Love

The earth is full of God's unfailing love.

His love can be seen in nature...
The rising and setting of the sun each day.
The smell of the ocean and the sound of the waves.
Birds flitting from branch to branch.
The flowers pushing up through the ground as winter ends.

His love can be seen in human existence...
A life being formed from the joining of two cells.
Birth.
Baby's first smile, first steps, first words.
The bond between a baby and its parents.

But once we get past the baby stage, some even while we are yet babies, we begin to realize how much is wrong in this world.
There are natural catastrophes.
There is tragedy.
There are humans who do evil things.

And still, God's love can be seen in the midst...
Human resilience.
Friendship.
Forgiveness.
Compassion.
The people and organizations devoted to:
   end human trafficking
   lift their fellow man out of poverty
   make the world a better place.

So we can choose to focus on the ugly.
Or we can choose to focus on the beautiful.
We can ask God why He allows evil.
Or we can ask ourselves why we allow evil.
We can choose to grumble about all that is wrong.
Or we can do our part to make it right.

"The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love."
-Psalm 33:5

Who is Jesus? (part 2)

In my last post, I explained that Jesus of Nazareth claimed to be divine, based on what he said, and also on how others reacted to him. It was not only a statement he made once or twice, but it was the core of his message.

There are those who say that Jesus was a good teacher, but he wasn't God. However, how can a good, moral person, base their message and their life on one great big lie? If Jesus claimed to be divine but wasn't, then either he was a liar, or he was insane. (This is a point that C. S. Lewis makes in his book, Mere Christianity.)

Jesus taught that we must love our neighbor, and he demonstrated this principle in how he related to those around him, especially to the outcasts of society (the blind, lepers, tax collectors, Samaritans, prostitutes...). He raised the moral standards of the Old Testament (Matthew 5:17-48) and gave us the refined form of the Golden Rule (Luke 6:31, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Rule#Christianity). How could someone whose life is based on a lie live and teach such high moral standards?

If Jesus was not a liar, but was not God, then the only option left is that he was greatly deceived about his own identity and was mentally off-kilter. But then again, how could a deranged individual teach such meaningful messages? If he was not operating at maximum mental capacity, how could he as a young boy amaze the scholars of his day with his understanding? (Luke 2:46-47). When the religious leaders tried to trap him with difficult questions, how was he able to silence them with his responses? (Matthew 22:15-46).

Many opponents of Christianity disregard this argument on the basis that Jesus did not actually claim to be God, or that the Bible is not an accurate depiction of his life and teachings. That is why I wrote the two previous posts.

Another reason why the facts only add up if Jesus' claim to deity was true is the witness of his disciples. They were Jews, and the common Jewish belief was that the Messiah would be a conquering king who would restore the kingdom to Israel (Luke 24:19-21, Acts 1:6, http://www.jewfaq.org/mashiach.htm#Mashiach). They had no room in their image of the Messiah for suffering and death (Matthew 16:21-22). When Jesus was captured, the disciples all fled (Mark 14:50), and Peter, one of his closest disciples, denied three times that he even knew Jesus (Mark 14:66-71). In the days after Jesus' death, the disciples met behind locked doors because they were afraid (John 20:19-20).

After Jesus appeared to his disciples following his death and resurrection, they went from disillusioned, frightened, and helpless to outspoken and fearless. They boldly preached the message of Jesus, the resurrected Son of God. They were threatened, imprisoned, beaten, and martyred in an attempt to stop them from spreading the gospel, but they persevered, "rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus" (Acts 5:41). You don't have to read the Bible to find accounts of the persecution of early Christians; just look to any secular historical account.

Some people, in an attempt to explain away the resurrection of Jesus, have said that Jesus' disciples stole his body in order to convince others that he had risen from the dead. But a group of disillusioned deserters, too afraid to stand by Jesus while he was being arrested, could not have fabricated a story of Jesus' resurrection and held fast to their claims even through torture and death. They had to believe what they were preaching.

There is much more to say on the topic of Jesus' deity and resurrection, but it would require a book to write it all down, and books have already been written by C.S. Lewis (former atheist), Josh McDowell (former atheist), Nabeel Qureshi (former Muslim), and many others.

"Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, 'We have seen the Lord!'
"But he said to them, 'Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.'
"A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you!' Then he said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.'
"Thomas said to him, 'My Lord and my God!'
"Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.' "
-John 20:24-29

Who is Jesus?

Many people like to think that Jesus was a good teacher, but not divine. However,

(1) Jesus most definitely claimed to be divine.

(2) The facts only add up if his claim was true.

(1) This section about Jesus' claim to divinity is based on my belief in the accuracy of the Bible, which I addressed in my last post.

Some of Jesus' sayings may be misunderstood by us, who are reading them in a different language than the original, at a different time, in a different place, and ignorant of the religious and cultural context.

The Pharisees of Jesus' time, however, understood the context well, and understood his claims as blasphemy, so serious as to merit his death. In one situation, Jesus is talking to the Pharisees about his special relationship with God and his role on Earth. He ends by saying, " 'I and the Father are one.' "

"Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, 'I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?' 'We are not stoning you for any good work,' they replied, 'but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.' "

-John 10:30-33

Another instance of Jesus' claim to divinity appears in every gospel, again and again, when he calls himself the Son of Man. To some, this self-designation seems to support Jesus' humanity. However, the phrase "Son of Man" is actually a reference to a passage in Daniel 7:13-14:

"In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed."

In case anyone thinks it's a leap of faith to assume that Jesus is referring to this passage when he calls himself the son of man, let's see what he says when he is on trial before the high priest before his crucifixion:

"The high priest asked him, 'Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?'

'I am,' said Jesus. 'And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.'

The high priest tore his clothes. 'Why do we need any more witnesses?' he asked. 'You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?'

They all condemned him as worthy of death."

-Mark 14:61-64 (See also Matthew 26:63-66)

In the gospels of both Matthew and Luke, Jesus asks his disciples who other people say he is and who they think he is:

" 'But what about you?' he asked. 'Who do you say I am?'

Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.'

Jesus replied, 'Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.' "

-Matthew 16:15-17 (See also Luke 9:20-27)

Three gospels record an incident where Jesus heals a paralyzed man, and in so doing, makes it clear that he is on the same level as God:

"When Jesus saw [the] faith [of the man's friends], he said to the paralyzed man, 'Son, your sins are forgiven.'

Now some of the teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 'Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?'

Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, "Your sins are forgiven," or to say, "Get up, take your mat and walk"? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.' So he said to the man, 'I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.' He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, 'We have never seen anything like this!"

-Mark 2:5-12 (See also Matthew 9:2-8 and Luke 5:20-26)

These are just a few examples showing that, yes, Jesus was a good teacher, but at the heart of his message was his identity as the Son of God (Matthew 11:27) and the only way to the Father (John 14:6).

I will address point #2 in my next post.

Taking the Bible seriously

Not many people argue with the existence of Jesus of Nazareth, since there is as much evidence to support that he lived as there is for most other historical figures. This evidence comes from both Christian and secular sources, such as the prized writings of Josephus and Tacitus. Modern scholars are in agreement that Jesus existed, was baptized by John the Baptist, and was crucified by Pontius Pilate.

The disagreements start when it comes to the reliability of the New Testament in accurately depicting what Jesus said and did. Many people dismiss the Bible as mythology and refuse to see it as a historical document. Josh McDowell was one of these skeptics who set out to disprove the Bible but only ended up confirming its historicity. He states in his book, More Than a Carpenter, "If one discards the Bible as unreliable historically, then he or she must discard all the literature of antiquity. No other document has as much evidence to confirm its reliability" (revised and updated edition, copyright 2009, pg 87). Some of the reasons he cites are:

-The vast amount of early manuscripts that we still have available to us today (over 20,000). This rules out the idea that today's Bible is different from the original writings, since we can compare.
-The closeness of the text to the events they describe (all written by AD 80). No legend has ever been developed in this short amount of time.
-The fact that the writers of the New Testament were either eyewitnesses to the events they described or in close relationship with eyewitnesses.
-The fact that the books of the New Testament were circulated among those (some sympathetic to Christianity, and some opposed) who had witnessed the events and could have contested any false information.
-The evidence from secular writings and archaeological findings that verifies the accuracy of events recorded (i.e. - that Romans crucified Jesus, that Jesus was believed to be risen from the dead and was worshiped as God, and that his tomb was empty).

Another man that first set out to disprove the Bible, only to be convinced of its authenticity, was Nabeel Qureshi, once a devout Muslim, and now author of the book Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus (very interesting book; I highly recommend it). He would not be convinced to embrace Christianity until he had spent years researching and considering every alternative, because the Muslim faith was so ingrained in him and so important to his family. This website has a PDF of "Expert Contributions" from different professors, researchers, and authors that expand on the themes in his book.

Are science and God incompatible?

As science advances, and we understand more about the world we live in, many people feel confident in saying that we don't need God anymore. God was for the people of the past who needed to invent a reason why the sun rose and set each day, explain what causes earthquakes, and understand how it is that life exists. But now we understand the scientific principles behind all of these phenomenon, so why continue with this blind belief in some supernatural being that we can't see or prove the existence of?

There are many problems with this argument. For one, the very fact that we can understand the universe, and that it is ordered and follows certain laws of nature, is evidence of an intelligent designer.

Furthermore, as science keeps uncovering new findings, we are realizing that there is a complexity to life that we never dreamed possible. Darwin did not even know of the existence of genes, but now we understand that life if made up of elaborate cells, which are directed by an intricate molecule called DNA. Scientists have discovered not only atoms, but subatomic particles. Darwin's theory makes sense if life is made up of molecular blobs, but could a single-celled organism really arise from nothing, and then develop into the complex multicellular organisms that exist today?

As we turn our attention from microscopic to macroscopic realities, exploring the solar system and beyond, we are finding that the Earth is so fine-tuned to support life that the chances of it being an accident are inconceivable.

Most everyone I know is trying to find out how to make their life purposeful. But how can there be purpose if we are all here by accident and created by blind evolution?

Do you believe in right and wrong? Where does your morality come from - did the process of evolution create it?

Here is a question that I remember hearing in 2001, from my atheist biology teacher - If we are made up of just chemicals, how can we feel emotions? How are we capable of love?

Science and God are not incompatible. Science explains how things work. The existence of God explains why they work in the first place.

"In the end, belief in God, especially the biblical God, is an act of faith. But so too is believing that our existence is simply the result of chance."
-Eric Metaxas: http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/12/26659

The scientific case for Intelligent Design: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2d7aKN-X5M

The history of the scientific theory of Intelligent Design: http://www.discovery.org/a/3207

What it means to be a Christian, part 2

In my last post, I wrote about how salvation is not a ticket to heaven but an entryway into a new way of life, where we do things that lead to eternal life. I pointed out that life is hard, with or without God. The difference for a Christian is that suffering goes hand-in-hand with hope, because we know that our troubles are temporary and that we don't have to depend on our own strength to get us through:

"The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand" (Psalm 37:23-24).

This is the important point I left out of my last post... Salvation is not about our efforts. It's about our acknowledgment of and reliance on God's strength and goodness, like a child holding onto a parent's hand, depending on their guidance and protection. The most important lesson we can learn from our sufferings is that we are frail, like jars of clay, and in need of a power greater than our own...

"We have this treasure [the Good News of Jesus] in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body" (2 Corinthians 4:7-10).

This song came on my Pandora station while I was typing, and I thought it very appropriate:

What it means to be a Christian

What is salvation? You used to live for yourself - for your own happiness and success - which was often at the expense of others, or at the expense of what was right. This is called sin, and sin leads to death and judgment.

"But now [if you have surrendered your life to Jesus] you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life" (Romans 6:22).

Salvation is not an event, but the entryway into a new lifestyle. Suffering is part of this lifestyle.

Romans 8:17-18 says that we share in Jesus' suffering so that we may share in His glory, and that what we suffer now pales in comparison to the glory that is to come.

Olympic athletes train tirelessly for years to be able to compete in the games. They go into the process knowing that it's going to require sacrifice (devotion of their time, separation from family, pushing through the pain of physical training, injuries, disappointments...). But they know that if they want the glory of the gold medal, they have to endure the pain.

Becoming a Christian is a commitment to a way of life that is difficult but that leads to the greatest prize worth fighting for - holiness, eternal life, and a relationship with your heavenly Father.

I was listening to a really great sermon by Francis Chan, and he made an analogy that went like this: When you become a Christian, you enter into a war. What soldier comes back to his commanding officer after the first day of battle and complains, "They were shooting at meeee!!!" Yet so often, we as Christians do this: God, why is my boss treating me like this? God, why didn't you solve this problem for me? God, why do I have so many bills? God, why is life so hard? We have to realize that hardship is part of life, and becoming a Christian doesn't make the hardship go away. In fact, it often invites more hardship, but as a Christian, hardship has an eternal purpose.

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." -2 Corinthians 4:16-18

*I left out a big part of what it means to be a Christian, but that will come in a later post.
*I've been writing about the topic of suffering since December. This post just describes a part of one aspect of it. The posts below are an attempt at understanding other facets of suffering.