Monday, March 30, 2015

IT'S BEAUTIFUL

IT’S BEAUTIFUL

READ:  Mark 14:3-9

Jesus said, ”Let her alone.  Why
do you trouble her?  She has done
a good work for Me.” - Mark 14:6

After being away on business, Terry wanted to pick up some small gifts for his children.  The clerk at the airport gift shop recommended a number of costly items.  “I don’t have that much money with me,” he said.  “I need something less expensive.”  The clerk tried to make him feel that he was being cheap.  But Terry knew his children would be happy with whatever he gave them, because it came from a heart of love.  And he was right-they loved the gifts he brought them.

During Jesus’ last visit to the town of Bethany, Mary wanted to show her love for Him (Mark 14:3-9).  So she brought “an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard” and anointed Him (v.3).  The disciples asked angrily, “Why this waste?” (Matthew 26:8).  Jesus told them to stop troubling her, for “she has done a good work for Me” (Mark 14:6) Another translation reads,”She has done a beautiful thing to Me.”  Jesus delighted in her gift, for it came from a heart of love.  Even anointing Him for burial was beautiful.

What would you like to give to Jesus to show your love?  Your time, talent, treasure?  It doesn’t matter if it’s costly or inexpensive, whether others understand or criticize.  Whatever is given from a heart of love is beautiful to Him. - ANNE CETAS

Nothing I could give You, Father, could repay You for Your sacrifice.  But I want to give You what You would think is beautiful.  I give You my heart today in thankfulness for Your love.

INSIGHT
The account of the woman who anointed Jesus with oil is preceded by the Pharisees’ plot to kill Him (14:1-2) and is followed by Judas agreeing to betray Him (vv. 10-12).  The events relating to those who plotted to kill Jesus are given only brief and cursory treatment (two verses each), while the account of the woman who anointed Jesus with perfume is given a full and detailed description (seven verses).  Clearly this woman’s actions will be remembered (v.9)

Have a blessed day.
God Our Creator’s Love Always.
Unity & Peace


A NEW MEANING FOR THE CROSS

Today's promise: He's alive!
A new meaning for the Cross
Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9-11 NLT
The head that once was crowned with thorns, is crowned with glory now; a royal diadem adorns the mighty Victor's brow.

The cross He bore is life and health, tho' shame and death to Him. His people's hope, His people's wealth, their everlasting theme. 
The Head That Once Was Crowned 
Thomas Kelly (1769-1855)


A simple image of stark contrast

Thomas Kelly wrote 765 hymn texts in the span of fifty-one years. That's more than one a month for half a century. Kelly was also known as a popular preacher, and many of his hymns were written to accompany his sermon texts.
Studying law at Trinity College, Dublin, Kelly had a strong conversion experience that redirected his life toward the ministry. He preached powerfully, staunchly defending the doctrine of justification by faith. The Anglican church, still in the wake of reaction against the Wesleys, wanted no more troublemakers, so they kicked Kelly out. He landed with the Congregationalists and gained an even greater reputation. He was not only a gifted preacher but was also very generous, openly contributing to the poor, especially during the Dublin famine of 1847.
The simple image of this hymn is a strong one, a before-and-after picture of stark contrast: the head that once was crowned with thorns is crowned with glory now.
Our "Resurrection Week" readings are adapted from The One Year® Book of Hymns by Mark Norton and Robert Brown, Tyndale House Publishers (1995). Today's is taken from the entry for April 7.

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House


SHOULD GOD SAVE EVERYONE?

Your Brother Daniel
For more great blogs as this one go to Daniel’s blog site at:  www.Mannsword.blogspot.com

Should God Save Everyone?

One skeptic challenged:

       If your God is all-powerful and all-loving – He wants everyone to come to salvation [2 Peter 3:9] - He would save everyone. None would go to hell.

I had to admit that I didn’t have a complete answer to this challenge. While it is true that God calls everyone and that those who refuse his invitation deserve His harsh justice, I know that I also deserved that harsh justice. Nevertheless, He saved me, changing my heart in the process. It would seem that He could likewise be merciful to everyone else.

The Prophet Isaiah struggled with the same question. He acknowledged to God that Israel had a long list of damnable sins:

       All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and made us waste away because of our sins. (Isaiah 64:6-7)

However, Isaiah then issued the same challenge as the skeptic:

       Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. (Isaiah 64:8)

Although Isaiah was not blaming God for Israel’s sins, he did remind God, as the Master Potter, that He could change Israel, the clay, at will! In light of God’s overwhelming omnipotence, it seemed to Isaiah that God was being needlessly harsh:

       Do not be angry beyond measure, O LORD; do not remember our sins forever. Oh, look upon us, we pray, for we are all your people… After all this, O LORD, will you hold yourself back? Will you keep silent and punish us beyond measure? (Isaiah 64:9,12)

Isaiah’s struggle is a typical of not only the Hebrew Prophets but also the Christians. We share with Isaiah the feeling that God is not being true to His own character and promises. His answer to Isaiah doesn’t help us:

       All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations-- a people who continually provoke me to my very face, offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on altars of brick [to false gods]… I will destine you for the sword, and you will all bend down for the slaughter; for I called but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not listen. You did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me."  (Isaiah 65:2-3,12)

I would guess that Isaiah wasn’t satisfied with his Master’s answer. He merely reiterated that Israel would receive the justice they deserved. However, He did not address the mercy part – that He is the Potter who could change Israel into anything He so desired. However, He then revealed that there was coming a time when He would play the gracious Master Potter:

       "The Redeemer [the promised Messiah] will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins," declares the LORD. "As for me, this is my covenant with them," says the LORD. "My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever," says the LORD. (Isaiah 59:20-21)

       "Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more…  (Isaiah 65:17-19)

Consequently, all Israel will be saved – the very concern of Isaiah. However, it seems that Israel’s God will also save all of the Gentiles who remain after the great battle:

       From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me," says the LORD. (Isaiah 66:23)

This is an indication that, in the end, our Lord will open the floodgates of heaven:

       "Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other… Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. They will say of me, 'In the LORD alone are righteousness and strength.'" All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame. But in the LORD all the descendants of Israel will be found righteous and will exult. (Isaiah 45:22-25; 60:14)

When our Savior returns, there will be a great outpouring of mercy (Romans 11:12-27), more than has ever been seen. Why then is God not merciful this way now? Well, when Jesus returns, mercy will triumph over justice (James 2:13).

Does this answer Isaiah’s challenge? Not completely! What about those who died prior to Christ’s return or who had died in the great battle? We cannot speak so confidently about them unless they were already God’s saved children.

We aren’t going to get all of our questions answered here. Scripture warns us repeatedly about this:

       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 Corinthians 13:12)

There will come a time, however, when our questions will be answered in full. Meanwhile, I think that it is important to realize that we are not in a position to profit from any knowledge. In fact, some knowledge might prove highly destructive if we are not ready for it. For example, are babies who are aborted or who die early going to heaven? Perhaps? However, if we had with such certainty, a loving mother might understandably abort her baby to ensure that she will go to heaven. Therefore, perhaps this is a certainty that our Lord would not want us to have.

There is also another consideration. The skeptic’s challenge contains a hidden assumption – that we are entitled to heaven. However, there is no such entitlement in God’s program. Instead, God’s justice entitles us to only one thing – death as the sinners we are (Romans 6:23). Consequently, it is by His mercy alone that we receive blessings.

Created in the “image of God,” we do have certain human rights, like the right to justice, which is indiscriminate. However, we cannot claim a human right to mercy and heaven. As opposed to justice, God’s mercy or love can discriminate, as we can also discriminate in inviting whomever we want to our party. No one can charge that they are entitled to such an invitation.

Therefore, no one can demand that God should save everyone. He is free to give to whomever He chooses. No one can coherently charge God with violating their human rights, since their rights come from Him and mercy is simply not one of them.

Nevertheless, God does love His creation and will be merciful in ways that He has not fully disclosed, but no one can demand mercy of Him.





Sunday, March 29, 2015

WHO ARE YOU?

WHO ARE YOU?

READ: Matthew 21:1-11

When [Jesus] had come into Jerusalem,
all the city was moved, saying, “Who is
this?  Matthew 21:10

From time to time, we read of people who are offended at not being treated with what they consider due respect and deference. “Do you know who I am?” they shout indignantly.  And we are reminded of the statement, “If you have to tell people who you are, you probably really aren’t who you think you are.”  The polar opposite of this arrogance and self-importance is seen in Jesus, even as His life on earth was nearing its end.

Jesus entered Jerusalem to shouts of praise from the people (Matthew 21:7-9).  When others throughout the city asked, “Who is this?” the crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee” (vv.10-11).  He didn’t come claiming special privileges, but in humility He came to give His life in obedience to His Father’s will.

The words Jesus said and the things He did commanded respect.  Unlike insecure rulers, He never demanded that others respect Him.  His greatest hours of suffering appeared to be His lowest point of weakness and failure.  Yet, the strength of His identity and mission carried Jesus through the darkest hours as He died for our sins so that we might live in His love.  

He is worthy of our lives and our devotion today.  Do we recognize who He is?  David Mccasland

Lord, I am in awe of Your humility, strength, and love.  And I am embarrassed by my desires for self-importance.  May known You change every self-centered motive in my heart into a longing to live as You did in this world.

When once you have seen Jesus, you can never be the same.    Oswald Chambers

INSIGHT
The disciple of Christ should be preoccupied with exalting Him instead of self.  The words “My utmost for His highest,” taken from Oswald Chambers’ classic devotional, express the goal of the follower of Christ.

Have a blessed day and week ahead.
God Our Creator’s Love Always.
Unity & Peace


CHRIST THE LORD IS RISEN TODAY!

Today's promise: He's alive!
Christ the Lord is Risen Today!
But the fact is that Christ has been raised from the dead. He has become the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again.
1 Corinthians 15:20 NLT

Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia! Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia! Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia! Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia! 

Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia! Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia! Death in vain forbids Him rise, Alleluia! Christ hath opened paradise, Alleluia! 

Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia! Following our exalted Head, Alleluia! Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia! Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia! 
Christ the Lord is Risen Today 
Charles Wesley (1707-1788) and others


Christ has won the final victory

The grave has been "boasting" of its power since Eden. But now it has finally met its match. It wraps Jesus up at the Cross and "forbids him to rise," but our Champion, Jesus Christ, fought and won. Where is your sting now, O Death? Christ has won the final victory.
We know that whatever boasting we do is not in ourselves, but in the power of Christ. He has won the victory, and now we're just soaring where Christ has led. We bask in the benefits of the Cross, and we look past the grave to our heavenly reunion with Him. Alleluia!
Our Easter Week readings are adapted from The One Year® Book of Hymns by Mark Norton and Robert Brown, Tyndale House Publishers (1995). Today's is taken from the entry for April 3.
Digging Deeper/Telling Others: For more on the meaning of Easter, read Why the Resurrection by Greg Laurie (Tyndale, 2005), also available in 6-pack for distribution.

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House


THE IMPACT OF THE CHRISTIAN EVOLUTIONIST ON THE CHURCH

Your Brother Daniel
For more great blogs as this one go to Daniel's blog site at:  www.Mannsword.blogspot.com


The Impact of the Christian Evolutionist on the Church

Jesus criticized the religious leadership for slamming shut the door of salvation:

       "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.” (Matthew 23:13)

How did they close salvation’s door?
       "Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering." (Luke 11:52)

They took away the “key of knowledge” which was intended to open the door to salvation. How did they do this? Did they destroy the Scriptures? They didn’t need to do that. They merely perverted its teachings, obscuring the beauty and clarity of the Word.

Today, we have a new crop of Pharisees and “teachers of the law.” These too are part of the educated elite, who “have taken away the key to knowledge.” Who are they and how have they done this? These are the theistic or “Christian” evolutionists (CEs). They have perverted Scripture by claiming that the first few chapters of Genesis are merely allegory and not creation history. Why do they take this position? Well, if Genesis is not really an account about how God created the physical world, but rather a spiritual allegory, then this allegory cannot contradict the claims of evolution! Therefore, we can live together happily ever after with both Darwin and the Bible.

You might think that this is only a trivial compromise, but it is not. The Jesus/Darwin marriage is a transaction that affects the entire body of Scripture. How? For one thing, the writers of the New Testament and Jesus regarded these early accounts as genuine history and not mere allegory. For example:

       Death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. (Romans 5:14)

       For Adam was formed first, then Eve. (1 Timothy 2:13)

       For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:22)

       So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. (1 Corinthians 15:45)

       [Jesus] the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. (Luke 3:38)

       Enoch, the seventh from Adam. (Jude 1:14)

       When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.” (Acts 4:24)

       He also says, "In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.” (Hebrews 1:10)

       By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. (Hebrews 11:3)

       Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:3)

       In these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. (Hebrews 1:2)

       God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. (Romans 4:17)

       Jesus replied, "But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.' ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." (Mark 10:5-9)

       “From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. (Acts 17:26)

       For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. (1 Corinthians 11:8-9)

       But there is a place where someone has testified: "What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?  You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor and put everything under his feet." (Hebrews 2:6-8)

All of these verses regard to the first three chapters of Genesis as historical! (And we haven’t even examined the OT commentary on Genesis 1-3!) How does the CE respond? The CE often claims that the NT authors didn’t really regard the Genesis account as historical. Instead, they were merely using language – pious distortions - that they knew would be acceptable to their audience.

However, by resorting to such an interpretation, the CEs with whom I have dialogued turn the NT into an absolute mystery. Everything written becomes suspect. Perhaps everything in the NT is not a matter of truth but pious manipulation. Perhaps Jesus really didn’t rise from the dead, as the Apostles had claimed. Perhaps the Apostles reported this so that the believer might have hope? The Bible then becomes a closed book, useless for little more than entertainment. However, the Bible consistently claims to be “God-breathed” (2 Tim. 3:16) and fully the product of the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 2:20-21).

The CE has “taken away the key of knowledge.” They have closed the Bible, and they seem to be undaunted by this.

Do they understand what they are doing? Perhaps not! Jesus called the Pharisees “blind guides”:

       Then the disciples came to him and asked, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?" He replied, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit." (Matthew 15:12-14)

The Pharisees might have genuinely but blindly believed in what they were doing. Perhaps also the CE! In any event, they have done considerable damage to the church. Even Dale McGowan, Ph.D, Managing Editor of the Atheist Channel at Patheos, and author of Atheism For Dummies, acknowledges this, quoting Tullio Gregory:

       Once you cast doubt on man’s place in creation, the entire Biblical story of salvation history, from original sin to Christ’s incarnation, is also threatened.

Even though he is a strong advocate for evolution, McGowan confesses that he is “conflicted” and troubled by message of BioLogos, a CE organization peddling evolution to the church:

       In a BioLogos video titled, “Adam and Eve: Engaging the Tough Questions,” an advisor notes that there are “a lot of proposals out there of when the first sin might have happened, what it might have looked like… we don’t have a simple answer on the question of the historical Adam…who were Adam and Eve, when did they live?”

       This is always the first step in a crumbling theology – the suggestion that the answer is out there, it’s just very, very complicated. The problem is our ability to grasp the answer. But no worries, there are a lot of proposals. It all makes for an impressive simulacrum of rigor, an army of question marks in search of meaningful questions.

As McGowen points out, Biologos has undermined both the clarity of the biblical message and the church’s assurance about it.

The CE has often counseled me that we “have to be humble about our interpretations of Scripture.” However, they are not at all humble about their dismissal of the first three chapters of Genesis as history. Nor are they humble about dismissing the NT’s clear assertions that Genesis is history. It would therefore seem reasonable to apply Paul’s invective to the CE:

       I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-- which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! (Galatians 1:6-8)

Let us pray that they will no longer hide behind mystery or “that the answer is out there, [but] it’s just very, very complicated,” but would repent!



FRUSTRATION AND INADEQUANCY

Your Brother Daniel
For more great blogs as this one go to Daniel’s blog site at:  www.Mannsword.blogspot.com


Frustration and Inadequacy


Frustration is not simply the result of failing to accomplish a task. It is also a product of our expectations. If we expect that we have what it takes to accomplish a task, we will be frustrated and feel inadequate when we fail. We might also become angry with those who refuse to comply with our plan.

Our expectations also involve others, society, and government. When they fail to meet our expectations, we might also feel helpless, inadequate, overwhelmed, frustrated and angry. However, we do not live in a just world. We live in a world where everyone is pursuing their own interests, and these are often contrary to our own.

How are we to live with these frustrations? Firstly, we have to recognize how limited and small we are. We can barely change ourselves, let alone those around us. In fact, Jesus informed His disciples that “without me, you can do nothing.” Surprisingly, He confessed, “The Son can do nothing by himself” (John 5:19). Paul confessed that, although God had given him a great ministry, he was inadequate:

       Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God. (2 Corinthians 3:5; ESV)

This understanding didn’t come naturally to Paul. He had to come to a point of self-despair before he could truly trust in God (2 Cor. 1:8-9). This is a lesson I need to relearn a thousand times. The Lord is showing me that I cannot trust in my intellect, teachings, or writings to change anyone. The more I do, the more conflict I experience.

How do we cope with our inadequate lives and this increasingly menacing world? Only by keeping our eyes on our Savior! The Psalmist wisely wrote:
       Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. (Psalm 37:1-7)

This is not a resignation to failure and evil. Instead, it is a recognition that we need our Lord’s help every step of the way! He alone is our hope!




Saturday, March 28, 2015

THE "CHRISTIAN" EVOLUTIONIST: PEDDLING DARWIN TO THE CHURCH

Your Brother Daniel
For more great blogs as this one go to Daniel’s blog site at:  www.Mannsword.blogspot.com


The “Christian” Evolutionist: Peddling Darwin to the Church

How does the theory of evolution impact Christianity? Bruce Malone, President of Search for the Truth, writes:
       “Acceptance of evolution is a poison which will destroy true Christianity. The evidence for this can be seen in the decline of the evangelical belief in Europe as the acceptance of evolution has increased.”

Marvin Olasky, Editor in Chief, World Magazine, has also observed its impact:

       Disavowal of biblical teaching about creation is particularly serious because that perspective underlies so many other positions: In dozens of once-Christian colleges a slip-sliding-away from the first three chapters of Genesis has led to abandonment of the rest of the Bible. (World Mag. October 4, 2014, 60)

Why does this happen? The two worldviews (WV) are in direct opposition to each other. While the evolutionary WV posits a bloody fight for survival from the get-go, the Bible presents a picture of peace and harmony before the Fall. The living creatures didn’t evolve through a fight for survival. Instead, each species had been created according to its “own kind” (Genesis 1:12, 21, 25). Instead of pain and the shedding of blood, even the animals had been created as herbivores (Gen. 1:30). Humankind didn’t evolve but instead was directly created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27; 2:7). Instead, of a world where every beast was fearfully fighting for its life, God regarded His entire creation as “very good” (Gen. 1:31). In fact, it was so good, that Adam and Eve went naked, experiencing no shame and no fear of being devoured. Nor did they devour. Death wasn’t introduced until sin brought it forth (Gen. 3). In fact, there is not a verse in the entire corpus of Scripture that gives the slightest encouragement to evolution!

How does the “Christian evolutionist” (CE; They used to call themselves “theistic evolutionists” until they realized that as “Christian evolutionists,” they could better gain acceptance in the churches.) explain this blatant contradiction? Easy! Create a false and deceptive distinction! They claim that evolution is only concerned about the physical world and the Bible is only concerned about the spiritual world. Miraculously, this contradiction disappears, since the two systems are concerned about entirely different things!

This, of course, is laughable. Evolution is quite interested in also explaining the origin of morality and religion (the spiritual world), while the Bible has a lot to say about the physical world! Just one example is necessary: A theology of the Cross (spiritual world) depends on the history (what actually happened in the physical world) of the Cross. If Jesus didn’t historically die on the Cross, there can be no theology of the Cross.

There are many other examples of the same thing. Clearly, Jesus understood Genesis 1-3 as teaching something about the physical (historical) world. And what God had accomplished in the physical world was essential to the spiritual or theological world. For example, when the Pharisees challenged him about divorce, He based His answer on the physical work of God in Genesis 1 and 2:

       "Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' [quoting Gen. 1:26-27] and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together [quoting Gen. 2:24], let man not separate." (Matthew 19:4-6)

If Jesus regards Genesis 1-3 as historical, Christians have little choice but to also regard these accounts as historical. Meanwhile the CE claims that they are allegorical. However, no New Testament book denies their historicity. (However, this doesn’t deny that they also have a deeper allegorical meaning.)

All of the NT regard Adam as historical, without giving the slightest indication that Adam might simply be allegorical. In fact, if Adam is merely allegory, then Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob must also be allegorical, since they are connected by the same genealogy.

Meanwhile, CEs even deny the historicity of Adam and the Fall. CE Karl Giberson, past co-head of Biologos Foundation, wrote:
       Acid is an appropriate metaphor for the erosion of my fundamentalism, as I slowly lost confidence in the Genesis story of creation and the scientific creationism that placed this ancient story within the framework of modern science. Dennett’s universal acid dissolved Adam and Eve; it ate through the Garden of Eden; it destroyed the historicity of the events of creation week. It etched holes in those parts of Christianity connected to the stories—the fall, “Christ as the second Adam,” the origins of sin, and nearly everything else that I counted sacred. (Saving Darwin, 9-10)

Nevertheless, he assured his readers that he is still a Christian. However, a couple of years later, he wrote negatively of the Old Testament Deity as a:

       “tyrannical anthropomorphic deity,” “commanded the Jews to go on genocidal rampages…but who believes in this deity any more, besides those same fundamentalists who think the earth is 10,000 years old? Modern theology has moved past this view of God.” http://biologos.org/blog/exposing-the-straw-men-of-new-atheism-part-five/

I suspect that most CEs have also “moved past this view of God.” The CE must not only deny Genesis chapters 1-3 but also everything that the NT says about these chapters. Also, by separating the Bible from the physical world, they have dismissed apologetics, the proof of the faith. Without the physical evidence, it is hard to prove the spiritual assertions of the Bible. Here’s one example:

       The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 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. (Romans 1:18-20)

Romans claims that the evidence for both God’s existence and character have been made plain, so plain that no one has an excuse. However, against the claims of Scripture, the CE claims that the physical world offers no evidence of God. CE Ron Choong, founder of the Academy for Christian Thought, claims:

       Darwin suggested that there is no scientific evidence to support the existence of God. That is correct!

Well, if Choong is right, the Bible is wrong in claiming that we are “without excuse” for not recognizing the evidence for God’s existence.

The Apostle Paul had reasoned with the Athenians in favor of the goodness of God:

       Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy." (Acts 14:17)

However, if unguided evolution is a fact, Paul’s argument about the goodness of Paul is wrong. The Athenians then should thank evolution (or chance) and not the hand of God for these “blessings!”

In fact, if the CE is correct, the entire worldview of the Bible has been undermined, as Giberson suggested. Instead, Paul claimed that Jesus is the “second Adam,” reversing the death that Adam had brought into the world:
       For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:21-22)

If the Bible is wrong about Adam and how he introduced death into the world, what reason do we have to believe that it is right about Jesus! Jesus’ work corrects the evil done under Adam. According to the worldview of the CE, Jesus’ work, since it didn’t reverse the Fall, must have reversed the death and struggle for survival introduced by the Father’s original bloody creation design! Of course, such a notion is theologically unsupportable.

Paul also supported the Genesis account of death and the Fall in this way:

       For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. (Romans 8:20-21)

Romans does not claim that creation had been created in “frustration” and “bondage to decay.” Instead, it claims that creation was “subjected to frustration” and “decay” by God’s will in agreement with the Genesis 3 account of the Fall.

However, these insurmountable problems have not stopped the CE from pushing Darwin into the church and regarding it as ignorant, as Ron Choong does:

       Darwinism exposes Christianity’s weakness in keeping up with the growing scientific knowledge. We use the fruits of scientific technology and blissfully ignore its implications for a contemporary and comprehensive worldview.

Why doesn’t the CE care about the very obvious contradictions between these oppositional worldviews? Jesus alerted us to the dangers about serving two masters:
       "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” (Matthew 6:24)

The CE has made it abundantly obvious which master has won his devotion.








O SACRED HEAD, NOW WOUNDED

Today's promise: Christ is our Redeemer
O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
He was despised and rejected — a man of sorrows, acquainted with the bitterest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by.
Isaiah 53:3 NLT

O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down, now scornfully surrounded with thorns Thine only crown; how pale Thou art with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn!
How does that visage languish which once was bright as morn! 

What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest Friend, for this Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end? O make me Thine forever; and should I fainting be, Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to Thee. 
O Sacred Head, Now Wounded 
attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux (1091-1153)


A profoundly personal and awesome vision

Although Bernard was one of the most influential Christians of the Middle Ages, settling disputes between kings and influencing the selection of popes, he remained a devout monk, single-minded in his devotion to Christ.
In his own day Bernard was known as a preacher and churchman; today he is remembered for his hymns of praise. "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded" comes from a poem originally having seven sections, each focusing on a wounded part of the crucified Savior's body — His feet, knees, hands, side, breast, heart, and head. The text of this hymn compels us to gaze at the cross until the depth of God's love overwhelms us. Bernard's hymn pictures God's love, not as an abstract theological statement, but as a profoundly personal and awesome vision of the suffering Christ.
Our Holy Week readings are adapted from The One Year® Book of Hymns by Mark Norton and Robert Brown, Tyndale House Publishers (1995). Today's is taken from the entry for March 28.


Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

THE SHAMEFUL TREE

Today's promise: Christ is our Redeemer
The Shameful Tree
Then Jesus shouted, "Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!" And with those words he breathed his last.
Luke 23:46 NLT

Behold the Savior of mankind nailed to the shameful tree! How vast the love that Him inclined to bleed and die for thee!

'Tis done! the precious ransom's paid! "Receive my soul!" He cries; see where He bows His sacred head! He bows His head and dies! 
Behold the Savior of Mankind 
Samuel Wesley (1662-1735)


Saved from the fire

On February 9, 1709, a fire ripped through a rectory in the village of Epworth, England. The Wesley family lost nearly everything. Miraculously, their six-year-old boy named John (who would later found the Methodist church) was saved from the fire, as was a piece of paper bearing this hymn, written by the rector, Samuel Wesley.
Samuel Wesley, father of John and Charles (and seventeen other children), was scholarly and stern. His major academic project was a study of the book of Job. And he faced a great deal of suffering himself. Nine of his children died at birth or in infancy. He was frequently in debt (even spending three months in debtors' prison). Of course, there was also that devastating fire.
This hymn, however, shows us a slightly different side of Samuel Wesley. The theme of suffering is strong, but there's an attitude of love, of devotion. Apparently he taught his famous sons more than just discipline, but also a deep appreciation for what Christ accomplished through His suffering.
Our Holy Week readings are adapted from The One Year® Book of Hymns by Mark Norton and Robert Brown, Tyndale House Publishers (1995). Today's is taken from the entry for March 22.
For more reflection on Holy week, see The Passion, Tyndale's companion book to Mel Gibson's powerful movie about the last twelve hours of Jesus' life.

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

GO TO DARK GETHSEMANE

Today's promise: Christ is our Redeemer
Go to Dark Gethsemane
Then Jesus brought them into an olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, "Sit here while I go on ahead to pray."…He went on a little farther and fell face down on the ground, praying, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine."
Matthew 26:36-39 NLT

Go to dark Gethsemane, ye that feel the tempter's power; your Redeemer's conflict see; watch Him one bitter hour; turn not from His grief away; learn of Jesus Christ to pray.

See Him at the judgment hall, beaten, bound, reviled, arraigned; see Him meekly bearing all! Love to man His soul sustained. Shun not suffering, shame or loss; learn of Christ to bear the cross.
Go to Dark Gethsemane 
James Montgomery (1771-1854)

Learning from Christ's passion

Step by step James Montgomery takes us through Christ's passion. We go with our Lord to the Garden of Gethsemane, where those troublesome thoughts of death assailed Him. While His trusted friends drifted off to sleep, Jesus fought off the temptation to avoid the Cross. It was a difficult time, and in Montgomery's simple text we feel the drops of sweat.
At Jesus' trial — a shabby excuse for justice if ever there was one — He bore the beating and badgering without speaking a word. He was carrying our sins with Him to the Cross. At the Cross we can only fall at His feet to worship.
At each point of this journey we have much to learn from our Savior. We can learn to pray when tempted and to endure suffering with patience. And Christ teaches us to rise in newness of life, to live in a way that honors Him, and ultimately to join Him in glory.
Our Holy Week readings are adapted from The One Year® Book of Hymns by Mark Norton and Robert Brown, Tyndale House Publishers (1995). Today's is taken from the entry for April 1.
Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House


WERE YOU THERE?

Today's promise: Christ is our Redeemer
Were You There?
As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where they placed his body. Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to embalm him. But by the time they were finished it was the Sabbath, so they rested all that day as required by the law.
Luke 23:55-56 NLT

Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Were you there when they crucified my Lord? O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble! Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb? Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb? O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble! Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb? 
Were You There? Traditional spiritual

Experience the "tremble"

This favorite hymn comes from the rich American spiritual tradition, probably developed in the early 1800s by African-American slaves. As in most spirituals, the words are simple, seizing on one central theme or concept.
Spirituals tend to have a lot of emotional appeal. As a result, this hymn, like few others, puts the singer there. We experience the "tremble" as we sing it. And in the triumphant final stanza, we experience the glory of a risen Lord. We are called out of the cold analysis of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection into the moment of living it. We are called out of the theological debate and into the stark reality. We hear the nails pounded into the cross, we see the onlookers wagging their heads, we smell the burial spices, and we feel the rumble of the stone rolling away. And we tremble… tremble… tremble.
Our Holy Week readings are adapted from The One Year® Book of Hymns by Mark Norton and Robert Brown, Tyndale House Publishers (1995). Today's is taken from the entry for March 21.


Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House