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perspective

Devotionals

Beating Prayer Fatigue

by Tom Terry
written by Tom Terry

Have you ever stopped praying because you have lost heart, or feel like you’re just repeating yourself, or wonder if God really hears you and your words just bounce off the ceiling? Does this feeling ever make you wonder if God is even there, if he even exists?

What you may be experiencing is something called, “Prayer Fatigue.” You’re tied, feel drained, disheartened, and you wonder if God will even pay attention. Yet, there are many times, especially in the Psalms, where the Psalmist wonders the same thing. They ask God when he will answer or move or if he even listens.

Today, I have some good news. You can beat your prayer fatigue with a simple exercise in scripture that will refocus your attention and address God in the most important ways and from your heart. At first, it may seem like a routine thing to do. But, with a little work in prayer you can find that your prayer fatigue will not only go away, you may find a new, fresh, meaningful way to pray. And it happens when you start praying according to Matthew 6. What do you find there? Here it is:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever” (Matthew 6:9-13).

Sometimes when we pray we feel frustrated and don’t know what to say. We encourage ourselves with a phrase from the Apostle Paul who said, “[The] Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26). We tell ourselves that it’s okay if we don’t know what to say because the Holy Spirit is praying on our behalf anyway. So, we stop trying so hard. But, I don’t think that this is what Paul meant to communicate when he penned those words. Certainly, God doesn’t want us to stop praying. Paul also said, “Pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17).

When the disciples asked Jesus how they should pray it was because they saw other teachers giving prayer instruction to their disciples.  Jesus gave them something short, but exceedingly profound. The Lord’s Prayer, as it has come to be known, was not only great instruction for the disciples, Jesus also used it himself in John 17. If you compared the two passages of scripture you will see in John 17 a model of Matthew 6. If Jesus used the Lord’s Prayer when he approached his father, how much more do we need it!

So, how do you pray the Lord’s Prayer beyond just repeating the words as they are written? Look at how the Lord’s Prayer can help you by using it as a guideline for all of your prayers. Consider this:

“Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name.” Lord, I come to you because you are the one and only great God. Your name and identity is beyond all I can imagine. You are the creator of all things and your name deserves to be made known and spread the world over.

Think through how else God’s name can be praised in your life and is magnified in the things you see around you.

“Your kingdom come.” Lord, please make me effective in advancing your kingdom on earth. I want to be an example of what it means to believe in Jesus and help others come to know him and fall in love with him.

“Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” When you speak the angels obey you. Nothing can defeat your will. Help me to obey you. Please Lord, also help my family and friends who don’t know you to come to know you and obey you as well.

As you pray through each statement in the Lord’s Prayer, look for ways to related it to your life experience and relationships. Just as the Holy Spirit prays for you and with you when you struggle, so too, he will pray with you when you pray according to the outline in the Lord’s prayer. I use the Lord’s Prayer many times when approaching God. I know that he hears me when I pray according to his will and his words. When I started using the Lord’s Prayer it transformed my thinking and the way I approach God. The same can be true for you as well.

guywithabible.com

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Articles

Five Ways to Rejoice and Be Happy This Christmas!

by Randy Alcorn
written by Randy Alcorn

Christmas is not always a time of joy. Randy Alcorn shows us five ways to rejoice this holy season. He writes:

“Family tensions (whose house do we go to when?), never-ending to-do lists, financial difficulties, unrealistic expectations—reasons for unhappiness abound.

Can you find genuine happiness during the Christmas season, even in the midst of the pressures? Yes. True happiness—the kind Jesus offers—is at the heart of what Christmas is all about!

Consider the angel’s message to the shepherds at Jesus’ birth: “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10). The Greek adjective translated “great” here is megas—this isn’t just news, but good news of “mega-joy.” It’s the best news there has ever been or ever will be.

What characterizes this good news is deep, everlasting joy for those who receive it. The Contemporary English Version renders the verse this way: “good news for you, which will make everyone happy.”

Isaiah 52:7 says, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness” (ESV). Here God tells us directly that our mission is bringing everyone the “good news of happiness” about Jesus. .

If the message we share and model at Christmastime and all year long doesn’t include happiness, then it contradicts God’s direct words in Isaiah 52:7. The gospel offers an exchange of misery-generating sin for happiness-giving righteousness provided by Jesus himself—joy incarnate, happiness in human flesh. The gospel is happy-making!

Each stanza of “O Come All Ye faithful” contains sentiments of true happiness: “joyful and triumphant,” “sing in exultation,” “born this happy morning.” Joy, exultation, and happiness are proper responses to Jesus. A gospel not characterized by overwhelming gladness isn’t the gospel. A Christmas without a deep, God-given happiness isn’t reflecting the good news of Jesus.

So how do we experience true happiness during this season? It starts with a godly perspective, a right way of looking at life.

An Eternal Perspective

A reconciled relationship with God, coupled with an understanding of the biblical teaching of a resurrected Heaven and Earth, assures us utter happiness will be ours forever. This happiness will be fully realized in the promised culmination of God’s redemptive plan, in the New Heaven and New Earth.

For various reasons, Christmas can be a difficult season for many people. Yet God comforts his people in suffering, saying, “Look, I am ready to create new heavens and a new earth!” (Isaiah 65:17, NET). What should be our response to this promise? God uses joy-drenched words to describe this New Earth, a place where his people will bring happiness not only to each other but also to him:

Be happy and rejoice forevermore over what I am about to create! For look, I am ready to create Jerusalem to be a source of joy, and her people to be a source of happiness. Jerusalem will bring me joy, and my people will bring me happiness. The sound of weeping or cries of sorrow will never be heard in her again.  Isaiah 65:18-19, NET

The forever that awaits us should color our lives now. We should daily frontload eternity’s joys into our present experience by focusing on Christ and anticipating the Heaven that awaits us.

Right Expectations about Life and Suffering

This same eternal perspective will help us adjust our expectations about life under the Curse, especially during the holidays. A biblical worldview is supremely optimistic and joyful, but it also recognizes the present reality of a fallen world.

By lowering our expectations that all should go our way presently, and raising our expectations of eternal life, we can experience true happiness now. Considering the judgment we deserve, every happiness, small or large, is an undeserved gift—the grace of God. When we experience happiness now, we’re grateful; when we don’t, we know someday our happiness will be complete and never-ending.

God doesn’t say we’ll never have hardship or suffering—he specifically promises we will (John 16:33). We’re not to be surprised when we face difficulties, even around Christmastime. Whether it’s something as insignificant as a burnt turkey or as overwhelming as the loss of a loved one, God tells us: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12). If we expect God to make our lives easy, our expectations are unbiblical.

As Christians, we’ll be delivered from eternal suffering. Even now, God will give us happy foretastes of living in his presence where there is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11). That’s his promise. And what better time to focus on living in his presence than Christmastime?

Our outlook is changed when we remember that our afflictions are Father-filtered by the God who knows all, governs all, and sovereignly weaves all together for our good: “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

The more we grow in our understanding of God’s sovereign grace and loyal love, the happier we become. We don’t have an all-powerful God who doesn’t care; neither do we have a caring God who is powerless to make good things happen. We serve a Creator who loves us and is sovereign over the universe, including all evil.

Our circumstances do matter. Broken relationships can be felt more deeply at Christmastime. Expectations about gifts received or given can bring anxiety. Comparing how others celebrate Christmas can bring sadness, especially if we feel left out. But all circumstances are opportunities for growth and our ultimate good. When they threaten to overwhelm us, these difficulties remind us to look to our Rock and Redeemer (Psalm 19:14). Truly, “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).

This is also an encouraging message for those who feel lonely around the holidays, and wish their lives weren’t less busy, but more. Even if not many friends and loved ones are nearby, Christ promises he will be with people always (Matthew 28:20), and will never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

Acting on the Right Perspective

We can control our thoughts and attitudes. They’re not foreign invaders against which we are helpless.

Paul said, “Fix your thoughts on what is true. . . . Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (Philippians 4:8, NLT). This doesn’t happen automatically. But once we develop the habit and experience its rewards, we instinctively turn our minds to what makes us happy in Christ.

Of course, we should never flippantly say, “Happiness is a choice.” It’s not always easy to choose happiness in Christ. Embracing happiness is not merely working harder to pull up our minds and moods, as we would our bootstraps. Rather, it’s gratefully receiving God’s grace and happiness.

God provides everything we need to be happy, and empowers us through his Spirit to believe in him and obey. At the same time, he leaves it to us to adopt a right perspective and make the choices that result in happiness. God empowers us through his Spirit to believe in him and obey him. He also calls upon us to genuinely cooperate with him, which requires our effort as we draw on his strength and grace (Philippians 2:12-13).

Happiness from Gratitude Coupled with Humble Service

When life is viewed with a spirit of thankfulness, we’ll see the reasons for happiness that surround us. God gives us hundreds of reasons to be grateful every hour—ask him to open your eyes to them, especially during what should be a joyful season of celebrating Christ’s birth! Developing the discipline of gratitude brings greater praise to God and greater happiness for ourselves. When life’s tough, we can still be grateful that God is with us and that he’s using it for our good.

No matter your circumstances this Christmas, there’s happiness to be found in being grateful for God’s provision, and seeking to serve and help others. “In humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4).

Cultivating Christ-Centered Holiday Happiness

Happiness comes naturally in the same sense that fruit comes naturally from a tree. If the tree gets sufficient sunshine and water, if the ground is nutrient-rich, then yes, it “naturally” produces fruit. Yet the joy spoken of in Galatians 5:22 is also the supernatural fruit of the Spirit who indwells God’s children. We must plant ourselves in the rich soil of God’s Word, soak in the living water of God and his people, and bask in the radiant sunlight of his grace.

Then happiness will come (super)naturally—happiness made possible by our God who became a man, who suffered, died and rose again so we could experience substantial happiness now, as well as ultimate and unending happiness in our eternal home.”

Learn more in Randy’s book Happiness.

This article also appears in the November/December 2015 issue of More to Lifemagazine.

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Articles

5 Ways to Resolve Family Holiday Tension

by Russell Moore
written by Russell Moore

Are you really excited about the holidays, or are you dreading them? Many people dread “family time.”

Russell Moore writes:

“We tend to idealize holidays, but human depravity doesn’t go into hibernation between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. One thing that will hit most Christians, sooner or later, are tensions within extended families at holiday time. Some of you will be visiting family members who are contemptuous of the Christian faith and downright hostile to the whole thing.

Others are empty nest couples who now have sons- or daughters-in-law to get adjusted to, maybe even grandchildren who are being reared, well, not exactly the way the grandparents would do it. Still others are young couples who are figuring out how to keep from offending family members who are watching the calendar, to see which side of the family gets more time on the ledger. And others are new parents, trying to figure out how to parent their child when it’s Mammonpalooza at Aunt Judie’s house this year.

And, of course, there’s just always the kind of thing that happens when sinful people come into contact with one another. Somebody asks “When is the baby due?” to an unpregnant woman or somebody blasts your favorite political figure or…well, you know.

Here are a few quick thoughts on what followers of Jesus ought to remember, especially if you’ve got a difficult extended family situation.

1. Peace

Yes, Jesus tells us that his gospel brings a sword of division, and that sometimes this splits up families (Matt. 10:34-37). But there’s a difference between gospel division and carnal division (see 1 Cor. 1, e.g.). The Spirit brings peace (Gal. 5:22), and the sons of God are peacemakers (Matt. 5:9). Since that’s so, we ought to “strive for peace with everyone” (Heb. 12:14).

Often, the divisiveness that happens at extended family dinner tables is not because an unbelieving family member decides to persecute a Christian. It’s instead because a Christian decides to go ahead and sort the wheat from the weeds right now, rather than waiting for Judgment Day (Matt. 13:29-30). Yes, the gospel exposes sin, but the gospel does so strategically, in order to point to Christ. Antagonizing unbelievers at a family dinner table because they think or feel like unbelievers isn’t the way of Christ.

Some Christians think their belligerence is actually a sign of holiness. They leave the Christmas table saying, “See, if you’re not being opposed, then you’re not with Christ!” Sometimes, of course, divisions must come. But think of the qualifications Jesus gives for his church’s pastors. They must not be “quarrelsome” and they must be “well thought of by outsiders” (1 Tim. 3:3,7). That’s in the same list as not being a heretic or a drunk.

Your presence should be one of peace and tranquility. The gospel you believe ought to be what disrupts. There’s a big difference.

2. Honor

The Scripture tells us to fear God, to obey the king, and to honor (notice this) everyone (1 Pet. 2:17). If your parents are high-priests in the Church of Satan, they are still your parents. If cousin Betty V. does Jello shots in her car, just to take the edge off the cocaine, well, she still bears the imprint of the God you adore.

You cannot do the will of God by opposing the will of God. That is, you can’t evangelize by dishonoring father and mother, or by disrespecting the image-bearers of God. Pray for God to show you the ways those in your life are worthy of honor, and teach your children to follow you in showing respect and gratitude.

3. Humility

Part of the reason some Christians have such difficulty with unbelieving or nominally believing extended family members is right at this point. They see differences over Jesus as being of the same kind (just of a different degree) as our differences over, say, the war in Afghanistan or the future of Sarah Palin or the Saints’ winning streak this year.

Often the frustration comes not because of how much Christians love their family members as much as how much these Christians want to be right. The professional Left and Right cable-TV and talk-radio pontificators may value the last word, but we can’t.

Jesus never, not once, seeks to prove he is right, and he was accused of being everything from a wino to a demoniac. He rejects Satan’s temptation to force a visible vindication, waiting instead for God to vindicate him at the empty tomb.

Often Christians veer toward Satanism at holiday time because we, deep down, pride ourselves on knowing the truth of the gospel. The rage you feel when Uncle Happy says why “many roads lead to God” might be more about the fact that you want to be right than that you want him to be resurrected.

Plus, we often forget just how it is that we came to be in Christ in the first place. This wasn’t some act of brilliance, like being accepted into Harvard or some exertion of the will, like learning to put a Rubik’s cube together in 20 seconds. “What do you have that you did not receive,” the Apostle Paul asks us, “And if you received it, then why do you boast as though you didn’t receive it?” (1 Cor. 4:6-7)

Satan wants to destroy you through his primal flaw, pride (1 Pet. 5:7-9; 1 Tim. 3:6). He doesn’t care if that pride comes through looking around the family table and figuring out how much more money you make than your second cousin-in-law or whether it comes by your looking around the table and saying, “Thank you Lord that I am not like these publicans.” The end result is the same (Prov. 29:23).

Unless you’re in an exceptionally sanctified family, you’re going to see failing marriages, parenting crises, and a thousand other shards of the curse. If your response is to puff up as you look at your own situation, there’s a Satanist at your family gathering, and you’re it.

4. Maturity

The Scripture tells us that if we follow Jesus we’ll follow the path he took: that’s through temptation, to suffering, and ultimately to glory. Often we think these testings are big, monumental things, but they rarely are.

God will allow you to be tested. He’ll refine you, bring you to the fullness of maturity in Christ. He probably won’t do it by your fighting lions before the emperor or standing with a John 3:16 sign before a tank in the streets of Beijing. More likely, it will be through those seemingly little places of temptation—like whether you’ll love the belching brother-in-law at the other end of the table who wants to talk about how the Cubans killed JFK and how to make $100,000 a year selling herbal laxatives on the Internet.

Some of the tensions Christians face at holiday time have nothing to do with outside oppression as much as internal immaturity on the part of the Christians themselves.

I’ve had young men who tell me they feel treated like children when they go home to see their extended families. Their parents or parents-in-law are dictating to them where to go, when, and for how much time. Their parents or parent-in-law are hijacking the rearing of their children (”Oh, come on! He can watch Die Harder! Don’t be so strict!”). Some of these men just give in, and then seethe in frustration.

Sometimes that’s because the extended family is particularly obstinate. But sometimes the extended family treats the young man like a child because that’s how he acts the rest of the year. Don’t live financially and emotionally dependent on your parents or in-laws, passively dithering in your decisions about your family’s future, and then expect them to see you as the head of your house.

Be a man (if you are one). Make decisions (including decisions about where, and for how long, you’ll spend the holidays). Teach and discipline your children.Your extended family might not like it at first, but they’ll come to respect the fact that you’re leaving and cleaving, taking responsibility for that which has been entrusted to you.

5. Perspective

Remember that you’ll give an account at the resurrection for every idle (that means seemingly tiny, insignificant, unmemorable) thought, word, and deed. At the Judgment Seat of the Lord Christ, you’ll be responsible for living out the gospel in every arena to which the Spirit has led you… including Aunt Flossie’s dining room table.

www.russellmoore.com.

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Book of the universe - opened magic book with planets and galaxies. Elements of this image furnished by NASA
Articles

Why Science Can Help You Understand the Bible!

by Tom Terry
written by Tom Terry

I recently joined a group on Facebook that discusses scientific evidences for creation. While the purpose of the group is discussion about how the natural world points to a Creator for all things, very often the group is engaged in heated discussions over young-earth and old-earth creationism. The debates can be heated, and even have a lot of venom, which is tragic. But there is one argument presented against scientific influence in Bible interpretation that I’d like to address. First, let me set up the position that is often taken against allowing science to interpret biblical discovery. The position is often stated that the person who uses science to guide or influence biblical interpretation is adding to the biblical text or allowing science to interpret scripture rather than scripture interpreting scripture. I have no doubt that the person or persons who hold such an opinion desire to trust and believe the Bible as the final authority on the Christian life. I actually admire people who hold the scripture in such high regard. However, there is a problem with this rule imposed on biblical interpretation. It forgets that we use a variety of extra-biblical disciplines to arrive at theological meaning all of the time, without regarding it as improper. For instance, we use the following extra-biblical sources to help us arrive at interpretation and meaning from scripture:

  • Historical study
  • Archaeological study, and
  • Geographical study

Allow me to give a brief example of each one. 

Historical Study
Historical study and archaeological study are closely related when it comes to biblical interpretation. Much of our historical understanding of biblical times comes through discoveries in archaeology. For instance, why was Abraham not confronted by God for adultery when he took Hagar to bed? Why was it that Sarah offered her servant, Hagar, to her husband for her to have children through a union of Abraham and Hagar? The closest thing we have to this in modern society is surrogacy—asking or hiring a woman to bear a child for another woman. In modern society this involves medical procedures to impregnate the surrogate. But in the society in which Abraham and Sarah lived this involved sexual intercourse between Abraham and Hagar. None of this practice is explained in scripture, it is simply taken for granted that the reader understands why Sarah did this. Here is the kicker. Abraham did not ask Sarah for her servant. It was Sarah’s idea to offer her servant to her husband. Gals, would you ever consider such a thing? Can you imagine Sarah coming up with the idea in the first place? Sarah came up with the idea because, as we have learned through the discovery of Ancient Near East law codes, it was part of the law of their country of origin that a barren woman may give her servant to her husband to acquire children through that union. Sarah and Abraham were simply following a legal custom of their day, and it wasn’t considered adultery. It was a legally accepted arrangement. Isn’t it curious that God never confronted Abraham for sleeping with his wife’s servant? He may have not blessed the union, but neither did he ask Abraham for repentance. From our way of thinking we would regard this as a form of adultery. But we know from historical study that it was not considered as such in Abraham’s day. The same is true with a man having multiple wives. It was not favored, nor was it condemned. Part of historical study is understanding the culture of the day in which biblical characters lived. Take Pilate as an example. During the examination of Jesus by Pilate the scripture says that Pilate was very afraid when he heard of Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God (John 19:8). Yet, nowhere in the scripture are we told why Pilate was afraid at this news. It is likely that John assumed the reader would understand Pilate’s fear because he was writing to an audience that understood Roman motivations. But in order for us, the modern audience, to understand Pilate’s fear we must go to historical sources to aid our understanding. Pilate feared because he came from a culture that believed in demigods. Pilate feared because in his own mind he wondered if he was about to pass judgment on, what in his mind, might be a demigod. Certainly, he would be punished by the gods for such an act. In this case, historical study helps us understand the biblical text that we would not fully understand without it.

Archaeological Study

In the last century archaeological discoveries have had a significant impact on our understanding of the Bible. One recent discovery is that at Tel-el-hamman in Jordan, better known to us as the site of Sodom. Discoveries made at this site in the last 11 years have aided our understanding of the biblical text surrounding this event. Discoveries at the site have aided our understanding of Lot’s importance in the city while he was a resident. We understand why Lot did not want to flee to the valley when urged to leave by the angels, because of the terrain surrounding the area, so he fled to Zoar.Discoveries in Sodom have also given us an understanding of just how wicked the people of Sodom were at that time, because of what we have learned about cultural practices from the site’s excavation, including the mandatory training of 12-year old boys in practices of Sodomy. They were literally, interned in these practices.

Geographical Study


This is an area that also aids our understanding of the biblical text, and has even impacted interpretative challenges. One example is the referral in Revelation 3:16 to lukewarm, hot and cold. Many Bible teachers have interpreted this passage as meaning that hot represents a passion for Christ and cold represents being against Christ, while lukewarm refers to indifference. Yet, knowing the geography of Laodicea helps us arrive at a different interpretation. Near one part of the city were hot springs used for health and medicinal purposes and elsewhere outside the city were cold waters used for consumption and irrigation. Inside the city the waters were stagnant and so dangerous that drinking the water would make one extremely ill to the point of vomiting. Suddenly, our perspective changes when we learn about the geographical references in the text. 

Aided By Science

These three areas of extra-biblical study dramatically aid our understanding of the scripture. If this is true with these disciplines, then why can it not be true with other sciences as well? Some might argue that historical study, archaeology, and geography are not sciences in the strict sense, but I don’t think this is relative. These are disciplines outside of the Bible that we regularly use to aid our understanding of a biblical text and even help us arrive at interpretation and application. If these extra-biblical disciplines can aid our theological inquires then why can’t astronomy, physics, biology and other research aid our understanding of the Bible? 
The Bible was not written in a vacuum. In addition to its supernatural origin, it is also a product of the cultures and histories from which is sprang. It is filled with references to things that we do not fully understand without the influence of other disciplines to aid our understanding. This does not mean that we can’t understand who Jesus is without these disciplines, but it does mean that some of our understanding is partial without having background information relative to the original authors, audiences, and cultures that they came from. So too, the Bible’s references to the natural world and the nature of creation acquire a fuller and deeper meaning for us when we aid our understanding with what the sciences reveal to us.

http://tomterry.blogspot.com/. Used by permission.

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Sermons

Don’t Change My Moment, Change My Life Part One

by Ryan Kramer
written by Ryan Kramer

We find our meaning in life through our life’s story in God. We have a glorious past. We have a beautiful future, a New Heaven, a New Earth and New Creation. We have a powerful present-because of our glorious past and beautiful future we can live with significance and thrive in the now.

Preached at Casas Church. Used by permission.

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Ask Roger

Quantum Mechanics: God Knows Your Future!

by Roger Barrier
written by Roger Barrier

Dear Roger,

This may come as a shock but I was wondering, is it said in the bible that God knows everything? Or is it assumed? Because if God were to know everything, he must also know the future. If this knowledge exists then the future must be predetermined. In result, the free will we see would only be an illusion to a plan that has already been predetermined in his head.

Sincerely, Unknown

 

Dear Unknown,

 

We know about the past and the present. What about the future? Let’s begin with the idea of Time.

 

Jesus declared His timeless existence both backward and forward when He said to John: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 22:13).

 

Psalm 90:3 reveals God’s perspective on time. In comparing the shortness of human life with the eternal span of God’s life, Moses wrote: “For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by…” In other words, a long time to us is a short time to God. Of course, Moses was speaking metaphorically and not literally. Nevertheless, it is fun to play with this idea.

 

One day I and figured out that according to Moses, one year on earth equals about 90 seconds in Heaven.

 

One of the most frequently asked questions I get from wives whose husbands have died is, “Will he miss me?”

 

I respond, “Let’s say you outlive your husband by ten years. Will he miss you? Well, if one year on earth equals 15 seconds in Heaven, what that means is that your husband died and went to heaven, and fifteen minutes later, here you come! He’s probably still waiting in line to see Jesus.

 

According to Albert Einstein time is relative depending on the speed of the observer (the faster we go the more time slows down) and the proximity of the observer to the gravitational field of a massive body (the more massive the body, the slower time goes). In fact, at the event horizon of a black hole all time stops. Does this mean that eternity has already started there? Probably not; but the thought is intriguing. The only constant in the universe is the speed of light (although this precept is now considered questionable).

 

So, now we know a little bit about time, let’s get a little more intrigued as we consider whether or not God knows the future.

 

The implications of quantum mechanics in this area are astounding. Two stand out in considering your question.

 

First, in our universe time can move forward and/or backward.

 

Imagine that a gun is fired at you and moments later the bullet enters your body. There is nothing unusual about this scenario—except that the chance of you ever being shot are minimal. But, in our universe, time can also flow backward. In backward time, the bullet his you before the gun is fired. Impossible to imagine but backward time is quite real.

 

By the way, God could just as easily have created our universe with backward time instead of forward time.

 

The point is that God is not limited by time. He transcends time. We have a God Who moves just as easily in the future as in the past and present.

 

Second, downward causation is a foundational truth of quantum mechanics.

 

In the micro world we can cause subatomic particles to behave as we desire. We can set up experiments which predetermine just how a particular particle will behave. Our observation and choices predetermine their behaviors. Causation only moves down, never up. This means that while we can affect behavior and even existence in the micro world, we can not affect the behavior of things in dimensions larger than ours. God works downward to cause and bring into existence our world. The implication is that all of our activities are determined by God’s observations and choices. But, wait, don’t stop here.

 

Now, Unknown, you can imagine that there is much more involved in God knowing the future and predetermining our behaviors than can be found in the scientific world. While science can give us insight into the material world, there is still a spiritual world that affects everything.

 

We can begin to answer your individual questions in turn.

 

First you asked, “This may come as a shock but I was wondering, is it said in the bible that God knows everything? Or is it assumed?”

 

The answer is that many verses confirm the fact that God knows everything. I’ll share several examples.

 

“The Mighty One, God, the LORD! The Mighty One, God, the LORD! He knows!” (Joshua 22:22).

 

“For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything” (1 John 3:20).

 

“I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come” (Isaiah 46:10).

 

“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13).

 

Second you asked, “Because if God were to know everything, he must also know the future.”

 

Again, many Bible verses affirm His knowledge of the future. Here is one example: “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Matthew 24:36).

 

One of the most astounding proofs that God knows the future regards the many predictions God made about the coming of Jesus which were all fulfilled.

 

Gerry Peters.com has compiled a list of Biblical prophecies which all came true in Jesus. They came true because God looked into the future and revealed them to us.

 

In the Old Testament of the Bible, there are 300 predictions about Jesus Christ the Messiah. 48 specific details about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. What are the probabilities of OT prophecies about Christ becoming reality?

 

Birth in Bethlehem from tribe of Judah,

Preceded by messenger

Enter Jerusalem on a Colt

Betrayed by a friend

Hands and feet would be pierced

Wounded by enemies

Betrayed for 30 pieces of silver

Spit on and beaten

Betrayal money would be thrown in the Temple and then given to Buy a potter’s field

He would be silent before His accusers

He would be crucified with thieves

People would gamble for his garments

His side would be pierced

No bones would be broken

Body would not decay

Buried in a rich man’s tomb

Darkness would cover the earth. Remember, he was crucified on Passover…full moon…eclipse impossible.

 

The probability of these 17 Bible prophecies occurring is equal to 1 chance in 480 Billion X 1 Billion X 1 Trillion or 1 in 480,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 This is a calculated number through scientific study by Auticians. It’s NOT a guess.

Here’s my point: We have scientific proof that God knows the future. He knows our future. His predictions are right 100% of the time.

 

Third, you asked: “If this knowledge exists then the future must be predetermined. In result, the free will we see would only be an illusion to a plan that has already been predetermined in his head.

 

Just because God knows the future in no way means that He has determined in advance exactly what that future will be. Free will does not stop being free because God knows what will happen. When my children were small I knew for certain that when offered a bowl of chocolate ice cream and a bowl of raw spinach, they would go for the ice cream every time. My knowing this in no way took away there free choice to choose one dish over the other.

Free choice is not predetermined. However the issue of predetermination is inherent in answering your question. As referred to earlier, the idea of downward causation seems to infer that everything that happens is determined by God. However, I tend to see in downward causation an indication that God has His “fingers” in everything that happens on earth. However we sort these concepts out, there is no doubt that we are certainly free to make all kinds of choices entirely on our own. Jesus solidified our free will ability when He invited “whosoever will” to come to Him for salvation (John 3:16).

By the way, you may have heard of a relatively recent theological development among evangelical Christians known as “open theism.” The proponents of this nonclassical view postulate a God of limited omniscience who is unable to know all because He, like us, has yet to experience the future. God Himself is open to new experiences and to discovering new events as world history unfolds.

 

I chuckled when the proponents of open theology made such a splash and caused such turmoil among evangelical ranks back in the early 1990s. Proponents continue to this day. Unfortunately, their understanding of time is limited. A little exposure to the nature of time in our universe would have precluded their foolishness.

 

Now, let’s get personal. What I want to know is: “Does God have my life in His hands? Does He have good things in store for me and for my future?

 

Fortunately, when I turn to the Bible, I find plenty to give me hope that I’m not on my own. I have a God Who is intricately and lovingly involved in everything I do—past, present and future. Let me share a few verses that focus on God’s care and security for our futures.

 

“But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).

 

“O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely” (Psalm 139:1-4).

 

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11-12).

 

Well, Unknown, even though I don’t know who you are, there is a God in Heaven Who knows you very well. Fortunately, He has wonderful plans for you. I hope you enjoy them.

 

Love, Roger

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Articles

When Things Get Worse After They Get Bad

by Chet Weld
written by Chet Weld

Acts 16:19: “And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers. “ When this woman that was possessed with the spirit of divination and was following Paul and Silas, nobody knew that she was an agent of other people. She was working for her masters who were the “brains” behind the operation of the spirit of divination. The Bible says that the masters were making great financial gains through her. This woman was under the bondage of the demon of divination. 

 

But when the evil spirit operating through this lady was cast out, the woman was delivered, but her masters were angry. They had been operating behind the scenes before, but now they were forced to come out. However, they did not come out for peace. Their coming out was not to submit or to surrender. They came out to fight Paul and Silas. Paul and Silas ended up in jail but their imprisonment led to the fulfillment of God’s purpose and Paul’s mission in Macedonia.   What our enemies intend for evil God uses for good (Genesis 50:20).

 

The revelation here is that when you pray for deliverance from evil, there may be a time that the real forces behind your affliction will begin to manifest. But this manifestation comes with even greater affliction, e.g., Paul and Silas were thrown in jail.  That is why some afflictions become greater when your prayer becomes severe and intense. This is what is happening  when some people complain that the more they pray, the more severe their problems become. But if we do not give up, our problems will give up because the masters and sponsors of our problems must surely receive shame and disgrace.

 

Here are two good prayers to pray:

1.) I pray that every power profiting from my affliction be consumed by the fire of the Holy Spirit


(2) Lord, expose and disgrace every “master” who is masterminding my affliction.

 

Most of the enemies that come against us in this life are mere agents. Heartfelt prayers will give us victory over them, and their real sponsors will come out to be put to shame. Then the purpose of God for your life will continue to be fulfilled.

 

So why do things get worse after they get bad?  God wants us to fight the good fight, God wants to expose evil, and God has a bigger plan.  In the midst of trials and tribulations, we must trust in God’s timing for deliverance and in His goodness more than ever!

 

Keep in mind Isaiah 49:4 that states, “I will contend with those who contend with you.”  When we are falsely accused, “the truth will out” (“The Merchant of Venice,” by Shakespeare).    One final word of encouragement: “God works all things together for good to them that love Him, who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

 

Adapted from the writings of Evangelist, Mangeni Mathias, 3/27/11. 

 

 

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Sermons

Let Them Eat Cake: Life on Earth is On-the-Job Training for Eternity

by Roger Barrier
written by Roger Barrier

God’s grand design for man in the garden was “very good.” His plan was to lead man as rulers in the Garden to become kings and queens in eternity. The middle, or “bad” part of our journey here on earth is on-the-job training for heaven. The individual ingredients of our lives may taste awful, but in the hands of the Master Chef, they become delicious!

PLEASE WAIT FOR VIDEO TO LOAD

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Articles

Dalai Lama, Buddhism and Aloneness

by Tom Terry
written by Tom Terry

Last week, the Dalai Lama, Buddhism’s spiritual leader made this astounding quote,

“Too much attachment towards your children, towards your partner,” was “one
of the obstacles or hindrances to peace of mind.”

The whole idea of suffering, desire, and detachment in Buddhism has had an effect on Buddhist societies that most Buddhists themselves do not recognize. Buddhism not only fears suffering, but actually contributes to suffering. By emphasizing detachment and the elimination of desire, Buddhism puts an unnatural barrier on relationships that stifles the fullest possible expressions of mercy and sacrificial love. Certainly there is love in Buddhism, but not the kind of love that we see in the demonstration of Christ on the cross. That is Buddhism’s greatest tragedy. The fullest possible expression of love cannot be experienced without suffering and sacrifice. Buddhism fails to understand this, and thus is a system that has an outward expression of love that is void of a truly impassioned heart.

  • Buddhism has love without passion,
  • Islam has passion, but not love,
  • Christianity loves passionately.

Nothing expresses love in the way that Jesus’ sacrifice for us does. Buddhism and Islam deny this truth. Buddhists must work for their version of “salvation”—non-existence! Buddhism is a philosophy where the living hope for an eternal death. But Christianity presents the spiritually dead with the hope of a joy-filled, conscious eternity. There are no mediators in Buddhism or Islam to stand in for the sake of a person’s eternal destiny. But Christians have the joyful advantage of having salvation given to them freely by a God who took their punishment in their place.

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