Dews of Quietness

When you don't know, He does

2009-11-17T11:53:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a long time...My blog is blocked in China by her Great Firewall and so I've not been able to post. But I'm back in the UK for a spell and so can now think about posting something. I wish I were here for different reasons but the truth is that my marriage to my Chinese wife is excruciatingly painful to the point that for my own self-preservation I had to pack a bag and leave her for a season. Culture gaps too wide to bridge, language gaps, disparate universes. A bleak time of pain and wondering where is God in all of this. Anyway, having arrived on the Wednesday of last week when Saturday came round I started to think of where to worship and to my great delight - it had been a long time too since I had received any direct transmissions - the Holy Spirit prompted me to go to John St. I had to look it up in the London A-Z, but duly found it and trotted off expectantly on Sunday morning. As I was coming round the corner onto John Street the Spirit told me to get my camera ready so I did. I was fully expecting to find a church of some kind, instead I found the plaque pictured in the photo I took of it above. Sir John Kirk, Christian philanthropist, the children's friend. This is deeply significant to me, since I was abandoned as a child and adopted through a Christian children's agency. Plus, this year I had committed to giving more. So I was encouraged and deeply touched by this little display of my Father's omnipotence. Although I may be feeling utterly bereft and powerless to overcome my current challenges, he knows all about it and somehow just him knowing is enough for me to be able to trust that he is fully involved in the process. So I'm renewed with hope and strength and will trust Jesus to bring some good out of this and to make all things new. Bless His Holy name. What about you reader? Are you facing some difficulties which you know you cannot cope with? "Come unto me all who heavy burdened and I will give you rest" is the promise, not of a mere man whose word is unreliable but of the Living God who is full of faithfulness and loving-kindness. Will you trust him today to bring you through the storm you face? I pray that you will.

Self-made and proud of it?

2009-05-14T07:28:00.000-07:00

My grace is enough for you.
When you are weak, my power
is made perfect in you.
2 Corinthians 12:9

There are certain mountains only God can climb…

It’s not that you aren’t welcome to try, it’s just that you aren’t able…

If the word Savior is in your job description, it’s because you put it there. Your role is to help the world, not save it. Mount Messiah is one mountain you weren’t made to climb.

Nor is Mount Self-Sufficient. You aren’t able to run the world, nor are you able to sustain it. Some of you think you can. You are self-made. You don’t bow your knees, you just roll up your sleeves and put in another twelve-hour day… which may be enough when it comes to making a living or building a business. But when you face your own grave or your own guilt, your power will not do the trick.

The Great House of God
Max Lucado

A Higher Standard

2009-05-12T03:23:00.000-07:00

"I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me" - Philippians 3:14

Most of my life I've been a closet slob.... Then I got married....

I enrolled in a twelve-step program for slobs. ("My name is Max, I hate to vacuum.") A physical therapist helped me rediscover the muscles used for hanging shirts.... My nose was reintroduced to the fragrance of Pine Sol....Then came the moment of truth. Denalyn went out of town for a week. Initially I reverted to the old man. I figured I'd be a slob for six days and clean on the seventh. But something strange happened, a curious discomfort. I couldn't relax with dirty dishes in the sink.

What had happened to me? Simple. I'd been exposed to a higher standard.

Isn't that what has happened with us?... Before Christ our lives were out of control, sloppy, and indulgent. We didn't even know we were slobs until we met him.... Suddenly we find ourselves wanting to do good. Go back to the old mess? Are you kidding?

In the Grip of Grace
-Max Lucado

His Strength is Perfect

2009-05-09T18:28:00.000-07:00

"I would have despaired unless I had believed that I had seen the goodness of the Lord... Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage." Psalm 27:13-14 (NASB)

Do not despair! Oh, how great the temptation is to despair at times! Our soul becomes depressed and disheartened and our faith staggers under the severe trials and testing that come into our lives, especially during times of bereavement and suffering. We may come to the place where we say, "I cannot bear this any longer. I am close to despair under these circumstances God has allowed. He tells me not to despair, but what am I supposed to do when I am at this point?"

What have you done in the past when you felt weak physically? You could not do anything. You ceased from doing. In your weakness, you leaned on the shoulder of a strong loved one. You leaned completely on someone else and rested, becoming still, and trusting in another's strength. It is the same when you are tempted to despair under spiritual afflictions. Once you have come close to the point of despair, God's message is not, "Be strong and courageous" (Joshus 1:6), for he knows your strength and courage have run away. Instead, He says sweetly, "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10).

Hudson Taylor was so weak and feeble in the last few months of his life that he told a friend, "I am so weak I cannot write. I cannot read my Bible. I cannot even pray. All I can do is lie still in the arms of God as a little child, trusting Him." This wonderful man of God, who had great spiritual power, came to the point of physical suffering and weakness where all he could do was lie still and trust. That is all God asks of you as His dear child. When you become weak through the fierce fires of affliction, do not try to "be strong." Just "be still, and know that He is God." And know that He will sustain you through the fire.

God reserves His best medicine for our times of deepest despair. Be strong and take heart. Psalm 27:14

Be strong, He has not failed you
In all the past,
And will He go and leave you
to sink at last?
No, He said He will hide you

Beneath His wing; And sweetly there in safety

You then may sing.

Streams in the Desert, May 10th

Sitting Opposite the Tomb

2009-04-25T18:18:00.000-07:00

"Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb." - Matthew 27:61

Oh, how slow grief is to come to understanding! Grief is ignorant and does not even care to learn. When the grieving women "were sitting there opposite the tomb," did they see the triumph of the next two thousand years? Did they see anything except Christ was gone? The Christ you and I know today came from their loss. Countless mourning hearts have since seen resurrection in the midst of their grief, and yet these sorrowing women watched at the beginning of this result and saw nothing. What they regarded as the end of life was actually the preparation for coronation, for Christ remained silent that He might live again with tenfold power. They did not see it. They mourned, wept, went away, and then came again to the sepulcher, driven by their broken hearts. And still it was only a tomb - unprophetic, voiceless and drab.

It is the same with us. Each of us sits "opposite the tomb" in our own garden and initially says, "This tragedy is irreparable. I see no benefit in it and will take no comfort in it." And yet right in the midst of our deepest and worst adversities, our Christ is often just lying there, waiting to be resurrected.Our Savior is where our death seems to be. At the end of our hope, we find the brightest beginning of fulfillment. Where darkness seems the deepest, the most radiant light is set to emerge. And once the experience is complete, we find our garden is not disfigured by the tomb. Our joys are made better when sorrow is in the midst of them. And our sorrows become bright through the joys God has planted around them. At first the flowers of the garden may not appear to be our favorites, but we will learn that they are the flowers of the heart. The flowers planted at the grave deep within the Christian heart are love, hope, faith, joy and peace.

'Twas by a path of sorrows drear Christ entered into rest, And shall I look for roses here or think that earth is blessed? Heaven's whitest lilies blow from earth's sharp crown of woe; Who hear his cross can meekly bear, Shall wear the kingly purple there.'

Streams in the Desert (updated version), April 25th

The Best Evidence for the Resurrection

2009-04-12T19:28:00.000-07:00

If you search online, you can find a whole host of interesting and not-so-interesting articles about the meaning of the Resurrection, what it means for believers and non-believers alike, from arcane theological debates to simple testimonies; but really, for me, the best evidence for the Resurrection 2000 years ago, is transformed lives and changed hearts now. Today, all over the planet, irrespective of the belief system they were born into, or the belief system they adopted for themselves, people are encountering the Living Christ and they are totally changed by the experience. Their best friends no longer recognise them. People who knew only how to live for themselves, selfish, self-absorbed, haters of God, are somehow transformed into people who put God and others first and themselves last. They live to selflessly serve others where before they couldn't have cared less for others, let alone have the slightest desire to serve them. What they previously hated, the things of God, they now love, and what they previously loved, the world of sin and self, they now hate. This is the most powerful and incontrovertible proof. Why? Well, anyone who has tried to change themselves, through self-development, meditation, this or that technology has to ultimately accept that that old self isn't for changing at all! Try as you might, it won't budge. Yes, you can corral it, suppress it, numb it with addicitons, but at the end of the day nothing in the natural will or can change it. Actually, even Christ can't change it - he has to exchange it, and what an exchange it becomes, first, your old self with all that that entails gets nailed to a cross with Jesus, co-crucified, and then in its place you receive the life of Christ, a new life, a born-again life, a brand new start! "My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.' - Galatians 2:20 ."This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them." - 2 Corinthians 5:15,17

Living for yourself there is no reward. It's only by serving others that life takes on a sense of meaning and purpose. But how can we serve others when our entire biology conspires against us to only want to serve self? Well, Jesus gave us the answer to that one: "Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?" - Mark 8:34-37

Find out how Jesus appeared to and transformed an alcoholic, drug addicted, violent, gun-toting angry young man in an interview with former gangland hardman Davey Falcus:

http://player26.narrowstep.tv/nsp.aspx?player=Premier2&void=287331

More testimonials here: http://put-god-first.com/bornagain.html

http://www.precious-testimonies.com/General/a-e/EncouragingTestIndex.htm

You may never have done some of the crimes that Davey committed; however, have you ever lied, lusted, blasphemed, stolen something however small, worshiped an idol instead of God - your career, money, women, stuff? Then, you are just as guilty of breaking God's law as Davey and God, because He is both a God of justice as well as a God of love is committed to punishing sin (if He didn't He's be an unjust God worthy of being judged Himself) unless you repent (ie turn away from it and turn to God). So you are free to choose: you can accept God's amnesty and acquittal won for you by Jesus who willingly allowed Himself to be punished instead of you on the cross and which he today graciously extends to you, or you must yourself face the consequences of your sin and lawless behaviour when you have your day in court. So you have a stark choice: let your pride rule and face Jesus as your Judge on the day of Judgment or eat humble pie and face Jesus now as your Rescuer and Friend. May God grant you wisdom and grace as you make your choice. Think about it carefully friend, for the consequences of this choice will determine your eternal destiny: "Don't be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit." - Galatians 6:7

http://www.jesusisalive.com/

There is a Green Hill Far Away

2009-04-09T20:09:00.000-07:00

It was Joseph of Arimathaea who had the honor of taking the body of Jesus down from the cross. Think what it would be like to have to pull the cold and lifeless hands of the Son of God from the thick, barbed Roman nails. These were carpenter’s hands, which once held nails and wood, now being held by nails and wood. These were the hands that broke bread and fed multitudes, now being broken to feed multitudes. They once applied clay to a blind man’s eyes, touched lepers, healed the sick, washed the disciple’s feet, and took children in His arms. These were the hands that, more than once, loosed the cold hand of death, now held firmly by its icy grip.

These were the fingers that wrote in the sand when the adulterous woman was cast at His feet, and for the love of God, fashioned a whip that purged His Father’s house. These were the same fingers that took bread and dipped it in a dish, and gave it to Judas as a gesture of deep love and friendship. Here was the Bread of Life itself, being dipped in the cup of suffering, as the ultimate gesture of God’s love for the evil world that Judas represented. Joseph’s shame, that he had been afraid to own the Savior, sickened him as he tore the blood-sodden feet from the six-inch cold steel spikes that fastened them to the cross. These were the "beautiful feet" of Him that preached the gospel of peace, that Mary washed with her hair, that walked upon the Sea of Galilee, now crimson with a sea of blood.

As Joseph reached out his arms to get Him down from the cross, perhaps he stared for an instant at the inanimate face of the Son of God. His heart wrenched as he looked upon Him whom they had pierced. This face, which once radiated with the glory of God on the Mount of Transfiguration, which so many had looked upon with such veneration, was now blood-stained from the needle-sharp crown of thorns, deathly pale and twisted from unspeakable suffering as the sin of the world was laid upon Him. His eyes, which once sparkled with the life of God, now stared at nothingness, as He was brought into the dust of death. His lips, which spoke such gracious words and calmed the fears of so many, were swollen and bruised from the beating given to Him by the hardened fists of cruel soldiers. As it is written, "His visage was so marred more than any man" (Isaiah 52:14).

Nicodemus may have reached up to help Joseph with the body. As the cold blood of the Lamb of God covered his hand he was reminded of the blood of the Passover lamb he had seen shed so many times. The death of each spotless animal had been so quick and merciful, but this death had been unspeakably cruel, vicious, inhumane, and brutal. It seemed that all the hatred that sin-loving humanity had for the Light formed itself into a dark and evil spear, and was thrust with cruel delight into the perfect Lamb of God. Perhaps as he carefully pried the crown from His head, looked at the gaping hole in His side, the deep mass of abrasions upon His back, and the mutilated wounds in His hands and feet, a sense of outrage engrossed him, that this could happen to such a Man as this. But the words of the prophet Isaiah rang within his heart: "He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities . . . the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all . . . as a lamb to the slaughter . . . for the transgression of my people he was stricken . . . yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him . . .by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many" (Isaiah 53:5–11). Jesus of Nazareth was stripped of His robe, that we might be robed in pure righteousness. He suffered a deathly thirst, that our thirst for life might be quenched. He agonized under the curse of the Law, that we might relish the blessing of the gospel. He took upon Himself the hatred of the world, so that we could experience the love of God. Hell was let loose upon him so that heaven could be let loose upon us. Jesus of Nazareth tasted the bitterness of death, so that we might taste the sweetness of life everlasting. The Son of God willingly passed over His life, that death might freely pass over the sons and daughters of Adam.

May Calvary’s cross be as real to us as it was to those who stood on its bloody soil on that terrible day. May we also gaze upon the face of the crucified Son of God, and may shame grip our hearts if ever the fear of man comes near our souls. May we identify with the apostle Paul, who could have gloried in his dramatic and miraculous experience on the road to Damascus. Instead, he whispered in awe of God’s great love: "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world" (Galatians 6:14). (23:53 continued)

(From www.livingwaters.com)

To visit the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem online: http://www.gardentomb.com/gardentour.php

Urgent Message from David Wilkerson

2009-04-03T20:11:00.000-07:00

David Wilkerson of Times Square Church and The Cross and the Switchblade fame, prophesied correctly about 911 and in the months before, his congregation of 8000 were intensely engaged in intercessionary prayer. When I attended in April 2001 I too had an acute sense of impending attack which proved to be all too prescient. I was glad to finally leave New York. "The testimony of Jesus Christ is the spirit of prophecy" - Revelation 19:10. You can read about how he also predicted the current financial mess in his book: 'America's Last Call: On the brink of a financial holocaust' written in 2000. This from one of the Amazon reviews: 'The final common condition that preceded God's destructive judgment upon these civilizations was "economic prosperity," or at least a "false prosperity," that would shortly give way to disaster. According to the seer, this condition has existed in the United States for ten years now and is due to give way at any time. His insight may come as a shocking and unanticipated surprise to many Chrisitan readers who so often interpret material abundance, and prosperity in general, as a sign of God's unmixed blessing and sanctioned approval of them personally and our socitey at large. This kind of incredulous and unbelieving response, the seer argues, is exactly the same response that God's "chosen people" of Israel and Judah gave to the prophets that God had sent to warn them concerning their respective destructions. Many Christians and their pastors will find chapter eight ("Misreading the Times") especially unsettling because the warning of calamitous upheaval and reversal of personal or national fortune is so nearly unthinkable especially to those who may have begun to enjoy and rely upon the fruits of their earthly abundance more than is appropriate for a child of God destined for heaven.' Nailed that one, didn't he? So although prophecy is not infallible, with that kind of track-record he deserves to be heard when he takes the trouble to post this urgent message on his blog. Here it is verbatim:

'AN URGENT MESSAGE

I am compelled by the Holy Spirit to send out an urgent message to all on our mailing list, and to friends and to bishops we have met all over the world.

AN EARTH-SHATTERING CALAMITY IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. IT IS GOING TO BE SO FRIGHTENING, WE ARE ALL GOING TO TREMBLE - EVEN THE GODLIEST AMONG US.

For ten years I have been warning about a thousand fires coming to New York City. It will engulf the whole megaplex, including areas of New Jersey and Connecticut. Major cities all across America will experience riots and blazing fires—such as we saw in Watts, Los Angeles, years ago.
There will be riots and fires in cities worldwide. There will be looting—including Times Square, New York City. What we are experiencing now is not a recession, not even a depression. We are under God’s wrath. In Psalm 11 it is written, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (v. 3). God is judging the raging sins of America and the nations. He is destroying the secular foundations.

The prophet Jeremiah pleaded with wicked Israel, “God is fashioning a calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh, turn back each of you from your evil way, and reform your ways and deeds. But they will say, It’s hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart” (Jeremiah 18:11-12). In Psalm 11:6, David warns, “Upon the wicked he will rain snares (coals of fire)…fire…burning wind…will be the portion of their cup.” Why? David answered, “Because the Lord is righteous” (v. 7). This is a righteous judgment—just as in the judgments of Sodom and in Noah’s generation.

WHAT SHALL THE RIGHTEOUS DO? WHAT ABOUT GOD’S PEOPLE?

First, I give you a practical word I received for my own direction. If possible lay in store a thirty-day supply of non-perishable food, toiletries and other essentials. In major cities, grocery stores are emptied in an hour at the sign of an impending disaster. As for our spiritual reaction, we have but two options. This is outlined in Psalm 11. We “flee like a bird to a mountain.” Or, as David says, “He fixed his eyes on the Lord on his throne in heaven—his eyes beholding, his eyelids testing the sons of men” (v. 4). “In the Lord I take refuge” (v. 1). I will say to my soul: No need to run...no need to hide. This is God’s righteous work. I will behold our Lord on his throne, with his eye of tender, loving kindness watching over every step I take—trusting that he will deliver his people even through floods, fires, calamities, tests, trials of all kinds. Note: I do not know when these things will come to pass, but I know it is not far off. I have unburdened my soul to you. Do with the message as you choose.

God bless and keep you,

In Christ,

DAVID WILKERSON'

Are atheists fools?

2009-03-29T20:10:00.000-07:00

Question: "What does the Bible mean when it says “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’”?"

Answer: Both Psalm 14:1 and Psalm 53:1 read, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” Some take these verses to indicate that atheists are stupid, i.e. lacking intelligence. However, that is not the meaning of the Hebrew word translated “fool.” In this text, the Hebrew word is nabal which refers more to a “moral fool,” e.g., someone without morals. The meaning of the text is not “Unintelligent people do not believe in God.” Rather, the meaning of the text is “Immoral people do not believe in God.”

Many atheists are very intelligent individuals. It is not intelligence, or a lack thereof, that leads a person to reject belief in God. It is a lack of morals that leads a person to reject belief in God. People do not reject the idea of there being a Creator Being. Rather, people reject the idea of there being a Creator Being who demands morality from His creation. In order to clear their consciences and relieve themselves of guilt, people reject the idea of God as the only source of absolute morality. Doing so allows atheists to live however they choose—as morally or immorally as they desire—with no feelings of guilt for their refusal to be accountable to God.

Several prominent atheists have admitted this. One famous atheist, when asked what he hopes to accomplish through atheism, declared that he wants “to drink as much alcohol and have sex with as many women as possible.” Belief in a divine Being is accompanied by a feeling of accountability and responsibility toward that Being. So, to escape from the condemnation of conscience, which itself was created by God, one must deny the existence of God in order to deny the moral pull of the conscience.

This is not to say that all atheists are immoral people. Many atheists live relatively moral lives. The point of “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” is that a lack of evidence of His existence is not the true reason people reject belief in God. People reject belief in God due to a desire to live free of the moral constraints He requires and to escape the guilt that accompanies the violation of those constraints. “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them … men are without excuse … their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools … Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie” (Romans 1:18-25).

(Verbatim from www.gotquestions.org)

Forgiveness - Resolving Conflict, Creating Peace

2009-03-20T20:21:00.001-07:00

I'm sure you've noticed by now that some people are hard to get along with. Work colleagues, family members, fellow believers, often seem to conspire to rob us of our peace. Maybe they're unreliable, they say one thing and do something else often completely opposite; or dishonest, they fail to return things you in your kindness lent to them, or downright nasty, they obstruct your good will and desire for reconciliation are peevish or plain rude. Perhaps someone you trusted with a confidence betrayed you. I'm sure you have your own pet people peeves. Yes my friend, hell with a small h truly is other people! So what's to be done about it. One thing is for sure: you cannot change such people, desirable as that may be. They are totally intransigent and are invariably so bloody-minded that they would rather die than give you a millimeter of grace. Their entire sense of self is predicated on having their own way and being right. More to be pitied than blamed, they are spoilt brats in adult bodies indulged and socialised from childhood to always be the centre of attention, horrid ego-maniacs riding roughshod over others with about as much sensitivity as the Wehrmacht marching into Poland. So the first thing to do is to accept the reality of that. That's who they are. Hatred is all they know. Accept it. Come to terms with it. By all means, reach out to them in their personal hell and be conciliatory, try your best to be reconciled to them. Apologise for anything you might have done wrong, including any bad reactions you may have had to them. More than anything else, forgive them. "Get along with each other, and forgive each other. If someone does wrong to you, forgive that person because the Lord forgave you." - Colossians 3:13. Do your very best to reduce the burden of indebtedness they carry. They are massively damaged; that's why they damaged you. It's all they know. Having done all you can from your side go in peace to love and serve the Lord. They're not going to change for you or anyone else unless the Lord change them; accept it and get on with the rest of your life. Keep them in prayer and if you ever get the chance to do them a kindness, despite their evil to you, don't listen to your flesh baying for revenge. Instead, heed the Spirit of the Living God and go out of your way to serve them again because in that way you will be conforming yourself to Christ who despite being sorely abused, never retaliated but continued to shower his enemies with grace and love. "In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." - Matthew 5:45-47

Nobody's fool in the valley of decision

2009-03-14T03:09:00.000-07:00

As I write countless millions of souls are being spiritually deceived into believing a lie; everyday 150,000 of them die and slip - duped and deceived - from life into eternity. One day it will be your turn dear reader. Most of these souls are being callously hoodwinked by an implacable spiritual enemy so superintelligent that he can lull his victims into entering an eternity of darkness led like lambs to the slaughter, utterly oblivious of their enemy's existence until it's too late: "Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don't understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God."- 2 Corinthians 4:4. In C S Lewis's 'The Screwtape Letters' Screwtape tells his wannabe diabolical nephew Wormwood: "There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight." Of course, people will blithely assert they have no beliefs - all the while espousing humanism, communism, socialism, atheism, agnosticism or some other belief - blind alleys leading to spiritual death and hell. Some, whilst professing intellectual curiosity about certain issues express zero interest in the most important question of all: is death really the end? Others spend their lives chasing down an answer. God has a precious promise for such as those: "If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you," says the LORD" - Jeremiah 29:13. Some end up side-tracked by cults, their life's work wasted on a lie. Many years ago, before Jesus graciously rescued me, I was one such dupe. I had been taken in by a number of supernatural events which happened to me (for every credibility gap there's a gullibility fill) and was convinced by them that a certain Indian god-man's claim to be Jesus Christ come again was true. Consequently, I did what I should not have done: "For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones. See, I have warned you about this ahead of time. "So if someone tells you, 'Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,' don't bother to go and look." -Matthew 24:24 I went to India and worshipped as God on earth, a human being. A human being who, whilst being supernaturally empowered to perform miracles - paranormal impossibilities such as object apports, body bilocations, healings, documented raisings from the dead - was wired to the dark side. When asked to explain his abilities he said: "Unseen beings do my bidding". Today 30 million people worldwide are still held in his hypnotic sway, despite the eye-witness testimony of scores upon scores of his former disciples who came forward with horrendous tales of sexual abuse and murder. Check out the BBC video and testimonies here: www.exbaba.com. Some former devotees - unable to bridge the cognitive dissonance of such competing realities - still cling to the lost hope that they haven't wasted the last 25 years of their life in dedication to a conman. But sadly that's exactly what they've done. They gave their worship to a lie and the One worthy of their worship they refused to know. What about you friend? Are you giving your worship to a lie? Are you giving your wor(th)ship to something that isn't worthy to receive it? I don't worship anything you say. Really? Not your lust, your career, your money, your pride, your appetites? Not those glossy centerfolds, new gadgets, cars, computers, vacations? Paul described the progress of disbelief in the first book of Romans: "They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks." And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other's bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved. Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God's justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too." Spiritual counterfeits are just like other counterfeits in that they bear the stamp of authenticity in almost every respect but one: "But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve." - 2 Corinthians 11:14.

You think you're smart right? You probably think there's no way you could allow yourself to be duped, conned or deceived in a similar way, right? Well, I have to tell you that if you haven't accepted Jesus as your Saviour, if you haven't received His gift of salvation and forgiveness of your sins, you are just such a dupe, you are Satan's fool: " ..obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. "- Ephesians 2:2-6. What does it feel like to be Satan's fool? Will you realise your predicament and grab the lifeline in time? Or will you be like many of those on the Titanic who refused, even in the face of impending disaster, to acknowledge that they could possibly perish and blank all calls to board the life-rafts? Will you let your pride and distorted self-image rob you of the only solution to your problem? You say, 'I am rich. I have everything I want. I don't need a thing!' And you don't realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. "Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends."- Revelation 3:17-20. Will you open the door?

Jesus said: "You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it." - Matthew 7:13

I encourage you to ponder your eternal destiny and get right with God whilst you still have the opportunity. Don't be like the young ruler Jesus spoke with who put it off not realising that that very night his soul would be required. For him it was too late, but it needn't be for you: www.livingwaters.com/good/

To ponder: 'Surely God would not have created such a being as man, with an ability to grasp the infinite, to exist only for a day. No, no, man was made for immortality.' - Abraham Lincoln

Yeshua the Jewish Messiah

2009-03-10T23:57:00.000-07:00

"For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." - Isaiah 9:6. This is my favourite Bible verse. It was written 700 years before Christ's birth! Before I studied the Bible, I had nothing but the most vociferous disdain for those who took it as a guide for life. I essentially thought Christians had committed some kind of intellectual suicide. I mean, you believe all that stuff in the Bible about Heaven and Hell and miracles - give me a break! How indescribably stupid. Now I know better. The Bible is unique among other so-called Holy Books in a number of respects; however, for today's musing, I'm just going to concentrate on the most important and least easy to refute: its prophetic nature. Yes friend, unlike any other book, the Bible makes a number of prophetical utterances concerning various issues but most of all regarding the bona fides of the Messiah Jesus Christ. Messianic prophecy is the collection of over 100 predictions (a conservative estimate) in the Old Testament about the long-awaited Messiah of the Jewish people. These predictions were written by multiple authors, in numerous books, over approximately 1,000 years. Messianic Prophecy is so dramatic today, because with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the reliability of the Septuagint version of the Old Testament (both of which have been proven to exist prior to the time Jesus walked on the earth) you can be assured that these prophecies were not "conspired" after-the-fact, a slander most commonly propagated by Muslims who believe erroneously that the Bible contains 100,000 alterations. The Dead Sea Scrolls are proof positive that the contrary is the case: an almost uncanny accuracy, God has preserved His Word down the centuries and it can be relied upon as anyone willing to live by it can attest: "If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself" - John 7:17

The reason why prophecy is an indication of the divine authorship of the Scriptures, and hence a testimony to the trustworthiness of the message of the Scriptures, is because of the minute probability of fulfillment. Anyone can make predictions, for that is simple. However, having prophecies fulfilled is vastly different. In fact, the more statements made about the future, and the more the detail, then the less likely the precise fulfillment will be. For example, what is the likelihood of a person predicting today the exact city in which the birth of a future leader would take place, well into the 21st century? This is indeed what the prophet Micah did 700 years before the Messiah. Further, what is the likelihood of predicting the precise manner of death that a new, unknown religious leader would experience, a thousand years from now - a manner of death presently unknown, and to remain unknown for hundreds of years? Yet, this is indeed what David did in 1000 B.C. Again, what is the likelihood of predicting the specific date of the appearance of some great future leader, hundreds of years in advance? Yet, this is indeed what Daniel did, 530 years before Christ. If one were to conceive 50 specific prophecies about a person in the future, who one would never meet, just what is the likelihood that this person will fulfill all 50 of the predictions? How much less would this likelihood be if 25 of these predictions were about what other people would do to him, and were completely beyond his control? For example, how does someone "arrange'' to be born in a specific family? How does one "arrange'' to be born in a specified city, in which their parents do not actually live? How does one "arrange'' their own death - and specifically by crucifixion, with two others, and then "arrange'' to have their executioners gamble for their clothing? How does one "arrange'' to be betrayed in advance? How does one "arrange'' to have the executioners carry out the regular practice of breaking the legs of the two victims on either side, but not their own? Finally, how does one "arrange'' to be God? How does one escape from a grave and appear to people after having been killed?

In fact, what does the science of probability make of this? The science of probability attempts to determine the chance that a given event will occur. The value and accuracy of the science of probability has been well established beyond doubt - for example, insurance rates are fixed according to statistical probabilities. Professor Emeritus of Science at Westmont College, Peter Stoner, has calculated the probability of one man fulfilling the major prophecies made concerning the Messiah. The estimates were worked out by twelve different classes, representing some 600 college students. The students carefully weighed all the factors, discussed each prophecy at length, and examined the various circumstances which might indicate that men had conspired together to fulfill a particular prophecy. They made their estimates conservative enough so that there was finally unanimous agreement even among the most skeptical students.

However, then Professor Stoner took their estimates and made them even more conservative. He also encouraged other skeptics or scientists to make their own estimates to see if his conclusions were more than fair. Finally, he submitted his figures for review to a Committee of the American Scientific Affiliation. Upon examination, they verified that his calculations were dependable and accurate in regard to the scientific material presented (Peter Stoner, Science Speaks, Chicago: Moody Press, 1969, 4). For example, concerning Micah 5:2, where it states the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem Ephrathah, Stoner and his students determined the average population of Bethlehem from the time of Micah to the present; then they divided it by the average population of the earth during the same period.

They concluded that the chance of one man being born in Bethlehem was one in 2.8 x 10^5 - or rounded, one in 300,000. After examining only eight different prophecies (Idem, 106), they conservatively estimated that the chance of one man fulfilling all eight prophecies was one in 10^17. To illustrate how large the number 10^17 is (a figure with 17 zeros), Stoner gave this illustration : If you mark one of ten tickets, and place all the tickets in a hat, and thoroughly stir them, and then ask a blindfolded man to draw one, his chance of getting the right ticket is one in ten. Suppose that we take 10^17 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man, from their day to the present time, providing they wrote them in their own wisdom (Idem, 106-107).

In financial terms, is there anyone who would not invest in a financial venture if the chance of failure were only one in 10^17? This is the kind of sure investment we are offered by God for belief in His Messiah. Professor Stoner, from these figures, draws the conclusion the fulfillment of these eight prophecies alone proves that God inspired the writing of the prophecies (Idem, 107) - the likelihood of mere chance is only one in 10^17! Another way of saying this is that any person who minimizes or ignores the significance of the Biblical identifying signs concerning the Messiah would be foolish. But, of course, there are many more than eight prophecies. In another calculation, Stoner used 48 prophecies (Idem, 109) (even though he could have used Edersheim's 456) and arrived at the extremely conservative estimate that the probability of 48 prophecies being fulfilled in one person is the incredible number 10^157.

Obviously, the probability that 456 prophecies would be fulfilled in one man by chance is vastly smaller. According to Emile Borel, once one goes past one chance in 10^50, the probabilities are so small that it is impossible to think that they will ever occur. As Stoner concludes: "Any man who rejects Christ as the Son of God is rejecting a fact proved perhaps more absolutely than any other fact in the world (Stoner, op. cit., 112).''

What about you friend? Are you rejecting the Son of God? If so, shouldn't you reconsider?

Today, all over Israel, Jews are accepting that Christ is their Messiah and one of the most often cited reasons are the Messianic Prophecies in Scripture:

Are you Jewish with objections to the notion that Jesus is also the Jewish Messiah? Find answers here: http://www.ilifetv.com/thinkitthru/answers.htm

324 Messianic Prophecies: http://www.hopeofisrael.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=49&Itemid=27

Jesus - just a fairy-tale?

2009-03-06T19:28:00.000-08:00

There are some people who in all sincerity believe that Jesus is just a fiction, a man-made invention. That outside of the Bible there are no evidences concerning Him. Nothing could be further from the truth. But this prompts the question: how is truth arrived at? What is truth? The short answer has to be that truth is not mere assertion but rather proof: or assertion weighed in light of concrete evidence. Not only are most mockers and deniers woefully ignorant of the historicity of the manuscript evidence but also the substantial extra-biblical evidence concerning Jesus Christ. Let's start with what in law is considered to be particularly significant evidence - hostile-witness testimony:

Jewish Historian Josephus (A.D. 37 - c. A.D. 100)
Josephus' Antiquities (early 2nd century A.D.) refers to Jesus in two separate passages. The common translation of the first passage, Book 18, Ch. 3, part 3, is disputed and is most likely from an altered source. F. F. Bruce has provided a more likely translation: Now there arose at this time a source of further trouble in one Jesus, a wise man who performed surprising works, a teacher of men who gladly welcome strange things. He led away many Jews, and also many of the Gentiles. He was the so-called Christ. When Pilate, acting on information supplied by the chief men around us, condemned him to the cross, those who had attached themselves to him at first did not cease to cause trouble, and the tribe of Christians, which has taken this name from him is not extinct even today. The translations of this passage are discussed in Josephus: Testimonium Flavianum from Jesus.com.au.

The second passage is from Book 20, Ch. 9, part 1:..so he assembled the sanhedrim of judges, and brought before them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others, [or, some of his companions]; and when he had formed an accusation against them as breakers of the law, he delivered them to be stoned... (Note: The Antiquities can be found at several different sites, including the Christian Classics Ethereal Library, Perseus Digital Library and Crosswalk.com)

A second source of hostile-witness evidence comes from the Jewish Talmud. Read about the extraordinary supernatural evidences here (mindblowing stuff): http://shatteredparadigm.blogspot.com/2008/12/extraordinary-extrabiblical-evidence.html

Lucian, a second century Greek satirist, mentions that the Christians worshipped Jesus:
"The Christians, you know, worship a man to this day--the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account...You see, these misguided creatures start with the general conviction that they are immortal for all time, which explains the contempt of death and voluntary self-devotion which are so common among them; and then it was impressed on them by their original lawgiver that they are all brothers, from the moment that they are converted, and deny the gods of Greece, and worship the crucified sage, and live after his laws. All this they take quite on faith, with the result that they despise all worldly goods alike, regarding them merely as common property."

Pliny the Younger, Roman governor of Bithynia in Asia Minor around 112 AD, wrote to the Emperor Trajan observing that the Christians sang hymns to Christ "as to a god": "[The Christians] were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ, as to a god...". There is also the testimony of the non-canonical writings of the early Christians. The list below is only a mere sampling as many quotations could be cited.

St. Ignatius of Antioch.

It is well worth noting that Ignatius was an early church father who was a disciple of the Apostle John. Throughout his letters it can clearly be seen that Ignatius was greatly influenced by John's high Christology (For example, compare Ignatius' statements of Jesus' Divinity with what John writes at: John 1:1, 18; 5:18; 8:58; 20:28). Quotes taken from Apostolic Fathers_ Lightfoot & Harmer, 1891 translation:

Ignatius to the Ephesians

Chapter 0
0:0 "Ignatius, who is also Theophorus, unto her which hath been blessed in greatness through the plentitude of God the Father; which hath been foreordained before the ages to be for ever unto abiding and unchangeable glory, united and elect in a true passion, by the will of the Father and of Jesus Christ our God; even unto the church which is in Ephesus [of Asia], worthy of all felicitation: abundant greeting in Christ Jesus and in blameless joy." (emphasis added)

Chapter 18
18:1 "My spirit is made an offscouring for the Cross, which is a stumbling-block to them that are unbelievers, but to us salvation and life eternal. _Where is the wise? Where is the disputer?_ Where is the boasting of them that are called prudent? 18:2 For our God, Jesus the Christ, was conceived in the womb by Mary according to a dispensation, of the seed of David but also of the Holy Ghost; and He was born and was baptized that by His passion He might cleanse water." (emphasis added)

Chapter 19
19:3 "From that time forward every sorcery and every spell was dissolved, the ignorance of wickedness vanished away, the ancient kingdom was pulled down, when God appeared in the likeness of man unto _newness of_ everlasting _life;_ and that which had been perfected in the counsels of God began to take effect. Thence all things were perturbed, because the abolishing of death was taken in hand."

Roman Historian Tacitus (c. A.D. 55 - c. A.D. 117)
Annals, book XV:
Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular.

Suetonius (c. A.D. 69 - c. A.D. 140)
Lives of the Caesars - Claudius, sec. 25:
He banished from Rome all the Jews, who were continually making disturbances at the instigation of one Chrestus.
Lives of the Caesars - Nero, sec. 16
Punishment was inflicted on the Christians, a class of men given to a new and mischievous superstition.

Julius Africanus (c. 160 - c. 240)
Chronography, XVIII refers to writings by Thallus and Phlegon concerning the darkness during the Crucifixion: On the whole world there pressed a most fearful darkness; and the rocks were rent by an earthquake, and many places in Judea and other districts were thrown down. This darkness Thallus, in the third book of his History, calls, as appears to me without reason, an eclipse of the sun...Phlegon records that, in the time of Tiberius Caesar, at full moon, there was a full eclipse of the sun from the sixth hour to the ninth - manifestly that one of which we speak.

So, in light of what you've just read dear reader, you may of course continue to believe that Jesus is all made-up, on a par with infantile belief in Santa Claus, but then the gullible fool believing in a fairy-tale would be?

To Ponder: "For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes17 when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, "This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy."*18 We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain." - 2 Peter 1:16. Would you lay down your life for a lie? The disciples went to their deaths asserting the veracity of their eye-witness testimony. Think about it: would you do that if what you'd witnessed was a fabrication?

More evidences here:

http://www.josh.org/site/c.ddKDIMNtEqG/b.4579905/k.FAA2/Is_Jesus_Really_God.htm

This Too Shall Pass

2009-03-04T16:59:00.000-08:00

I don't suppose anyone actually reads my musings; however, just in case, my apologies for the lack of posts of late. I've been in a bit of a rut, due to ongoing health issues and changes in my job circumstances. I was email chatting to a friend just the other day and used the phrase: this too will pass. By a happy coincidence, synchronicity, serendipity, divine arrangement (I of course prefer the latter, since in God's Kingdom there are no coincidences per se) in my inbox this morning was the following newsletter from Mike Robbins' Appreciation in Action. By the way, I highly recommend his book: Focus on the Good Stuff for those of you who like me have a tendency to see the glass as half-empty, not half-full. You know who you are! I'm just going to quote him verbatim since it's a real gem. See what you think:

Do you ever find yourself stuck in a negative place, worrying that things won’t get any better (or even that they will get worse)? Or, have you ever had things going so well in your life that you just knew it wouldn’t last? If you’re anything like me and most of the people I know and work with, your answer to both of these questions is, of course, “yes.” Many of us seem to forget that there is a natural ebb and flow to life, especially when things get challenging, stressful, or scary. Right now, there is a lot of agreement in our world about how “bad” things are – particularly in relation to the economy. And while I do believe it is essential for us to confront things in life directly and not put our heads in the sand, it seems that many of us (myself included at times) tend to forget an important truth about life…this too shall pass. Ironically, this same phenomenon is also true when things are “good.” Life constantly evolves and changes…nothing stays constant. We waste so much of our precious time and energy worrying about things, instead of appreciating and embracing them in the moment. Worrying that bad times won’t pass (which they almost always do) or that good times won’t last (which they almost never do) takes us out of the present moment and causes us to suffer, miss out, or both. You or some of the people around you may be experiencing significant pain or challenge right now – based on the economic situation or other factors. Or, you may currently be experiencing a great deal of success, opportunity, and joy in your life. At some level, most of us experience a certain amount of real joy and real pain all the time, simultaneously. Whatever our current experience of life may be, it always serves us to remember that things are in a constant state of flux and that whatever is going on in our lives right now, will pass. As difficult as this is for each of us to remember, especially when we’re scared, it can be a powerful reminder and an important mantra that we hold onto and share with others as a way to keep things in perspective. Here are a few things you can do to enhance your ability to stay present, grounded, and grateful – regardless of the external circumstances in your life.

1) Count Your Blessings – Whatever is going on in your life - no matter how “good” or “bad” things may seem; there are always many things for us to be grateful for. Take some time right now to think about or write down some of the many blessings in your life. And, as a bonus – share them with others today and this week.

2) Support Others – Reminding others that things can and will get better (if they’re tough) and that it’s important to appreciate and enjoy what is happening (if things are going well), is a great way to remind ourselves, get out of our own head, and be in service. When we support others, we also support ourselves in a healthy and generous way. And, our authentic support of other people helps make sure we don’t spend and waste time feeling sorry for ourselves or getting too caught up in our own narcissism.

3) Reflect on Your Past in a Positive Way – Think back to times in your own life when you’ve overcome challenges and/or created great success and fulfillment. Remembering that we’ve had tough times and risen above them and that we’ve been able to appreciate ourselves, our lives, and our success – can help us remember how strong and capable we are in the present moment. Allow your past to empower you!

To ponder: "Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous."-Albert Einstein

The Human Eye - Just a Lucky Adaptation?

2009-02-27T20:00:00.000-08:00

Evolution theory has never adequately explained how organs of extreme design and perfection could "evolve." Was this problem presented when you were taught evolution? Even Darwin recognized the challenge it posed to his theory in the chapter entitled "Difficulties of the Theory" in his book 'The Origin of Species':"To suppose that the eye, with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree."- Charles Darwin, 1859. Now, in the following paragraphs, Darwin postulates how the eye might have evolved through numerous gradations from a simple and imperfect eye to one complex and perfect, but is this the most likely or reasonable explanation? How did simple, blind organisms figure out, from their world of darkness, that: there was "light" to "see,"that it could pass through a "transparent" tissue, to form an upside-down image of objects at different distances by varying the curvature of the tissue, which could be converted into millions of electronic impulses on a retina, so the image could be turned right-side up in the brain, and that two eyes (no more, no less) would be required to determine depth and distance in a three dimensional world? If you're viewing this page with a 1024x768 resolution monitor, you're seeing 786,432 pixels of light. A high speed Internet connection typically delivers web content at around 500,000 bytes of information per second. In comparison, your eye sees about 125,000,000 pixels of light through five distinct kinds of neurons, processing about 10,000,000 point images per second. Your eye is remarkably efficient, able to produce a signal with only one photon.

How do we realistically explain by chance and adaptation the design and manufacture of an organ that far surpasses the technology of cameras and computers which have taken the collective efforts of mankind centuries to develop? And while you're contemplating that little poser, how about this for seconds: Did you know that if you are an Atheist you are no less religious than a Theist? Yes friend, that's right Atheism is a religion; a belief system with its priests and non-negotiables: http://originoflifefairness.org/courtdefinedreligion.html. No it's not, you protest, it's the absence of religion! But this is like saying that "black", which physicists define as the total absence of color, is not a color. If I had a black cat and people were to ask me what color my cat was I would answer "my cat is black". In other words, the color of my cat is black. In common practice throughout the world, "black" is understood to be a color, despite the technical definition of the physicists. Likewise, "Atheism" is a religion, despite any technical definitions to the contrary. If black is a color, then Atheism is a religion. Whenever I talk with an Atheist, he/she invariably tell me that they have no beliefs. They claim that they simply do not believe in a god or higher being. Well, so much for Atheist logic. It is logically impossible to have no beliefs. If you decide to not believe in something you are in fact believing the opposite. Atheists claim emphatically to me all the time that they simply don't have any beliefs. They just don't believe that a god exists. This means that, by default, they DO BELIEVE that there is no God. One can not just not believe. You must believe in something. This is simply a fact. Often people embrace Atheism as their religion because they do not want to be accountable to God for their sinful behaviour, behaviour which their own consciences ('con'=with 'science'=knowledge) convict them is wrong. They believe, erroneously, that by tying their colours to Atheism that they will be able to get away with their sin. They are of course utterly deluded: "For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead."- Acts 17:31.

Many reviewers of Dawkins' "The God Delusion" have detected an agenda. Forward to 1.00 min into this video to hear him confess to what that is. For a quick rebuttal of Dawkins from the Oxford Chair of Science and Religion Peter Harrison: http://www.journeyonline.com.au/printView.php?articleId=977. And for an overview of the inconsistencies and half-truths in Dawkins: http://evolutionoftruth.com/evo/rdawkins.htm.

Deeper on the Human Eye: http://www.detectingdesign.com/humaneye.html

Who's doing the saving - you or God?

2009-02-27T01:42:00.000-08:00

There are many common misconceptions around belief and the nature of God. Sometimes these are verbalised other times they're just assumed. One of the most popular ideas concerns admission to heaven and it goes something like this. When you die God adds up the good stuff you've done and the bad, if there's more good than bad, you're in; if it's the other way around, you're out. Nothing could be further from Biblical truth. So what then, does the Bible say? "He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy." - Titus 3:5. You see friend, there's no way you or anyone else can bootstrap your way to heaven. The reason for this is that God is extremely Holy and his admission criterion is perfection. We on the other hand are utterly corrupt sinners and no amount of gaining brownie points by doing good stuff, however laudable doing good stuff is, is going to change that. (Oh and for those of you who want to delude yourselves that human nature is essentially good, please go and observe some kids at play, or better still read any paper or check the content of your own heart). "We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags"- Isaiah 64:6. You cannot bribe the God of the Universe with a few donations or kindnesses. All analogies fall down at some point but they can still be useful. If you and an Olympic athlete were to try and throw a rock on the moon, even though they may throw further than you, both of you are going to miss the mark, right? And that's just what the Apostle Paul says about our self-efforting too: "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. (Nobody is good enough for heaven in themselves, in other words). Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus" - Romans 3. Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. I hope you take the point. It's all about the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, all about what He did, not about what you do. "Thank God for his gift too wonderful for words!" - 2 Corinthians 9:16. Have you received Christ's gift of salvation for yourself yet?

Are you a Friend of the Poor?

2009-02-24T18:45:00.000-08:00

"If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God's love be in that person?" - 1 John 3:17. The kindness of strangers often eclipses that of people who know us well. When I recall the times of neediness in my life, I was helped out more by complete strangers, or people whose acquaintance I had only recently made, kind-hearted and generous-spirited souls, than those who knew me, some of whom gave me long lectures about what they perceived to be the reasons for my dire straits or how they were going to help me but never actually put their hands in their pocket to do so; lots of judgment but absolutely zero understanding or help. Do you know people like that? I bet you do. They're the folks who are self-righteous, that is to say, righteous in their own estimation, utterly unconscious of the truth that - "there but for the grace of God go I". They may be able to quote chapter and verse: "Give to those who ask of you" or "It's holier to give than to receive" but when the rubber hits the road they stand idly by not wanting to sully themselves with the real-life troubles of what they perceive in their hauteur as the "underclass". Thank God Jesus didn't take that approach. His compassion got Him a lot more than His hands dirty. Can we not at least try to heed His call? Is it asking too much? Leo Tolstoy tells a story of passing a beggar on the street. He was willing to help but found his pockets were empty. Tolstoy looked at the man and said: "I'm sorry my brother, but I have nothing to give you". The beggar cheered up at this and said: "You've given more than I asked for - you have called me brother." If your cupboards and fridge are well stocked and you have someone who loves you in your life, a kind word is a mere crumb. But to the down-and-out, the burdened, the marginalised, the needy, those who have absolutely nobody in their lives who cares less whether they live or die, a kind word can be an epiphany, a veritable feast, a lifeline in the storm, maybe even a new beginning. Dear reader, can I encourage you, implore you even, if you have the opportunity to show someone a kindness today by meeting their need - don't squander the chance by trying to second-guess the individual's issues, or motives or anything else. Don't give them a ticking-off, or a cold lecture, yell or think: "Get a job you lazy bum". But many of them are, you object. Well, you can't know that but even if it were true it's still preferable to give: "In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and on the unjust, too." Don't whatever you do just walk on by. Until you're willing to get alongside, don't you dare think for one minute you have the right to judge them. Are you there to see the tears shed in darkness? Until you are, zip it. Give to them, serve them, put yourself out for them. Be salt and light to them, relieve their suffering, don't add to it. Stop kicking people when they are down: it's the lowest of the low. Please. Do it for them with no thought of reward other than to help someone else along, but if you must think of yourself, remember what goes around comes around. "Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."- Matthew 25: 34-40 Who knows, one day in the future, you might need some compassion yourself.

Whose slave are you?

2009-02-24T01:54:00.000-08:00

In the 80s, I was a rep in Ibiza, Spain. For those of you who don't know it, Ibiza is an island located in the Mediterranean Sea about 80 km off the coast of Spain, infamous for its summer club parties which attract large numbers of tourists. Recently, the island and the Spanish Tourist Office have been working to shed the prevailing "sex-and-alcohol" image in order to promote more family-oriented tourism. For the cognoscenti, Manumission whose name translates from the Latin as 'freedom from slavery' - paradoxically - might well be the first thing that springs to mind. The weekly club night that was held at Privilege Ibiza (Ku as was, now moved to Amnesia) for a time enjoyed a reputation as one of the most liberal, hedonistic venues on Ibiza. Until 1998 there were regular sex shows, starring the club's owners. Why paradoxically? Well, because although the word means to set free from slavery, the Manumission set are anything but emancipated; in fact, they, as I was myself in those days, are slaves to sin, their lusts and Satan. "Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life" (Rom. 6:16-22). Satan's modus operandi is to come and seduce us as an angel of light offering us lots of sparkly precious things which are like sticks of dynamite ultimately blowing up in our faces and causing endless sorrow, death and destruction but they are alluring and we are needy and weak and easily entrapped. When I lived that kind of life: endless parties, booze and gorgeous women I thought I was free, a man of the world living the high-life, how wrong can you be? I had been duped: the fact of the matter is I was a slave to my baser self. The liberty I thought I was enjoying was enslaving me more and more to my addictions. Jesus said it this way, 'whoever commits sin is a slave of sin' (John 8:34). Friend, if you're sick of meaningless sexual release, whether facilitated through porn, non-committal relationships or maybe even a "committed relationship" which somehow feels not quite right somewhere deep in your spirit, may I encourage you to follow your hunch and get right with God? He can clean you up and set you free for real; it will be no counterfeit. For "when the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" and you will be able to tell the difference. How will you know? Your soul, rather than diving deeper into depression and despair, will soar free as a bird. Wouldn't you like to be free?

http://www.apibs.org/sermons/sglccmr003.htm

A Fountain of Blood in Iran

2009-02-23T01:44:00.000-08:00

In Tehran there is a fountain constantly spewing blood to commemorate Iranian martyrs who died in the Iran-Iraq war. It's not really blood of course. Perhaps a more knowledgable reader might shed more light on this, but as I understand it, the only instance of absolute assurance of salvation in Islam is by dying as a martyr in jihad. Otherwise, according to numerous converts to Christianity, a muslim is left burdened and in fearful uncertainty. Contrast this with what the Apostle John announced: "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know you have eternal life." (1 John 5:13). Self-evidently then, anyone who thinks it is presumption to think they can know they are going to Heaven has merely been poorly taught since the meaning of the text is incontrovertibly plain. So what about you? Do you believe in the name of the Son of God, the name of Jesus? And what exactly does "believe" really mean? Well, the sense in the Greek is one of more than mere intellectual assent. The book of James tells us that: "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble" (James 2:19). Some folks think that since they believe in God, they must be saved. But if belief in God is all you have, you are no better off than the demons! No my friend the belief necessary for salvation is the commitment kind of belief. Do you believe I can drive this car, sure you do. Are you willing to give me the steering wheel, well that's something else entirely! But that's just what belief in Jesus requires for salvation. You cede the steering-wheel of your life to Him. You trust Him. You submit to his control, leading and authority. That's scary for the control freaks among us. But that's just what the flip-side of control is: trusting faith, childlike faith. I wish I'd have given Him the wheel earlier than I did. I've grabbed it back a few times too I can tell you, only to end up once again as a wreck on the highway! Jesus will drive you safely home if you'll let Him. Will you?

Check out this great apologetic resource for refuting Islam: http://www.answering-islam.org/

Acres of Diamonds

2009-02-22T03:56:00.000-08:00

Years ago I read a self-help classic written by Baptist minister and founder of Temple University, Russell H. Conwell (1843-1925. This book originated as one of his sermons, which was so popular that it was published in book form. Perhaps you know it. If not, it's well worth a read. It's based on a parable told to Conwell by an Arab guide during a trip to the Middle East. The parable tells the story of a man who sells his farm to search the world for diamonds. The man dies in poverty and wretchedness far from his home, not knowing that his farm sat on the richest diamond mine in the world. The idea is that the treasure or value one seeks is not be found in some far-flung corner of the globe; on the contrary, it's already right under your nose in your own back yard if you will but dig for it. How many of us have not had the experience of making some chance discovery of a previously unknown bookstore or beautiful landmark which was no more than a stone's throw away from where we've been bemoaning the lack of such things? I know I have. It happened today. No more than a couple hundred yards off the beaten track from where my family and I often take a regular stroll we stumbled upon a really interesting area full of interesting little food-stalls, exotic restaurants and markets. A real find! So dear reader, my challenge to you today is to dig for hidden treasure right under your nose. Take a different route home. Get on a different bus. Or just take off and wander around where you live but make a point of going where you haven't ventured before. Don't be surprised if you find something of value biting you right on the nose. On that note though, a caveat perhaps: beware of nasty dogs.

Click here for free download of the book: http://www.willduweb.com/Freebies/AcresOfDiamonds.html

This is all well and good of course, but there is treasure whose value eclipses anything you might ever find on one of your local hunts. Check out the video to find out what it is:

Quietness in a noise-polluted world

2009-02-20T21:08:00.000-08:00

Everyone, rightly, bangs on and on about environmental pollution by which is commonly meant the degradation of the rain-forests, pollution of water, air and the food supply. It seems to me however, that noise pollution is often a sadly neglected yet all-too-pervasive part of the debate. What noise can you hear right now? Car alarms, office equipment, factory machinery, laptop fans, construction work, groundskeeping equipment, barking dogs, appliances, power tools, lighting hum, audio entertainment systems, loudspeakers, mobile phones and noisy people all conspire to rob us of any real peace and quiet. It's a war of attrition: constantly wearing us down, like the drip, drip, drip of some hideous and unrelenting Chinese water- torture. Sapping us of those deep pools of calm repose from which traditionally we might have been able to root ourselves when all around us has gone bananas. The result is that we're stressed out as never before, fly off the handle at the least bit of a thing, the slightest load we can no longer bear. Noise pollution is slowly but surely driving us all berserk with its insidious decibel creep. So what can we do to fight back? You can turn off the phone, the mobile, the TV and the radio, turn off your computer, buy some ear-plugs and do whatever it takes to create some seclusion and quiet for yourself. It will nurture your soul and you will be able to hear from God much more clearly. Don't be like a car running on empty, it will make you ill. Run to the woods, to nature, whatever it takes. A little effort yes, but well worth it. "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength." - Isaiah 30:1

No Questions Asked

2009-02-20T19:03:00.000-08:00

No matter what yesterday's highs and lows were, where you may have messed up or where you felt you had some successes, today is a new day! It's a blank cheque in many ways. If the first thing you do when you open your eyes is find something to moan about then that sets the tone for the whole day; invariably a day of frustrations, irritations and little productivity. On the other hand, if you start the day giving thanks to the Lord God Almighty for 5 things you are really grateful for, well, it's no surprise that with that kind of a benediction starting your day, the day seems to just unfold one quiet pleasure after another - a veritable feast of unexpected delights. Even chores, like doing the wash, or tidying up or brushing your teeth are transmuted by a heart that gives thanks and looks for the good and finds it - in people, places and things - into a glimpse of heaven on earth; a foretaste of joy everlasting. What about you my friend? How's your heart today? Is it grateful or resentful? Joyful or in rage? Open to receive or closed for business? It only takes a minute to recalibrate. Stop what you're doing. Check yourself. Know that you are forgiven, receive that and also forgive yourself. Don't endlessly beat yourself up. If you're off-course, ask your loving Heavenly Father to "drop His still dews of quietness, till all our strivings cease" and get you back on track again. Give thanks for today. Live life today. Serve someone today. Someone whose burden is heavy and who perhaps carries many hurts, with no thought of what's in it for you and just see if you yourself don't experience a lift. Your name is written in Heaven and one day, not too far away, you will be there with Him. In the meantime, you can bring a little bit of Heaven to Earth just by a change of mind and heart. Repentance in other words; turning from our "foolish ways" to God in childlike trust. Try it and come home to Jesus. He's waiting with open arms of love to welcome you, no questions asked.

"For the LORD has called you back from your grief – as though you were a young wife abandoned by her husband," says your God. For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will take you back." - Isaiah 54:6,7

Do you know Him?

2009-02-20T07:53:00.000-08:00

Funny thing, time. In the back of my mind I have it stored that if I live 70 years that's something like 25,500 days and now at 48, I'm over half way through so I'm on the home straight, so to speak. Does being aware of that focus my mind and help me to be more productive, more fruitful, more loving? I like to think so but perhaps I'm just kidding myself. Days come and go. Some days are diamonds and some days are stones. Some days - maybe I slept well, or something good happened to brighten my mood, I was useful to someone perhaps - just seem really easy. At other times, I feel overwhelmed with what are my all-too-apparent shortcomings: giving in to irritation over some trivial matter, a loss of equanimity, a lost opportunity to do some good that will never return, the piercing cognition of not reacting like Christ would; ie with grace when wronged in any one of a thousand ways. Always blessing, never cursing. Always giving Himself away in service, often to those who least appreciated it. Loving the unlovable without even one complaint. I'm a lousy follower, a failure really. No, if you knew me, believe me, you would have to agree. And though it hurts to admit so, paradoxically at the same time, even at the point of the admission, perhaps even as a result of eating that humble-pie, I feel a shot of His supernatural strength enter my troubled soul and I hear Him whisper my name, and say: Peace, be still and know that I am God. And so, that's what I do. I just shut up and bask in the sweetness of being set free from my own performance as a basis for salvation. By grace, through faith I am now the righteousness of God. "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) The punishment we deserved was laid upon Him. The righteousness we don't deserve is imputed to us. What an amazing exchange! God understands our weaknesses, our failures and our shortcomings. He is ready to overlook them in order to give us a second chance. Do you know Him?