Wipe Off The Dust!

In all the books that I have read in my life, which could fit on a single shelve of an IKEA book shelve, nothing has been more profound then the Word of God. Not only has it captivated millions of hearts around the world, it is known as the most important book ever to be written. It is where we find the truth to the Christian’s life, the past, the present, and the future. But just like any book in the world, we do not receive it through osmosis. In other words, to know it, you have to read it. 

         In 2 Timothy, Paul explains that “all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (3:16-17). As a man of God, this statement allowed me to make certain at which how to apply the Word in my life. Not only how to live, which is important, but of up most importance, who to live for. 

         Knowing that I live for Christ alone in my life, I’m compelled to read His truth. I mean who would follow someone and yet desire to know nothing about him or her. We would not do that with a personal relationship here on Earth, so why not do the same thing with our Heavenly Father. I have a burning passion within me to know more about Him and why I was created and saved for. I heard a story one time about a people that longed for an answer from their god. They traveled hundreds of miles, offered up their most precious valuables, all to receive a single oracle from their most precious god. They would wait days if not months for their answer, and if they only knew that this answer came from an old withered lady, that was high on fumes that crept up from the earth beneath, I believe they would second guess their god’s oracle.  

         Yet our heavenly Father has given us all the oracles to life, and in many cases, they remain leather bound, and sitting upon a table, covered in dust.

           I choose to not leave mine covered in dust. I make the decision to pick mine up everyday that I can and fill my mind with His truth. If I would be completely honest, I first ask God, that He would have mercy on me, and reveal the truth through His Holy Spirit, and convict me to be moved wherever He would seem fit. But we must make the choice, the decision to want to know our God and to grow in the relationship with our Savior. 

         We must make a habit of reading the Scripture in our lives. The more persistent we are at making this a priority in our life, the more the Word of God will impact our who we are and what we represent. For example, if we never watch the news we will never know what is going on around the world, but if we consume our time in the news, our lives will become more apart of the world. The Word works the same way. The less we are involved, the less of an impact it will have on us. On the contrary, if we would make the Word a priority, then the subject in whom the bible is written about, which is Jesus, will consume our lives. That very same circumstance is what has happened to me. 

         Now I would add that, I find it all joy. Yes, everything that is written in the Living Word I find it to be joy. Whether there is a correction that is revealed for my own life, or a new revelation of His amazing love for me, I choose to find it all-joy. There are so many people that read the bible, and all they see are rules and regulations, and I would say they read it with a tainted heart. A heart that is unwilling to see the beauty in God’s Holy Word. All I can say is I have abided in His word, and I have been revealed it’s truth, and it is by that truth, that I have been truly set free (John 8:31-32). That is why I choose to be joyful when I read it every chance I get and I would encourage you to have the same mindset.

         I believe another key point with the Word is that it should be the guide to our lives. Andrews said, “the danger point occurs when we begin to think too highly of our own wisdom and start ignoring the counsel of others” (37).  I believe you can walk in the same fashion with our relationship with God. So in life, the more we lean on our own understanding and the understanding of others, we can ignore the counsel of God. This is why I challenge others and myself to use the bible as a filter to our lives. It is the best accountability partner that a Christian could ever have. The bible never wavers, or second-guesses what has been written and it always tells the truth.

         As the word reveals truth, we must be responsible not to change what it says. By that I mean we must always stick to its context, not adding to, or taking away. In other words, one must maintain the integrity of the word. Now I know we are not perfect and God does not deter His grace because of that, but what God has revealed to us, we are held responsible to not only share, but also more importantly to show. The last thing God wants us to do is become obese in His Word. If any generation would understand this more, it would be todays. We must remain fit in the word, consuming it, but also maintaining a lifestyle that exercises that which enters by sharing and exits by showing the truth to those around us. 

          May these words excite you and encourage you to get back to the Word of God. To get to know your Savior in an intimate way and see how He truly loves you. This life is but a vapor, but my vapor as a Christian will be spent building the kingdom of Him who saves.

Andrews, Andy. Mastering the Seven Decisions. Nashville. Thomas Nelson. 2008. print

Take Time

STOP! Take a breath… Don’t move a muscle… Is the world still moving? Yes… Many times in my life, I have had to go through this routine because I have made it too busy. I had to make it known to myself that I was not in control and that God is. An unhurried life is not one that you see often in the world that we live in, but I must contest that it may be that very reason why we struggle to have more sincere relationships in general.

         This begins with the choice of saying, "No"--a two-letter word that, if used right, can silence a room enough to hear a pen drop. But in our own lives, we fear saying such a word. I believe we fear because we don’t understand the consequence if we don’t. The world, including myself, needs to become most compassionate about what’s most important.  It’s too easy to get caught up in chaos and the busyness of life and lose track of the end goal, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all you mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39).

          Jesus explained it to us so clearly when He embodied all the laws together into two relationships: the relationship with God and the relationship with your neighbor. We as a people must be concerned to uphold this embodiment in our lives. Andrew Jackson, our seventh president, said,  "Take time to be deliberate, but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in!” (Andrew 61). I believe the battle that we face today is the battle of a hurried life. Take the action today to say, "No". I must stop deliberating and say no to secure an unhurried life for the future.

         When we become responsible for our lives rather than the world, we are able to steer the boat in which we sit. We control if we want to head towards a life that God wants us to live or once again fall back into the busyness of the world. I choose to make the choice that grows my eternal life that rests upon God’s promises.

         My friend, there is great joy in that decision. Finding the joy in the promise of God removes the weight off our shoulders. So, not only are you taking control of your decisions but you also give the key to your heart, and to your life, back to the One who created you--Who knows what’s best for you. Think of yourself as a tool. The One that would know how to use that tool the best, in the most correct fashion, would be its rceator. For myself, I find great joy that my Creator is Christ.

         “Following Jesus cannot be done at a sprint. If we want to follow someone, we can’t go faster than the one who is leading” (Ortberg 79). Even in our pursuit to follow God, we must remain unhurried. We are the biggest catalyst to our hurried life; so even if we are following God, we have to be patient when creating a lifestyle that leads to the end result. We must guide ourselves down a path that leads to God on His terms and His way. I would also suggest a warning that we will not have to say "No" once, but many times in life. A Christian must be persistent in his or her decision to follow Jesus, while being sure that he or she is “counting the cost” daily in his or her life (Luke 14:25-33).  

         Throughout my life, and even in the present moment, I fight the hurried life. In my mind and flesh, I’m at war, but I have the ultimate weapon of warfare, Christ. He has filled me with an unwavering Spirit that reveals the truth of the Scripture. I am persuaded that I must flee from the busyness of life and find His promised rest. I challenge you to do the same.

Ortberg, John. The Life You've Always Wanted. Grand Rapids. Zondervan. 1997. print
Andrews, Andy. Mastering the Seven Decisions. Nashville. Thomas Nelson. 2008. print

Enduring The Race to Eternity

Growing up in life, I was always competitive. I understood the object of a game, a competition, and that was to finish first, or do the better than all the rest. I had a passion inside of me that did everything it could to be the best. Although through many of my competitive experiences there was no crown or medal that I would win, I still gave my all in everything that was brought to the table. Now, I wouldn’t say that is the best quality to have in this world because in someways it removes the idea of teamwork and brings in a sense of pride and self-righteousness. But I can say I’m am thankful of the fight it instilled in my life--the fight that never gives up even if you're down by an amount that is just against the odds but you never stop until the time runs out--that fight is something that all people need and must have. 

We live in a society where everything is given, and there shouldn't be much of a fight, or better said, a sense of endurance. Growing up in life, I heard many stories of men and women that gave everything they had just for their next generations. Many men gave their life for their country because they desired a freedom for the many people at home. They were passionate about what was most important and used their hope to continue in their “fight”. But today, we want it simple, we want it now, and we sometimes don’t want to strive to get what we want or more that need. We just expect it to happen without a sense of effort. 

Having an understanding of endurance changed my life. It has made me who I am today. And one of the biggest effects this attribute has had in my life is Spiritually. Understanding what God asks of me as a Christian, a follower of His Gospel, makes all the difference in my personal relationship with Him and with others. It changes the way you live and the way that you respond to Gods calling for all of our lives no matter what the task may be. Look at the word with me, Colossians 1:21-23 “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven.” 

Reading this verse gets me pumped. Just think about it. Without Christ, we are alienated. We are a foreign body that has is separated from God, but he can remove the death of sin and fill us with the righteousness of Christ by the redemptive blood paid at the Cross. And He tells us if indeed we continue in the faith, being stable and steadfast, we will have eternal Glory. Matthew 10:32-33 talks about acknowledging Jesus before others, and, if we do this then, He, being Christ, will acknowledge us before the Father, God the Father. But if we deny Him, then He will deny us before the Father. Who wants that? If there is any real fear in this world, it would have to be the fear of the unknown--the unknown if Jesus will acknowledge you before the father; the unknown if you are saved from death and are experiencing life; the unknown if you are His!

So we must ask ourselves the question: are we known? Do we acknowledge Him before others, do we continue our faith with steadfastness, or have we denied Him by not acknowledging him? The word reveals that He is always faithful to His word; therefore, we must test ourselves and know if we are in Him or away from Him (2 Corinthians 13:5). Also, if indeed He is always faithful to his word, then Matthew 10:32-33 should really make you think…

Whether you have a relationship with Him or not, you need a heart that will fight for YOUR life. Work out your salvation with endurance by standing true to the whole Gospel. Don’t let this world put lies into your mind. Don’t conform to a society that doesn't believe in the the whole truth of the Gospel. Endure 'til the end, and receive the eternal life that God promises. And if you're one that says “I just don’t know about all of this,” don’t wait for it to come to you. Fight and strive for an understanding that, when you receive it, you know without a doubt that God has revealed it to you. Not only will this bring hope to your life but it will also advance the kingdom so that many others will experience the gift of eternal life. 

The Road To Passion

In my entire life I’ve never had a more difficult year than 2012. Let me begin where it all came to a climax. Towards the end of last summer my grandmother fell ill and was hospitalized. She grew progressively worse while her doctors were at a loss, not knowing what the issue could be. The news that she had been admitted into the ICU came on a Wednesday, the evening of which I was meant to preach to our youth group at Towne. I had written a sermon about the power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers. As I sat at my desk reviewing the notes of my sermon, I couldn’t help but struggle with the truth that I was empty inside. I felt completely weak, not at all empowered. At several points I lifted the phone to call Steve, expecting to tell him I wasn’t fit to preach. Something stopped me each time, though. That evening God showed up, and carried me through that message. It was the most difficult sermon I’ve ever preached. Once it was over, I was exhausted, emotionally.

Over the next several days my grandmother’s life hung in the balance. It was finally found that she was suffering from West Nile Virus. The doctors remorsefully concluded that there was nothing that they could do for her. I was heart broken. I had been praying so hard for her, and it didn’t seem like those prayers were being answered. I went through a sort of preemptive grieving process and prepared my heart for the fact that we were probably going to lose her. And then, she started pulling through, and day by day she showed signs of improvement. Our family knew that we had witnessed a miracle, we had no doubt about it. 

Then, just when my hopes were lifted, believing that God was at work in the midst of the chaos, our uncle died. He had been battling cancer for about the past year. I was crushed. I couldn’t reconcile the dichotomy that I was facing. On the one hand it seemed like God had been working so powerfully, and then on the other, that God seemed to be absent. I believed, and yet didn't believe, somehow. I was broken. 

For the next several months I drifted in my relationship with God. I knew objectively that God wasn’t responsible for any of the things that I had faced. But I wasn’t so sure anymore that he really cared about my heart, what I felt inside. None of my extensive theological understandings were of any comfort to me. Subjectively, I didn’t feel like God cared whether I was close to him or not. I felt forgotten. So I drifted as the condition of my heart worsened. It produced within me all sorts of sinful emotions. 

Even after the chaos had settled, and the trials had finally passed, the greatest trial that I still faced existed within my heart. I was numb and didn’t much care anymore. All the while Passion 2013 neared.

When January 1 came I didn’t know what to expect. I worried how I would cover up my broken heart. The trip down to Atlanta was tense for this reason. My mind raced. I kept thinking to myself that Passion would be my last hope, and that if God didn’t show up and speak to me, I wouldn’t know how I could face another year of disappointment and confusion. 

At some point in the morning, as I piloted a van full of tired young adults down I-75, Israel was passing the time by chatting with the people around him. He personally interviewed Brooke, asking various questions about everything. When he had finished with her, he turned to me.

“What is your favorite Bible verse, Mark?”

I was taken aback. I was not prepared for that question. I struggled to come up with something but I couldn’t.

“I don’t know, man. There’s so many, I just don’t know if I can choose.” It was an obvious cover up.

He turned and chatted amongst some of the passengers. I thought for several moments about why I couldn’t answer that question. Nothing came to mind. 

Then, from behind, Israel started again. “Mark, I’m still waiting to hear about what your favorite Bible verse is...” 

I began to panic inside, for some reason. I didn’t know what was going on inside of me. My mind raced. And then, out of nowhere, a passage came to mind which I have always found very powerful.

“You know, I’ve always really loved Mark 9, the story where the father brings his son to Jesus to be healed, and he isn’t quite sure if Jesus can even help him. His words, ‘I believe, Help my unbelief’ are so powerful to me.” I was no longer covering up. I gushed about how much I have always identified with the father's response. Israel was satisfied and began interviewing someone else in the back of the van.

Later in the day our caravan stopped for a restroom break. Steve led a short meeting, during which he asked that each of us meditate upon what we hoped to gain from Passion, and that at lunch we would share about our expectations. I knew already what I wanted, but I wasn’t sure what to expect.

I downgraded to a passenger when Ashley offered to take over driving. I read through Philippians, prayed for a while, then thought more about Mark 9. At lunch I sat anxiously as people shared what they hoped to get out of Passion. When my turn came I told about the conversation that I had had with Israel and explained Mark 9 and why it has been so special to me. I then concluded, “But, honestly, what I’m really looking for in all of this is hope. I don’t have much hope anymore.” 

When evening came, and the first service began, the tension mounted. But then my heart opened unexpectedly. The worship was too powerful to simply spectate. I then, once and for all, resolved that even if I didn’t feel like it, I would give glory to God, because I knew that he deserved it. Tears nearly came several different times. I felt that God was very close in those moments.

Then Louie Giglio began to preach from Ezekiel 37, the passage about the valley of dry bones. I tried to remember when I had last heard a sermon from this portion of Scripture. My thoughts drifted to other things. But then, after several minutes, my attention was suddenly demanded. Giglio mentioned briefly that he wanted to turn to another passage, a certain one in the Gospel of Mark. My heart leapt within me. My mind raced for several seconds. I immediately thought to myself, that there was no way that he would preach from Mark 9. Cynicism quelled the hope that was trying to rise up in my heart.  

And then I was astonished. 

He began explaining the passage about the father who struggled with faith before Jesus. I desperately wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn’t come. I couldn't believe what was happening. I sat in silence and internally reveled in the fact that God was speaking to me somehow, even though I didn't know what he was saying. Right then my heart began to heal. I cannot tell you why it meant so much to me, but God certainly did. He knew. 

For the remainder of the conference I was in awe. I knew God was working, I could feel it. I was somehow challenged by each of the speakers in some way. Then, the final night, John Piper spoke. In that message he reaffirmed the notion that led me into worship the first night, that God was objectively deserving of praise. At that point, I wasn’t surprised anymore. I just simply smiled, and thanked God for showing up and healing my heart.

If you are looking for hope in life, I invite you to pray a simple prayer. It’s the most powerful prayer I know. “Lord, I believe; Help my unbelief!”

Don’t ever stop praying it.

Why I Believe, pt. 6: He Changed My Life

In wrapping up this series called "Why I believe" I just want to say up front that I recognize this final post is much more subjective. All of the previous posts Mark and I have contributed to this series were not based on our own experiences. Rather, they could be read, weighed, and understood by anyone (regardless if you agree or not). But to really understand this last post, you too would have to experience the life transforming power of a relationship with Jesus.

Here's the deal. If what the Bible says about Jesus is true, then he's not some memorialized historical figure. He rose from the grave, is still alive today, and can be known by those who seek Him. I began seeking Him my last semester in college when my mind first opened up to the possibility that God really existed. I knew that in my heart I wasn't the type of person I wanted to be so I was ready to look outside myself for answers, wherever that would lead.

On June 1, 2003, I gave my life to Christ. I haven't been the same since. My conversion/transformation was immediate. All of the sudden, all of my affections shifted to desire that which is pure and holy. I wouldn't have used this phraseology at the time, but I was "born again," and began to "hunger and thirst for righteousness." Instead of being boring, I realized that following Christ was an adventure. My journey began that day. I also realized how few people who claim to be Christian actually follow Christ or even know what that means. Over the past 9 and a half years, I've come to the conclusion that people don't experience Him in a profound and transforming way because they attempt to come to Him on their own terms. Not His.

So yea. The last and most important reason I believe is because I know Him. He changed my life. And now... it is hidden in Him. 

Why I Believe, pt. 5: The Resurrection of Jesus

For the Christian, there is nothing more important than the Resurrection of Jesus. The Apostle Paul put it simply and powerfully, “if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:14). Paul was, note carefully, one of many who had dedicated his life to preaching the Gospel of Jesus. And he was also one of many who died defending the claim that Jesus had in fact risen.

For those who do not believe, the claim that Jesus rose from the dead is simply foolish. But, to be fair, it is no more foolish than the claim that any other person would simply rise from the dead. It is, after all, a scientific fact that once a person has passed from life to death, one cannot spontaneously regain their vain spark of being. That’s all she wrote, as they say.

To my own knowledge, I do not know anyone, christian or atheist, who would argue against this. The difference, however, comes when you understand that, while there are reliable laws functioning in our universe, there is a law giver whose will is not bound by those laws. So, if God exists, and he created the laws that govern our universe, it would not be foolish to think that, if He so desires, he can suspend or manipulate the laws that He himself created. (The distinction here between suspend and manipulate is rather arbitrary; the point is that God can bring about things that wouldn’t occur apart from His intervention; bringing the dead back to life is just one example). To put it simply, He is not bound by His own creation. If God created life, He would be sovereign of it as well. 

If we look at the history surrounding the events that take place in the Gospels, we are faced with some compelling facts that we must find a rational explanation for. That Jesus was executed is a fact. The ancient, secular historian Cornelius Tacitus is one source that verifies this, in which Pontius Pilot himself is named as His prosecutor (cf. Annals XV, 44). To put it lightly, we know that the Romans were very good at making people dead. But what is most compelling of all is the fact that many of the people who knew Jesus, and saw Him crucified and buried, died defending the claim that He had risen. What, then, are we to make of this?

That Jesus’ followers had experienced some sort of hallucination doesn’t explain it. People can’t share hallucinations. That they were misinformed is flawed; they were there, they knew what actually happened. And that Jesus’ followers were lying doesn’t explain it either. Why would they knowingly die for what they knew wasn’t true? They had absolutely nothing to gain from such a lie. They would gain no money, no power, no respect. They were prosecuted, tortured, martyred. Consider Paul’s own words once more: “if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” Ask yourself this: why would they preach a worthless Gospel?

Further Reading:

The Case For Christ written by Lee Strobel. The entire third part of this book is dedicated to research surrounding Jesus’ death and resurrection. It is a fantastic primer for understanding the resurrection better. Start here if you are just getting aquatinted with this topic.  

The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell. McDowell offers a compendium of research concerning many biblical topics, specifically a chapter of research concerning the historicity of Jesus’ existence and death.

God is Great, God is Good edited by William Lane Craig and Chad Meister. This is a collection of essays apologetic in nature spanning many of the topics addressed in this blog series. The essay written by Gary Habermas is particularly helpful, which concerns the proximity of biblical witnesses to Jesus’ crucifixion. 

The Case For The Real Jesus by Lee Strobel. This book is primarily concerned with the reliability of the Gnostic Gospels, which have recently gained a great amount of attention for the alternative views of Jesus they ostensibly legitimate. 

Why I Believe, pt. 4: DNA

On June 26, 2000, President Bill Clinton stood in the East Room of the White House and made the announcement to the world, "Today, we are learning the language in which God created life. We are gaining ever more awe for the complexity, the beauty, and the wonder of God's most divine and sacred gift." The language he was talking about was the human genome. And the announcement came on the heels of more than a decade of work by geneticists all over the globe.

In my original post back in August, titled "Why I believe," I briefly mentioned Francis Collins' book "The Language of God." Francis Collins, pictured below, was the Director of the Human Genome Project. He entered the East Room alongside President Clinton back in 2000.  He is one of the country's leading geneticists, and was the one who coordinated the efforts of thousands of other geneticists in 6 countries. (In other words, the man is no dummy).

In writing about the project he states, "For me the experience of sequencing the human genome, and uncovering this most remarkable of all texts, was both a stunning scientific achievement and an occasion for worship." Hmm.

In the introduction to his book he writes, "The human genome consists of all the DNA of our species, the hereditary code of life. This newly revealed text was 3 billion letters long, and written in a strange and cryptographic four-letter code. Such is the amazing complexity of the information carried within each cell of the human body, that a live reading of the code at a rate of one letter per second would take thirty-one years, even if reading continued day and night." The sheer volume of information is truly remarkable and incomparable to anything man has created.

Notice I underlined the word information. That's what DNA is: information. So, we'll keep this post short and sum it up with these words by Stephen C. Meyer, "Information is not something derived from material properties; in a sense, it transcends matter and energy. Naturalistic theories that rely solely on matter and energy are not going to be able to account for information. Only intelligence can."

Why I Believe, pt 3: Fine Tuning

One can hardly look at the night sky, or at any aspect of our planet, without getting the distinct impression that there is something at work in it all. The argument for God that takes its cue from the sense of design inherent within our universe is known as the Teleological Argument. Thomas Aquinas who developed one of the first forms of this argument in the 13th century could never have fathomed what we would eventually come to find. In the past century scientific discoveries have revealed that our universe seems to be fine-tuned in such a way that not only permits, but privileges life. 

Scientists whether they be atheists or theists have come to recognize that there is something peculiar about the state of our universe. Stephen Hawking has stated that "The laws of science, as we know them at present, contain many fundamental numbers, like the size of the electric charge of the electron and the ratio of the masses of the proton and the electron. ... The remarkable fact is that the values of these numbers seem to have been very finely adjusted to make possible the development of life." Theoretical physicist and mathematician Freeman Dyson admits "The more I examine the universe and study the details of its architecture, the more evidence I find that the universe in some sense knew we were coming." Many scientists have come to recognize that if the physical laws of our universe were different by any degree, however infinitesimally small the change, the universe as we know it would not exist; life would not be possible. The reality that we must then be reconciled with is that the odds of these values being set by chance, and thus bringing about life, is a statistical impossibility.

The late Antony Flew, one of the 20th century's most compelling and ardent atheists, could not help but take notice of these discoveries and carry them to their logical end. In his book There is a God, Flew recounts his journey from atheism to belief in a Designer-God, summarizing his position concisely: "I now believe that the universe was brought into existence by an infinite Intelligence. ...Why do I believe this, given that I expounded and defended atheism for more than a half century? The short answer is this: this is the world picture, as I see it, that has emerged from modern science." Flew goes on to defend the Teleological Argument for God, which he describes as "an argument to design from order" which thus implies "a Designer."

One of the most vocal critics of the argument for a designer, as well as anything else not atheistic, is Richard Dawkins. Dawkins cannot help but wonder if there were a designer of our universe, then who designed the designer? A rather childish question, to be fair. Philosopher and Theologian William Lane Craig quite eloquently illustrates the fallacy of the question by giving us the following example:"If archaeologists digging in the earth were to discover things looking like arrowheads and pottery shards, they would be justified in inferring that these artifacts are not the chance result of sedimentation and metamorphosis but products of some unknown group of people―even if they had no explanation of who these people were or where they came from." Craig goes on to elaborate that requiring an explanation for an explanation inevitably leads to an infinite regress. Such a requirement would lead to a place where "nothing could be explained and science would be destroyed."

Dawkins is also convinced that God is rather too complex an explanation to account for the apparent design of our improbable universe. However, Flew quite rightly points out that by Dawkins' own definition, God is quite simple, rather than complex, on account of his being an immaterial spirit lacking parts. Craig picks up on the error, as well, stating that "Dawkins has evidently confused a mind's ideas and effects, which may indeed be complex, with a mind itself, which―having no parts―is an incredibly simple entity." That a mind can think complex thoughts is not the same as saying that the nature of the mind itself is complex.

In place of a designer, Dawkins and many other atheists have sought to explain the ostensible design of our universe by postulating the existence of possibly an infinite number of universes, often referred to as Multiverse Theory. It is thought that if there were many universes, each with a different set of physical laws and parameters, then one of them would just have to have what is needed to support the existence of carbon based life forms, such as ourselves. The whole theory is a desperate attempt to explain away the apparent fine-tuning that our universe is riddled with. The problem though is that there is no scientific evidence that such universes even exist. The entire explanation is based upon the desperate need to get rid of a designer. A further problem, of course, is that the theory serverly violates Ockham's razor to an infinite degree, or as Craig puts it "Appealing to a world ensemble is like using a sledge hammer to crack a peanut." Remarkably of all, though, Dawkins and others conveniently have no desire to wonder who designed the Multiverse, infinite in its complexity.

Further Reading: 

There Is A God, by Antony Flew 

God is Good, God is Great, by William Lane Craig & Chad Meister 

The Case For A Creator, By Lee Strobel 

The Devil’s Delusion, By David Berlinski

Why I believe...part 2 - Origins

Ok, so I started to blog on "why I believe" way back in August after attending Faith Day at a Reds game (who btw- deserve our congrats on winning the NL Central pennant). Now I sort of lament the fact that I kind of locked us into a series. Not that I don't think the topic of "why I believe" is important, but rather because I think it is immensely important and need to choose my words carefully. Couple that with a busy schedule and you see why I haven't posted in a while. You should also know that each of the 5 reasons I tossed out in that earlier post are deserving of much more than I can offer here. In fact, volumes have been written on them all (with the exception of my personal story). Therefore, my hope is that the few paragraphs I offer for each can serve as an introduction into your own investigation of what I think is the most important quest of our lives: the pursuit of God.

The first reason I said I "believed" in God was the fact that this universe exists and life does as well. Unless I'm just imagining it all somehow without existing myself. (Sorry, couldn't resist). This shouldn't be a surprising argument for believers. The Bible says, "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork" (Psalm 19:1). It also says we should have no excuse for not believing because, "what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse" (Romans 1:19-20).

The twentieth century discovery that the universe is not an unchanging, eternal entity revolutionized modern study of origins. We can thank Albert Einstein and his theory of relativity for this. The secular mind assumed the universe was static until Einstein's general theory proved otherwise. Believers have always claimed that the universe had a beginning but the argument from biblical revelation doesn't hold much weight in the secular world. Why would it if you don't believe in God?

The basic argument is this: 1. Whatever begins to exist has a cause. 2. The universe began to exist. 3. Therefore, the universe has a cause. Now, I'm completely aware that this does not present concrete proof for the existence of God. However, it does leave open the possibility. Could there be another cause? Many have speculated about false vacuums, vacuum energy, etc, but I agree with the Stanford Professor who said, "these are very close to religious questions." In fact, I'd go a step further to argue that the question of the origin of the universe lies beyond the scope of science. For scientific law states that "matter cannot be created or destroyed." Yet, it exists. And we know that it began to exist at some point in history.

With regard to the origin of life, we've all been taught about the primordial soup that was struck by lightning and voila, "life began." Was it that easy? Early conditions of water, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen make it highly unlikely. Lots of money and research have been dumped into failed experiments trying to recreate and confirm this possibility as an origin.

I argue this point because I have been convinced by the mathematical improbabilities of non-living matter becoming living matter and then somehow arranging themselves to evolve into the complex organisms we see today. This is not a denial that variations occur within species. I'm not a fool. Nor again is this concrete proof. However, it does make the argument for the existence of God more probable. I'd say highly probable. And when you pile on other arguments at some point you just believe.

Here's just a sample of what I'm talking about from Walter Bradley, PH.D, author of "The Mystery of Life's Origin." Bradley was interviewed by Lee Strobel who was doing research for his book "The Case for Faith." He was asked, "what would go into building a living organism?" Try to stick with these snippets of his reply to grasp the enormity of the challenge.

"Essentially, you start with amino acids. They come in eighty different types, but only twenty of them are found in living organisms. The trick, then, is to isolate only the correct amino acids. Then the right amino acids have to be linked together in the right sequence in order to produce protein molecules." Sound pretty simple so far? It's not too complex if an intelligent being is guiding the process. But left unguided there are a lot of complicating factors. "For instance, other molecules tend to react more readily with amino acids than amino acids react with each other. Now you have the problem of how to eliminate these extraneous molecules. . . Then, there's another complication: there are an equal number of amino acids that are right- and left-handed, and only left handed ones work in living matter. Now you've got to get these select ones to link together in the right sequence. And you also need the correct kind of chemical bonds-namely, peptide bonds- in the correct places in order for the protein to be able to fold in a specific three dimensional way. Otherwise, it won't function."

"It's sort of like a printer taking letters out of a basket and setting the type the way they used to do it by hand. If you guide it with your intelligence, it's no problem. But if you choose letters at random and put them together haphazardly-including upside down and backwards- then what are the chances you'd get words, sentences, and paragraphs that would make sense?  . . . In the same way, perhaps one hundred amino acids have to be put together in just the right manner to make a protein molecule. And, remember, that's just the first step. Creating one protein molecule doesn't mean you've created life. Now you have to bring together a collection of protein molecules-maybe two hundred of them-with just the right functions to get a typical living cell." 

Wow. And Darwin thought it was no small leap from non-living chemicals to a living cell.

Oh yea, in case you forgot, even if the age of the universe continues to be conveniently extended, perhaps into the trillions, the chemical conditions would still be unfavorable.

Why I Believe . . .

Here are several "Towne Crossings"
grabbing a bite to eat before the game. 

On Sunday Lisa and I, along with several young adults from Towne Crossings, went to Great American Ball Park for a Reds game followed by a Mercy Me concert.

It was "Faith Day" @GABP. Some might take offense at such a label, but no one can deny the marketing power behind the Reds promo team's decision. After all, I love baseball. I love the Reds. I think Mercy Me is great. I have faith. Therefore, I'm in. That's how it works.

But why do I have "faith"? Didn't Ben Franklin say, "The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason"? I think I'm pretty reasonable. Hmm.

I didn't always believe. Actually, one of the most awkward moments of my life was when a lady named Suzie Lovelace leaned over the table during a pre-marital counseling session and said, "Steve, why don't you believe in God"? Oddly enough, I replied something like, "I'm studying accounting if that tells you anything. I like facts, figures, reason. I ask Christians why they believe what they believe and they tell me, 'You just gotta have faith.' Well, I don't just have faith. Faith doesn't make sense to me." She asked me if I would consider reading a book by C.S. Lewis titled "Mere Christianity." Little did I know my life would be changed forever as a result of that conversation.

The Bible says, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen"
(Hebrews 11:1). I think some people think "the conviction of things not seen" = unreasonable. This leads to the belief that faith is not compatible with reason. On the contrary, I think that perhaps the only way you can have "assurance of things hoped for," is by reasoning that way based on what you know from the past. In 5th grade they call this, "making an educated guess."

But doesn't the word "guess" implicate an absence of assurance? Well...that's where faith steps in. And conviction.

Here are 5 reasons I have faith (We'll develop these more. Consider this part 1 of a series on each):

1. Origin of the universe/life: I was always taught that "matter cannot be created or destroyed" (laws of thermodynamics). Yet, matter exists. And science has confirmed it has a beginning (therefore not eternal). And btw - how does evolution get from non-living matter to living matter?

2. A finely-tuned universe: Not only does matter exist, but it is organized in a very specific way. Some might reason that it is "fine-tuned" for life. "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork" (Psalm 19:1).

3. The existence of information (i.e, DNA): The Human Genome project was incredible in many ways. Not the least of which was the revelation of how incredibly hard-wired with information we are as human beings. It has been said that there is enough information in one strand of human DNA to fill 400 volumes of a standard sized Encyclopedia. And it's not just information. Scientists speak of it as a "language." Information & language reasonably have a "mind" as their origin. The Director of the project (Francis Collins) has written a book about his findings. The title of the book is "The Language of God."

4. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ: Christianity is unique in that its entire message hangs on whether or not the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth is a historical truth. The Bible even says, "if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:14). Bottom line here: I believe it happened. I'll tell you why later.

5. He changed my life: I realize that this is much more subjective. Nevertheless, I'm different now. And so are countless others that have given their "whole" selves to Christ. "For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it" (Luke 9:24).

Radical Chicken

"And he said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me'" - Jesus (Luke 9:23). 

As the smoke clears from the chick-fil-a controversy, I wonder if it will leave any sort of permanent effect in its wake? In some ways, I feel as if "Pandora's Box" was opened and am waiting for what comes next. I'm unsure of what that will be, but I know the potential for both reconciliation or further division abound. All the while, I continue dreaming of the Church realizing and actualizing its purpose on earth. That is, to be the hands of feet of the resurrected and ascended Christ as the expression of God's Kingdom on earth.

There are several ways we can look at all of this. And believe me, they have ALL been expressed on Twitter, Facebook, and every other media outlet known to man. It was truly monumental. Some viewed it as somewhat radical as they proudly "stood up" for what they believed. That is, of course, the way people came out to support Mr. Cathy and his business. But . . . and I can't help but think. Do you know what else it was? Easy.

Now, this is not a post marked with the intentions of one believer "hating" on others. I was there. I ate my "radical chicken." In fact, I was overwhelmed by the support all over the country as pictures and stories flooded the Internet. It was insane. Stores closed early because they ran out of food. People came out in droves.

Then I came across a disturbing comment. It went something like this: "I've never seen Christians lined up like that to support a food pantry or a homeless shelter." Now, while that comment was ill-conceived and naive (most pantries, shelters, and hospitals for that matter were started by Christians), it still rings loudly in my ears. Imagine what the world would be like if Christians actually lived like Jesus every day. It's "easy" to eat some chicken and feel good. But what if we lived daily with hearts abandoned to His ways? What if we actually became disciples that made disciples? (Yes, we would have to actually share Christ with others). What if we centered all of our lives on his teachings? (This would actually require familiarizing ourselves with His teachings). What if we "turned the other cheek", loved and prayed for our enemies, fed the poor, clothed the naked, visited the sick and those in prison, and sought to right injustices? What if we practiced the forgiveness we have received and extended the mercy that has been extended to us? What if we gave generously, denying ourselves and walking humbly before our God? What if we treasured and pursued Him more than anything else? Now, that wouldn't be easy. He never said it would. In fact, He said it would require a cross.

“Radical obedience to Christ is not easy... It's not comfort, not health, not wealth, and not prosperity in this world. Radical obedience to Christ risks losing all these things. But in the end, such risk finds its reward in Christ. And he is more than enough for us. . . . My biggest fear, even now, is that I will hear Jesus' words and walk away, content to settle for less than radical obedience to Him. ” - David Platt

Haters Gonna Hate

If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. (John 15:18)

Where do we see Jesus' words being fulfilled today if not in the culture created by social media? One doesn't need to look too deeply into Twitter or Facebook in order to find conversations filled with hatred for God's people. Social media has given us a better view of what was there all along. It gave the world a platform upon which to display the hatred they have for God's people. But when we see people hating Christians, or when they attack us personally, this should not come as a surprise to us. Jesus himself assured us that this was bound to happen. That the world will hate the church is a norm. There's no reason to feel remorse for this. However, what we should feel remorse for is when God's people are acting like the world in these ways. And when the Church has failed to love, it has failed to be God's chosen people. When we fail to love, we have failed Christ. 

In the past month we have witnessed the world reach its boiling point. We are hated. But this fact should not govern the way that we treat others. I firmly believe that we must be exceptionally careful about this. That the world hates us is no justification for us to be hateful people. We are not given the option of responding to the world in kind. So, despite that the world hates us, this does not give us a license to be the kind of people that ought to be hated.

In Romans 12 we find Paul's words:

Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

I think that the church is failing to love its enemies in many more ways than I can really explain at this point. I feel it in my heart. I'm convicted of it. We seek vengeance in our words and actions. We don't seek to live in peace. We assume God's right to wrath. But most of all, we let the world's hatred for us prevent us from loving them. So let me repeat this: When the Church has failed to love, it has failed to be God's chosen people. When we fail to love, we have failed Jesus. And for having done this, we have lost our ability to be Jesus' witnesses in this world. 

We need to love people. It should permeate everything that we do and say. So when a Christian seeks to fight with the world, to justify his or herself with their own hateful words, this Christian has failed drastically and lost the witness of Jesus' love. And the simple truth is this. Once a person's words have become devoid of integrity there is almost nothing that can be done to reverse the mistrustful disdain of those who know this. Additional words do nothing more than labor the angst of the victims of broken promises. Truth becomes a weapon. And nothing less than silent action can rebuild a person's trust. And this is where we are, I believe. We must find ways to serve our enemies… I believe that we've got a lot of work to do and we need to be quiet in doing it.

The world hates. God's people love. One of these two is doing their job splendidly. The other is not.

What Should We Dream?

On the wall, here, just above my desk, there is a collection of Post-it notes, which create a collage of sorts, composed of quotes and ideas. For several years now it has been evolving, sometimes expanding, other times contracting. Now and again I will come across words in the passage of some book, which will bring me to a halt. They demand my attention and challenge my thoughts. I stop reading just to give them their due contemplation. Perhaps in those moments my heart is conditioned particularly to hear these words and, for this, I collect them, desiring not to loose them. I scribble them down and place them there up on the wall. And I come back to them, every so often and consider their importance and profoundness, constructing additional thoughts upon them. 

Over time, though, sometimes certain of these words become stale and they loose their significance to me. Maybe my heart changes, or perhaps my mind. Whatever the reason may be, the result is the same: they become common, and so I subtract them from the wall. Some have lasted and some have not. But from that collage there is one quotation that I hope to keep, placing it before me wherever I reside, and binding it to whatever desire or passion that may carry me on through this life. It is a quote by C.S. Lewis which comes from his quintessential treatise, Mere Christianity. He states

"If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next."

Pause. Let this sink in.

What is the purpose of our ministry? What is the purpose of any ministry? We have been challenged to dream together. To dream alone is no longer acceptable. We are a community built around Christ, and if we are his body, then our minds can no longer be our own, and neither our desires. So what will our dreams be? What will their focus be upon? 

What could we hope for, if not to change this world? But be warned that if we focus our efforts on the wrong things we may end up building an empire of our own. This cannot happen, for we are called to build up His kingdom. This community is not our own. It is God's. What we do and say will be for his glory, if we choose to lead a legacy that will last. Now, if you dare, drop the goal of acquiring more and greater wealth. Shed the American dream and dream a little bigger. Dream a little more intentionally. If we want to impact this world, we must first think of the next. So, dream of an everlasting kingdom built of light, if you can even picture it. Dream of an eternal home free from death and suffering. Dream of the pure worship of the King that bled and died for your soul. Dream of Him, the most glorious, and highest of any thing that you could ever dream.

Jesus, from his sermon on the mount, spoke these words:

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6.19-21, ESV)

Pause. Let's let this sink in.