Responding to a Skeptic

Recently some pro-atheism videos showed up on my YouTube home page.  I watched a few of them, and I'm intrigued by what I've heard.

The videos are made by a young atheist who grew up in an evangelical Christian family.  By his own admission, he was a zealous and dedicated Christian.  Then he went to college, took some science courses, and started doubting the Biblical creation account.  Now he makes his living by producing videos to help other people deal with their atheism.

I could respond to him by reviewing the arguments for and against God, or I could analyze evolution versus creationism.  But I'm really intrigued by the "heart" of what I'm hearing from this man and by the Christian "environment" he grew up in.

He said that he was taught and/or believed that:

• Only people in his denomination were true Christians.
• He could only listen to music that honored Christ and was Christian based.
• Christianity is about behaving a certain way, following certain rules and ideas.

Modern American Christianity has many "brands."  And popular Christian teachers who promote various teachings are, by definition, attractive to Christians.  Most of these writers and speakers profess the basics of the Christian faith.  And they often have helpful advice and teachings about relationships and daily living.

But these teachers have a big potential to lead people astray, and that's the reason I'm so critical and cautious about them and their teachings.

You see, we're all legalists.  Give us a topic or a task, and we'll make rules.  For instance:

• What can I do or not do on the Sabbath?
• What does it mean to tithe?
  
• What clothes are appropriate for Christians?
• What music, movies, and books are acceptable?
• How should I wear my hair?
• What about make-up, tattoos, jewelry?
• Public vs private vs homeschool?
• What foods can I eat?
• Medicines and vaccines?
• How should I interpret the Bible?  What version?
  

While Christians live in this world, day-to-day, the heart of the gospel they believe gets forgotten and missed, and I know this because I'm guilty of forgetting it!  We all want and tend to "move beyond" the sin and salvation message.  Christianity becomes about how we live, about our good works.

Individual Christians, teachers, pastors, churches, and Christian organizations, even out of good intentions, can fall into this trap of legalism and works righteousness.  And it's always doomed to fail.

But Jesus has something to say on this.  In the Sermon on the Mount, He makes this well-known statement:

You have heard that it was said, "You shall not commit adultery."  But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:27-28

Later in Matthew, Jesus says:

For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.                           Matthew 15:19

Even if we, as Christians, could always follow the law perfectly, we're still guilty.  And we know it!  

Jeremiah says:

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?  Jeremiah 17:19

Sin is a part of our being.  It's why we can't control our hearts, our feelings, our thoughts, our desires.  Sin goes deeper than our works.

Paul says this about himself:

For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.  Romans 7:15

This is the reality of the Christian's life - it's a tension and a struggle between our sinful nature and the Spirit that lives within us.  And it's hard.  Even when we do what's right, we don't always think it.  Or we act saintly out of pride, so others can see us.

But the beauty of this tension is - in knowing my sin and my broken heart, in knowing my helplessness - it's in this and this alone that I can so deeply understand and appreciate the reason for, and the power and the beauty of the cross - of Jesus dying for my sins.  

In other words, if I didn't have some concept of my own sin, the sin that's deep within me, then the cross would make no sense.  And when the cross makes no sense, we make up rules for ourselves and others to follow.  We're all Pharisees at heart.

In Romans, Paul diagnoses and convicts us all, and then gives us the good news.

For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.              Romans 10:3-4

So, in a round-about way, my question to this young atheist is, "What do you do with your sin, the sin deep inside of you?"

 

Online Services - Is This a Good Thing?

On weekend mornings when I was a kid, I'd get up early, and all morning long I'd watch cartoons.  On Saturdays there was always lots of cartoons; on Sundays, not so many.  So on Sundays, while waiting for the cartoons to start, I'd watch Rex Humbard.  

I didn't know this at the time, but Rex Humbard was the first televangelist to have a weekly program in the United States.  I don't remember a thing that he preached, but I do remember being fascinated and envious of the people who were lucky to attend that church, while I sat at home and watched the service on television.  

Fast forward to today - because of the pandemic, practically every church now has live-streamed services.  This has been a good thing, especially when churches were closed for several months.  It's also been a good thing for anyone who was sick or understandably nervous about getting sick.  

And it's still a good thing; live-stream is here to stay.  Every church has people who are home bound.  And all of us get sick, we go on vacation, we sometimes have to work on Sundays.  It's good to be able to "virtually" participate in a church service, when we can't physically attend that service.

Today my readings included Psalm 84.  This Psalm is the prayer of someone who's longing to visit God's house.

My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD.  Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. (verses 2, 4, and 10)

And I can't read that Psalm aloud without becoming emotional.

We can worship the Lord anywhere, at any place and at any time.  But there's something special about being at God's house, at His church, a place designated for worship.

Perhaps for Christians who grew up always going to church, the weekly service can sometimes seem "not as special" as it's meant to be.  But hopefully the pandemic has shown us that we Christians are made to live in community.

Faith isn't an "alone" thing.  We need one another.  We need encouragement and friendship from other Christians.  Also, by living in community, we learn how to love one another, to forgive one another, and to serve one another.                          

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.  Hebrews 10:24-25 

Throughout this past year, I've been praying that the pandemic would end, and that, in its ending, the Lord would be glorified in this whole thing, in some manner.  

As we move forward, I pray that our churches and the people in them are even more aware and committed, and faithfully trusting and knowing the Lord and what He's done for us.  While that may not translate into numbers of people, I'm really praying for the condition of our hearts.

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:9-14

 

This "Death Thing"

My Uncle Teddy died last week.  He had cancer.  He was my mother's brother, a loving husband, father of three sons, and a Vietnam veteran.  I grieve for him and his family.

So far in 2021, I've served at over 20 military funerals with our local Veterans Honor Guard, including a funeral for one of our own leaders. 

Since January, our church has had quite a few funerals, close to as many as we'd have in a year.

And this past year, I've lost several college classmates.

I have to say, "I don't like this death thing."  

The majority of our prayer requests are for people who are ill, hospitalized, whose bodies are breaking down.  We cry out to the Lord, "Please heal him.  Please heal us.  Don't let us get sick."  We pray this especially for our children, for our friends, for our loved ones, and for ourselves. 

And our prayers really come down to this, "Lord, don't let us die."

The fact is, we weren't created to die.  But when sin came into the world, death came.  And man dies.

For the wages of sin is death.  Romans 6:23a

Years ago, I often listened to a popular Christian radio host, and he liked to say, "The death rate is one per person.  Everybody's going to make it."

It's sobering; it's scary; we don't like to think about death.

These days, we don't even like to say "death."  Instead of saying, "He died," we say, "He passed away."  It just sounds more pleasant.

"Passed away" - I've never really liked that phrase.  It's almost like denying that death isn't real, that losing someone doesn't hurt. 

Then one day I read:

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.             John 5:24

And there it is!  

Even though sin has condemned us to death, we know that, because of Jesus, we don't just die.  We don't face final judgment; we don't even "pass away."  But when we die, we "pass from death into life!"

...but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 6:23b

In dying on the cross for our sins, Jesus defeated death.

We can now say with Paul...

O death, where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting? Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  1 Corinthians 15:55, 57

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  Philippians 1:21

In the months before my uncle died, the good news, the gospel was shared with him, and he was baptized.  So when Uncle Teddy died, he also passed into life with Jesus.  That's our faith, our hope, our certainty - that when we die, we'll pass into life with Jesus.

We continue to grieve at death, but not like those who have no hope.

Our God, in His mercy, His love, His goodness, He saved us and continues to save us.

Spaghetti Sauce and Chili

At the beginning of each week, I often prepare several meals ahead of time.  Last week, I made some spaghetti sauce (I like to make my own) and a batch of chili.  I told my husband and son, who are both at home during the day, that these meals were in the refrigerator for their lunch, if they wanted.   

On Thursday evening, the spaghetti sauce was gone.  I asked my husband if they'd had spaghetti for lunch. And...well...you know the rest of the story.  Yep, seriously, he ate the spaghetti sauce.  He ate it for lunch, not once, but two days in a row, thinking it was the chili.  Until I told him that he'd eaten spaghetti sauce, he was sure that he had eaten the chili.  

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I've gotten a lot of mileage out of this story, and I figured there must be a faith lesson here as well.

So, what are you eating?  

I'm not talking about the daily food that we physically eat.  I'm referring to our spiritual diet.  

Jesus told his disciples:

I have food to eat that you do not know about.  John 4:32

We get our spiritual nourishment when we:

• Attend worship, listening to God's Word being read and preached
• Spend time reading God's Word and praying
• Partake of the Lord's Supper, during communion
• Share our faith with other Christians

These days, there's also an abundance of religious writings and teachers.  But Jesus warned his disciples to:

Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.  Matthew 16:6

Beware of false prophets...You will recognize them by their fruits.  Matthew 7:15-16

For us today, I take that to mean that not all books, sermons, or teachers that are labeled Christian are actually edifying for the Christian.  But, like chili and spaghetti sauce, we can't always tell the difference.  

Being discerning is a tricky concept.  Some people think anything called Christian is good.  On the other hand, there are people who find flaws with everything.  

It's hard to know what or whom to believe.  And many books and teachings do have academic value to the Christian or are a useful guide for Christian living.    

But, and here's the rub, our soul desperately needs real bread, that real manna from heaven.  Our soul needs to be taken to that place of despair, of truthfully seeing how horrible our sin is, of seeing our need for a savior, of seeing our need for Jesus.  We need God's Word and preaching to convict us.

And then, we need to know and to hear the love of God for us.  We need to hear that Jesus lived among us, suffered with us, and died on the cross for our sins, and that He defeated death and rose again.  To have hope, to have peace for our souls and rest in this life, that's what we need to hear; that's what we need to ingest into our very being.  That's our bread and our manna from heaven.  We need to "take that in" lest we starve and die.

It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God."  Matthew 4:4

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Romans 5:8

2021 - A Year of Hope

The year 2020 is finally over.  At first, the whole pandemic thing seemed like an inconvenience, just a blip in our lives.  Next came the economic issues, the social turmoil, and the political discord.  And then, the pandemic thing just kept going, keeps going, and is getting more complicated and controversial. 

Our lives have always been full of turmoil, in one manner or another.  But for most of us, 2020 was a year replete with more trouble than we're used to.  Who'd have guessed that so much of our day-to-day lives now happens online, or contact-less and with masks?

For this year, a Lutheran pastor designed a calendar called

2021 - A Year of Hope.

I've been thinking a lot about that - A Year of Hope.  What does that mean and what is our hope?

Do we hope that the vaccine hurries up and takes effect, or that herd immunity happens quickly?  Do we trust that our friends and family are helping to keep us safe?  Or do we hope in our own good health, that surely this virus won't be lethal to me or my family?  

The truth is, even when this pandemic is over and forgotten, tragedy, sickness, sin, hurt, and death are still going to be happening.  And, unless Jesus returns before it happens, each one of us will die, of something.  Our hope isn't in the things of this world, because they are passing away and aren't of substance.

He [Jesus] was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.  1 Peter 1:20-21

I know that He's at work in all that's going on around me, the pandemic, social unrest, and even my own personal struggles.  He is at work to lead me to repentance, to increase my faith and my trust in Him, teaching me about my own sin and His great love for me as Lord, my God, my Savior.

As this pandemic drags on, I've been convicted a lot about my own sin, my weak faith and prayers, and my need for repentance.  I can't stop the pandemic or ease our social and political tensions.  But I can pray for forgiveness of my sins, for wisdom, for an increase in my faith, for humility, for a greater ability to love and forgive others, and to bear much fruit.  And I know that He has promised to hear and answer my prayers.

My hope is in the Lord who made heaven and earth.

Hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.  Romans 5:5

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.  Romans 15:13

Let all our days and years be full of hope in the Lord; we are redeemed by the blood of Jesus and our hope is in Him.