Delve Into Jesus Articles

Do Commandments On Tattoos and Hair Still Apply?

arsindelve — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 09:12:10 GMT

In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul gives some pretty specific instructions about hair length and covering our hair. Leviticus 19:28 commands, "Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD." Do these commands still apply today? Can't someone worship Jesus just as well with long hair, earrings or tattoos?

I think it's important to acknowledge that we have to be sensitive of the time and culture to which the author was addressing their comments. Underneath every custom or culturally accepted practice is some truth of law or principle. Culture, customs and societies change, but God certainly does not and his commandments and laws do not. Our challenge is to determine the law or principle that is underneath the surface of these customs. In other words, hair is just hair and is no big deal, but what deep truth of God's nature is Paul trying to express in this teaching? Whatever that truth is, it never changes so regardless of what century we're in, we have to get to the bottom of it.

In almost every case, when Paul or another apostle commands us to obey some cultural custom, the goal is to demonstrate that we are children of God and to distance ourselves from the pagans. This was a very serious issue in the 1st century. Many new Christians had been gentiles and/or pagans, and the early Church leaders want to ensure that they do not slip back into their old ways. Beyond that, it was also important that they did not have any kind of external appearance that would make people think that they are still worshiping their old idols, even if they're not. This is the main reason for the decree for men not to have long hair, not to get tattoos, not to have body piercings, and many others. These were things the pagans did, so any new Christians who still looked that way would cause others to be concerned.

Rightly or wrongly, people judge by appearances. As Christians, we need to avoid doing anything that would cause others to be uncomfortable with us. This is particularly true when we are witnessing to non-Christians.

As a man, I could deliver the Gospel very well with tatoos, long hair, a nose ring and all the rest. The same is true of a woman with a shaved head and a dozen nose rings. However, if I dress this way, there will be some people who will never be able to get past the image. There would always be some that would see that "look" and think I must be a criminal or a devil-worshiper. They probably would not listen to a word I had to say.

So, I believe God is commanding us to look the part, respect our bodies and understand that others will judge our appearance, so we need to present a good image. The essence of those commandments given to us from Paul and Moses thousands of years ago s...

Why Are There Many Different Christian Churches?

arsindelve — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 09:08:54 GMT

The complete answer is rather complex and deals with psychology and sociology more than anything else. However, at the heart of it lies two factors - that the Bible requires interpretation and that we are fallen creatures.

Let's start with the interpretation issue. I don't want to give the impression that this is a bad thing - it is how God has chosen to give us revelation - but there is no escaping the fact that we are far removed from the Bible's writing in terms of culture, language and time. Two intelligent, honest and sincere people can read certain passages and come up with two different, opposing interpretations. For this reason, there will always be people who disagree on how we should worship. Now, I'm talking about little things, not big things. No one could honestly and sincerely read the New Testament and believe that Jesus was not the Messiah, did not die for our sins, was not raised from the dead, etc. I do think someone could come away with different impressions about whether women should serve in the church, men should always have short hair or whether we must baptize babies. Again, these are small issues, not central to the core of Christian belief, but they do affect how we worship. All it takes is someone to strongly disagree with someone else about how to worship and they will eventually leave and start a new church with like-minded believers. If you examine the differences between all the protestant churches in North America, I think this is what you will find - differences in agreement on the less important doctrines in Scripture.

Sometimes, due to our fallen nature, church leaders become corrupt or lose touch with reality. (It is also certainly true that spiritual leaders are at greater risk for spiritual attacks). Whatever the reason, sometimes a church falls off the rails and the congregation must leave and start a new church. Some other members of the congregation may not see or acknowledge the problem and will stick around. The most extreme example of this would have to be the reformation, but this happens all the time on smaller scales.

All of this must grieve Christ to some extent. He called us to be His church, not his 1,356 different churches. But at the same time, we can look at the bright side. Sometimes churches differ in nothing more than the kind of music they play or how they dress in the service. This variety can allow people to find a home where they feel comfortable and welcome. If you want a very conservative church where they wear suits and play only hymns, you can find that. If you prefer to dress down and hear some contemporary music, that is also available to you.

My advice to anyone would be this: Discover your beliefs and your interpretation. Do this with much prayer and mediation, and ask the Lord to guide you. Be as honest and open minded as you can. Once you feel comfortable with what the Lord is asking you to know about Him and how He...

The Moral Law

arsindelve — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 16:37:28 GMT

There are many avenues to learning about God through nature. Scientists have been unlocking the mysteries of the universe for thousands of years, discovering the often beautiful and elegant ways in which God formed the world and its inhabitants. Francis Collins who headed the human genome project, called DNA, "the language of God" and remarked that after decades of study, we now understand the code which God used to create mankind. Recently, astronomers and cosmologists have discovered the incredible precision in the fine-tuning of the universe which permits life to exist.

Yet, perhaps one of the simplest and most often overlooked methods of learning about God rests within each one of us. There is something unique about our level of consciousness, self-awareness and ability to overrule our instincts. What do we learn when we look inside ourselves and reflect on the qualities which set us apart from other animals?

We discover that there is something inside all of us which compels us to behave in a certain way. This compulsion is to do what society calls, "good". By nature, we desire to do decent, charitable acts and to avoid causing pain or suffering to anyone. We do not always comply with this desire, and when we fail to do so, we experience the odd sensation of guilt. Most commonly, people will call this a conscience, or we can call this desire, as C.S. Lewis did, the Moral Law.

We see dozens of examples of this moral law in effect every day. Accuse someone of doing something which is generally accepted as being "wrong" and the most common response you will get is either a denial or an excuse. The person will claim that you don't understand their extenuating circumstances, or that you've misunderstood what's really going on. They will defend to you how their actions do not constitute a "wrong."

But when confronted with an obvious wrongdoing, how often will someone reply, "What are you even talking about? Of course I did it and there's nothing wrong with it." It's extremely rare. Now, accuse someone of doing something very ordinary, such as eating lunch at noon, and that is exactly what they will say.

These everyday exchanges give us a glimpse of the moral law at work. Why does someone defend their actions in the first example but not the second? When you accuse your coworker of theft, why does she defend herself, but when you accuse another of eating lunch, he thinks you irrational. There must be some common standard of right and wrong about which we all, for the most part, agree. If this were not the case, no one would ever defend themselves. They would simply ask, "By what standard do you judge me?" Each time we defend ourselves we are acknowledging that indeed, there is a standard. It is God's moral law.

If you are now shaking you head and saying, "We defend ourselves because we will be punished if we do not" then you might be right. It's true that we sometimes...

Why Radical Muslims Hate You

Rusty Wright — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 15:09:22 GMT

Do you remember how you felt on September 11, 2001? You likely saw images of jets crashing into buildings, people jumping from skyscrapers, the towers collapsing. What feelings did you experience? Confusion? Anger? Depression? TV showed some Palestinians celebrating. One Hamas publication wrote, "Allah has answered our prayers."¹ In London, one Muslim group circulated stickers praising the "magnificent 19," the highjackers.²

Chances are, you are a target of this hatred. If you are a Westerner, an American, a non-Muslim, or a Muslim of a different stripe than they, then some radical Muslims hate you. Why? The answer is complex and involves history, culture, politics,religion, and psychology.

Of course, many -- some would say most -- Muslims are peace loving and deplore terrorism. Islam is quite diverse.³ Extremist Muslims do not represent all Muslims any more than white supremacists represent all Christians. Not all 'radical' Muslims are violent or hateful. But understanding extremist Muslim hatred is essential to interpreting our post-9/11 world. This article examines that hatred and offers a biblical response.

In his October 2001 video, Usama bin Ladin mentioned the 'humiliation and disgrace' tormenting Islam for 'more than eighty years.' Princeton Near Eastern scholar Bernard Lewis notes that the reference likely puzzled many Westerners. Many Muslims -- for whom Islamic history carries divine significance -- understood. Bin Ladin referred to the 1918 defeat of the once-mighty Ottoman Empire and to British and French partitioning of Ottoman territory. Secular Turks soon also abolished the caliphate,or succession of rulers of all Sunni Islam. Desecration of this symbol of Muslim unity has pained many Muslims ever since.⁴

For centuries, the Islamic world had displayed military, economic and scientific superiority. But European development eventually overtook Islam.⁵ Today, United States ties with Israel and involvement in Saudi Arabia have kindled ire.

Bin Ladin calls on Muslims to "obey God's command to kill the Americans and plunder their possessions . . .to kill Americans and their allies, both civil and military . . ."⁶ He and his sympathizers want to eliminate Western influence and restore their version of Islam to the world.⁷

Socio-cultural Roots of Hatred

History is behind some of the radical Muslim hatred of the West. But so are cultural differences. Would you believe that dancing in an American church helped fuel Muslim anger today?

In 1948, Sayyid Qutb visited the United States for Egypt's Ministry of Education. His stay left him shocked with what he perceived as moral degeneracy and sexual promiscuity.

He wrote that even American religion was tainted by materialism and consumerism. Churches marketed their services to the public like merchan...

7 Questions Skeptics Ask

Rusty Wright — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:10:07 GMT

As the flight from Chicago to Dallas climbed in the sky, I became engrossed in conversation with the passenger to my left. "Aimee," a French businesswoman, asked me about my work. On learning I was a Christian communicator, she related that a professing Christian had signed a contract with her, attempted to lead her to Christ, then later deceitfully undercut her. "How could a Christian do such a thing?" she asked.

I told her that Christians weren't perfect, that some fail miserably, that many are honest and caring, but that it is Jesus we ultimately trust. Aimee asked question on question: "How can you believe the Bible?" "Why do Christians say there is only one way to God?" "How does one become a Christian?"

I tried to answer her concerns tactfully and explained the message of grace as clearly as I could. Stories I told of personal pain seemed to open her up to consider God's love for her. She did not come to Christ in that encounter, but she seemed to leave it with a new understanding.

Hurting people everywhere need God. Many are open to considering Him, but they often have questions they want answered before they are willing to accept Christ. As we answer them, seeking to blend grace with truth, an increasing number of skeptics may give an ear and become seekers or believers. That's what happened to me.

After trying as a teenager to live in a way that would be pleasing to people and to God, I was nearly expelled from high school for some problems I helped create. For some time after that, I put on hold any investigation into Christianity. In pain and anger I wondered, "Why would God allow this to happen to me after I had been trying my best to please Him?"

Later, students in the Campus Crusade for Christ group at Duke University my freshman year helped me see God's forgiveness as a free gift. They lovingly accepted me in spite of my sometimes-relentless questions.

After trusting Christ as Savior, I still had questions. Bob Prall, the local Campus Crusade director, took interest in me. At first his answers irritated me, but as I thought them through, they began to make sense. I followed him around campus for two years, watching him interact with non-Christians. Today, as I am privileged to encounter inquisitive people, much of my approach derives from my mentor.

"BUT WHAT ABOUT..."

How do you deal with questions and objections to faith that your friends may pose?

First, some guidelines. Pray for wisdom, for His love for inquirers (Rom. 9:1-3), and for your questioner's heart. If appropriate, briefly share the gospel first. The Holy Spirit may draw your friends to Christ. Don't push, though. It may be best to answer their questions first.

Some questions may be intellectual smokescreens. Once a Georgia Tech philosophy professor pepper...

What is a Covenant?

tom — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 14:58:56 GMT

A covenant in theological terms is an agreement between man and God which prescribes the duties and obligations of man and the corresponding response by God when those obligations are fulfilled and when they are not. In its most basic form, every covenant takes the form of God commanding, "I will be their God, and they will be my people." (Jeremiah 31:33c) and then stipulating the terms of the relationship. In its details, a covenant describes the way in which God expects man to behave, the rewards that he will receive for obedience and the punishments he will endure for disobedience.

A covenant differs from a traditional, legal contract in several important ways. First, there is inherent inequality between the two parties in the agreement. The conditions and stipulations of the covenant are dictated and imposed by God and man has no ability to negotiate the terms. Man may choose to live in covenantal faithfulness and redeem the promises of God, or may choose to disregard his obligations and accept the consequences, but that is all the freedom that man has in the relationship.

Second, a traditional legal contract may typically be altered after the fact by agreement by all parties to the contract. Conversely, a convent is unchanging. God may supersede the covenant or may subsequently reveal additional details of the covenant, but it cannot be altered by man, nor will God alter it after it has been established.

A branch of theology called "covenant theology" attempts to categorize Gods biblical revelation as a series of successive covenants. Though there is not universal agreement among theologians about the details, these are generally broken into two major categories.

Covenant of Works

This was the covenant which God established with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Though the word covenant is not to be found in this account, nevertheless we can find the provisions and stipulations of the covenant clearly outlined in the first three chapters of Genesis. Though it has been superseded and is obsolete (see Heb 8:13), the covenant of works is still applicable today for all those who reject the covenant of grace. The apostle Paul notes that were it possible for mankind to fully obey the law, he would be rewarded with life (Gal 3:12) yet since this is impossible for fallen man, the penalty of death will be imposed on everyone (Rom 6:23) except those who place their faith in Jesus Christ.

Covenant of Grace

This is the covenant which God established in the wake of man's fall in order that mankind could have some hope of salvation...

There is So Much Brutality in the Old Testament!

arsindelve — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 18:38:27 GMT

Christians, more than even non-Christians, tend to be appalled by the brutality of the Old Testament especially when they compare it to the New Testament. The contrast seems drastic; Jesus comes with a message of love, mercy and peace, while God in the Old Testament demands the complete destruction of his enemies, destroys entire cities and floods the earth, killing everything which is not safely on the ark. Is this even the same God?

This is not just a problem for modern Christians. Early Christians struggled with this as well, so much in fact that several early sects wanted to do away with the Old Testament completely.

The Old Testament is Jesus' Heritage

To begin, we have to acknowledge that we cannot accept Jesus and yet abandon the Old Testament, for Jesus himself revered and accepted the Old Testament. During His ministry, Jesus spoke candidly of Jonah (Matt 16:4), Noah (Luke 17:36), Abraham (John 8:56) and Moses (John 7:19) without any indication that the ancient books of the Bible were no longer applicable or in force, or that these ancient stories had no merit. Jesus said repeatedly that he came to fulfill, not to abolish the scriptures. (Matthew 5:17)

The Old Testament reveals the entirety of God's plan for redeeming his people, which came to fruition in Jesus. The Old Testament predicts and prophesies about him. It details his ancestry and His heritage, so we should not overlook how much we can learn about both the Father and Son from its riches.

Not a Fair Comparison

We need to resist the urge to compare the two testaments, for in several vital ways, they are substantially different. The Old Testament is a vast, sweeping epic spanning thousands of years and containing many central characters and events. It records the era when the Israelites were fighting the surrounding nations (and often themselves) to claim the promises of God. It was a brutal time, and the Old Testament faithfully reflects the conflict of those days.

In contrast, The New Testament is very different, spanning less than a hundred years and focusing almost exclusively on the life of Jesus Christ.

To make this comparison is to put a biography of Winston Churchill against a history of warfare in the first two millennium. The amount of violence and bloodshed in the two books would be very different!

The New Testament is not all Love and Mercy

While it is true that Jesus' central message is love, He never shied away from talk...

Is the Bible Infallible? Is it all Literal?

arsindelve — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 12:53:49 GMT

Here is what we can say about the infallibility and literalness of the Bible: "The Bible is completely accurate where it intends to be and to the degree to which it intends to be."

Where the Bible intends to be Accurate, It Is.

Liberal scholars will say that the Bible is accurate and infallible where it discusses a matter of doctrinal importance. These would include the resurrection and Jesus' virgin birth, for example. Most liberal scholars would not say that infallibility extends to historical matters, which would suggest that the Bible could be wrong about who was ruling a territory at a given time, or dates when certain events occurred.

Conservative scholars (of which I am one) would go further and say that infallibility extends to historical matters as well. Regardless of the the topic or subject, where the Bible expresses a fact which is intended to be accurate, that fact is accurate.

Doesn't the Bible Always Intend to Be Accurate?

No, not at all; it would be much less interesting if it did! Part of what makes literature so interesting and exciting are the various expressions the authors employ which tug at our emotions and our imagination. One could say, simply, "she was upset and cried," or one could say, "her tears fell like a torrent". No one expects that she literally was in danger of having her bed float away, but the implications are clear. This kind of expressive language gives us an emotional connection to the story. It gets our attention.

The Bible uses language like this. Have a look at Psalm 6:6, "I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears."

Jesus himself used many figures of speech. In Matthew 23:34 he tells the Pharisees, "You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel."

How Do we know what's literal and what's a figure of speech?

It's very difficult! Two very sincere, honest and intelligent people can come up with two different answers depending on their background, their education or their assumptions about the Bible. People have been debating these issues for two thousand years, and there are some issues which will never be resolved.

There have always been fundamentalists who take every single passage in the Bible literally. I sympathize with their motives. If it's difficult to distinguish between what is supposed to be literal and what is not, then surely there is safety in going to the extreme, right? It's a noble thing to attempt, but it can't be done in reality. There is real danger that these fundamentalists end up misunderstanding the intent of the passage.

Let's look at
This is how society has come to see religion in the last hundred years. It is now more about how it makes you feel than anything else. Sadly, many Christians have bought into this lie, so much so that when their non-Christian friends ask them why they go to church, they have nothing concrete or objective to offer except that it works for them. In the face of this, why would anyone who is spiritually hungry ever try Christianity? Its not the easiest or most approachable religion, and it often does less than other religions to promote and market itself (though many wonderful new churches and organizations are trying desperately to alter these perceptions).

If we want to say that Christianity is the right faith, there has to be some objective criteria which we can use to measure and compare all the different religions.

Every Religion Claims Some Truth

Every religion has some set of beliefs at its core which unites its followers. Jews, Muslims and Christians have much in common here, believing that the God who created the universe has revealed Himself and acted in history to teach his people how to worship Him and live...

Rediscovering the Historical Jesus

drcraig — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 21:49:34 GMT

Even the most critical historian can confidently assert that a Jew named Jesus worked as a teacher and wonder-worker in Palestine during the reign of Tiberius, was executed by crucifixion under the prefect Pontius Pilate and continued to have followers after his death.¹

Still, if we want any details about Jesus's life and teachings, we must turn to the New Testament. Extra-biblical sources confirm what we read in the gospels, but they don't really tell us anything new. The question then must be: how historically reliable are the New Testament documents?

Burden of Proof

Here we confront the very crucial question of the burden of proof. Should we assume that the gospels are reliable unless they are proven to be unreliable? Or should we assume the gospels are unreliable unless they are proven to be reliable? Are they innocent until proven guilty or guilty until proven innocent? Sceptical scholars almost always assume that the gospels are guilty until proven innocent, that is, they assume that the gospels are unreliable unless and until they are proven to be correct concerning some parti...

Does God Exist?

drcraig — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 13:20:13 GMT

Note from Delve Christian Ministries: This article was authored by Dr. William Lane Craig and is reproduced here with his permission. We are extremely grateful to Dr. Craig for allowing us to offer this article on Delve Into Jesus. For more information about Dr. Craig, please visit http://www.reasonablefaith.org

C. S. Lewis once remarked that God is not the sort of thing one can be moderately interested in. After all, if God does not exist, there's no reason to be interested in God at all. On the other hand, if God does exist, then this is of paramount interest, and our ultimate concern ought to be how to be properly related to this being upon whom we depend moment by moment for our very existence.

So people who shrug their shoulders and say, "What difference does it make if God exists?" merely show that they haven't yet thought very deeply about this problem. Even atheist philosophers like Sartre and Camus who have thought very seriously about this problem admit that the existence of God makes a tremendous difference for man. Let me mention just three reasons why it makes a big difference whether God exists.

1. If God does not exist, life is ultimately meaningless. If your life is doomed to end in death, then ultimately it does not matter how you live. In the end it makes no ultimate difference whether you existed or not. Sure, your life might have a relative significance in that you influenced others or affected the course of history. But ultimately mankind is doomed to perish in the heat death of the universe. Ultimately it makes no difference who you are or what you do. Your life is inconsequential.

Thus, the contributions of the scientist to the advance of human knowledge, the research of the doctor to alleviate pain and suffering, the efforts of the diplomat to secure peace in the world, the sacrifices of good people everywhere to better the lot of the human race ultimately all these come to nothing. Thus, if atheism is true, life is ultimately meaningless.

2. If God does not exist, then we must ultimately live without hope. If there is no God, then there is ultimately no hope for deliverance from the shortcomings of our finite existence.

For example, there is no hope for deliverance from evil. Although many people ask how God could create a world involving so much evil, by far most of the suffering in the world is due to man's own inhumanity to man. The horror of two world wars during the last century effectively destroyed the 19^th century's naive optimism about human progress. If God does not exist, then we are locked without hope in a world filled with gratuitous and unredeemed suffering, and there is no hope for deliverance from evil.

Or again, if there is no God, there is no hope of deliverance from aging, disease, an...

The Blood of Jesus

brother philip — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 20:07:55 GMT
There are many mysteries written in the words of the Bible. For many who read it those subjects that are spoken to will always remain this way for a great deal of its readers. I for one had always pondered how Jesus could be the Son of Man as related in the Bible with regard to Him being the son of Joseph. If Joseph was a step-father then how could Jesus succeed the throne of David? All lineages require one to be of a given bloodline that follows down through the ages. This had always been something that gave me difficulty when trying to understand how Jesus was actually linked to the House of David.

In the accounts of Matthew and Luke, two distinctly different genealogies are explained. In Matthew it discusses the lineage through Joseph, while Luke addresses Marys blood line. There would seem to be an opposing or contradictory explanation of scripture regarding these two gospel accounts. Lineage in the Bible always follows that of the paternal bloodline. If this is the case then why would Luke in his account of this follow an opposing view and speak of this in hereditary reference? Since the Bible decrees by the Law of God the rule of lineage how could the bloodline of Joseph be taken seriously when Jesus was not of Josephs seed?

I am sure that this has puzzled many other readers beside me in regard to this topic. There is also the fact that if we trace the lineage of Joseph back to his forefathers we will find that his line was excluded from the house of David due to a curse since the time of Jaconiah. Due to this curse upon Josephs ancestors, Jesus could not attain the right to be from Davids ancestral line. This seems to cause quite a dilemma, especially if lineage is discounted on the mothers side. Where does this fall according to Matthew and Luke?

As is always the case if these seemingly contradictory statements are studied we will find the Bible always provides an answer. In the time of Moses there was a man named Zelophehad who had no sons, only daughters. After the death of this man his daughters approached Moses with a predicament that the Law; concerning lineage caused in their case. Since all rights to inheritance fell to the sons, the daughters could not be considered as a result of the Law. The daughters approached Moses with this problem and pleaded that this Law was unfair in the regard to a man with daughters only. Moses took this into consideration and when in prayer he inquired into this dilemma with God. God told Moses that in the case of a man that has no sons, then the inheritance should follow the lineage of the daughters. For this judgment to be Lawful, the surviving daughters had to marry into the Davidic line. This is what happened in the case of Jesus and His inheritance to the line of David through the lineage of His mother Mary, and her marriage to Joseph. Isn't it awesome that God would put into place a decree that would have an...

Faith

arsindelve — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 20:59:59 GMT
"What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see. " Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)

Nothing is Certain

Without getting too philosophical, it's important to begin by pointing out that we cannot be certain about virtually anything we know. For one thing, all of our information comes to us through our senses and we can never been perfectly certain the information is reliable. We trust our senses because we have no choice, but if we're to be perfectly honest, there's always the possibility we've seen or heard things incorrectly.

A second reason that information can never be perfectly reliable is that most of what we know comes from second-hand knowledge. Everything I know about Venice, the moon or the history of Rome comes to me from others. I trust the information they provide, but once again, I must admit the possibility of error.

Finally, we must acknowledge that even the most basic, empirical knowledge we have can be overruled or superseded at any time by some new piece of information we could not have predicted. As certain as I am that the sun will rise tomorrow, there may be a comet poised to strike the earth tomorrow and throw it off course. As certain as I am of my own name, any number of facts from my past could come to light that alter even this basic fact.

Unless we know every fact, past present and future, everything we know is contingent and could be proven false. So why do we trust anything we know? Because we have to live; we have to do the best we can with the information we have. If we want to cross the street, we can watch the traffic all day but never reach total certainty that no cars are coming, however at some point we have to simply trust our senses and step into the street. Otherwise, we become paralyzed and can do nothing at all.

Faith Is: What Permits You to Jump From Evidence to Action

What is it which permits us to overcome our fear and step into the street? It's faith. Faith is what allows us to take imperfect evidence and act on it. It is the bridge that crosses the unknown and brings us to belief on the other side. It is trusting in the evidence we have, knowing that our gain if the evidence is right outweighs our loss if it is false.

Faith is: Trusting in What Has Proven To Be Reliable

Each and every time we make a decision, we are weighing the evidence, reaching the best conclusion we can and then acting on the faith of our conclusion. Usually, this process is completely subconscious and our mind does this in a fraction of a second without us even being aware. That is because our faith is accumulative. Once something has proven it self reliable time and time again, we require less and less faith to trust it.

Our sen...

Origins of Life

marklang — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 18:41:34 GMT

When Darwin's Origin Of Species was published in 1859, it was expected to give naturalists a powerful weapon in their fight to show that life did not require a creator. However, in the nearly century and a half since that book was published, naturalists have yet to explain the origin of life itself. As chemistry and biology progressed and advances were made, the complexity of the cell and the nature of DNA suggest more strongly than ever that life could not have arisen spontaneously.
The naturalist's most powerful weapon, evolution, is of no value to them in this area, for evolution depends on cellular division and reproduction, which of course depends on cells and DNA. So, any attempt use evolution to explain the development of the cell or DNA presupposes the very things it is trying to prove. In other words, only life can evolve, but we are trying to explain life itself and so evolution can be of no help.

This was less of an issue in Darwin's day when DNA was unknown and the cell was not well understood and assumed to be fairly simple. It was not much a problem to imagine that cells just spontaneously developed from a swamp of chemicals. Today, we know how complex the cell really is and the issue of how it came into existence can no longer be ignored.

The Complexity of The Cell

One of the problems with evolution is that it can only take us back so far. It can explain changes that arise from mutations of cells, but it offers no insight into the origin or nature of cells themselves. In Darwin's time, cells were not understood to have the vast complexity that we are able to observe today. Even the simplest cell is incredibly complex - a tiny, delicate factory where many parts work together to accomplish the amazing tasks of growth and reproduction.
Michael Denton, an Australian microbiologist, explains: (quotes are taken from Denton's book, Evolution: A Theory in Crisis, Great Britain, Burnett Books, 1985.)

Even the simplest cell, "contains thousands of exquisitely designed pieces of intricate molecular machinery, made up altogether of one hundred thousand million atoms, far more complicated than any machine built by man and absolutely without parallel in the nonliving world." (p. 250)

"To grasp the reality of life as it has been revealed by molecular biology, we must magnify a cell a thousand million times until it is twenty kilometers (twelve and a half miles) in diameter and resembles a giant airship large enough to cover a great city like London or New York. What we would then see would be an object of unparalleled complexity and adaptive design. On the surface of the cell we would see millions of openings, like the port holes of a vast space ship, opening and closing to allow a continual stream of materials to flow in and out. If we were to enter one of these openings we would find ourselves in a...

Pascal's Wager

arsindelve — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 11:24:14 GMT
"Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, is of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important." -C.S Lewis

We each must choose what we are going to do about the idea of God. We may worship Him or mock Him, but we cannot do nothing, for doing nothing is in itself a choice not to worship Him. If we are going to place a bet, so to speak, what are we really wagering? What are the risks, and what can we gain?

1) If God Does Not Exist and You Ignore Him, You Gain Nothing

If there is no life after death and this life is all we have, then nothing really matters anyway. In mathematical terms, it's like wagering and losing zero. We can say that it makes sense to have a good time while we're here, but soon we will not be around to remember it. All that exists after an experience has passed are the memories and the ways in which that experience changed us. If there is no more "us" and no more memories, the experiences of our lives have no more relevance than if they never happened. For example, if you attended a party last night but can remember none of it, what difference does it really make if it was a dud, or really rocking? Once a moment passes, it's meaningless unless the person lives on, changed and affected by that moment and it's memories.

People talk about leaving behind a legacy and this brings some comfort, but what comfort can it offer when you don't exist to enjoy it, and soon the people who are enjoying it will not exist either? Whether we had a good life or a truly great life will mean nothing when we compare it against an infinity of nothingness which waits for us after our death.

2) If God Does Not Exist and You Worship Him, You Lose Nothing

Again, in mathematical terms, it's like wagering and gaining zero. Some people object to this idea and point out that at least they will not have wasted time in church, abiding by strict moral codes and holding back on things they really wanted to do. In reality, there is reason to believe that Christians live happier, fuller lives and this would be true even if God did not exist, but that is not the point. Even if it were true that you would have been much happier had you not spent time worshiping a God which did not exist, it will still all mean nothing when you die. Again, the difference between your "boring" life and your "great" life will be insignificant against the vast contrast of infinite nothingness you've become after you die.

3) If God Exists and You Ignore Him, You Risk Going To Hell

This is what we could consider the worst possible outcome. In mathematical terms, it's like wagering and losing infinity. It's not certain that ignoring God will result in this; it's what many major religions assert but that doesn't make it true. Even if God exists, you might go to heaven anyway, or hell might not be so bad. However, it's cert...

Dealing With Difficult Trials - Part 7

smiller — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 08:45:10 GMT
Note from Delve Christian Ministries: This series was authored by Steve Miller of Legacy Youth Ministry Resources, and was originally written as a lecture series for youth pastors. We are extremely grateful to Steve for allowing us to offer this series on Delve Into Jesus

Introduction
We're about to complete our series of articles on Mastering Your Circumstances, Before They Master You. We've said that there's a joy, a deep inner contentment, a peace that is possible for us to have, even when our world is caving in around us.

Some of you have already discovered that one student can be rich, beautiful, and talented, yet miserable. And a student sitting next to her, who seems to have little going for her, has an enjoyment for life that just won't quit. The difference comes from what's going on up here (point to your head), your perspective on life.

We said that a huge wave can be viewed from two perspectives. Do you remember what they are? (The sandcastle builder and the surfer.) The same wave, yet it causes the sandcastle builder to retreat the surfer to charge.

How many benefits can you come up with, either just brainstorming or remembering from the last article?

Let's ask God to help us internalize a few more points that can help us master our circumstances.

Eternal Payoffs
We talked about all the earthly payoffs that trials bring us. But for the Christian, the biggest payoffs will come when we hit heaven.

"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. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Cor. 4:16-18; Mt. 6:19-20; Lk. 6:22-26; Col. 3:23-24; cr. Mt. 5:10-12; Rom. 8:17; 1 Cor. 2:9)

For the Christian, the big payoff for our difficulties here comes when we get to heaven, and lasts for eternity. We keep forgetting how short life is here, in comparison to eternity. When we see our eternal reward, all out of proportion to the relatively shor...

Dealing With Difficult Trials - Part 6

smiller — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 07:35:05 GMT
Note from Delve Christian Ministries: This series was authored by Steve Miller of Legacy Youth Ministry Resources, and was originally written as a lecture series for youth pastors. We are extremely grateful to Steve for allowing us to offer this series on Delve Into Jesus

Introduction
Over the past five articles, we've been trying to learn to master our circumstances, before they master us. Last week we said that there are two ways to view a huge wave. Does anyone remember what the two ways were? The sandcastle builder sees it and panics, realizing that all his work could be washed away in a moment. But out in the water, a surfer paddles frantically toward the same wave, hoping to catch it for the ride of a lifetime. It's fascinating if you think about it. It's the same wave, but viewed with expectation by one and horror by the other.

In the last article, we looked at two steps to a new perspective. The first was to realize that no matter how bad things get, God has still have all that you need for your present happiness. The second step was to see your problems in relation to how many blessings you have. Now we come to number 3

3. Think of some good that will result.
(Jms 1:2-4, 2 Cor. 1:4; 2 Cor 4:17; Phil. 1:12.)

They say that the view of the dogs on a dog sled team is all the same, except for the leader. Think about it. I suggest that you occasionally glance around to get a better view. This is precisely why many people can't handle their hard times. All they can see is what lies immediately ahead, and it neither looks nor smells very good. I suggest that we occasionally peak around the pack to see the big picture of where we are going.

Imagine that two classes are dismissed to go get a shot in the school clinic. One class is told that the shot will inoculate them against a deadly plague that has taken many lives in your community. The other class is told, "recent studies have shown that this inoculation doesn't work, but we hate to cancel the plans and put a longer teaching load on the teachers, so we'll continue the shots, just as if they really help." With this preparation, which group will be able to take the shot with a better attitude? Why? (People will joyfully endure some pain, as long as they know that the payoff is worth the pain. The worst pains are the ones we can see no purpose for.)

You've mentioned some of these, but I wa...

Dealing With Difficult Trials - Part 5

smiller — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 07:54:44 GMT
Note from Delve Christian Ministries: This series was authored by Steve Miller of Legacy Youth Ministry Resources, and was originally written as a lecture series for youth pastors. We are extremely grateful to Steve for allowing us to offer this series on Delve Into Jesus

Introduction
We've been talking about mastering your circumstances, before they master you. We've said that most people live on an emotional roller coaster, where their peace, joy and contentment with life are dependent on whether their circumstances are at a high or a low. But there's a way off the emotional roller coaster. A way to have a joy that lasts through even the hardest times. A joy that will make your life contagious, so that others will want what you've got.

But to have this joy, you've got to respond, not naturally, but radically. Often, you have to do the very opposite of what feels right. Does anyone remember some of the steps we talked about last week? We talked about asking God for help, giving the load to Him, and fighting bitterness with forgiveness.

Let's pray that God will teach us more of the radical response that only He can give us toward life's trials.
A. Resist Envy
Turn to Psalm 73 where we find a guy with a problem the we all face at one time or another. He's trying to follow God and be a good boy, but when he looks around him, it seems like the wicked people are getting all the breaks and he's left with all the struggles. Ever feel like this? Well, after having his private envy party, he comes to his senses toward the end of his writing. See if you can figure out what pulled him out of his envy. He's talking to God.

"Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Those who are far from you will perish; You destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds." (Ps. 73:23-28)

George Mangakis, who was tortured as a political prisoner, found help in pitying his torturers instead of himself. "At this moment I am deprived of the joy of seeing children going to school or playing in the parks," wrote Mangakis, "Whereas they have to look their own children in the face." (George Mangakis, "Letter in a Bottle," Atlantic Monthly,October 1971, p. 253, cited by...

Dealing With Difficult Trials - Part 4

smiller — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 14:31:09 GMT
Note from Delve Christian Ministries: This series was authored by Steve Miller of Legacy Youth Ministry Resources, and was originally written as a lecture series for youth pastors. We are extremely grateful to Steve for allowing us to offer this series on Delve Into Jesus

Introduction
We're in the middle of a series of articles which I call, "Mastering Your Circumstances Before They Master You." We've said that although most people live a roller-coaster existence, where when your girlfriend likes you, your parents do what you want, and your classes are easy, you experience the high part of the ride. But when your girlfriend dumps you, your teachers pile on the work, and your parents are on your case, your exuberance for life gets disappears as the coaster hits a low point. How can we get off the roller coaster and find a joy, peace and contentment that will last through the highs and the lows? That's what this series is all about.

So the first part of our series dealt with preparation for life's fires. Now we begin part two, where the heat is on and we've got to respond. Most people wilt when the heat is on. You know them. You see them every day at school. You can see it on their faces: bitter scowls that show their anger at God and the world. Others close themselves off to themselves and sulk. Still others sink into depression.

But occasionally you run across a person who's different. Like Ron, the person Steve met at the ski retreat, who seemed to somehow live above his circumstances. Someone who, sure, cries during grief and is not out of touch with his emotions, but somehow is not ruled by his emotions. Those who find the secret that Ron felt become contagious. People desperately want what they've got.

Let's ask God for help as we try to learn a radical response to life's fires.

II. Learn A Radical Response
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (Jms. 1:2-4; cr. 1 Pet. 4:12-13)

If you caught what James was saying, you see how radical this response it. When hard times hit you in the face, James tell us, then "consider it pure joy." Wow! But how can we get from being whiners and complainers to being a rejoicers? Here's how

A. Ask God For Help
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the pe...

Dealing With Difficult Trials - Part 3

smiller — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 08:03:22 GMT
Note from Delve Christian Ministries: This series was authored by Steve Miller of Legacy Youth Ministry Resources, and was originally written as a lecture series for youth pastors. We are extremely grateful to Steve for allowing us to offer this series on Delve Into Jesus

Introduction
In the last article we began talking about some deep issues. And I don't apologize for forcing us to think. Because when you go through the fire in your life, you wake up to realize that some of life's questions are more important than "What should I wear to the prom?" or "What kind of wheels should I put on my 4x4?"

People's answers to the big questions of life either make or break them in the long run, and we can't afford to be air heads when the world is crying out for answers. Remember, in the greatest commandment, Jesus said that we're not only to love God with all of our hearts but also with all of our minds.

When I hear those jokes, I feel a little better about myself! At least I'm not that bad off! But as we will see, the difference between us and the airheads in these jokes is nothing near the difference between God's wisdom and our wisdom. When we understand this, it can help with some of our deepest questions.

Last week we discussed God's goodness in the light of the evil in His world. Today we want to take on a few other areas of His character that hard times sometimes make us question.

a. God is Smart...And We're Dumb In Comparison
"Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." (1 Cor. 13:12; Job 38:1-5; cr. 38:17,18; 40:1-5; 42:1-6)

God called Job a righteous man. So when tragedy struck (and it struck hard his livestock, servants and children were killed suddenly) it was not because of his sin. In fact, God never told Job why it all happened. In the end, God simply enlightened Job as to how far His intelligence and power outstripped Job's. The bottom line for Job from God? - "I'm smarter than you can imagine. Trust me. I know what I'm doing." And when Job personally saw God for who he was, he was satisfied. (See Job 38-42) As Job put it,

"My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you." (Job 42:5)

But all too often, we're...

Dealing With Difficult Trials - Part 2

smiller — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 14:55:09 GMT
Note from Delve Christian Ministries: This series was authored by Steve Miller of Legacy Youth Ministry Resources, and was originally written as a lecture series for youth pastors. We are extremely grateful to Steve for allowing us to offer this series on Delve Into Jesus

Introduction
In the last article, we saw that God is not an almighty party pooper in the sky who continually looks around for someone having a good time so that He can say, "Cut that out and get back to work." Its Jesus Himself who said, I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (Jn. 10:10) But for the deep thinkers among us, this presents a big problem. Some of you, when you are alone in your room late at night, think things like this:

If God loves me, then why does He let such awful things happen to me? Why did my parents divorce and my friend die? Why is my dating life nonexistent? Is God judging me for something I did wrong? And by the way, if Gods so big and powerful, then why would he allow all this misery in His world?

Now let me warn you: these are heavy questions. And for this article and the next, I'm challenging you to think. You see, some skeptics think that Christians have two brains: one is lost and the other is out looking for it. But God never asked us to hand in our brains when we come to Him. Because of the questions we're asking, some of your classmates either hate God or deny His existence. Over the next couple of articles, we're going to try to get some answers.

Some people don't like God because they see every trial as coming directly from His hand. Maybe their parents are strict, unloving parents who just punish all the time, and thats the way they see God. No wonder they dont like Him! So whatever you do,

B. Don't Misjudge the Source Of Your Troubles

1. By Always Blaming Yourself (Jn. 9:1-5)

When baseball pitcher Dave Dravecky came down with cancer, he received all kinds of advice from people, much of it contradicting each other. One person told him that he needed to repent of his sin. Another assured him he simply lacked faith.

Look at Jn. 9:1-5.

"As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?' 'Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus.

Jesus...

Dealing With Difficult Trials - Part 1

smiller — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 13:27:31 GMT
Note from Delve Christian Ministries: This series was authored by Steve Miller of Legacy Youth Ministry Resources, and was originally written as a lecture series for youth pastors. We are extremely grateful to Steve for allowing us to offer this series on Delve Into Jesus

Author's Note: I didn't write these articles from an ivory tower. I wrote them while caring for my dear 37-year-old wife as she fought cancer. We had been on the mission field for a year when doctors found the cancer, forcing us to return to the States and fight cancer for the next four years. At the time, our four boys were 9, 6, and 8-month-old twins. A few months after completing this series, the Lord took her home. In most situations like this, grieving hearts scream Why?! With such a need for missionaries, why would God call someone to drop everything and go, only to call him back after one year? And while many abusive parents live long, healthy lives, why would He take one who daily showered her children with love. So I know firsthand something about living with grief, sorrow, and unanswered questions. I also know firsthand about the very real comfort that Jesus can bring in the midst of it all. So, these messages were written from one suffering heart to other suffering hearts, letting you in on where I found the comfort and peace to carry on.

Introduction
Is your happiness totally ruled by your circumstances? You know, if your family is getting along, your friends all like you, and your grades are fantastic, you're on top of the world. But if the next day you wake up to the sound of your parents fighting, look in the mirror and find a huge pimple on the middle of your forehead, go to school and your friends all laugh and call you Cyclops, then your emotions go to the pits. Most live on this emotional roller coaster, unable to find joy or peace when circumstances turn sour.

But in a world where most students can't handle hard times, those who find joy even when things go wrong can't be ignored.

Steve, a tenth grader, went on a ski retreat, mainly because a girl he liked was going. It was a horrible day for skiing. The ski report called it a hard, granular surface, which meant that most of the snow had melted during the warm days, frozen back at night, leaving a slope of hard, lumpy ice. The horrible conditions, plus the fact that none of the people were experienced skiers, made for a terribly frustrating day. More skiers were on their rear ends than on their skis. But in the midst of the contorted bodies lying on the slope, Steve observed a fellow named Ron who seemed different. Although Ron, too, spent most of the day on his rear, he seemed to have a joy and peace that set him apart, as if his joy didn't come from his circumstances. That evening, Ron spoke about
arsindelve — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 18:26:50 GMT

It's very easy for us to come up with reasons why we should not ask God for things in prayer. As Christians, we should seek the will of God in all things. Perhaps we should only pray for God's will and nothing else, for what if what we ask for is contrary to His will? If is is not God's will, we should not want it, for it cannot be good. In fact, what is the point in asking for anything? If He wants to give it to us, He will. We cannot change God's mind or affect His will in any way. Asking God to intervene in our lives does not seem to make sense.

Yet, if we probe even deeper, we may wonder why we should even pray to God that His will be done. It will be done no matter what we do, for God ensures that His promises are kept and His plans are fulfilled. We could not prevent or stop Him if we wanted to, nor does He need anything from us to assist Him in fulfilling his purposes.

So, after pondering all these issues, it would seem that we should not pray for anything, nor should we desire anything except to serve God. Whatever God wants to happen will happen anyway. It seems logical, I have met a few people who hold this belief, and I have read one book where this idea was the central theme, but it is not consistent with what the Bible has to say on the matter.

The Bible Tells Us That it is Right That We Should Ask God for What We Want and Need

Despite what might seem obvious from our own deductions, the Bible could not be more clear in stating that God does want us to ask for things. God delights in our asking and He delights in delivering good gifts to us. In Matthew 7:11, Jesus tells us, "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" In John 14:14, Jesus promises, "You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." Finally, the apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 4:6, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God"

There can be no doubt that God wants and expects us to bring our requests to Him in prayer. Jesus was our example in this regard, for even though he knew what suffering lay ahead, He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane that the Father would take it away if it were possible for Him to do so (Matthew 26:39). Jesus knew that this was not possible, so how can we explain this request? Why would Jesus ask this of the Father when He knew that it had to be done?

1) Having Strong Desires Permits Us to Have Meaningful S...

Can We Pray For God to Punish or Harm Someone?

arsindelve — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 21:52:22 GMT

This type of prayer has a special name - it's called imprecatory prayer. There are many examples of this in the Psalms, especially 58, 59 and 69. David writes in Psalm 69, "May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever. Pour out your wrath on them; let your fierce anger overtake them. May their place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in their tents."

We need to be very careful with this type of prayer for it's a very fine line between appealing to God's perfect sense of justice and lashing out because our pride has been hurt.

Are we not to love our enemies? If we are going to pray for God to punish, curse or harm someone, we need to examine our motives. What are we hoping will be the result? If we want revenge because that person hurt us, then our motives are not honest. We should be asking God to help us to forgive that person, for the desire for revenge is not holy and it will end up causing our hearts to harden.

An important clue to watch for is that we are asking God to harm or punish someone in the same way they hurt us. This is an indication that we want revenge, not justice. If you've been hurt by a boyfriend who was unfaithful and you find yourself asking God to make his new girlfriend cheat on him so he knows how it feels, that's a pretty strong indicator that your motive is not pure. Forgiveness and healing should be your priorities.

On the other hand, if we are seeking for God to be glorified, then we may be right to ask for God's righteous punishment. In particular, when someone is doing something unholy such as worshiping the devil or persecuting Christians, then it is right that we should ask God to punish that person so He would be glorified. It might be right and even loving to ask God to harm the person in order to get their attention and stop what they're doing. We are not asking for our own gain, only that justice would be done and God would be rightly worshiped and obeyed.

Finally, we should remember that justice belongs to the Lord alone. When we pray for justice or punishment, we should be certain to make sure that we ask the Lord to deliver it in His way at His appropriate time. We should never seek for permission to deliver it ourselves unless we also happen to be part of God's appointed institutions, such as an officer of the law or a judge. It may be fine to ask God for justice, but we must be patient and allow God to work through the means that He has determined.

Pray to Whom? Father, Son or Holy Spirit?

arsindelve — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 17:49:14 GMT

The Trinity is certainly a difficult concept for anyone to understand. It is a mystery how God can be one God in three persons, so the best we can do is accept what the Bible says about God's nature, even if we don't fully comprehend.

To which person of the Trinity should we pray? Certainly, there is no question that we can pray to God the Father. The Old and New Testaments are filled with examples of prayer to the Father, and Jesus Himself taught us to pray to the Father in Matthew 6:9-13.

There is also no question that we can pray to Jesus. As an example, in Acts 7:59, Stephen prays "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Jesus told us that we would be able to pray to Him after he had gone to the Father. He said, "...I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." (John 14:12-14)

The issue with the Holy Spirit is more complicated. There are no examples of anyone praying to the Holy Spirit in the scripture, nor is there any guidance that we should or should not do so. As a person of the Trinity and one who is fully God, there is no obvious reason why we should not pray to the Holy Spirit if we are led to do so. For me personally, I pray to the Holy Spirit whenever I feel stress or unease and I am seeking peace and comfort. I am not sure why I do this, but it seems appropriate.

Having said that, the Holy Spirit does play a special role in interceding for us when we are praying to the Father or to the Son. Many times in the New Testament we are told to pray "in the Spirit." In Ephesians 6:18, Paul tells us "...pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests", while Jude recommends, "...build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit." (Jude 1:20).

Paul gives us some clarification about the role of the Holy Spirit in Romans 8:26. Paul writes, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."

So, although it is perfectly acceptable to pray to the Holy Spirit, scripture suggests that we pray "in the Spirit", which means we permit the Holy Spirt to guide our prayer and give us the right words to say.

There is no right or wron...

God's Response To Prayer Requests

arsindelve — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 19:05:30 GMT

While it is certain that God hears each and every prayer request we make, His response can take many forms. Based on examples from the Bible and the personal experience of people I have known, here is a sampling of just some of the ways God responds to our prayers

A Sense of Peace: In my own experience, this is by far the most common response that God will provide, particularly when we have asked Him to help us with a difficult decision. Before prayer, we may have no idea how to proceed. After spending time in prayer, the right decision is accompanied by a sense of peace and "right"-ness. Often, that sense of peace comes from the guiding of the Holy Spirit, letting us know the right path to choose.

Signs: A few years ago, I had to make a difficult choice about meeting someone and I was not sure it was the right thing to do. I prayed for God to show me the answer. At virtually the same time, I got a call from the person I was supposed to meet offering me a chance to back out, while I also got en email from another person urging me not to go. The coincidence was too much to have not been from God. I canceled the meeting.

Miracles: Though this response from God is relatively rare, it does happen that God will respond in a supernatural and amazing way. I have seen this most recently in the miraculous recovery of a friend from a horrific accident. He was not expected to survive, and there can be little doubt that his recovery was a response to the constant and pleading prayer of his friends and family. We should not be shy about asking God for miracles if what we are seeking seems like it would be consistent with His will.

Delayed Response: Occasionally, God will answer our prayer long after we made the request. We see this in the book of Daniel, where the angel comes to Daniel's aide long after his prayer, explaining that he was delayed by a spiritual battle. The spiritual realm is complex and beyond our understanding, and we must be patient. Although He is all-powerful, sometimes God will put plans into motion that take time.

Encouragement from His Word: Whenever possible, we should conclude our prayer by spending some time reading the Bible. God will often to use the scriptures to lead us to an answer or to help us find a sense of peace about a problem.

Encouragement from a friend: Another way God commonly responds is to send someone across our path who can help, either by their actions or by providing advice or wisdom. You should never assume that if someone helps you with a problem that the true source of the help is not in fact from God.

Unexpected solution: Our understanding is limited and often we ask for solutions that are not ideal. God knows the best way to solve every problem, so we should not be surprised wh...

Why Is Jesus Called the 'Son of Man?'

arsindelve — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 09:20:30 GMT
It is not common to hear Jesus referred to as the Son of Man in Christian churches today, however this usage in the Bible is frequent. In the New Testament, the phrase is used eighty-three times. Most often, it is used by Jesus to refer to Himself in the third person and seems to have been his favorite title for himself. Among the many examples are Mark 2:28 ("So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.") and John 12:23 ("The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.")

To understand why Jesus used this term and what it would have meant to the Jews of that time, we need to examine its usage in the Old Testament. The term is used sparingly in Numbers, Job, Isaiah and Psalms and is used to refer to someone who is mortal (i.e son of mankind and not a spiritual being). The term is used ninety-four times in Ezekiel and here too, the term is used to distinguish between the the human author and the divine being who is providing the revelation to him. None of these usages are particularly significant.

In the Book of Daniel, however, we find a very different usage in a passage where Daniel is describing a vision of the end times. Here, the term refers to the One who will come during the final days - the apocalyptic Messiah.

"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 peoples, nations and men 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." - Daniel 7:13-14

In several instances, Jesus uses similar language to Daniel and his use of this term is clearly meant to evoke the imagery in Daniel's apocalyptic vision. Jesus said, "At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory" (Luke 21:27) and "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory." (Matthew 24:30)

This passage in Daniel and its meaning would have been very well known to the Jews of Jesus' day and it would have been clear to them what Jesus meant. By using this term, Jesus was making a statement that he was the Messiah. It was His use of this term among other thing...

Why Is Jesus Called the 'Lamb Of God?'

arsindelve — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 15:03:42 GMT

There are several passages in the Bible where Jesus is referred to as a lamb, or the lamb of God. Peter calls Jesus, "a lamb without blemish or defect" (1 Peter 1:19) and Paul calls Jesus the "Passover Lamb who has been sacrified" (1 Corinthians 5:7). When John the Baptist sees Jesus walking toward him for the first time, he exclaims, "Look, the Lamb of God!" (John 1:36). Throughout much of the book of Revelation, Jesus is referred to as a lamb. Angels proclaim, "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" (Revelation 5:12)

According to the law of Moses, the Jewish people offered animal sacrifices to God to attone for their sins. This was a temporary solution for the problem of sin, and sacrifices needed to be offered periodically to keep Jews in a right standing before God. One of the animals commonly sacrificed was a lamb. When Jesus was killed on the cross, He became the final and ultimate atonement sacrifice. For those who place their faith in Christ, his sacrifice covers all their sin and no other sacrifice to God is necessary. In this way, Christ was the sacrificial "lamb" who laid down his life for us.

Christ's role as the lamb of God was predicted by the prophet Isaiah hundreds of years before He came to offer His life. In chapter 53 verses 6-7, Isaiah writes

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.

Why is the Fish a Symbol of Christianity?

arsindelve — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 14:51:13 GMT
When Jesus started his ministry, he began calling people to become His followers. The first two men Jesus called were Peter and Andrew. These two brothers were professional fisherman and were casting their nets into the Sea Of Galilee. Jesus called out to them and famously said, "Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." (Matthew 4:19)

The disciples would not have likely understood what Jesus meant at that time, but soon it would become clear to them that they would leave their old careers behind them for good. After Jesus left them following his resurrection, Peter and Andrew along with the rest of the disciples would spend the rest of their lives preaching the good news about Jesus and bringing followers to Christ. This is what Jesus meant when he said they would be fishers of men.

The fish is still an apt symbol for Christians today because we have all been called to be fishers of men and to spread the good news about Jesus. In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus' final words to the disciples were, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." This command by Jesus has been called "The Great Commission" and it still holds for Christians today. Like Peter, Andrew and the rest of the disciples, Christians still have a responsibility to be fishers of men today. We are called to do what we can to spread the word about Jesus Christ. Not all of us can be missionaries, but we need to make sure we are financially and spiritually supporting those people who are doing this work on a daily basis. Christians need to make sure that their friends, family and co-workers know about Jesus and that they are welcome and invited to learn more about Him any time.

Christian Missionaries

arsindelve — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 19:38:24 GMT
In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus' final words to the disciples were, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."

This command by Jesus has been called "The Great Commission" and it still holds for Christians today. We are called to do what we can to spread the word about Jesus Christ. Missionaries are those Christians which have decided to make this mission their full-time job. These men and women travel to remote destinations where people have not heard the Gospel of Christ and bring them the Good News. They rely on the financial and administrative support of their home churches and other Christians who want to help make their work possible.

The goal of a missionary must never be to convert someone against their will, especially through force or coercion. God has made each of us with the ability to make our own choices, and so a true choice to follow Jesus Christ must be made freely and from the heart. A conversion to Christianity which is forced has no meaning and is not genuine. The goal of a missionary should be to ensure that everyone knows the good news of the Gospel and has an opportunity to make their choice from a place of knowledge and understanding. Compelling someone to make the right choice is the job of the Holy Spirit and no one should interfere. Helping them to understand the true nature and consequence of the choice is the only part missionaries can play.

There can be no doubting that Christians throughout history have been guilty of using force and coercion in an attempt to covert others to Christianity. Although they may have had honorable intentions, anyone who has done this has missed the point of Christianity and is guilty of a serious sin. The apostle Peter encourages us to be ready to explain our faith in Christ, but cautions that we must always do so "...with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15)

One of the ways that missionaries can demonstrate what Christianity is about is to provide an excellent example through their service, love and compassion. That is why when missionaries come to a new location, often their focus is on improving the quality of life. Christian missionaries aid communities in making improvements to food and water supplies, education and heath care. This compassionate work is done to demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ in a real and tangible way. This kind of loving service, when done with genuine care and concern, is the best endorsement of Christianity anyone can offer. People are naturally drawn to this kind of love and compassion and will want to know the reason for it.

The first Christian mi...

How To Pray

arsindelve — Mon, 28 May 2007 20:46:34 GMT

Although prayer has many forms and many purposes, at it's most basic, it is simply a conversation between you and God. It can be formal or it can be casual. You can recite a prayer such as the Lord's Prayer or you can talk to God in a very free and natural way. You can pray alone or as a group. You can pray out loud, silently in your head, or even with paper and pen. You can pray by singing a worship song, or reading a Psalm. God will always hear you no matter what form your prayer takes.

Just as you may talk to your friends and family about a variety of topics, you can talk to God about anything. It's most common to praise God, ask for forgiveness, thank him, or ask for things that you need, but you can also tell God what you're feeling or just about anything else that's on your mind. For example, you can ask God to help you pass an exam, thank him for your friends, confess that you were insensitive to your wife or comment on how difficult your job is getting. Any topic that is important to you or important to God is appropriate.

Some people prefer to be formal and only pray when they are kneeling with their eyes closed. Others will pray in the shower, in the car or wherever they happen to be. There is no right or wrong way to pray so long as it's sincere. When you're praying, God deserves to have your complete attention, so if you need to find a quiet place in order to do that, then you should do so. On the other hand, if you can focus on God while sitting in the middle of a crowded cafeteria at lunch time, then that's perfectly acceptable too.

If you're ever in the position that you want to pray but don't know what to say, you can always recite the Lord's prayer found in Matthew 6:9-13. Another method is to find one of the Psalms which reflects what you're feeling or what you want to say to God. You can recite it our loud to the Lord, or read in quietly while contemplating God's presence.

What matters most is how often you pray. God wants to spend time with you! In order to have a close and intimate relationship with God, you will need to make prayer a priority rather than fitting it in whenever you have time.

When you begin to make prayer a priority, an interesting thing happens. You become filled with God's love and closeness and you will want to pray more and more. The more your pray, the more you will want to pray until eventually, you are spending time with God in everything that your do.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Paul tells us to "Pray without ceasing." Paul does not mean that we should be on our knees in earnest prayer at every moment of our lives. Obviously, we need to work, to eat and to sleep. What Paul means is that we need to constantly have an awareness of God's presence ...

Do I Have to Go to Church to Be a Christian?

arsindelve — Mon, 28 May 2007 20:45:26 GMT

Like so many other areas of Christianity, people often confuse the cause and effect. In an article about people who reject Christianity, we discussed how giving up a sinful life is the effect, not the cause, of being a believer in Christ. You do not become a Christian by changing your life, rather, you change your life once you become a Christian. You don't do it because you have to, you do it because you love Christ and want to live for Him.

The very same thing is true of attending Church. You can't become a Christian by going to church and it's not a prerequisite. There is no rule anywhere that says you have to go. However, once you give your life to Christ and become a Christian, you should very much want to go to Church.

Going to Church accomplishes many important things. First and foremost, it's a special opportunity to spend time with God in worship and praise, which is something that every believer should rejoice in doing. Second, it's a chance to learn more about God from the readings and the sermon. Finally, it's a time of fellowship with other believers, which permits us to all grow together as a community.

All of these are important, powerful reasons and every Christian should be excited about going to Church. If you're not excited or actually dread the thought of attending, then something is wrong. The problem might be with the church, or it might be with you.

An important part of the service is the music. If you prefer contemporary music and your church favors the hymns, you might have difficulty using that time to feel close to God. On the other hand, if you feel moved by the old hymns, you might really find the drums and electric guitar a distracting nuisance. Music is a personal choice, and it's important to find a church that shares your tastes otherwise it will be difficult to feel connected. God created all music and so long as it glorifies Him, He doesn't care if it's hymns or rock and roll, so long as it bring you closer to Him.

Another important part of the service is the sermon, and this can be a matter of personal preference as well. Some may prefer a pastor who is emotionally engaging, loud, passionate and challenging. Others may prefer a sermon that is more conservative and intellectually engaging.

Last but not least, you need to find a church community where you can feel welcome and loved. Nothing can replace the amazing feeling of walking through the door Sunday morning and being warmly greeted like family. That kind of relationship requires work and reciprocation. You need to get out there, meet people and open up your heart. Once you find that kind of Church family, you will never want to miss a Sunday.

If you've sampled a variety of musical styles, pastoral approaches and different communities and still feel like Sunday service is a drag, then something migh...

Are Demons Real?

arsindelve — Mon, 28 May 2007 20:41:00 GMT
“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.” - C.S. Lewis, from the Screwtape Letters

Is there really such a thing as a demon?

Demons are fallen angels who have turned from God and no longer follow His will. They are absolutely real, as we can see from the New Testament. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus cures those who are possessed by demons and later, His apostles do the same. Matthew 8:28-32 recounts how Jesus cured two demon-possessed men in the region of Gadarenes and forced the evil spirits into a herd of pigs.

Today as in Jesus’ day, some illness and wickedness are caused by demons, though it would be a mistake to attribute all sin and disease to their work. Though Christians may be deceived, tormented and influenced by demons, it is not possible for a believer in Christ to be completely possessed or taken over by a demon.

The Christian Response to Demons

Following Christ’s example, our best defense against demonic activity is prayer. Sometimes demons can only be overcome by fasting and prayer together. (See Mark 9:29). It would be a mistake to ignore demonic activity, for sometimes those Christians with special discernment will identify the work of a demon and we need to come together in strong, fervent prayer. If we ignore the problem and pretend that demons are mere myth, we give them even more power.

We should be careful not to engage in any kind of activity with respect to demons other than rebuking them and praying for protection against their influence. We should refrain from slandering or insulting them. Jude verse 9 tells us, “But even the archangel Michael, when he has disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’ Yet these people speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals – these are the very things that destroy them.”

Most importantly of all, we should be wary of an unhealthy fascination with demons. We should not study them or otherwise demonstrate any interest in them at all, for it is a very fine line between being a student of the occult and falling prey to it. Be wary of giving demons a foothold. Best to rebuke them, pray for protection and then move on.

Evolution And Christianity

marklang — Mon, 14 May 2007 08:58:06 GMT

On the issue of evolution, what is commonly seen as a conflict between science and religion is really something deeper. Religion tells us what God has revealed about Himself through His own words and the words of His prophets. Science tells us what God has revealed about Himself through His creation. The conflict, then, is really between two different sources of revelation about God. For evangelical Christians who place their faith in the Bible, to question the information it contains is out of the question. At the same time, to question the honest and objective observations of the scientific community would be foolish. If science and religion both purport to tell us the truth about God, what can we do when they won't agree? The simple answer is that they must always agree when properly understood. Whenever a conflict arises, we can be sure that we've either misunderstood the Bible or that the scientists have failed to uncover the truth. In the case of evolution, both factors come into play.

Part of the problem stems from the fact that the first few chapters of Genesis were not written for scientists, they were written for a far simpler society thousands of years ago. The point of the story was to impress upon it's hearers and readers that the God of Abraham, Jacob and Isaac was the same God who created the heavens and the earth.

But here we are, thousands of years later, with a creation story that tells the earth was created in six days contrasted with stacks of irrefutable scientific proof that the earth is billions of years old. If we choose the six days, we are made to feel like a fool. If we choose the billions of years, we are made to feel like a heretic.

Literally or Figuratively?

To resolve this conflict, we have to keep in mind that while everything in the Bible is true, not everything in it is literal. In Psalm 6:6, David writes, " I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears." Did David really "flood" his bed with tears? Common sense tells us that David is employing poetic license to express how upset he was. It would be silly to accuse David of lying, nor would we ever take this literally. We expect modern poets to employ hyperbole, metaphor, personification and other figures of speech, and ancient writers did likewise.

We have to be very careful with this principle because it's a slippery slope. If we decide to accept the creation story as allegorical, then what's to stop us from dismissing Noah, Moses, Jonah or even Jesus as literary characters? We have to use common sense. First of all, Jesus confirmed the accounts of Moses' exodus, Jonah's time in the whale and Noah's flood. If you accept Jesus, you have to accept these men as well. On the other hand, we have to accept that there are some passages which are simply not meant to be taken literally, with poetry be...

What Does It Mean To Be 'Born Again'?

arsindelve — Tue, 08 May 2007 21:54:32 GMT

The phrase has it's origin in a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus which was recorded at the beginning of chapter three of the Gospel of John:

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. (John 3:1-8)

Being born again occurs at the moment when we recognize that we are a sinner and cannot save ourselves and so we ask Jesus to become our savior. At that moment, we are "born again" of the Spirit. We are forgiven for all the sins we have ever committed or will ever commit because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. Peter also uses this phrase:

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. (1 Peter 1:22-23)

God is not content for us remain as we were. At the moment we accept Jesus, the Holy Spirit begins to dwell within us to make us a new person. Notice that before he speaks of begin born again, Peter talks about obeying the truth and loving deeply from the heart. The Holy Spirit dwelling in us begins to help us make those changes in our lives. With His help, we are able to love others more deeply and obey God's commandments more consistently.

For some, this is an immediate change and their lives are completely transformed. I have seen people who were alcoholics or addicted to drugs immediately overcome those addictions through the power of the Spirit. For others, the process is slow and gradual. Eventually, we give up more and more of our old, sinful ways as the Spirit molds us into a new creation in the image of Christ.

Saying that someone is "born again" is simply anothe...

If God Exists, Why Doesn't He Just Reveal Himself?

arsindelve — Tue, 08 May 2007 21:53:37 GMT

Nature and Creation

There are a number of different ways to reply to this question depending on what someone really means. The first is to simply say that God did reveal himself in the majesty and beauty of His creation. Paul writes in Romans 1:20, "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." This is perhaps our first and most important clue about God's existence. We were created and so there must be a creator. It's only natural as a child yearns to know it's father that we too should be curious about our Father in heaven.

The Bible

You may object that this is not what you had in mind. You may really be asking, "Why doesn't God talk to us and tell us about Himself?" Well, he did that. The Bible represents everything which God has revealed to man. Within the Bible, we can discover God's qualities, His nature and His plan for mankind. Everything we need to know for having a deep and meaningful relationship with God is contained within it's pages.

Jesus Christ

Others will object that the Bible is so impersonal. They may ask, "Why doesn't He just appear to us so we could see Him?" He did that too, in the form of Jesus Christ. Though Jesus was a man, He was also fully God and possessed all of the characteristics of God. When someone asks a Christian what God is like, we can point definitively to Christ and say, "There. That is what God is like."

How much Evidence?

Finally, you may object that Christ's appearance was so long ago and besides, you weren't there to see it. Why doesn't God appear to me, personally?

It's very tempting to say, "If I saw God personally, I would believe." Are you certain it's that simple? In Jesus' day, there were many people who saw His miracles first hand but still did not follow Him. If Jesus appeared today and performed miracles, he would certainly be thought crazy or a con-man.

The point is simply that people will either believe or they will not. If someone is closed to the idea, no amount of evidence will convince them. There are many today who feel as the late Scottish philosopher David Hume did that miracles are simply impossible. Therefore, any time you see one, there must be some other natural explanation. If Jesus Christ came and stood before you right now and performed a miracle, would you believe? Perhaps you would, or perhaps it would not take long before you started to think that it was dream, a hallucination, or maybe someone played a trick on you.

For some, it's very comforting to know that we have a loving Father in Heaven and it's natural for us to reach out to Him. For others, it...