of political correctness and conflict avoidance, anyone who embraces the inerrancy of Scripture and its claims to exclusivity is perceived as judgmental. But then wouldn't Jesus have to be called judgmental for exposing sin and hypocrisy, calling for repentance, warning of false teachers? How do we comply with Jesus' command to “judge not”? (Matt 7:1)

Well, Jesus also said, “Judge with righteous judgment” (John 7:24). The Greek word for judge meaning, “to call into question.” As Biblical people, we must question all things in relation to truth, judging false teachers and their false doctrine, and when necessary, “rebuking them sharply” (Titus 1:13). If we succumb to political correctness, the truth will suffer. May it not be said, as it was in Isaiah's day, "truth has stumbled in the streets" (59:14).

He had a backpack full of chicken sandwiches

Earlier this month, an attack on the 'conservative values' Family Research Center by a lone guman was barely covered by the mainstream media. A security guard was shot in the arm as he wrestled with the attacker who had a backpack full of Chic-Fil-A sandwiches—the company that took a lot of flak for their position of supporting traditional marriage. That's the reason the sandwiches weren't KFC.

The Media Research Center, a group that monitors media coverage bias, reported that few of the major news outlets covered the story, and even those that did give it time, did not reveal that the shooter was a volunteer employee at the Wash. DC LGBT Community Center. Imagine if the shooter had been a conservative Christian attacking an LGBT office. The media would have been all over the story as a hate crime—calling it domestic terrorism.

It is not my intention to lambast media bias, but to point out another sign of our times. In our culture of open-mindedness and tolerance, those who are out of sync with the mainstream morals (or lack thereof) will be considered intolerant. And intolerance is intolerable. “Woe to those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter” (Is. 5:20).

Finders Keepers/Losers Weepers

I saw one of those home-made posters taped on the window of a store front the other day, with the photo of a cute dog and the words “Found.” Since it was a neighborhood with a lot of foreclosed homes, I wondered if the animal had been abandoned.  With increased numbers of people losing their homes, more pets have become homeless too. I hoped the ‘finders’ would keep him.

Our God stands alone, in a world of man-made gods, as the only One Who promises He will never leave or abandon us. The bible says He finds us and keeps us. Then He keeps us from sin and evil, and keeps us from stumbling. (Heb. 13:5; Ps. 121:5; 17:8; 1 John 5:18; Jude 24)

Then, paradoxically, God asks us to be keepers too—keeping his Word, keeping the faith, keeping a good conscience, keeping ourselves free from the love of sin, and keeping ourselves in the love of God. Considering the challenge of “keeping” all these things, Peter assures as that they can be kept by the power of His word. (Jn 14:23; 2 Tim 4:3; 1 Tim 1:19; 1 Tim 5:22; Jude 21; 1 Pet 1:5)

Now I know this sounds too good to be true. But even if we prove to be poor keepers (God forbid), our God will never leave or abandon us. But the other side of finders and keepers are losers and weepers: those who suffer loss, lose rewards, and forfeit intimacy with Jesus.  So, if we are those who want to keep everything, we must be willing to lose anything (2 Cor. 7:9; Mark 9:41; Phil 3:8).

Let us Build a New Tower

Resilience is the ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change. It is a gift of God to help us cope with hard things in life. But it can also be an instrument of self-supremacy—the “I can do anything” attitude that was birthed in the Garden of Eden—“you shall be like God.”

From Genesis to Revelation, "Babylon" is used to denote the strength and resiliency of man—its first mention, the Tower of Babel. Ever since, men have built towers to display their strength. After the fall of the World Trade towers on 911, it seemed Americans were brought to their knees and humbled—churches were full of scared people. But within weeks, resilience returned. And national leaders said, “We will build a new tower!” Thus a new Word Trade tower (the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere) will be completed in 2013, reaching a symbolic 1,776 feet—referring to the year America declared its independence.

Isaiah describes Israel’s resilience after tragedy: “The people say in their proud, lofty hearts, ‘The bricks are fallen down, but come, let us hew stones and cut down trees and build for ourselves a tower’” (9:8–10). We American Christians must be especially leery of how the spirit of resilience affects us. We can forget that our trials are meant to make us more dependent on God.  Because Paul understood this, he boasted in his weakness (1 Co. 12:19). But the resilient American spirit hates weakness, and says, “let us build a new tower.”

Where's the "Sparkle"?

T.D. Jakes, popular author/pastor has produced a new movie "Sparkle," rife with sexual promiscuity, nudity, domestic abuse, and drugs.  How does Jakes justify such sensuality as entertainment? His feeble attempt to emphasize love, faith and perseverance is over-shadowed by the film's underlying values: deceit, jealousy, strife, greed.

“It has been asked whether certain kinds of entertainment are appropriate for Christians. When entertainment is crude or off-color, the answer seems too obvious. When actions we would never allow in our daily life are part of entertainment, something is wrong. Much of the content of popular entertainment contains elements the Bible expressly forbids. Somehow, when it comes in the form of entertainment, we find it less offensive. In reality it is all the more dangerous. We often let our guard down when engaging in entertainment. I fear we have ben conditioned to accept such things in much the same way that a frog learns to accept ever-warming water, until eventually it is boiled to death. Such is the influence of the entertainment industry in our time.”

The above quote is an excerpt from “Real Christianity” written by William Wilberforce in 1797.  I am sure he never imagined anything like what we call entertainment today!

The Wells have Run Dry

Many Americans who rely on wells for water are coming up dry after months of record-breaking heat and drought. It’s not unusual for rural wells to stop producing toward the end of a hot summer, but this year, wells are drying up early. When this happens well-owners must dig deeper. The prophet Jeremaih likens wells (or cisterns) to self effort. “My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the Fountain (Spring) of living waters, and they have hewn for themselves broken cisterns which cannot hold water” (Jer 2:13).

A well takes a lot of work—both to dig and to draw water, whereas a spring is a natural outflow of refreshing ground water. A well can dry up, but springs keep on going! Spring water comes from deeper within the earth than well water; and Spring water is full of minerals.

This year’s drought and dry wells might serve to remind us of Jesus’ words to the Samaritan woman, “all who drink of this water will be thirsty again. But whoever takes a drink of the water that I will give him shall never be thirsty again. But the water that I will give him shall become a spring of water welling up continually within him into eternal life” (John 4:13, 14). Trying to find satisfaction through the work of our hands (digging our own wells) will never quench our desire for life. Only Jesus can do that.

If you're humble, you won't grumble. Ouch!

I was recently convicted of grumbling (yet again) while listening to teacher Tim Keller, Redeemer Church, NYC, who rightly named it spiritual pride. Proud people grumble because think they deserve better. Ouch!  Proud people criticize others because it makes them feel superior. Ouch!  Humble people have compassion on others; and they are grateful for what they have. Ouch!

But let’s be real. Who isn't tempted to grumble when life takes that unexpected left turn?  And it's hard to hold your tongue even more if God seems distant, silent and unresponsive to your needs. And then add to that the feelings of guilt because you know you should be “rejoicing in the Lord at all times.” But grumbling dishonors God—it is like saying He’s not a very good Father! Ouch!

Straight shooter Joyce Meyers says it well: “We need to ask ourselves, how quick we are to become impatient and complain when stuck in traffic or waiting in the checkout lane? How quick are we to point out the faults of our friends or family?  Do we complain about our job when we should be thankful we have one? The best antidote for complaining is thanks. Truly thankful people don't  complain. They are too busy being grateful for all the good things they have.”  Ouch!

Take a Stand against Sitting

Has there ever been a time in history when people sat more?  Sitting disease is rampant in the U.S.; it is killing us. The colloquial term sounds cute enough: couch potato. But there’s nothing cute about chronic health problems, or premature death, brought on by excessive sitting. Government statistics tell us that half of Americans report sitting more than 6 hours a day. People who sit more than 11 hours a day have a 40 percent higher risk for chronic diseases than non-sitters. But the good news is that even sitters who exercise at least 5 hours per week are as healthy as non-sitters.

So what’s my point? In all his letters, one of Paul’s favorite metaphors for Christian living is the word “walk.” Of course the prime meaning of “walk” is motion. So why do so many Christians think if they are sitting in a pew (or cushioned chair) in a Sunday morning service they are making progress. I know that pastors try hard to promote active participation among the sitters. In our sedentary culture, it would be all too easy to produce a generation of “sitters” instead of “walkers.” Perhaps this explains why we are seeing so many spiritual health troubles—lack of appetite for the Word, powerless prayer life, spiritual depression, and joyless living, to name a few.

Think of this. If we are ‘following’ Jesus, we ought to be moving! A 'sitting follower' is an oxymoron!  “Whoever claims to abide in Jesus must walk as He did” (1 John 2:6).

Olympic Marathon Runner Receives the Crown of Life

After writing yesterday about Olympic gold winner David Boudia, a friend sent me the story of born-again Olympic Marathon runner Ryan Hall.  Last year, after finishing as runner-up at the U.S. Half Marathon Championships, he filled out a standard drug testing form and wrote “God” in the space where he was to write the name of his “coach.” When told he had to write in a “real” name, Ryan insisted “God is a ‘real’ person.”  A story about Ryan in the NY Times declared: A Runner’s Belief: God Is His Coach.

In the Olympic marathon on Sunday, Ryan Hall failed to finish the race due to an injured hamstring.  Despite his disappointing performance, Ryan made it clear on Twitter: “God is so good. My circumstances have the possibility of shifting my perception of His goodness but His goodness never changes.”

When I heard Ryan’s story, it occurred to me how much we love ‘happy endings.’ We want the David Boudia’s and Ryan Hall's to win. But the Spirit reminded me it isn’t about “winning” competitions, but about finishing well, about passing God’s tests.  And there is a reward for those who do. The Crown of Life is the prize for those who rejoice, trusting in the goodness of God when faced with disappointments. Ryan Hall is a winner. “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test [or, finished his race], he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12).

One Olympian Wins the Gold and an Eternal Reward

The Olympics may be over, but the rewards live on—in time. But there is at least one Olympian whose reward has eternal value—American David Boudia, a born-again believer who won a gold medal in diving competition, and gave God the glory. What makes David’s feat especially outstanding is that in the qualifying rounds on Friday, he came in 18th place—dead last.  But in the finals on Saturday, his diving was gold worthy.

When David Boudia competed in the Olympics in 2008 in Beijing, he says, “Diving was my God. It was a forced competition. I needed to do well there if I wanted to do well later in life.” Then David’s coach led him to Christ. This is David’s testimony:

I started reading scriptures about what it meant to live for God’s glory. Competition started to look a lot different. Competition is about feeding your selfish needs. You start to worry about what happens if you don’t win. You start to fear man because you want praise. You start thinking about how winning will lead to more money.  So now when I go into competition, I take my thoughts captive and use God’s Word to fight that battle. It’s totally freeing when I stay in tune with scripture. I don’t have to worry if I miss a dive. If I do well, that’s awesome. I praise Him. If I don’t do well, praise Him even more. 

"Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better,

promising benefits in this life and in the life to come" (1 Tim. 4:8).

Global Weirdness

The hottest summer on record is causing even sensible people to wonder, ‘Has global warming arrived?’ A brand new book called, “Global Weirdness: Severe Storms, Deadly Heat Waves, Relentless Drought, Rising Seas and the Weather of the Future,” has advanced the debate. The dry summer of 2012 is likely to spark heated discussions in the 2012 presidential race.

Should this be a hot topic for Christians? “Aren’t we called to be stewards of God’s creation?” you ask. The short answer is ‘yes.’ But the long answer must include an eternal view. Two thousand years ago Peter warned of global warming. “The present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, in which the heavens will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works burned up. Then, a new heaven and earth” (2 Pet 3:7-10, ed.).

Peter's next words are key in answering our question. “Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness? Be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of the Lord” (2 Pet 3:11-12, ed.).  Peter emphasizes issues of the heart before the environment.  But that doesn't give us permission to abuse the earth while we're here.  It's not ungodly to recycle!

In God (not Government) we Trust!

When I hear people talk about the ‘government’ as the ultimate fail-safe that will always take care of us, I wonder if they realize it is just made up of very average people who work 40 hours a week and take their families to the movies on the weekend.  As a former government supervisor, I know some are trustworthy; some are not. But believe me—there are no super-humans among them!

In a recent survey, 55 percent of Americans believe they can trust the government if disaster strikes. Do you believe our government can take care of 312 million people if there is a financial collapse, a pandemic, or power grid failure! Yet, a majority of Americans say, “In Government we trust.” 

Conversely, our National motto is “In GOD we trust.” But over the last decades our government is running away from that creed, having outlawed Bible and prayer from schools and now trying to eliminate any trace of God from the public square—the latest being a movement to take the words “In God we trust” off our currency.

I don’t know about you, but I am not putting much trust in a government that doesn’t trust in God. “Don't put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there” (Ps. 146:3).

A New Generation of Nonconformists

Is the church in America living up to its name? The word “church” comes from the Greek word ecclesia, meaning called out—called out from this world, i.e., culture.  In using the word, Jesus defined His followers as nonconformists: “Be not conformed to this world” (Rom. 12:2).

Many people think the Church growth movement and its step-child the Emerging Church are so intent on not wanting to seem peculiar to the world, they are in danger of falling into conformance with it. Recently one pastor explained, “We black out the windows of our auditorium and turn down the lights so un-churched people will feel less culture shock.”

But the Bible is full of non-conformists. From Enoch who walked with God against the tide of his times, to Abraham who left Ur for a nomadic life in the desert, to Moses who refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, to Daniel who rejected royal fare, and to the Disciples who died resisting Jewish tradition. When is the last time you heard a sermon on Paul’s command, “come out from among them, and be separate?” (2 Cor. 6:17).  Is it time for a new generation of nonconformists?

Why?

This summer has seen a plague of extreme weather events in the US, from thunderstorms that knocked out power for millions, to the heat wave the produced a crop-destroying drought. And just in the last 30 days, Americans have witnessed 2 violent massacres—in a Colorado theater and a Sikh Temple in Wisconsin. How do most people explain such suffering?

Recently I read an article that said Americans, unlike the rest of the citizens of our planet who accept suffering as a normal part of life, see suffering as wrong, something that interferes with the natural flow of life.  Given that, I think many Americans see suffering as something to be tolerated (“This too will pass”).  Is it any wonder the average person seems surprised when disaster strikes (“why is this happening to me?”). To the degree you and I are affected by this cultural view of suffering, we too will ask the “why” question.

Peter says, “Beloved, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, rejoice that these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the joy of seeing His glory when it is revealed to all the world” (1 Pet. 4:12-13).  Though many attempts have been made to understand it, there can be no explanation for suffering apart from this eternal perspective.  

“One Shot”

Watching the Olympics brings to mind the phrase “one shot”: to ‘achieve in a single attempt.’ These athletes have trained a lifetime for their one shot at the gold. Likewise, our race on earth is our preparation for eternity (Heb. 12:1-3; 1 Cor 9:24-27): our training for reigning (1 Tim. 4:8; 2 Tim. 2:12).

Revivalist Leonard Ravenhill said 'you can’t catch up on your prayer life when you get to the judgment seat of Christ.' And that applies to everything! We have one shot in this life, although our one-shot is a lifetime of choices. And though we may 'miss the mark' many times, we must never stop trying to “give it our best shot.”

The 18th century evangelist George Whitefield said every time he preached, he did so as if it were his last. At my age, I think about that more often—each conversation, interaction, act of kindness (or rudeness), or each blog post might be my last.  Whatever your age, it is no less relevant. “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. And may the Lord show us his approval and make our 'one shot' successful.” (Ps 90:12, 16).

Adrenaline Junkies

Earlier this year, a 20-year old Seattle man, known as the “Barefoot Bandit”—he committed his crimes wearing no shoes—was sentenced to 6 ½ years in prison after a 2-year international crime spree, stealing planes and boats by which he travelled to foreign countries. Like the character in the movie "Catch Me if You Can," the Barefoot Bandit was an adrenaline junkie.

Adrenaline junkies are addicted to the exciting, pleasurable effect of adrenal glands dumping a large doses of adrenaline into the bloodstream. People  will do many things to get that rush: leap out of airplanes, climb rocks, race cars, bungee jump.

God has designed us with a spiritual appetite for stimulation too. Stimulate one another (Heb. 10:24), the word meaning, “to incite, provoke, or contend.” (Most churches don’t really encourage that kind of thing!) Watchman Nee clarifies that it isn’t what happens on Sunday morning that stimulates individual growth, but in between Sundays whenever people meet, each encouraging the other to faith and commitment.  The proven fact is if Christians don’t get that stimulation they are looking for, they will become bored and leave the church. Instead, you may find them out on Sunday morning looking for an adrenaline rush.

Without Power, People Die

The largest power failure  in history (since electricity) occurred last month!  No, not the one in the Mid-Atlantic states, but one in India that affected 670 million people, nearly 10% of the world’s population. While some Americans (and probably some Indians too) may have been mostly annoyed that Starbucks was closed, the real danger, of course, was the lack of energy to homes and hospitals for air conditioning and medical equipment. Without power, people die.

But that pales in comparison to the greatest power failure in human history: the day Adam sinned, after which, “death spread to all men” (Rom 5:12). Despite  that, men tried to be powerful in their own right. They built cities, and eventually the tower of Babel (Gen. 11:4), a monument to their abilities and achievements: man power.  But it failed, as did all subsequent attempts at self-empowerment!

And even though, at new birth, God’s power is turned back on: resident within us (Acts 1:8), most of us experience personal power shortages all too frequently.  And these are the moments to ask ourselves if we have built any towers of self-reliance, because our attempts at self-empowerment will always result in power failure. And in the spiritual realm just as in the physical, without power, people die.

Fowl Play

Last month, Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy took an uncompromising stance against gay marriage. Since his business is family-owned, the restaurant chain itself became the latest victim of the law against intolerance. Mayors of Chicago, Boston, and Washington D.C. immediately condemned Cathy’s remarks, and declared their cities a no-commerce zone for Chick-fil-A restaurants.

The conflict took the form of a national food fight yesterday when Mike Huckabee declared Wednesday national “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day.” The result: a lot of conservatives had chicken for lunch (while their critics are crow). Not to be outdone, gay rights advocates have called for a "National Same-Sex Kiss Day" to be held Friday at Chick-fil-A restaurants all over the country.

But the real chicken bone of contention is the damage being done to free speech. Chick-fil-A has the right to express its views. And opponents have a right to express theirs. But neither side has a right to silence the other, which is what happened when the mayors said they would shut out Chick-fil-A from their market place. In effect, saying (ironically), “We will not tolerate intolerance.” in the future, don’t be surprised to see more of that kind of fowl play.

Ramadan: What is it and Why does it Matter?

As a traveller in East Kenya many years ago, I first observed the Muslim month of fasting, called Ramadan. A few years later, as a high school teacher in Afghanistan, Ramadan took on special meaning to me as my students dragged into class everyday parched and hungry.  During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn till dusk.  This year, Ramadan began on July 20.

But for Christians living in the Muslim world, it can be a dangerous time. Generally, Christians can blend into the population. But during Ramadan, when Muslims are not eating or drinking during the day, Christians stand out, making them easy targets for persecution. Historically, Christians in Muslim-dominated countries experience a severe increase in persecution during Ramadan. 

After a year of Muslim uprisings, the tension may be worse than normal. The Arab Spring and increased terrorism have sharpened hostility toward Christians, especially in Egypt, Libya, Iraq, Syria, and Nigeria. During this month of Ramadan, let us remember to pray for the safety of our Christian brothers and sisters who live in Islamic strongholds around the world.