Monthly Archives: July 2010

What It Takes To Find Meaning

25 Sunday Jul 2010

Posted by in Anthropology, Biblical Worldview, New Posts, Philosophy & Ethics, Science

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In this Q & A session Ravi Zacharias is joined by Scientists Dr. Lou Alberts and Dr. David Block, in their discussion of the concept of the fall of man and the meaning of life. This is part 2 of 4. I encourage you to listen to the entire session. It’s well worth it! Following is Ravi’s assessment on what it takes to find meaning.

Every person who says they have meaning must have these four components:

1. A Sense of Wonder. The alternative is boredom or monotony.

2. The need to have the Knowledge of the Truth. Just because I find meaning does not mean, therefore, it is meaning. It needs to be within the confines of truth. Otherwise LSD/Cocaine in my veins can give me meaning too.

3. The Experience of Love

4. The Confidence of Security

Ravi Zacharias, Radio Broadcast, Mind and Heart Q&A (part 2 of 4) http://www.rzim.org/resources/listen/justthinking.aspx

God’s Chorus Line

22 Thursday Jul 2010

Posted by in Biblical Worldview, New Posts, Not-So-Often Devotionals, Philosophy & Ethics

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A Chorus Line is a musical about seventeen Broadway dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line.
With nineteen main characters, it is set on the bare stage of a Broadway theatre during an audition for a musical. The show provides a glimpse into the personalities of the performers and the choreographer as they describe the events that have shaped their lives and their decisions to become dancers.
Specifically, A Chorus Line takes the audience through the final grueling audition run by the director, Zach, for a new Broadway musical. At the beginning of the show, Zach, a driven, compulsive worker, has assembled thirty semi-finalists and is putting them through a vigorous series of dance combinations, including ballet and jazz. Soon he thins this group down to the final sixteen, eight boys and eight girls. They and the audience know that eventually this number will be cut in half and Zach will choose only four boys and four girls to be in his new musical.
After these brave dancers explain why they go through a life filled with rejection and injury-What I Did for Love, Zach makes his selection, eliminating the last group who reluctantly leave the stage. The lights soon fade on the remaining eight ecstatic dancers as they are told to prepare for rehearsals of their new Broadway show. They fade only to come up as each performer, now dressed in full, shimmering finale costume, reappears to receive an individual bow before joining together to perform the brilliant dance finale and showing exactly the talent, guts, and determination it takes to make it into a chorus line.
Christians are dancing in the “Dance of Life” through a series of rigorous dance combinations-faithfulness, love, integrity, prayerfulness, community, authenticity, reality, truth, etc., etc.
In the parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-20) we see several analogous criteria giving us a glimpse in what it takes to dance well. The various soils represent human hearts (the dancers). The inhospitable hearts in the parable gradually become more and more receptive (from indifferent, to opportunistic, to very interested), but nevertheless remain preoccupied with the cares of their present life in rebellion against God’s true purposes. They did not make the final cut. The “good soil” represents a consistently attentive and accepting heart. Think of them as the final eight who make it into a chorus line.
The “audition” of life is grueling at times. It is run by THE director, unlike Zach in many ways, who tirelessly encourages His people to keep on dancing. God wants you to make the final cut…DANCE WELL!!
OJD

Some People Just Don’t Get It!

16 Friday Jul 2010

Posted by in Anthropology, Biblical Worldview, New Posts, Not-So-Often Devotionals, Science

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Much of my reading (outside of scripture) these last several months has been in the area of the Christian world-view and apologetics: The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Tim Keller, Darwinism under the Microscope: How Recent Scientific Evidence Points to Divine Design by James P Gills, Tom Woodard, R. T. Kendall; The Truth Project, by Del Tackett, The Rage Against God: How Atheism Led Me to Faith, by Peter Hitchens (brother of world-renown atheist and journalist for Vanity Fair, Christopher Hitchens); and my current reading of Ravi Zacharias’ latest book, Has Christianity Failed You.
One of the pounding themes running through each of their books is an apologetic theme of the denial of truth, i.e. atheism. It is a comic struggle between absolute truth and lies (man, flesh, and the devil). Keller, for instance, mentions the mindset of several well-known atheists by saying that they “want a logical or empirical argument for God that is airtight and therefore convinces almost everyone. They won’t believe in God until they get it“, p.118, (emphasis mine).
I can provide you with more of what these insightful authors say, but I won’t take up the time here. Sufficient to say that the reasons of why people reject the truth claims of Christ and the Gospel in their cosmic struggle are many: fear, doubt, scientific credibility, rejection, hatred towards God, peer pressure, cultural barriers, skepticism, etc. Some, unfortunately, do not “get it”! But it’s not just the atheist that doesn’t get it. Many Christians, for whatever reason, don’t get it—probably, for all of the same reasons.
It’s good to read books like the ones I’ve cited above because it forces you to deal with how the world is thinking. Christians can no longer avoid the cries of the unbelieving world and go about building the Kingdom of God in isolation. These kinds of books not only challenge my Christian worldview but encourage me to put “feet on my faith”.
The significant idea posed by each of these authors as I read between their lines is the question of “belief”. Each of them, in their own way, is really asking their readers the question, “Do you believe what you believe? Do you really believe that what you believe is really real and true?” I once heard someone say that “in order to refute an idea one has to come up with a better idea”. I really believe Christianity is a better idea. If you are a Christian do you really believe that? If you’re not, do you really believe your ideas are better than those of Christianity? /OJ

The God of Self

14 Wednesday Jul 2010

Posted by in Anthropology, New Posts, PTSD, Substance Abuse, Theology, Veritology

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Every veteran who enters our program struggles with “loving themselves”. Drugs, alcohol, depression, PTSD, are the familiar culprits which rob people of loving themselves. Notice here, I am differentiating between “loving yourself” from the contemporary social definition of “self-esteem”.
Jesus’ command to “Love your neighbor as yourself”, is misunderstood today. It’s the “Love yourself” part that many people misconstrue with self-esteem. Self-esteem is a psychologically oriented concept where self-love is a biblical one. The former is subjective and has led many to worship a God of Self.
This self-love which Jesus is talking about is not about self-esteem, self-acceptance, or even having a positive self-image. The kind of love that Jesus means in loving your “neighbor” is the same meaning of love he has for “yourself”. For instance, you are loving (seeking the good) of your neighbor when you help him care for his lawn, provide him with a occassional meal, or take in his mail. These are things you do as acts of love and service. In the same regard, you would want your neighbor to love you reciprocally with these same acts of service.
Another way of saying it is by the way the Golden Rule says that we must, “Love others as you would want them to love you”. The addict, alcoholic, or any person, for that matter, must see that it is “self-love” not “self-esteem” that’s driving the train here. This is a value grounded in God not self. The self (flesh) is deceptive no matter how you look at it.
John Piper rightly identifies the difference by saying that, “How you feel when you look at your life will be determined by whether you see it as a true reflection of you values. If you see ugliness when you value beauty, you will feel bad. If you see laziness when you value diligence you will feel bad; but if you see industriousness and rigor you will feel good. The intensity of how bad or good you feel will vary according to the greatness of the value and the degree of success or failure in realizing it. Thus, whether one has a positive or negative self-image will depend on whether or not he attains what he values.” (ref: Self-Love and the Christian Counselor’s Task, Sermon: http://www.desiringgod.org/resourceLibrary/Articles/ByDate/1978/ 2645).
Think of it this way; self-image is grounded in self. According to Scripture, “self” needs redemption. Self-love, on the other hand is grounded in God…because He made you in His image!

Forcing Chaplains to Submit

09 Friday Jul 2010

Posted by in Biblical Worldview, New Posts, The American Experiment, The State, Theology

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Colson’s remarks are well taken in his mention that chaplains “risk discipline and damaging their careers if they don’t embrace the normalization of homosexuality, chaplains will feel pressured to water down or even abandon key elements of their denominations faith and practice”. Read the full article

As a retired Army Chaplain, I believe if it comes to this point, as Colson suggests, many senior officers, denominational endorsers, and a supporting churches will throw their name into the hat in support of religious freedom, which chaplains also have as a constitutional right under Title 10. At least I pray they will.

An Exhortation for the Fourth

04 Sunday Jul 2010

Posted by in History, New Posts, Not-So-Often Devotionals, The State, Theology

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Douglas Wilson, author and pastor of Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho has a good word for all of us on this day of celebration of America’s independence–enjoy!

As it happens, today, the Lord’s Day is also the Fourth of July, a national holiday. The fact that it is not a part of the church calendar should not prevent us from taking note of it, and resolving on several things as Christians who are also part of a nation that has been surpassingly blessed.
First is the responsibility of gratitude. Gratitude does not mean that we are neglecting to confess and forsake our sins, because lack of gratitude has been one of our greatest sins as a people. God has poured enormous blessings over us, and the only appropriate response should be one of deep, profound, and humbled gratitude.
Second, we have a responsibility to learn more about our own history—we can’t be grateful for deliverances we have forgotten about. In Scripture, forgetting is not an excuse for having sinned, but is rather an additional sin.
Third, we must reject the false accusations of those who want America to confess her blessings as though they were sins, and continue on in her sins as though they were rights. America must repent, and must turn back to Christ, but this is not anything like what the America-haters think.
Fourth, if we want to know how our nation has sinned, we must turn back to the law and to the testimony. What sin is should not be a great mystery. God wrote a book, and in that book He tells us what the sins of great nations are. He also tells us what the gospel is. The fundamental sin we have drifted into is the sin of thinking that we can make our way without Jesus Christ. We cannot.
Over two centuries ago, we declared our independence from the House of Hanover. That was a real blessing purchased at a great cost by that founding generation, who knew what liberty was. About a century ago, we declared our independence from Jesus Christ and we have descended to a pitiable condition. Like the prodigal son, it took us a while to run out of all our capital, moral and otherwise, but we have managed to do it. We are now facing the hard consequences.
And so we should meditate on this. Independence from Jesus Christ means dependence upon tyrants. Dependence on Jesus means independence from tyrants. Jesus is Lord and our fundamental duty as citizens this Fourth is the right kind of repentance.
Written by Douglas Wilson

My Christian Witness?

04 Sunday Jul 2010

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Nietzsche said, “The Christian is going to have to look more redeemed before I look into his redeemer”.
I think what Nietzsche was saying about Christians is that people are not so much wanting to know what Christians believe but do we really, truely believe what we believe. Something to think about!

The Choice

01 Thursday Jul 2010

Posted by in Not-So-Often Devotionals

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A friend emailed me this devotion a couple of weeks ago. I made copies for my family to read together every morning in the car during our trip to Texas and back. It set the day in the right direction and was a blessing for all of us–thanks Doug! I hope you enjoy it.

IT’S QUIET. It’s early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming.
In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met.
For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day’s demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I’m free to choose. And so I choose.
I choose love . . .
No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.
I choose joy . . .
I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical . . . the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.
I choose peace . . .
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.
I choose patience . . .
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I’ll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.
I choose kindness . . .
I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.
I choose goodness . . .
I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.
I choose faithfulness . . .
Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.
I choose gentleness . . .
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.
I choose self-control . . .
I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek his grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.
From When God Whispers Your Name
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 1999) Max Lucado