Those who do not believe

 I am currently reading another book that looks at the thinking of atheists. The author has debated a number of the so-called New Atheists and has studied their books and their thinking for some time. It is an interesting look at their thinking and their absolute refusal to accept the concept of God despite the overwhelming evidence for His existence.

For the past few years I have been very interested in apologetics and have read quite a bit in that field. In that reading, there are many references to the thinking and arguments presented by atheists. Their circular reasoning makes it almost impossible to believe that they actually believe what they claim to believe, and their lack of logically thinking is astounding. Many of these are scientists from various fields who seem to hold philosophy in contempt. They continue to make statements that are self-defeating, contradictory, and circular. They seem unable to see that their beliefs would lead to a world that would be chaotic and could not last.

Take just one argument that is sometimes the topic for debates between atheists and theists. Does objective morality exist? The theist believes that because God exists, objective morality exists. There is a standard of right and wrong that is not subject to vote or to personal beliefs. The atheist, believing there is no God, also does not believe that any objective morality exists. Each person decides his or her own moral code. Some believe that culture determines right and wrong. But, whose culture? As the writer of this book asked in one debate, are you talking about the culture of the Nazis or the culture of Mother Theresa? Are you talking about a culture that cherishes it's babies or one that sacrifices their babies to their god? Such a belief in subjective morality would lead to chaos and would lead to the destruction of our society.

Why do they not see that? These are brilliant individuals, but they appear to be blind to their refusal to see what countless millions have seen over thousands of years. There is a God who desires to be known and worshiped. Why can they not see the many prophecies foretold in the Bible that have come to pass? Why can't they accept the archeological evidences that demonstrate the truth of the Bible? 

Perhaps their reason is financial. Some of these individuals have made a great deal of money from their books and the speaking opportunities these books have provided. It's pretty hard to sing a different tune when the one you've been singing has made you wealthy.

Some atheists refuse to accept any concept of God because to do would force a change in their moral behavior. The well-known atheist Aldous Huxley once said, "I have motives for not wanting the world to have meaning, and consequently assumed it had none, and was able without any difficulty to find satisfying reasons for this assumption...For myself, as no doubt for most of my friends, the philosophy of meaningless was essentially an instrument of liberation from a certain system of morality. We objected to the morality because it interfered with our sexual freedom."

Others might refuse to believe in God because they believe that the arguments for God are weak and lack scientific credibility. This is a common complaint from many atheists. But, what about the credible scientists in many fields who do believe in God and point to science as the foundation of their belief? How do they ignore their colleagues who profess a strong faith in God?

In the 17th century Blaise Pascal argued that if Christianity has a 50 percent chance of being true then it would be rational for a person to live a Christian life. This has become known as Pascal's Wager. I believe the evidence is much stronger than 50 percent that there is a God Who has revealed Himself in Scripture, and faith in Jesus Christ is the way to know this God. I struggle to understand how anyone can look at the evidences with an open mind and not come to the same conclusion.

The faith that is required to be an atheist

 I don't usually do this, but I have to promote a book I recently promoted:  I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist. When I wrote about it before I was only on the first chapter, but it was so good I had to encourage you to read it. I'm now half-way through the book, and it keeps getting better. It is the best book on apologetics I have read, and I have a number of them in my shelf.

Books on apologetics are sometimes written for academics and can be difficult for the average person to follow. This book is not like that. It's not a simple, quick read, but it is highly readable. The authors, Norman Geisler and Frank Turek, have written a book that is readable for almost any person. Both are highly respected Christian philosophers who have debated numerous atheists during their careers. The arguments they present in this book are sound and will help anyone defend their faith against the most strident nonbeliever. They also will help answer any questions Christians may have about their faith.

The chapter I am currently reading is discussing miracles. They are specifically addressing David Humes' arguments against the possibility of miracles. With simple logic they are able to shoot holes in his argument and prove the existence of miracles and how those miracles point to the existence of God.

Throughout the book they correctly point out that the arguments nonbelievers have against the existence of God is not based on sound reasoning or logic but on the determination to discount His existence so they can live their lives without any moral restraints. They have to reject all the obvious evidence that God does exist in order to hold on to their belief (hope?) that He does not. There will come a time when they will realize how wrong they were. Of course, the saddest part of their of their refusal to believe in the existence of God will be the multitudes of people they were able to convince their worldview was right.

I plan to do a series of messages in 2025 that will speak to the evidences of the existence of God. This book will be one of my resources for these messages. I wish I had read this book earlier in my ministry, but I'm thankful I found it now. I will say again, I cannot recommend this book more highly.

Has God let you down?

 Some of the saddest people I've met in life believe that God let them down in their time of need. Perhaps they prayed for a loved one to be healed, but no healing took place. Maybe a child of theirs fought addictions, and, despite many prayers, never overcame that addiction. Some who felt they were in a wonderful relationship suddenly learned their spouse was involved in an affair and planning on leaving. How could God let that happen? Others suffered financial reverses making it difficult to enjoy their old age. They had done nothing wrong, but their finances were lost due to the misdeeds of others. In all of these cases it's easy to question God. Where was He? Didn't He care? Why didn't He answer my prayers? It's not fair. The end result of all this is that these people believe God, if He even exists, cannot be trusted.

I've never got that far in my thinking, but there have been times I wondered why God didn't seem to respond as quickly or in the way I thought He should. What I've learned is that God never fails us. Sometimes we are unable to see His working in our lives. Certainly, there are many times He does things differently than we might have preferred. It's easy to forget that in His perfect wisdom He sees things in our future we are unable to see, He doesn't always give us the answer we might want right now because He knows of a better way to respond that will serve us better in the future.

While God will never fail us, others will. The church has failed many people. The church fails us, and we want to blame God. It's not God who failed us; it's the imperfect people who make up the church. I hate to admit that people have left the church because I failed to serve them as I should have. Sometimes I didn't meet their expectations, whether fair or not, and they chose to walk away. Sometimes the church lets people fall through the cracks. We become so busy with "church" things that we fail to see people when they are hurting. Failing to have their hurts recognized, some will decide the church has nothing for them and leave. And, let's admit it, the church doesn't always respond well to folks who don't meet their expectations. I'll never forget the church that fired their pastor, while he was in a hospital bed, because his unwed daughter became pregnant. Yes, churches can be that insensitive, and then they wonder why people leave.

Pastors can also fail you. It seems there have been so many pastors this year removed from ministry because of sexual misconduct. Others fail their congregations by their emotional immaturity or by failing to preach sound doctrine, Some fail due to pure laziness. The list goes on.

God will never fail you, but His church and His church leaders sometimes will. The good news is that for every toxic church and minister there are many who are faithful to serve and to preach the Good News. If a church or minister hurts you, don't lump all churches and ministers together. Find a good one and serve and worship God there.

Dealing with doubt

 Even the strongest of Christians may have times of doubt. Billy Graham tells the story of a period in his life when he began to question some things he was preaching. At a conference he was asked to lead early in his ministry he walked into the woods near the conference center and began to ask God if the Bible was really true. After a period of time he rose to his feet absolutely convinced that the Bible was true, his faith was true and his calling was to preach the truth. Perhaps his most famous line after that experience was "The Bible says...."

Studies find that nearly 60 percent of young people leave the Christian faith after their 15th birthday. A number of reasons have been identified, but one of the major ones is that no one is willing to answer their questions. They may have serious questions and doubts about Christianity, but they find their church is not a safe place to ask those questions or express their doubts. One 17-year-old girl told me that was the case in her youth group. She asks a lot of tough questions and spends much time reading her Bible, but she said when she asks questions in the youth group she is either ignored or given simplistic answers that really do not answer her questions. Unfortunately, this is too often the case.

Churches must be a safe place for people to ask their questions. No person should be made to feel ashamed for expressing doubts about their faith or for asking questions. In fact, questions should be encouraged for they show the person is thinking critically about Christianity, and answering the questions may help them solidify their faith.

There are two warnings when we attempt to answer people's questions or address their doubts. One, we don't want to make up answers when we don't know the answer. Young people are especially tuned to such answers and can see through them. It's far better to admit that we don't know and we will attempt to find the answer and respond to them at that time. There will also be some questions we will never be able to answer, and we need to honestly admit that. Here is where the faith factor of Christianity comes into play. But, we don't want to fall back on that response too often. There may well be an answer to the question that we can find with a little research.

The other warning is that we need to understand the purpose of the question. As someone has said, behind every question is a questioner. We need to know the questioner so we can understand what is behind the question. If a six-year-old child asks, "Who made God?" that is a much different question than if it is asked by a university biology professor. In the first case, the child is probably asking out of genuine interest. In the second case, the question may well be asked as a challenge to Christianity or being asked because the professor is honestly seeking God and needs answers to some of his questions. Our answer would be the same in both cases but would need to be framed differently. It's important to know the questioner and the reason behind the question before answering.

Jesus asked a lot of questions, and He was not afraid of questions. We need to be like Him. Don't be afraid of questions but respond to them truthfully, biblically and with grace.

The power of influence

In my sermon yesterday I talked about the power of influence. My text came from the story of the woman at the well. After her encounter with Jesus she returned to her village a transformed person. She told all who would listen about her encounter with a Jewish man at the well, and how He had changed her life. Many in the village went to see Jesus for themselves, and when they returned to the village many of them were professing Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world.

But what would have happened if the woman had not shared her story with anyone? No doubt, some would notice that she was a changed woman, but they would not know how the change occurred. It was her testimony, her influence, that caused others to believe in Jesus Christ.

You and I have influence over other people. That influence may be negative or positive, but we do influence the ones with whom we come in contact. People watch what we say, they watch what we do, and those words and actions have influence.

Chances are you became a Christian because of someone's influence in your life. It may have been a parent, a spouse, a co-worker, a child or someone with whom you had a casual acquaintance, but there was something they said, something they did or the way they carried themselves that made you think there might be something to Christianity. You began to explore the claims of Christ for yourself until one day you came to believe in Jesus Christ and came to a personal faith.

Now, as Christians, we have an obligation to influence others. Jesus said we are to be the light of the world. The word translated light means a reflected light. We are to let the light of Jesus Christ shine through us so others will be drawn to Him.

Studies show that the average Christian will not lead a single person to faith in Christ in his or her lifetime. We hide our light. We only let it shine in church but not in public. As a result, many will never have the opportunity to trust in Jesus Christ.

It is a sobering thought that of all the methods God could have chosen to spread the Good News about Him, He chose to use imperfect people like you and me. It is also a sobering thought to realize that we may be the only person who can influence someone to explore the claims of Jesus Christ and come to faith in their own lives.

Who are you influencing today?

Jimmy Carter

Last night I read an article stating that Jimmy Carter had been in hospice care for one year and was alert, aware of events going on and doing as well as could be expected. He is now the longest living president at 99 years old. His wife of 77 years passed away just a few months ago.

Carter was, in my opinion, not one of our strongest presidents. The country suffered under his leadership, but historians will have to decide how much of that was due to his leadership and how much of it was beyond his control. Presidents get blamed for a lot of things that they really do not control, and they often get (take) credit for good things that happened in spite of their leadership. A hundred years from now historians will be in better shape to point out the positives and negatives of Carter's presidency. We do know that the country begin a quick turn-around when Ronald Reagan became president limiting Carter to a one-term presidency.

However, Carter was a much more inspirational leader after he left the White House. His work with Habitat for Humanity inspired many people to pick up a hammer and make a difference in their communities. He received a statesmanship award for his work in improving relations between the US and China. He established the Carter Center which monitored elections around the world. I have no doubt that historians will find that his greatest accomplishments occurred after he left the White House.

Jimmy Carter was also probably the most religious and moral president this nation has ever had. Perhaps one of the reasons his presidency wasn't more effective was that he refused to play the political games common in Washington. He couldn't be bought, and, to my knowledge, he refused to compromise his religious convictions. That alone sets him apart from the corrupt and immoral politicians that thrive in Washington, DC. In this age of compromise in which we live he should be an example to us all.

Jimmy Carter continued to teach his Sunday school class in his home church after leaving the presidency. I wonder how many ex-presidents became Sunday school teachers after leaving office. He may be the only one. During his campaign he was not hesitant to talk of his faith, and he certainly lived it during his presidency and afterwards. If someone seeking the highest office of the land was not reluctant to speak of his faith, why are we so hesitant to do the same?

America would be better off with more people like Jimmy Carter, a man unashamed of his Christian faith, a man who not only spoke of that faith but lived it every time he swung a hammer building a home for someone else. He not only followed the Prince of Peace, he worked for peace both inside and outside the White House. His life should be an example to each of us who name Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  

Do atheists have doubts?

I have just finished reading Surprised by Doubt by Joshua Chatraw and Jack Carson as part of my morning devotions. It is a very good, honest look at how most Christians will struggle with doubts at some time in their lives. The authors draw a lot from the writings of C. S. Lewis and their own experiences of struggling at times to understand God and what He was doing in their lives. Probably most of us have had times in our Christian lives when we thought that "this isn't what I thought being a Christian would be like." At times like those is when doubts can begin to creep in. Certainly, I've had such times in my own life, and I appreciated how the authors addressed those doubts and offered practices to help overcome them.

From that book I began reading Why God Makes Sense in a World that Doesn't by Gavin Ortlund. I'm still in the early pages, but as the author addresses some of the beliefs of the New Atheists the question came to mind as to whether atheists ever doubt their atheism? Over the years I have read a number of apologetical books that do an excellent job of defending Christian beliefs against those offered by atheists. I am not of a philosophical mind so I am amazed at easily these Christian writers tear apart the alternative theories proposed by the New Atheists such as Dawkins, Krauss, Harris and others. I'm also amazed at how shallow those theories are especially as they are being offered by persons with such high academic standing.

So the question came to me: do these individuals ever begin to question that perhaps they are wrong, that God does exist and is the creator of all the universe? With so much evidence to disprove their points, how could they not have doubts? Perhaps they cannot afford to have doubts. After all, their books are selling well, and that would change if they decided that they were wrong and became Christians. Of course, Jesus challenged that way of thinking when He said, "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? (Mt. 16: 26)"

Psalm 111: 10 tells us "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Being atheists I would assume they have no fear of God, but how can anyone push any possibility of the existence of God out of their minds? Paschal's Wager is that if there is even a 51% possibility that God exists a person would be a fool to reject Him. While the arguments for God cannot absolutely prove the existence of God, they certainly take us well beyond the 51% threshold.

Yes, Christians can have times of doubt in their lives, but most of us will not let those doubts take us away from belief in God. We use those times to grow in our faith and find Christ to be even more real. And, yes atheists can have doubts as well, and sometimes those doubts lead them to faith in Jesus Christ. Among some notable atheists who came to believe in God are Antony Flew, Alister McGrath, Francis Collins and many more.

When you are talking to someone who expresses the belief that there is no God, do not give up on that person. He or she may be struggling with doubts you do not know. If not then, perhaps later. Keep praying for those individuals, keep sharing your faith as opportunities present themselves, and keep believing that God will break through their doubts and lead them to see that Christianity is true.

Knowing God

People sit in our churches every week hearing messages about God, singing songs about or to God, and praying to God. But, how many of them really know God? I'm not talking about their salvation. I'm asking how many of them really know God. How many can describe the nature of God to another person? I'm afraid that number might be rather low.

A few weeks ago I began a focused study on the attributes of God. I already have pages of notes I've copied from various books and other resources. It has been a growing experience. The more I learn about God the more I realize there is so much more to learn. No one can ever explore the depths of God's nature, but it's important that we learn as much as we can as Christian people.

Many of the fears and doubts we have are the result of not knowing God as we should. I look back at my own life and some of the worries I've had during times when I've gone through the valleys of life, and I realize that my faith was weak because my knowledge of God wasn't what it should have been. That same lack of knowledge also results in many of us living far below what God wants for us. Jesus said that He came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. Many Christian people are not living an abundant life but are living lives of defeat and discouragement. Again, it comes from not knowing God as He truly is.

The lack of knowledge about God also impacts our witness to others. The apostle Paul prayed that the Christians in Rome would be filled with joy, peace and hope, and not only filled but filled to overflowing. I've often said that the reason we need to be overflowing with joy, peace and hope is so some of it can splash onto others who need that in their lives. A joyful Christian filled with peace and hope is going to be an effective witness to others who need to know Jesus Christ. Too many times my own life has not been filed with joy, peace and hope, and I believe the same could be said about many believers today.

We in ministry need to do a better job of teaching our congregations about the attributes and character of God. Too many sermons are filled with fluff meant to tickle the ears of our listeners. Many of the ones sitting in our pews need to be fed the meat of the Word. We need to help them grow deeper in their knowledge of God.

Every Christian also needs to take responsibility for their own growth in that area. I would encourage the reader to begin to do some serious study on the person and nature of God. As you learn more about Him you will find yourself growing closer to Him, and your faith will grow even more. 

When the voices won't be silent

 Have you ever had times when the voices in your head kept insisting that you were going to fail? Or maybe they were telling you that you were in danger? Maybe it wasn't a physical danger you were facing, but it was a financial danger or a relationship danger or some other type of danger. Perhaps the voices were shouting that you were in over your head in some matter, and you wouldn't emerge victorious this time. Even worse, no matter how hard you tried, you couldn't silence those voices. They kept replaying the tape over and over again in your mind, and at night the volume seemed to get louder.

Maybe you've not experienced this. I have. Yes, even ministers can battle anxiety and have times when the voices in our heads seem to overwhelm us. If a mighty prophet like Elijah had to fight such battles I figure I'm not immune to them either.

You might remember that after Elijah defeated the false prophets the wicked queen Jezebel sent word that she was going to take Elijah's life. You might think that after the victory Elijah had over the prophets he wouldn't be scared of such threats, but he was. He ran for his life and begged God to take his life. He told God he had had enough and couldn't take any more. I can identify, and I'm guessing some of you can as well. Being a Christian doesn't make us immune from such feelings.

Even though we know God is with us and will bring us the final victory in all things, there are times we feel we've had all we can handle. Fears and anxieties begin to threaten to overwhelm us. We begin to believe the voices that tell us this time God isn't going to come through, and the more we begin to believe this the louder the voices get. Is there anything we can do to conquer these voices and fears?

The thing that has helped me is to spend more time in the Word and prayer. I keep reminding myself of God's promises, and I talk through my feelings with someone I trust completely. That person is my wife. It needs to be someone who won't judge you or think less of you because of your fears and doubts. Unfortunately, some Christians will make you feel worse in such times because they will question your lack of faith or even your walk with God. Avoid those people! Be honest with those who will walk with you during this valley in your life. God will use them to help you through, and when you get through the other side you will realize God was with you through the entire journey. He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us, and He never will!

Providing a faith that will stick with our young people

 I just finished reading an interesting book titled Sticky Faith: Everyday Ideas to Build Lasting Faith in Your Kids by Kara Powell and Chap Clark. While we often complain about how so many of our young people abandon the church and even leave the faith after they move out of their parent's home, few of us do anything to address it. This book offered both parents and the church specific steps they can take to help young people develop a personal faith of their own that will stick after they leave home. 

The church has an important role to play in the faith development of young people. Too many youth groups are built around activities in an effort to get young people to attend, but these activities seldom help develop a deeper faith in those who do attend. Believe it or not, older youth are less interested in the games and activities than they are in other things that can occur in youth group settings. Research discussed in the book found that the number one thing high school seniors wanted in their youth group was the opportunity to discuss things important to their lives. They have questions about life and about faith that they want answered. When the church does not give them a safe place to ask their questions and seek answers to those questions, their young people will go elsewhere with their questions. When they do that they may get very different answers than they would have received from the church.

As important as the church is, the family is more important to the development of faith in their children. Young children carefully watch their parent's actions to learn what's important. What the parents say is not nearly as important as what they do. If the parents claim that faith and church is important, but their children do not see evidence of that in their parent's lives, they will determine that these things are not really important after all. As the children become older, they will become more verbal in their questioning of the disconnect between what the parents say and what they do. One thing is certain, young people will always choose the actions of the parents over their words when deciding what is really important in life.

The authors of the book provides research-based steps on what both churches and parents can do to help young people develop a sticky faith. None of their recommendations are difficult to do. The main challenge in my opinion is doing them consistently, and consistency is a key component to this process. Young people need to see the adults in their lives living out their Christian faith in every situation.

If you work with young people in your church or if you are a parent with small children in the home, you should read this book. When your young people leave for college or begin a life of their own, I think you'll be glad you put into practice some of the recommendations found in this book. 

Space station and God

My wife and I enjoy watching the international space station fly over. Every few weeks we'll check the Internet to find out when it will be visible in our zip code so we can watch it. It normally is so bright and large in the sky it's hard to believe that it maintains an average of 250 miles in altitude and travels 17,500 miles per hour enabling it to orbit the earth 15.5 times per day. Recently we were able to do something for the first time: we saw it twice in one evening. The first viewing lasted four minutes while the second viewing was only for one minute.

No doubt the space station is one of the greatest scientific and engineering feats man has ever accomplished. No matter where in the world one lives, they can go online and know exactly when and where it will be visible. Space shuttles are able to fly to the station and dock there while transferring supplies and personnel. Spacewalks are done to perform maintenance and repairs to the station.

For me, the operation of the international space station is one more evidence of God's existence. Non-theists would point out the fact that man's knowledge and abilities built the station and keep it functioning. While that is true, it is only due to the fine tuning of the universe that the station is able to operate as it does. If our universe was not fine-tuned as it is science and engineering alone could not predict the exact location of the space station at any moment.

The fine-tuning of the universe is one of the strongest evidences of God we have. Right now the planet earth is rotating about 1,000 miles an hour at the equator. It is also flying around the sun at over 67,000 miles per hour. In addition, we are part of the Milky Way that is flying through the universe at over 1.3 million miles per hour. Are you starting to get dizzy, yet?

What keeps us from being flung out into space? Gravity. Gravity keeps our atmosphere in place and keeps us at just the right distance from the sun. How fine-tuned is gravity. Theoretical physicist Brandon Carter, who worked with Stephen Hawking, claims that if gravity was weaker or stronger by 1 part in 10 to the 40th power life would not be possible. There are many more evidences of fine-tuning that permits life than this, but are we to believe that all of this just happened? Or does it point to a Creator? It seems to me that it would require much more faith to believe that this universe is so fine-tuned by accident than it does to believe in a Creator.

Now, go back to the figures  I gave you concerning how the earth is moving through our universe and consider that the space station travels 17,500 miles per hour and yet its travels can be pinpointed exactly as to where it will be at any second, how long it will be visible at any given time at any location throughout the world. That is only possible because of the fine-tuning of our universe.

Psalm 19:1 tells us "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." Romans 1:20 reminds us "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."

Baptisms: The Best Way to Begin a Worship Service

This past Sunday we baptized three teens during our early worship service. The two young men and one young lady placed their faith in Jesus Christ and have been working with our Youth Minister for the past few weeks preparing for their baptism. Additionally, some younger youth are currently meeting with our Children's Minister preparing for their baptism in a few weeks. These are exciting times in our church!

A few years ago I was coaching a young bivocational pastor. He was serving in his first church. He had no ministerial training, but he had a heart for ministry and a sense of call on his life. During our coaching relationship it was exciting to see him grow in confidence.

In one of our coaching sessions he said that he wanted to talk about baptisms. He would be doing his first baptism as the pastor of his church in a few weeks, and he had some concerns. Their older church building did not have a baptistery so they were going down to a river that flowed through the town. His questions were two-fold. One, he was concerned because the river wasn't very deep so he was going to be fairly far from the bank. He didn't want the ones being baptized to fall wading out to him. His second concern was he was fearful he would drop his Bible in the river, and it was one that had been given to him by someone very special to him.

After we addressed his concerns he expressed how stressed he felt because he wanted this baptism to be special. When I asked why, he said it was the church's first baptism in 50 years!

As I think back on that conversation I am amazed all over again. It doesn't seem possible that a church could go five decades without seeing anyone come to faith in Jesus Christ and following that with baptism. While most don't go 50 years between baptisms, many churches have not baptized anyone in years.

Most denominations report a decrease in baptisms in recent years. Although various reasons are given it certainly isn't because the fields are no longer white unto harvest. Every church in America today sits in the middle of a huge mission field. The problem is that many of those churches are doing nothing to harvest that field.

The Great Commission is the primary task of the church. If we fail to reach people for Christ, it doesn't matter what else we do, we have failed our mission. It's time many churches made evangelistic outreach a priority again. It's time many churches begin once again to proclaim a clear message inviting people to faith in Christ. It's time we begin again praying for the lost in our communities, in our families, and in our churches.

It was exciting to see those young people last week follow the Lord in baptism. But, I want to see our worship services begin every week with a baptism! Just think how exciting that would be!

Trusting is a Leap of Faith

Trusting is a Leap of Faith

One of my favorite stories (and favorite operetta) is Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables.  The main character, Jean Valjean served 19 years in a prison in France in the 1800’s for stealing a loaf of bread so that his sister’s son wouldn’t die of starvation.  Once he was on parole, he discovered the world to be as cold and dark as those prison walls.  Because he was an ex-convict, he wasn’t paid as much as the “honest” men who he worked beside.

Later, he stumbled upon a kind bishop’s house.  The bishop treated him like an honored guest, more than he deserved.  But when the bishop retired for the night, Jean Valjean grabbed some of the silver and fled into the night.  The police found him and dragged him back to the bishop’s home.  But instead of convicting him of his crime, the bishop kindly told him, “My friend you left so early.  Surely something left your mind.  You forgot I gave these [silver candlesticks] also; would you leave the best behind?”  He sent the police on their way and told Jean Valjean, “But remember this, my brother. See in this some higher plan.  You must use this precious silver to become an honest man. By the witness of the martyrs, by the passion and the blood, God has raised you out of darkness: I have bought your soul for God.”

Sometimes the world can be so cold and harsh that we may feel we have no options but to do all we can just to survive, as Jean Valjean did.  Consulting in God for direction and then trusting in his provisions may not seem practical for your life. 

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

I testify that God’s promises are true.  Trust God with everything.  Not only is it best, but life works a lot better when we get on God’s plan rather than our own.  What do you need to hand over to God?  What area in your life have you been holding onto? Perhaps it’s a relationship or the way you spend money. Perhaps it’s parenting, your social life or even what you watch, read, and listen to or how you speak.  Whatever it is, pray about it and hand it over to the Lord, for He will make your paths straight.

Kelly Rector

Children's Minister

Madison FBC

Not a chance we are here by accident

For four minutes last night my wife and I stood in our backyard and watched the International Space Station make its journey across the sky. At 6:24 it appeared in the sky 23 degrees above SW and made its way across the sky until it disappeared 23 degrees above ENE. The conditions were perfect for watching the space station with clear, dark skies.

We never get tired of watching it. Recently, on vacation in Panama City Beach, we had the opportunity to show it to our daughter and her children. It was the first time they had seen it.

There are so many things that fascinate me about watching the space station. One of those is the precision with which its journey is known. Regardless of where one is in the world, scientists can tell you exactly when it will be visible, where it will first appear in your sky, and the time and where it will disappear.

For me, this is just one more evidence of our universe being created by God. A world that comes into being through random circumstances cannot be so fine-tuned with such precise mathematical formulas that makes it possible to create an International Space Station much less be able to track it with such precision.

Non-believers have a difficult time addressing the fine-tuning argument for the existence of God. There are so many variables necessary for life as we know it to exist on planet Earth, and if any of these are off by such minute amounts as to be virtually unmeasurable, Earth would be just one more cold, uninhabitable rock floating through space.

The best they can do is to propose a multi-verse rather than a universe. In a multi-verse, they argue, there is the likelihood that at least one solar system would have conditions such as Earth has to make life possible. They often present the multi-verse theory as if it is a scientific fact, but it's not. There has never been any evidence of the existence of the multi-verse. It is a theory that can only be believed by those who have faith in the theory and prefer it to having a faith in God.

The fine-tuning argument, like all apologetical arguments, does not prove the existence of God. It can only point to evidence that makes the existence of God likely and the best possible cause of the universe and life as we know it.

This is where faith comes in. As I look at the fine-tuning argument and then look at this marvelous creation we call Earth I am convinced that there is a God. As I watch the sunset over the ocean, as I see the miracle of a child being born into the world, and as I watch the space station in the sky, I am convinced that there is not a chance we are here by accident. There is a God who created this marvelous universe we call home, and even more than that, there is a God who wants to have a relationship with me. To make that relationship possible, He sent His Son to be born into this world and to die on a cross so my sins could be forgiven and make it possible for me to enjoy an eternal relationship with Him.

I hope you believe that as well. You see, it really is a matter of faith. You can have faith in God or you can have faith in unproven theories. I have chosen to place my faith in God, and I invite you to do the same.

And because I have faith in God and the laws He set in place to govern this universe, I will go out in my backyard Thursday evening at 6:17 and watch the space station fly across the sky for four minutes.

Defending the faith

How many people in your church could defend their faith if challenged by a non-theist? A large number of Christians really do not know what they believe, and of those who do few could explain why they believe it.

As an example, non-theists like to challenge Christians with the problem of evil in the world. Their question goes something like this. You believe that your God is all-loving. You believe your God is all-powerful. Then why would an all-loving, all-powerful God allow such evil to exist in the world? Why do innocent children die of cancer? Why do wars occur that take the lives of thousands of people? The questions go on and on highlighting the evils that plague mankind. They often conclude with the final challenge that our God is either not all-loving or He couldn't allow such things to exist, or He is not all-powerful since He seems unable to stop evil. In either case, the unbeliever says, he or she would not be interested in such a God.

It is the fear of such questions that probably keeps many people from attempting to share their faith with another person. They are afraid they will be asked questions for which they have no answers.

In recent years I have been reading more in the area of apologetics. J. P. Moreland defines apologetics as "a ministry designed to help unbelievers to overcome intellectual obstacles to conversion and believers to remove doubts that hinder spiritual growth." This is as good a definition as I've seen.

Apologetics enables us to defend our faith by giving reasonable answers based upon the rules of logic and in line with biblical teachings. People have a right to ask the hard questions about faith, and we need not be afraid of those questions.

The church needs to be teaching apologetics. We need to help our people to begin thinking about why they believe the way they do. Such teachings can occur from the pulpit, in Sunday school classes, and in small groups.

Church leaders, both pastoral and lay, need to begin to read more in the area of apologetics. Some of my favorite apologists are William Lane Craig, Ravi Zacharias, J. P. Moreland, and Norman Geisler. I try to read 2-3 books a year by one or more of these writers plus I often listen to Craig's podcasts.

We live in a time where the Christian faith is under constant attack. Our values, our doctrines, and everything that is Christian is being challenged as never before in the US. Christianity is no longer the dominant worldview. Let us be ready to give an answer for the hope that lies within us.