Design or Chaos?

For many years, even centuries people have wrestled with the question of where did all this begin.  The main question being “what is the origin of life?”  Just last night I saw a commercial about a new movie coming out soon called Prometheus.  The opening line of the television ad says, “We think we have found the origin of life.”  The movie description online says, “A team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.”  The fascination with this question exists in every phase of life including entertainment.  

In all my years of school, science was one subject I didn’t get along with so well.  So much so I waited until the last semester of my senior year to take freshman biology.  Science always intimidated and threatened me.  In many ways I was scared of science but I have come to realize there is nothing to fear in science because it doesn’t rule God out as some might say but it definitely points to God.  There is a new movement in the science field today called ID (Intelligent Design).  Many of its proponents are not Christians but they will admit the universe is definitely designed and behind every design there is a designer. 

How long has it been since you sat under a starlit sky and was mesmerized by the wonder of the night sky?  When was the last time you sat by the ocean to feel the sand between your toes and watch the waves roll in and out?  Have you recently sat in a panoramic view of mountains and listened to a river or stream roll by?  When we stop long enough to be absorbed in nature, nature speaks and it gives eyewitness testimony to Creator God.  A famous British astronomer, Sir James Jean once said, “The universe appears to have been designed by a Pure Mathematician . . .”  After looking at the universe and how it all works together with an unprecedented precision there is no doubt it was initiated and orchestrated by and Intelligent Designer (God).  David wrote in Psalm 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”  

How long has it been since you took stock of your body.  No, I’m not talking about simply looking in the mirror but observing how your body works.  Your hands, arms, feet, legs, brain, even down to the tiny cells within your body that operate with unprecedented precision to allow you to hear, speak, walk, talk, etc.  David saw this as well in Psalm 8.  After he had looked up at the heavens, he thought about himself and how he fit into that plan/design.  “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” (Psalm 8:3-4). 

A very prominent atheist, Antony Flew made a declaration in 2004 that shocked the world. He came out and said, “God must exist.”  What convinced him?  What made him turn from a non-believing skeptic to a born again believer?  It was our DNA!  After studying the make-up of DNA Flew said, “The only satisfactory explanation for the origin of such end-directed, self-replicating life as we see on earth is an infinitely intelligent Mind.” 

Don’t be afraid of science but embrace it and study it.  Science points to creation that is by design and with every design there is a designer.  And we know that Designer is God!

 

What’s Up With Hell?

We are in our new series, “Q”. Every week we look at a different question Christ followers might wonder about or skeptics are likely to ask.  This past week we dealt with the question, “Would a loving God send people to hell?”  I have to admit this is probably the most difficult message I have preached in the three years I have been the pastor at Journey.  Hell is never a pleasant topic to discuss but it is necessary.  Just like there is an endless heaven, there is an endless hell.  Unlike some people who hold to a universalism mindset of “in the end the love of God will win out and everybody will be in heaven”  we know there is an eternity facing each of us.  Where we end up in eternity depends upon our choices here on earth.

God is love and for love to be what it is it has to be based on choice.  We are not robots who are forced to love.  Even the idea of forced love is an oxymoron because if it is forced it is not love.  God is love and part of that love is justice . . . God is a just God and even though it breaks His heart for people to end up in hell He has to let it happen.  It is the person’s choice to not receive what He has so freely, openly, and graciously given all of us in His love on the cross.

So the question remains, “Would a loving God send people to hell?” No, He don’t!  It is by choice that people end up there.  In Matthew 25 heaven is described as a place “prepared for you from the foundation of the world” while hell is described as “eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”  When people choose to go to hell they miss the place designed for them and end up in a place designed for someone else.  C.S. Lewis once said, “There are two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘They will be done,’ and those to whom God says, ‘Thy will be done.”  God is a gentleman.  He graciously welcomes everyone who wants what He offers and will not force on anyone anything they don’t want.  When Jesus makes His final judgment, there are no second chances.  Our fate is sealed and for those who end up in hell (eternal fire, torment, punishment) there is no “get out of hell free” card.

Jesus used some very graphic images to describe hell.  They  were images taught in His day as well as carried on afterwards by His followers.  Jesus chose those images because it was realistic, because He loves us and because He wanted to warn us.  I believe His intention was to stir a fear in us that would cause us to take hell seriously and avoid it at all costs.  Hell is horrifying and horrible to say the least but in Jesus’ words and warnings I see LOVE!  Think about it for a minute.  Have you have ever had a situation in your life where you had a decision to make and someone with experience came up to warn you of the potential danger ahead if you chose a certain direction?  Same way with Jesus.  He spoke graphically to encourage us to Him and discourage us from hell because He knows what is ahead and doesn’t want us to end up there!  Anyone who cares enough to warn you about future danger really loves you!

Resurrection . . . for Real?

John MacArthur said, “Neutrality is not an option.  Either Jesus rose and rightly demands your attention, repentance, trust and obedience, or he stayed dead.  If he only became a rotting corpse why should you follow him?”

When you look back into the gospels, the empty tomb wasn’t enough to convince the followers of Jesus much less His skeptics that He was alive.  Mary doubted and questioned where they had put his body.  When the ladies told the disciples it says they thought it was like an “idle tale.” (Luke 24:11).

Adrian Warnock in Raised With Christ said, “Jesus’ credibility is destroyed if he did not rise from the dead.  you cannot believe in him as a Savior or a good teacher if he deceived us or was Himself deceived so completely about something so fundamental.  Either he rose and is therefore divine, or he did not, in which case he is no Savior, and certainly not God.”

So what was it that convinced them?  What was it that so changed their lives that they turned the world upside down?  It was a real encounter with the real resurrected Jesus!  The cowardly disciples went on to preach what they had “seen and heard”.  As a result they were put in prison, beaten and eventually gave their lives for it.  What would cause such a drastic turn around?  What would change the heart of a hardened, religious skeptic like Saul? A real encounter with the real Jesus?

Have you experienced it?  Have you experienced a real encounter with the real Jesus?

The Gospel and Prayer

(This is the third part of the series by Donald Whitney, author of Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life)

Because I teach and write about spirituality, occasionally I’m asked to comment on scientific studies about the efficacy of prayer. The research always seems to include the assumption that one person’s prayers are essentially as acceptable as another’s. One of the flaws with such studies is that they do not associate prayer with the gospel. No one can begin to understand prayer until they grasp what the gospel teaches us about prayer.

Through the gospel we begin to pray

The Bible, rather than assuring everyone that God hears their prayers, slams Heaven’s door against all who think God will hear them despite their sins: “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear” (Isaiah 59:2). In one sense, of course, God hears everything. But in this text we’re told that God does not hear with a view to answering those who sin against Him. And of course, since every person except Jesus has sinned against God, the hopes are dashed of everyone who thinks all it takes for God to hear is for them to pray.

In fact, the Bible is even more shockingly counter-intuitive in Proverbs 15:8: “The sacrifice [including prayer] of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord.” Many people seem to think, “It’s true, I’m not a dedicated Christian. But if I get into a difficult situation and humble myself to pray, and I’m really sincere, surely God will accept my prayer.” Or they believe, “If God is merciful and loving He will look favorably on the prayers of those who come to Him when they’re in real need and pray hard enough.”

But this text tells us that, instead of being impressed, the Lord actually abominates these prayers. Why? Because such people believe God should hear their prayers based on their own temporary humility and piety. In other words, they believe their own righteousness – in this case expressed in a short-lived acknowledgement that they need God’s help – obligates God to answer.

Instead of honoring God with momentary sincerity, these prayers insult Him, for they imply the work of Jesus wasn’t necessary. It’s as though they’re saying, “The life and death of Your Son weren’t needed in my case. It was all a big mistake. I believe you should hear me based on what I have done – especially in these prayers. I don’t need what Jesus did in order for you to hear me.” Could anything be more offensive to God?

When it comes to knowing and being heard by God, Jesus was unequivocal: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Confidence that God hears our prayers cannot come from our sincerity, humility, or need. Rather, “we have confidence to enter the holy places [i.e. the presence of God] by the blood of Jesus” (Hebrews 10:19). Until a person comes in repentance to God through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ – who alone can remove the sin that separates us from God – his or her prayers will not be answered.

Does God ever answer the prayer of a non-Christian? Many stories claim that He does. In reality, are these “answered prayers” simply God doing in His providence what He was going to do anyway? The clearest ground biblically is this: except for those prayers leading to salvation, we can give no assurance to anyone outside of Christ that God will answer their prayer. It is only through the gospel that we truly begin to pray. For only then – after Jesus has made us and our prayers acceptable to the Father – do the promises of prayer in the Bible apply to us.

Through the gospel we continue to pray

Once we respond to the gospel in repentance and faith and are adopted into God’s family, our new relationship with our heavenly Father becomes markedly prayerful. No longer is prayer just an obligation or means to get what we want, for the gospel makes prayer a desire and not a mere duty. Through the gospel we receive the Spirit who causes us to cry out, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6) with new heavenward, Father-ward orientation. In other words, those who have received the Spirit through believing the gospel really want to pray. The Spirit of God compels us talk to God.

Moreover, after our transformation we pray by the Spirit to the Father in the name of Jesus (John 14:13-14). Instead of relying on our sincerity to turn the ear of God, we come in the righteousness of Christ. The gospel teaches us that God welcomes us “in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6), and so we always come to our Father in the name of His Son.

Prayer should still remain a discipline, for even with the God-given desire to pray it’s easy to allow the crush of responsibilities to distract us from habits of prayer. But thanks to the grace of God in the gospel, our prayers are always welcome.

Gospel Centered Spiritual Disciplines

(I found this article by Donald Whitney, author of Spiritual Disciples for the Christian Life and wanted people to have the opportunity to read and benefit from it.)

What is spirituality?

For many, spirituality simply means spending time occasionally in personal reflection. For others it might mean consciously trying to live by certain principles, or attempting to be thoughtful on important issues like the environment or homelessness.

However, the common perception of spirituality is not the biblical one. I hold the perspective that spirituality includes – but transcends – the human spirit, and involves the pursuit of God and the things of God, through Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, in accordance with God’s self-revelation (that is, the Bible).

Spirituality and the gospel

This kind of spirituality is not self-generated. Rather it is one result of the new spiritual life that God creates in the soul as He works through the gospel. In other words, Christian spirituality is part of a life lived in response to the gospel. In theological terms, spirituality is an aspect of the sanctification that necessarily begins at and follows justification.

Think of it this way: We come to God through the gospel and we live for God through the gospel. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him” (Colossians 2:6). It is through the gospel by faith that we receive Christ, and it is through the gospel by faith that we walk in Christ.

In a phrase, the gospel is about the person and work of Jesus Christ. That’s why we can speak of the Christian life as a gospel-centered life. We come to God initially on the basis of faith in who Jesus is and what He has done for us. And we continue to come to God and to live a life pleasing to Him on the same basis. To paraphrase Paul in Galatians 3:3, having begun by the Spirit through the gospel, we are perfected (sanctified, made like Christ) in the same way – by the Spirit through the gospel.

The role of spiritual disciplines

Because the Holy Spirit gives a believer the desire and the power for a biblical spirituality, a certain reformatting of life and habits must also take place. Thus Paul also wrote, “Train yourself for godliness” (1 Timothy 4:7). This doesn’t refer to physical training, for mere bodily activity – despite its health benefits – does not by itself build godliness, as the very next verse makes plain. Rather, the kind of training or exercise that promotes godliness (that is, Christlikeness) is spiritual training.

No Christian coasts into Christlikeness. Godliness, according to this text, requires training. Some Bible translations render “train” as “exercise” (KJV) or “discipline” (NASB). Thus the biblical and practical ways in daily life of living out this command to “train yourself for godliness” have often been termed “spiritual exercises” or “spiritual disciplines.” (Note: some false teachers have also used these expressions, but that doesn’t invalidate such biblically-derived terms any more than a heretic’s use of the word “Trinity” nullifies our orthodox use of that term.) What was true in Paul’s day is still true: it is by means of the spiritual disciplines found in Scripture that we are to pursue godliness.

Of course, legalism is always a danger in spirituality. Anything a Christian can count, measure, or record he can also twist into something that falsely assures by this – instead of the sufficiency of the life and death of Jesus – he is more spiritually secure or favored by God. But just because we can misuse the disciplines of godliness doesn’t mean we should neglect them. “Train yourself for godliness” is God’s command. Therefore, it must be possible to pursue obedience to it without legalism.

How do Christians practice gospel-centered spirituality?

First, practice the right disciplines – those personal and interpersonal spiritual disciplines found in the Bible. A gospel-centered spirituality is a sola scriptura spirituality. For individual practice, the most important personal spiritual disciplines are the intake of Scripture and prayer. All the others relate to these two. The interpersonal spiritual disciplines we’re to observe are primarily those biblical practices related to life together in a local church.

Second, practice the right disciplines with the right goal – with Jesus as the focus, pursuing intimacy with Christ and conformity (both inward and outward) to Christ. To put it more succinctly, by means of the biblical spiritual disciplines seek to be with Jesus and like Jesus.

Third, practice the right disciplines the right way. Emphasize the person and work of Jesus in each one. Through them, learn from, gaze upon, and enjoy who Jesus is and what He has done. Let your soul be restored through by the truths of the gospel.

Engage in the spiritual disciplines given by God in Scripture so that you are continually shown your need for Christ and the infinite supply of grace and mercy to be found by faith in Jesus Christ.

The God Box

We all have one but don’t like to admit it  . . . a “God Box.”  How big is your “God box?”  What does your “God box” look like?  Due to our limited understanding or lack of understanding we attempt to constrict God to the confines of our little box.  We want God to be God on our terms.  We attempt to remake God into what we want Him to be rather than allow Him to be who He is and needs to be for us.

When God’s actions are totally outside the box Jonah had constructed for Him, Jonah couldn’t handle it.  He could intellectually repeat that “God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” (Jonah 4:2)  but he left off one attribute from God’s testimony.  He probably didn’t leave it off because he didn’t know it but because it didn’t help his case.  God went on His personal testimony to Moses in Exodus 34:6 to say a big part of His character is  “faithfulness” or “truth”.  Many people get angry at God for troubles and calamities in life but Jonah’s fury is different. He is enraged that there is no calamity. He looks at the kindness and mercy of the Lord and calls it evil.  He wanted God to be God on his terms!

It doesn’t matter what shape or size it is. It could be the most unique and biggest box imaginable.  With any box there is a problem . . . God doesn’t fit in boxes!  God is predictable in His character, but not in His actions. God is a God of endless creativity and reserves the right to show up in a way in which you would least expect Him to.  Unfortunately often your ability to see Him is limited by the size and shape of your “box.”  Have you tried to remake God into who you want Him to be?  Have you ever caught yourself wanting God to be God on your terms?  Get rid of your box.  Cut it up and throw it away. Let God work and let God be God in your life!

Erasers

Before the age of computers with the power of the delete button, I always used pencils to do my homework and write my homework assignments.  The eraser was my best friend because I made a lot of mistakes.  After I finished a project, I would have a big pile of “eraser mess.”

Life is no different.  We all make a lot of mistakes and have a need to correct things.  “. . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God . . .” (Romans 3:23)  Second chances are great when they are given to us.  There is probably something all of us have done where we would like a “re-do” or a second chance to make it right.  We all make mistakes and have things we want to make right.

Jonah was that way too.  He experienced the call of God and chose to run (flee) from the presence of God.  After his running took him into a ferocious storm, God catches up with him and preserves him in the belly of that fish.  After three days and nights in there, he gets a second chance. 

As gross as it actually was, his second chance came when the Lord spoke to the fish, “and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.” God literally propelled him on the beach and graciously gave him a chance to re-do what he should have done from the beginning.  Probably after a period of soul searching and reflection, God once again speaks to Jonah.  “Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time . . .” (Jonah 3:1) 

I’m not quite sure that Jonah’s heart was 100% into it, but after what he had been through and knowing God the way he did, he wasn’t going to miss his calling again.  He goes and does what God wanted him to do.  Jonah wasted no time getting started.  He “rose and went” in obedience.  The first time he rose to flee; this time he rose to obey. 

Has God been calling you to something?  Have you run from Him and disobeyed Him?  Have you been wanting a second chance?  Are you looking for a re-do?  God is willing and waiting for you.  Seek Him and obey today!