Strong Delusion

And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: (2 Thess 2:11 KJV)

Concerning evolution, I believe everything that has been proven.

Certainly, there has been micro-evolution of living beings within species. Horses have developed from more primitive horses.  Breeding of many animals is a means of achieving differences within species of those animals.

But the big thesis of Darwinism is that life itself evolved from inanimate matter by a gradual process. This has not been proven nor have the most intensive efforts of modern science been able to achieve the creation of life, period. Evolutionists would have us believe that life happened accidentally yet its origination cannot be demonstrated in any laboratory.

Another thesis of Darwinism is that lower forms of life evolved into different higher forms. If this was true there would be abundant fossil evidence of transitional forms between lower species and higher species. Despite numerous claims of the "discovery" of such fossils, closer examination has eventually revealed none of them to be transitional forms. The most salient example of this is the complete absence of life forms leading to the “Cambrian explosion.” Evolutionists realize that this absence is fatal to Darwin’s theory just as Darwin himself realized it and have sought many excuses and explanations for this lapse in their theory but all have been shown to be false.

Another tenet of evolution is that there is no design involved in the most intricate and marvelous beings. Evolution insists that it all happened mechanically and any appearance of design is an illusion. But many imminent experts have come to believe through mathematical and scientific analysis that design is the most likely explanation for the immensely complex biological structures existent today. This reasoned approach is rejected by evolutionists because it has a strong implication for the existence of God.

So evolution has become a political matter rather than a scientific one and anyone doubting the theory is branded an ignorant fundamentalist. No effort is made to even consider arguments contrary to evolution. Evolution itself has become a religion but one which has failed on a scientific basis. There is nothing left but theory. Nevertheless, it is now presented as settled science in public schools and our children are being taught that, essentially, there is no God. Any alternative theory, such as intelligent design is resisted as teaching religion.

Accepting Darwinism takes far greater faith than simply believing in creation by an intelligent God. Darwinists' insistence that there can be no God requires them to subscribe to a delusional theory for they are left with nothing else.

Father, forgive them

It’s very basic that Christians are to forgive those who offend against them. The scripture is very clear on this and in fact, warns us that if we do not forgive others, we will not be forgiven by God. (Matt 6;14).

If someone offends against us and later repents, we must forgive them 70 times 7 times if we are to claim the name, Christian. That is clear enough from the many scriptures given us in the bible.

What is not so clear is whether we must forgive those who have not and will not show remorse? One might notice the scarcity of direct teaching on this question and infer that we are obligated to forgive only in the case of an apology or repentance. If someone offends against me and won’t admit it or show any remorse, do I have to forgive him?

There are two arguments against withholding forgiveness when the offender is unrepentant.

The first argument was provided by Jesus on the cross when he said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Even while his persecutors were in the act of taking His life, he forgave them. What more extreme case could you have for withholding forgiveness? And yet Jesus forgave.

The second argument has to do with our own attitude. We are so imperfect that I don’t believe it is possible for us to maintain an attitude of unforgiveness without it affecting our attitude. We are just too proud. Pride fosters unforgiveness because it keeps us from seeing our own shortcomings. The way for us to act is to realize our own shortcomings and just forgive. That is where grace is required. That is where humility is required. It takes no grace or humility to withhold forgiveness.

One of the best admonitions of scripture on this subject is given us by Paul who tells us, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” (Eph 4;32).

In every thing

“In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (IThess 5:18)

It has always interested me that this admonition does not tell us to be thankful for only the good things. The “every thing” goes way beyond the good and takes in the setbacks, the defeats, the tragedies, the offenses we suffer.

How can this be? It sounds incredible, doesn’t it? How do we thank God for an accident that takes a child from us? Or a suddenly discovered cancer? Or a mugging that leaves us hospitalized? By faith.

There are many things that we will never understand this side of Heaven. But the more we know and trust God, the more willing we are to entrust Him with the fallout of the bad things that occur in our lives. With gritted teeth sometimes we have to say, “ We know that all things work together for good to them who love the Lord…” (Rom 8:28)

Many things that seemed to me a setback turned out to be a blessing with time. And some other things still seem like setbacks after years. But I believe that if it hadn’t been for some of the really hard times in my life, I would never have come to the intimate knowledge of God that is more precious than my life.  

Even if we don’t witness the good that emerges from the bad, we trust that God is doing what He only does, good.

Asunder

"What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." (Matthew 19:6)

It depends on how you calculate it but most estimates say that divorces are now about 50% of marriages in the U.S.  

But I’m amazed that it isn’t higher. After all, think about it. When you get married you really do not know what you are getting. And neither does your partner. None of us know what we will be like when the vastly diverse circumstances of life hit us, much less our new spouse. We all become someone different than who we were in our youth because of the events and things that happen to us. Death, illness, poverty, failure and even success, all make changes in us.

We all thought we were getting someone who would make our lives better. This will sound radical but I would argue that no marriages start with true love but rather a selfish love. That’s just human nature. In my opinion, no one gets married for what it can do for their partner. They get married for what it can do for themselves. Down deep, isn’t that the reality? And does that sound like real love?

Real love develops only as two people learn to put the other first. Real love is not a matter of emotion as much as it is a matter of the will. As we will to do best for our partner, real love begins to blossom.

What makes a marriage last is true love. But that true love is not emotion as much as it is the will for the other party’s well being. Then, as we put the other person first, our emotional part begins to kick in and in time, we find that we have a deeper feeling of love that overcomes all.

This is what makes marriage work.

My own heart has been broken for those in my family who have suffered so much in broken marriage. But I rejoice that they have learned God can use even this to change our lives for the better as we put Him first.

You are worthy

All intelligent and thoughtful people eventually and maybe frequently, come to the question of the real purpose in life. Yes, children and raising them right is important. Yes, doing the right thing is important. Finding satisfaction in work or career is important. Relationships, yes. Wealth, probably not. Fame, of course not.

In the final analysis, what is really the single, worthwhile goal in life is given to us in black and white from the words chorused by the 24 elders pictured in the last book of the bible. Their words say it all.

"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." (Revelation 4:11)

This passage tells us why we were created. For God's pleasure. Like it? Well, regardless, there it is.

How about measuring all our thoughts, words and deeds against that standard? Pretty much trashes a lot of what we do and our motives, doesn't it? What is really important is giving glory, honor and authority to our Creator.

Starting every day with a reminder of that standard would be a pretty good practice.

What, me worry?

The word of God is such a treasure house awaiting our claim upon its riches. This morning a passage from the book of Philippians arrested my attention again.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

The word "careful" here means full of care, or anxious. God's Word tells us to be anxious for NOTHING. The proper response to the onset of worry is to pray and put our issues before the Lord. Our Father knows we have difficulty controlling our emotions and feelings. But as a matter of the will, we can refuse to worry about the issue if we accept that God will undertake for us. We might not know how or when but we can depend on Him. This is the Christian antidote for worry and anxiety. Every time the issue re-surfaces, we just remind our heavenly Father that we have left this one with Him and then willfully focus our mind elsewhere.

What a wondrous thing and I have found that it works!

The mind is relieved as we simply apply this principle and we can have confidence that the Lord is in charge and will deal with all circumstances so much better than we ever could ourselves.

Who is to blame?

This past week an earthquake measured at 7.0 on the Richter scale, devastated Port au Prince Haiti, destroying vast areas including the President’s palace and wiping out the lives of untold thousands. The suffering is reported as horrendous.

Pat Robertson said that the Haiti people are cursed by a pact with the Devil made hundreds of years ago by the leaders of a revolution against their French overlords. He was immediately denounced from all quarters for such a politically incorrect statement.

Who is to blame? The atheists point to such events as another proof that there is no God since no loving being of unlimited power could permit such a callous slaughter. The Christian community is generally mum, feebly saying that one cannot know the will of God in such things and we must trust to His providence while praying for the victims.

The Old Testament records numerous accounts of mass slaughter of both the Israelite people who offended God as well as the heathens when fire and brimstone rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah. Who is to blame?

God appears willing to take the rap for the Old Testament incidents and that leaves us with the big question of how to reconcile such vengeful actions with the love that is said to be equated with God himself. It is not a new question but one that has ranked among the chief objections of those who reject the existence of God. And it ranks high among the “problems” of others including Christians who struggle with understanding God and fitting Him into their philosophy and belief systems.

How do we deal with this dilemma?

It seems to me that the big mistake we make is that we view life from a natural and limited perspective. We have difficulty thinking beyond the years we have on this earth. To our natural perspective, if our life on earth is cut short it is viewed as a tragedy. Especially, if children are deprived of adulthood, this is considered sad and regretful. The death of an offspring is especially hard for parents to accept. This is a natural reaction that is universal.

But without overlooking at all the natural sorrow of losing a child, we should remember that in the realm of God, life continues beyond the grave. For those who are united with God, life is eternal. Eternity is never ending and makes our natural life but a moment in time. In fact, our natural lives are but an instant in comparison with eternity.

From God’s perspective, ending a natural life actually terminates an inferior existence fraught with hardship, suffering and peril and instead marks the transition to an eternal life in His presence. This eternal life is one without suffering, without hardship, without peril. That we cannot mentally get a grip on what it will be like in its length and character does not at all take away from its reality. Eye has not seen nor ear heard what things God has in store for those who love Him.

What about those who don’t love Him? What about their “pre-mature” death? Aren’t they proceeding to a different kind of eternity? How do you explain their early deaths? What is the comfort for the many 9/11 victims who reject God or those who might not understand enough to intelligently have faith?

Even here, the vast expanse of eternity compared with our lives likened in the scripture to a vapor, the perspective of life beyond the grave must be kept in mind. What is a moment in time when compared with eternity? God who controls all life and death must on some level, take the rap for these cataclysmic events. Christians do Him no service to try to absolve Him. He doesn’t need their apologies.

Instead of asking who is to blame, the real question is, are we ready? The real question is where will we spend eternity?