What is the Bible trying to tell me?

If you’re like me, a book needs to grab you right from the start or you don’t keep reading.  Many people have wanted to read the Bible, only to get bogged down in the long list of unfamiliar names just five chapters into the book.  They stop reading.

The Bible seems like such an important book to so many people.  But it is very long.  It is not organized like a conventional book. Its message can seem so confusing.  I wish someone could condense the Bible’s message in a few sentences.  Just what is the Bible trying to say, anyway?

Break the entire Bible down to its barest minimum and you end up with two basic messages: The Law and the Gospel.  1)  The Law tells us that we have rebelled against God and as a result deserve God’s punishment, and 2) The Gospel tells us that God has saved us from the punishment of our rebellion through his Son, Jesus Christ and as a result we can live forever in heaven.

The Bible is full of passages that make demands of us.  The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) or Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) are some of the more familiar parts of the Bible that explain the kind of perfect life God demands.  When we fail in any way (either in what we say, think or do) – even just once – then we are no longer perfect.  We are rebels and sinners.  God says clearly in the Bible, “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a).

The Bible is also full of good news.  One of those passages is known by its familiar reference,John 3:16.  It reads, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  That’s good news!  God’s act of love trumps our sins.  Jesus has forgiven all our sins.  Heaven will be home for all who believe this!  Or, to quote the rest of Romans 6:23, “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God presents these two messages in many different ways in the Bible.  Most of those ways are through the real life events of real people – people you and I can identify with because they were rebels just like us.  And Jesus saved them just like us.  Read it and you’ll find out for yourself.

How Does God take care of my needs?

What do you need? I suppose the answer to that query all depends upon the person on the other end of the question. Ask an orphan in Guntur, India. Ask a young mom with two toddlers. Ask a hospitalized diabetic. Ask the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. What do we need?

For the vast majority of Americans the answer would not be what the child in India needs, namely a little rice and something besides a dirt floor to sleep on. Still, every individual has definite needs in life, no matter the economic or ethnic background. The essential needs of food and shelter, the physical needs of safety and security, the emotional needs of being loved and acceptedall such needs are foundational and fundamental.

How does God take care of those needs? To disciples who were caught up in a mad rush toward the accumulation of things, Jesus pointed to flowers and birds. “Your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Our loving Savior is also our caring Creator! It is he who provides us with the wisdom and strength to earn our physical needs of food and shelter. It is he who allows us the contentment of a job well done as we utilize our God-given abilities. He also provides us with protection and security through his representatives of government and police. He even provides us with emotional needs of love and acceptance through family and friends.

Yet when these human representatives of God’s providence fail us—and they often will—our caring Savior God will never fail us. “His love endures forever.” Consider how great is the love of Jesus who died and rose for us! We now know that we are acceptable to God through Christ. Our soul is safe. We are content. We have God’s promise: “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” The One who holds the stars in their place knows our names and our needs. He seeks our happiness forever, not just for a few short years now.

Look to Jesus, for he says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

What Happens to the Soul before Judgment Day?

“I miss my uncle so much! But I just know that, somehow, he’s with me right now, watching over me.”

Some people find comfort in thoughts such as these after they’ve lost a loved one. Are such thoughts valid? Are the departed still “hovering” near us? What does the Bible say?

Death, the Bible says, is the separation of body and soul. The body returns to the ground to await the resurrection, and “the spirit returns to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7).

When Christians die, their souls are immediately with the Lord in heaven. Jesus said to the penitent thief who hung on the cross next to his, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). We can comfort a dying believer, as well as ourselves, with the same assurance.

What is life like for those souls who are with Jesus in paradise? The Scriptures say little about this, and we should be careful not to say more than is written in the Bible.

In his story about the rich man and poor Lazarus, Jesus says that Lazarus was comforted at Abraham’s side after he died (Luke 16:25). The apostle Paul stated that he desired “to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far” (Philippians 1:23). We can be similarly confident that those who have died trusting in Jesus “are away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8).

“God will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4). Are the souls in heaven aware of events on earth? Solomon wrote, “The living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten. Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6).

The souls in heaven are aware that time is passing and that God’s plan of salvation is progressing (Revelation 6:9-11), but that is about all we can say with confidence. They no longer influence the events of earth. Rather than wonder what Christians are doing in heaven, it is more important for us to be Christians now, so we can join those who have gone before us.

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:31).

Why am I afraid of death?

If you want to know about catching fish, a fishing guide can help. If you want to know about cooking, talk to a chef. But, death? Who really knows about death?

No wonder so many people are afraid of dying! The atheist says death is the end of our existence. Others think death is a natural part of life. Who really knows? Can anyone take away our fear?

Yes. The Lord can. THE LORD CAN TAKE AWAY OUR FEARS OF BOTH PHYSICAL DEATH AND SPIRITUAL DEATH.

God tells us in his Holy Word the reason for death. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Also in Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned. “Death is the penalty for sin, and since everyone dies, all are indeed sinners. This does scare us!

But, God’s Word tells us something else about death. GOD’S WORD TELLS US THAT EVEN THOUGH WE WILL ALL EXPERIENCE PHYSICAL DEATH, WE DO NOT HAVE TO FEAR THE EXPERIENCE OF SPIRITUAL DEATH.

Do you remember what the thief on the cross next to Jesus asked? “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (Luke 23:42). Do you remember Jesus’ answer? “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43).

You see, OUR PHYSICAL death is ONLY THE END OF OUR LIFE ON EARTH. OUR PHYSICAL DEATH is the door to ETERNAL LIFE IN HEAVEN!

But, now I suppose you are afraid of eternity? The Bible tells us “but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). You see, everyone who believes that Jesus died on the cross to take away the penalty of sin (eternal death in hell) has the gift of eternal life in heaven.

Now wouldn’t it be great to speak to someone who has already been there and came back to tell us about it. Well, there is. Jesus. Jesus EXPERIENCED PHYSICAL death and CAME BACK TO LIFE to tell us about ETERNAL LIFE IN HIM.

God’s own Son did this, AND TELLS US ABOUT IT IN THE BIBLE. Now that’s one great authority on death we can trust!

What is heaven?

“Why are you so happy, Dad?”

Dad is holding a newborn daughter in his arms.  The five-year-old son wonders why Dad’s smile is so large.

Can a father ever fully explain?  Can a young son grasp the awe that grabs the heart of a dad when a new life comes into the world?

The reality of heaven may be more than human minds can fully comprehend.  Yet we ask, “What is heaven?”  God does give us some answers.

What is heaven?

Jesus once told his friends, “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I am going . . . to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

What is heaven?

The Apostle Peter told his friends, “In keeping with [God’s] promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.”

What is heaven?

The Apostle John writes, “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘. . . [God] will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’  He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new’!”

What is heaven?  God gives us answers.  Heaven is a real destination, a place.  Heaven is a place of moral perfection, available to sinful humans only through Jesus’ saving work.  Heaven is place of perfect joy, without a single tear ever again.

But what is heaven?  What exactly will it look like?  Why can’t I see it now?

Questions.  Good questions.  Questions not so different from the sincere question of a son to the proud father of a new child.

“Why are you so happy, Dad?”

The father’s answer may not include every detail, but he will emphasize the point that matters most.  He will answer in a way the son can understand.  “Son, having a baby is like having the biggest, hugest chocolate birthday cake you could ever imagine.”

The five-year-old gets a smile on his face.  He understands.

What is heaven?

The Father replies, “Heaven is a place of perfect joy—you will never be sad again.”  We can understand that, and with a huge smile on our face.

Unchanging Hope for an Ever-changing World

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.  (Hebrews 13:8)

As one year ends and another begins, columnists and commentators look back at the previous year. What changed? What stayed the same? Whose passing did we mourn? Whose new arrival did we celebrate?

At the same time, we make predictions about the coming year. What will the new year hold? What will change? What will stay the same?

As fun and exciting as it may be to reminisce about the past and dream about the future, it can also be a little sad and scary. Things will likely never be what they used to be. Loved ones who have passed away don’t come back. Jobs that are lost seldom reappear quickly. Even when broken dreams and broken relationships are repaired, they rarely return to their former glory. Many times our experiences in an ever-changing world are difficult.

Yet we sometimes look at our lives and see a need for change. Many of us make New Year’s resolutions: “I’m going to exercise more and eat less.” “I’m going to save more and spend less.” “I’m going to love more and hate less.” But too often, our good intentions disappear, and only poor excuses remain.

No matter what (or who) changes from one year to the next, there is one who never changes—Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He always exists, from before time, throughout the course of time, and at the end of time for eternity. Jesus loved you before you were born. He loves you today, and he will always love you.

Jesus loved you so much that he wanted you to experience his unchanging love forever. So he came into the world to live up to God’s perfect demands in your place. He took the punishment for your imperfection and gave you the reward for his perfection. That reward is an eternity far away from this world’s sorrows and disappointments—the unchanging peace and joy of a place called heaven.

Jesus—the same yesterday, today, and forever—promises to be with us, to love us, to care for us, and to give perfect peace with God to all who trust in him. Only Jesus offers unchanging hope to an ever-changing world.

How did God become a man?

How did God become a man?

In a word: “miraculously.” When God became a man in the person of Jesus Christ, he overthrew the basic principle on which he had founded the universe: the distinction between the Creator and the creation.

The opening words of the Bible make that distinction clear: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”(Genesis 1:1). That means God is not the world, nor is he anything in the world.

The chasm between God and everything that isn’t God is vast and unbridgeable. Martin Luther once said it would be far easier to understand that a man became a donkey, than that God became a man. “Man” and “donkey” have much more in common. They’re both creatures, which makes them fundamentally like each other and fundamentally different from their Creator.

The Bible states that at a specific time and place in history, the eternal, almighty, infinite God became a human being like you and me, and yet without ceasing for an instant to be God.

God’s own angel explained it to a virgin by the name of Mary. He said: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God” Luke 1:35.

This results in paradoxes we simply can’t understand. The Bible makes no attempt to explain them either. It simply says the baby who lay in the manger at Bethlehem is the Creator of the universe. The infinite, eternal God grew up in a village in Galilee. The almighty God went hungry, got thirsty, and even fell asleep.

Most miraculous and amazing of all, the immortal, eternal God died on Jesus’ cross.

These truths have important implications and blessings for us. Here are a few of them: Jesus’ atoning work is limitless in its scope and application; the sins of the world are completely paid; the redemption of mankind is accomplished; and God’s love for people is boundless.

How Old Is the Earth?

If one reads through the last several hundred years of scientific thought, one discovers that the estimated age of the Earth and of the universe has increased by billions of years over that period. New discoveries have led to the estimated age continually being increased, as room on the time line for more phenomena has been needed and as simple explanations have been superseded by more complex ones.

The reason for these changes is, of course, the nature of science. It is the goal of science to build models that explain all the observed phenomena. As more data is gathered, models often have to be revised. Finding the truth is beyond the capability of science because scientists can only examine a minute number of the relevant cases that exist. There will always be new information requiring the recasting of models to accommodate it.

Science is further hampered by the fact that it can only gather its data during a tiny part of what it estimates is the long timeline of the universe. From mathematics we know that interpolation, the finding of the values of unmeasured points within the interval of measured points on a line, can often be very accurate, even if the exact functional relationship for the data points is unknown. Extrapolation, the finding of the values of unmeasured points outside of the interval of measured points on a line, rapidly becomes inaccurate as one reaches two or three times the measured interval. At millions of times the measured interval, as is the case with evolutionary models, it has no accuracy whatsoever.

The larger problem with assigning an age to the Earth is that of possible discontinuities. Evolutionary models assume natural processes have occurred with no outside interference. What we see, however, may merely be a stage setting for a divine drama. When one sees a stage play, the characters refer to personal histories that do not exist. Sets are built and dialogue written as if events had occurred in these histories, even though they have not. In the same way a supernatural being, a god, could have set up what we see through non-natural means, which by definition are unknowable through scientific methods. Scientists can only work with what they can observe. If those observations are a result of manipulations of what they see by a supernatural being, then scientific models are junk.

The Bible teaches that the Earth and the universe were indeed created as the backdrop for the drama of mankind, which the LORD God set in motion after he had completed creating the universe. While the apparent age of the Earth and the universe is billions of years, the Bible says that the actual age since creation is only about to 6 to 10 thousand years. Therefore we see stars today that may not exist, and we find fossils of animals that may never have lived. They are merely props for the human drama. Moreover, there is no scientific experiment which can determine whether the evolutionary model or the biblical model is correct, because the methods of science cannot measure anything beyond natural processes. Accepting either model is a matter of faith.

How will we know when Judgment Day is near?

The Stevens family was planning a trip over the Thanksgiving weekend to visit relatives in northern Wisconsin. The initial game plan was that everyone in their family would pack for the trip on Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon, tidy up final packing needs before going to bed on Wednesday night, and basically just roll out of bed on Thursday morning and hit the road. You can probably guess how it really happened.

Tuesday night ended up being packed with piano lessons, dance class, a gymnastics workout and a basketball game. Wednesday afternoon they had to finish last minute laundry, get someone to watch the dog, and look for the luggage still buried in the attic from summer vacation. Wednesday evening they managed to finish the laundry and find the luggage, but they were all tired and figured they could get up early Thursday morning and pack for the trip. That ended up being a stressful disaster of the entire family needing the bathroom at the same time, crossing paths in the kitchen at the same time, and forgetting pillows, CD player batteries, and the fruit salad—not to mention leaving two hours late.

How will we know when Judgement Day is near? “Prepare!” is Jesus’ most revealing answer. Sure, Jesus instructs us about the “signs of the times” that alert us he is coming, as birth pains remind a pregnant mother it’s time to go to the hospital. And these signs have been happening ever since Jesus spoke about them: wars, hurricanes, violence, catastrophes. We hear about them on the news and they rightly remind us that we are only visiting this planet. Our real destiny is eternity. But when?

“No one knows about that day or hour,” Jesus explains (Matthew 24:36).

We all want to be ready for Judgement Day like the Stevens family wanted to be ready for their trip, but our lives are busy too. Are your bags packed for heaven right now or has the busyness of life left you hoping to get at it soon enough? If Jesus returns this afternoon, what would you regret leaving undone, unpacked, or unprepared? The people of Noah’s day knew the flood was coming. Crazy old Noah was building a huge ark in an area of the country that had no large body of water as an emergency alert to everyone that the flood was near, but they didn’t care. They didn’t believe it because they didn’t want to believe it. They were too involved in the busyness of their lives “eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage.” If any of us lets the busyness of life distract our attention from actively watching for Jesus, when Jesus comes we will be left behind for destruction. “Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left” (Matthew 24:40,41).

When Jesus comes he will find people involved in everyday activities. The busyness of those activities will have so occupied the lives of some that they don’t expect the unexpected return of Jesus, and it catches them by surprise. Don’t be one of them. Expect the unexpected. Repent of falling asleep in a night of spiritual inactivity and live as a child of the day, watching diligently and actively waiting, preparing for that day, persevering in doing God’s will, and praying that you can help others prepare for the day when Jesus comes.

How will we know when Judgement Day is near? Jesus answers that question, not by putting a date on our calendars, but by filling our days with activities and attention so that we are ready whenever he does return. It could be tomorrow. It could be centuries from now. If he does come tomorrow or three months from now, however, don’t be surprised, saying, “Jesus is here?” Rather expect the unexpected and say, “Jesus is here!”

How do I know my faith is real?

There are different tests documented to determine that which is real and that which is not. People have bitten into gold coins, pinched themselves, and examined official papers to determine authenticity. The training the United States Secret Service undergoes in their quest to insure that our paper currency is real can serve as an example for answering this question.

The U.S. Secret Service needs to know if a hundred dollar bill down to a one-dollar bill is real or counterfeit. To help them spot that which is not real, the agents are placed into a room with only the real currency. They are to touch it, feel it, examine it, and scrutinize it, until they know exactly what real United States paper currency is. They train themselves to know what is real and in so doing they can spot that which is not.

Real faith is based on the Word of God. The Bible tells us faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes from the Bible. So to know if faith is real, one should immerse oneself in the Scriptures to see what they say about God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Examining the Scriptures can take many different forms. Weekly attendance in church to hear the pastor proclaim the truths of God’s Word is a start. Joining a Bible study group to spend time asking questions and receiving answers on sections of Scripture is another. A third and personal way is to take time daily to read from God’s Word, to meditate on the thoughts and to pray about its meaning.

Real faith is given to us by God the Holy Spirit as we study God’s Word. The foundation of this faith is Jesus Christ, God’s only son, who died to take all our sins away and then rose again to assure us of everlasting life. This is real, because the Bible tells us so.