In the first part of this series, I discussed the case for a God. Loosely, this God could be classified as an intelligence, or a power, or a being. My argument swayed on creation, whether it be creation or evolution, as well as the Moral law or the Natural law. In this next section, I want to build the case for a specific God, the Christian God.
What we know about this God comes from the Bible, God's Word. The belief is that the Bible's sole purpose is to reveal God. I'm not going to argue the Bible's validity yet, as I will be saving that discussion for a different post. I'm going to go off of the assumed truth that the Bible is an authoritative piece of literature. But I'm not going to exclusively use the Bible as my only argument, as I can also use other historical and scientific evidences. The only issue is what we believe of our God is solely painted in this Bible. So for this case, I'm going to stick with the description that God's Word provides for us.
Now, this is an extremely difficult task for a few reasons. First, no one has even come close yet to describe even part of God's character. Our whole lives are a journey to learn more and more about Him, and even then we won't scratch the surface. Secondly, when we talk about the case for the Christian God, it's a needed discussion point to compare Him with the other gods of the world as well. This is difficult, because I find world religions extremely fascinating, and I by no means want to tear down what others believe.
On the topic of comparison with world religions, I will say this though. I was struck by a quote by C.S. Lewis in his book Mere Christianity (which is a fascinating read especially in regards to this idea of The Case for Christianity), where along the same thought process he says this; "If anyone will take the trouble to compare the moral teaching of, say, the ancient Egyptians, Babylonians, Hindus, Chinese, Greeks and Romans, what will really strike him will be how very like they are to each other and to our own." While Lewis is specifically talking about the moral code here, I believe you can extend this to the gods of all the religions as well. If you compare all the world religion's gods, and I strongly suggest you do (use something like Morgan Freeman's TV series The Story of God), you'll start to see some striking similarities. Not everything is exactly the same, but most of the basics are similar across the board. For Christians, this should not change our beliefs, but should change our behaviour. I'll mention in a second why it shouldn't strike a chord of doubt within us, but first focussing on the behaviour aspect. I think we should respect other religions more. We tend to try to seclude ourselves from those other religions that are false and wrong. Instead, I think we should obey our command to love others, and love them regardless of their religion. In fact, they're closer to the right path than many others!
What separates our God from the others than? Even after I just said there's so many similarities, our God is actually separated from others by quite a bit. While some of the characteristics are indeed the same, God embodies those characteristics in a different, more fuller way. While we can see similarities, we as Christians must know that our God is the only true God. All the other religions are merely worshipping a copy or image or shade of our God. That might sound egotistical or something like that, but that has to be what we believe.
So what separates our God? Character. Our God is the most relational God out there. Christianity is all about the relationship with the higher power. It's on the most personal level out there. It involves the perfect picture of love, mercy, forgiveness, e.t.c. Other religions may scratch the surface, but they always fall short at some point in this category of religion.
Evidence. Scientifically, our God has more proof for Him then there is against Him. From creation through all of history, evidence clearly points to what is recorded in the Bible about God.
Finally, humans themselves point to God. The transformation that can be found throughout history in humans points to the power of God. The current state of humanity points to the records of the Bible and our relationship with God. Our own character mimics the image of God.
Ultimately, each person needs to discover this truth for themselves so that they understand it, and it sticks. Again, the best resource to start with is the Bible. Discover what the Bible says about God, and use that to form your beliefs. Don't be afraid to go out and compare God with others, through discussion and research. Build a case for God yourself.
Thursday 4 May 2017
Saturday 25 March 2017
What Does Easter mean for You?
Without Easter, there is no celebration around Christmas. The whole idea of God becoming a man as a baby would be pointless, and meaningless. Easter is the basis of our faith, the singular most important action in history. It is the proof of our religion, it is the basis on how we know God, it is the signal of security of our future. Really, everything about life, and eternity, can be tied to the events of Easter weekend. With all that in mind, how can we not celebrate Easter even more?
Wednesday 22 March 2017
Death
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| Wikipedia |
Anyways, watching this episode sparked a weird thought; how often do we think about death? I know that sounds slightly morbid, but I truly mean it as a serious question. When I was watching this episode, one thing stuck with me over and over again; how many people go through life never actually thinking about what more there could be? I actually think everyone has at least one moment in their life where they are faced with this question, and the majority of people will wrestle with it more than once. There's some part of our being that strives for something else, that something beyond. Now, the way we answer that differs majorly. Some choose to completely ignore it, while others say life goes on and on, while even others points to a God dictating the afterlife.
The interesting thing is that ultimately, whatever you belief about the after life, it influences the way you act during this life. Morgan Freeman does a decent job in this series to remain as unbiased as possible, and give you a balanced look at all the possible scenarios provided by the many different world religions. The one thing that struck me throughout his study into each of the religion's ideas about life after death was that their beliefs shaped their lives today. For instance, those who don't care about the after life simply enjoy life today. Whereas those that believe in reincarnation live their whole lives striving for good deeds. As for Christians, we live our lives striving to draw closer to God, because we believe eternity in heaven is simply that; living with God. That's what makes it so special!
The challenge is I guess, really take a look at your life and see if it reveals what you believe about the after life. And if it doesn't, you might have some changes you have to make.
As a side note, I'm really enjoying this video series, especially the information and visual look into other people's religions. This doesn't mean at all that I'm not confident in my own beliefs. However, there are two reasons why I think it is good to study other religions; you can learn from other people and how they practice their faith, and you can also see the mindset of the world around you.
Saturday 4 March 2017
All to God
One thing I really struggle with, and sometimes without realizing it, is giving everything to God. I think this is actually one of the hardest things to do, even though it might sound like the easiest. However, I believe once you get into a routine, this becomes second nature, and really, improves every aspect of your life.
I really do struggle with this though (although I've become much better). Especially when it comes to giving thanks, or even giving glory to God. A lot of times, I get sucked into this atmosphere of focusing on what I'm doing, and how my successes are to do with what I've done.
An example is from a few years ago when I travelled to a church to play guitar with a worship team leading there. I really thought I was something special to be asked to join this team. I thought it was a testament to my skill, to the fact that I was a pretty good guitar player. So my whole attitude going into the service was to act as a professional, really pretending that I was a star. I never had a single thought about the people coming through the doors, or even the work that God would do through the ministry of music.
As soon as I walked through the doors of this church, I was struck by the presence of God. The church was an older church, with wooden pews, stained glass windows, a balcony of seats, and an immense painting from floor to ceiling. At first it was the old beauty of the church that shocked me, but as I thought about it, I really started to feel something stirring within myself. The beauty of the church just reminded me of the beauty of God's work. Who was I to think I had even done this small thing when this beautiful building with an incredible history brought family after family, person after person into its midst every week to gather to share in the same faith that other churches worldwide are celebrating at that exact same time?
"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17 ESV
And that's the thing. No matter what we do, no matter how far we go, no matter our successes, nothing will match what God has done for us, and for this world. We can't even start to compare our works to God's, because there is nothing to compare! This might sound depressing, but really, it should be inspiring.
First, we should be inspired by all that God has done for us, and through us. If you can't see Him at work around you, then you aren't looking closely enough. Secondly, we should want to continue to succeed in life because it means that God is succeeding through us. Success is by no means a bad thing. In fact, it can be an incredibly useful tool of evangelism, amongst other things. But the key is to do everything with the right mindset. And that's the mindset of constantly looking for God in this world.
I really do struggle with this though (although I've become much better). Especially when it comes to giving thanks, or even giving glory to God. A lot of times, I get sucked into this atmosphere of focusing on what I'm doing, and how my successes are to do with what I've done.
An example is from a few years ago when I travelled to a church to play guitar with a worship team leading there. I really thought I was something special to be asked to join this team. I thought it was a testament to my skill, to the fact that I was a pretty good guitar player. So my whole attitude going into the service was to act as a professional, really pretending that I was a star. I never had a single thought about the people coming through the doors, or even the work that God would do through the ministry of music.
As soon as I walked through the doors of this church, I was struck by the presence of God. The church was an older church, with wooden pews, stained glass windows, a balcony of seats, and an immense painting from floor to ceiling. At first it was the old beauty of the church that shocked me, but as I thought about it, I really started to feel something stirring within myself. The beauty of the church just reminded me of the beauty of God's work. Who was I to think I had even done this small thing when this beautiful building with an incredible history brought family after family, person after person into its midst every week to gather to share in the same faith that other churches worldwide are celebrating at that exact same time?
"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17 ESV
And that's the thing. No matter what we do, no matter how far we go, no matter our successes, nothing will match what God has done for us, and for this world. We can't even start to compare our works to God's, because there is nothing to compare! This might sound depressing, but really, it should be inspiring.
First, we should be inspired by all that God has done for us, and through us. If you can't see Him at work around you, then you aren't looking closely enough. Secondly, we should want to continue to succeed in life because it means that God is succeeding through us. Success is by no means a bad thing. In fact, it can be an incredibly useful tool of evangelism, amongst other things. But the key is to do everything with the right mindset. And that's the mindset of constantly looking for God in this world.
Sunday 26 February 2017
The Point of Prayer
Matthew 5:44 "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."
There are certain mysteries of the Christian faith, certain grey areas that we either have no answer for, or we don't know how they completely work. Prayer is perhaps the greatest one of those mysteries. At times, we just need to accept that we won't understand everything about prayer, and exactly how it works. It's one of those faith parts of our religion. Still, the Bible does provide some needed lessons that we can use to understand parts of prayer.
The one that I've been focused on recently is this idea of praying for other people. I think a lot of times we fall into the trap and merely praying for ourselves or our families, rather than the people that are around us. Now that doesn't mean we don't care, or that we don't think about other people's needs, or even that we don't actively try to help those people. But if you're not praying for other people before yourself, that's a pretty good indicator that you're probably not as focused on the people around you as you should be.
I recently preached a sermon that contained Matthew 5:44 in it, which unpacks this idea. There's a few things to notice from the verse. First, notice how there's really two different sections to the passage that are tied together. First, there's this idea of loving your enemies. We'll leave that for another day, but notice the second idea, pray for those who persecute you. Jesus doesn't just put these two together for no reason at all. There's the connection between enemies and those who persecute you. That makes sense. But if those are connected, then love and prayer must be connected.
When I prepare for a sermon, I like to read different versions of the same passage in different Bibles. The one that jumped out at me this time was from a NIV Study Bible. In the commentary notes below for this verse, it said this; "Prayer is one of the most practical ways that we can express love for others." I had to chew on that a little bit to try to understand what the commentator was trying to say. It's a pretty hefty statement, and I think I've only started to understand part of it.
It all goes back to my previous thoughts about praying for other people. First, it shows that you are putting others before yourself. That's love right there. If you truly care about someone else, to the point where you automatically think about their hurts and needs before your own, you are truly showing the love of Christ. Second, praying for others shows love because it shows that you want God to get involved in that person's life. You recognize the need, and you recognize God's power. You are just putting the two together, and asking for God to intervene in that person's life. The greatest thing that can be done in a person's life has nothing to do with us, and everything to do with God.
So, start praying for others. And not just anyone, but everyone. And that includes your enemies and those who persecute you. But you don't have to start there. Build your way up by integrating this spirit of love into your life by starting to pray for those around you. Eventually this will become like a second nature to you, something you just automatically do.
There are certain mysteries of the Christian faith, certain grey areas that we either have no answer for, or we don't know how they completely work. Prayer is perhaps the greatest one of those mysteries. At times, we just need to accept that we won't understand everything about prayer, and exactly how it works. It's one of those faith parts of our religion. Still, the Bible does provide some needed lessons that we can use to understand parts of prayer.
The one that I've been focused on recently is this idea of praying for other people. I think a lot of times we fall into the trap and merely praying for ourselves or our families, rather than the people that are around us. Now that doesn't mean we don't care, or that we don't think about other people's needs, or even that we don't actively try to help those people. But if you're not praying for other people before yourself, that's a pretty good indicator that you're probably not as focused on the people around you as you should be.
I recently preached a sermon that contained Matthew 5:44 in it, which unpacks this idea. There's a few things to notice from the verse. First, notice how there's really two different sections to the passage that are tied together. First, there's this idea of loving your enemies. We'll leave that for another day, but notice the second idea, pray for those who persecute you. Jesus doesn't just put these two together for no reason at all. There's the connection between enemies and those who persecute you. That makes sense. But if those are connected, then love and prayer must be connected.
When I prepare for a sermon, I like to read different versions of the same passage in different Bibles. The one that jumped out at me this time was from a NIV Study Bible. In the commentary notes below for this verse, it said this; "Prayer is one of the most practical ways that we can express love for others." I had to chew on that a little bit to try to understand what the commentator was trying to say. It's a pretty hefty statement, and I think I've only started to understand part of it.
It all goes back to my previous thoughts about praying for other people. First, it shows that you are putting others before yourself. That's love right there. If you truly care about someone else, to the point where you automatically think about their hurts and needs before your own, you are truly showing the love of Christ. Second, praying for others shows love because it shows that you want God to get involved in that person's life. You recognize the need, and you recognize God's power. You are just putting the two together, and asking for God to intervene in that person's life. The greatest thing that can be done in a person's life has nothing to do with us, and everything to do with God.
So, start praying for others. And not just anyone, but everyone. And that includes your enemies and those who persecute you. But you don't have to start there. Build your way up by integrating this spirit of love into your life by starting to pray for those around you. Eventually this will become like a second nature to you, something you just automatically do.
Monday 23 January 2017
Enjoying Life - YOLO
There is a common misconception that Christians don't know how to have fun. Society's view of us is that we are constantly secluded away from the world, stuck in our own small groups, trying to avoid contact with anything material. While that may be the extreme view, in a way it is true. Many see Christians as those who don't know what the meaning of the word fun is! All we do practically is study, pray, and help the needy.
There is so much more to life than that though. I know the above statements are completely false because almost every Christian I have met enjoys life way more than most secular people. And we know how to properly enjoy life!
First, enjoying life should not be wasting the moments that you are given. When I talk about properly enjoying life, I mean fully appreciating what situations you are in, the creation that you are surrounded with, savouring every moment of every day. When opportunities arise, seize them. One thing that God has really been trying to drive into me over the past few years is that by stepping beyond fears or doubts and taking the chance, not only do you enjoy yourself 9 times out of 10, but you also are prepared for the next situation, and develop your own personal character every time.
Not only should you enjoy the moments that are thrown at you, but you should also go out seeking the different exciting aspects of life. Enjoy all of God's creation, enjoy different cultures, enjoy different people's stories! Remember, when God first created the world, He filled it to the brim with good things. He wants us to enjoy those good things!
"There is nothing better for a person that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God." Ecclesiastes 2:24 ESV
There is so much more to life than that though. I know the above statements are completely false because almost every Christian I have met enjoys life way more than most secular people. And we know how to properly enjoy life!
First, enjoying life should not be wasting the moments that you are given. When I talk about properly enjoying life, I mean fully appreciating what situations you are in, the creation that you are surrounded with, savouring every moment of every day. When opportunities arise, seize them. One thing that God has really been trying to drive into me over the past few years is that by stepping beyond fears or doubts and taking the chance, not only do you enjoy yourself 9 times out of 10, but you also are prepared for the next situation, and develop your own personal character every time.
Not only should you enjoy the moments that are thrown at you, but you should also go out seeking the different exciting aspects of life. Enjoy all of God's creation, enjoy different cultures, enjoy different people's stories! Remember, when God first created the world, He filled it to the brim with good things. He wants us to enjoy those good things!
"There is nothing better for a person that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God." Ecclesiastes 2:24 ESV
Saturday 21 January 2017
American Poltics
The most talked about news item of today is still the American election or perhaps the victory of Trump. Now, I think a lot of us are discussing perhaps the wrong things about the election, the antics of the two candidates, especially the winner. Instead, we should be focusing on the platforms of each, and again especially what Trump's platform means for the States, and the world. However, with that said, I do think this is one election that more people are actually focusing on the politics. Still, we could be doing it even more, and for good reason. Especially living in Canada, we will still be effected by Trump taking power in the States.
I think one of the biggest questions on our minds, especially as Christians, should be; what's the line between obeying authorities and compromising God? Of course, there's a big aspect of politics too where we need to connect who we side with, and specifically their promises, with what the Bible says, or what we believe Jesus would like to see happening in the world.
Tackling the first issue, the balance or the passing point between obeying the authorities and compromising God.
1 Peter 2:13-14 "Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right."
Titus 3:1 "Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed."
Now, taking these verses just as they are, two things jump out. First, notice how we are commanded to be obedient, or to follow every human leader. And secondly, we are only to follow every human ruler who does good things, and punishes evil things. Now, that's an interesting distinction. We are to only follow the human rulers that do the right things. Adding to this however, first of all, we need to note that the "right thing" is really only the things that are 100% morally correct or incorrect. There are certain grey areas over morals in the Bible, certain topics that are undecided, they're not clear. We see that through the fact that Christians themselves fight over certain issues (homosexuality). Because of that, I don't believe we can completely judge a leader based upon their stance on those certain issues. A good leader, a right leader, cannot be solely decided based upon their beliefs on those grey areas.
I also think there is a right way to deal with a bad leader. Take all our Christian principles, and even when we're dealing with a problem, we have to use them to make sure our behaviour and attitude isn't off. We don't just go storming the gates with terribly worded signs, we don't use violence, we don't stubbornly attack the character of a person.
The second issue is what should we look for in political authorities or other positions of leadership. The reason why I think this is important is that we have to expect certain things, and realize that we can't demand other things. Because not everyone subscribes to our belief system of morals, we can't expect everyone to follow along with that system. Something like abortion; while it might be ideal to have someone in a leadership position that agrees with the Christian system, we can't make it the final deciding factor. Instead, we need to focus on the bigger picture, who is going to be healthier for all people. Our deciding factor in our decision of putting people in leadership position should be what are they going to do for all people. Not just us, not just the rich, not just the middle class, but ALL people. Who is going to be better at helping every single person in the country?
And above all, pray, pray, pray.
1 Timothy 2:1-3 MSG "The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Saviour God wants us to live."
I think one of the biggest questions on our minds, especially as Christians, should be; what's the line between obeying authorities and compromising God? Of course, there's a big aspect of politics too where we need to connect who we side with, and specifically their promises, with what the Bible says, or what we believe Jesus would like to see happening in the world.
Tackling the first issue, the balance or the passing point between obeying the authorities and compromising God.
1 Peter 2:13-14 "Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right."
Titus 3:1 "Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed."
Now, taking these verses just as they are, two things jump out. First, notice how we are commanded to be obedient, or to follow every human leader. And secondly, we are only to follow every human ruler who does good things, and punishes evil things. Now, that's an interesting distinction. We are to only follow the human rulers that do the right things. Adding to this however, first of all, we need to note that the "right thing" is really only the things that are 100% morally correct or incorrect. There are certain grey areas over morals in the Bible, certain topics that are undecided, they're not clear. We see that through the fact that Christians themselves fight over certain issues (homosexuality). Because of that, I don't believe we can completely judge a leader based upon their stance on those certain issues. A good leader, a right leader, cannot be solely decided based upon their beliefs on those grey areas.
I also think there is a right way to deal with a bad leader. Take all our Christian principles, and even when we're dealing with a problem, we have to use them to make sure our behaviour and attitude isn't off. We don't just go storming the gates with terribly worded signs, we don't use violence, we don't stubbornly attack the character of a person.
The second issue is what should we look for in political authorities or other positions of leadership. The reason why I think this is important is that we have to expect certain things, and realize that we can't demand other things. Because not everyone subscribes to our belief system of morals, we can't expect everyone to follow along with that system. Something like abortion; while it might be ideal to have someone in a leadership position that agrees with the Christian system, we can't make it the final deciding factor. Instead, we need to focus on the bigger picture, who is going to be healthier for all people. Our deciding factor in our decision of putting people in leadership position should be what are they going to do for all people. Not just us, not just the rich, not just the middle class, but ALL people. Who is going to be better at helping every single person in the country?
And above all, pray, pray, pray.
1 Timothy 2:1-3 MSG "The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Saviour God wants us to live."
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