Is God Real?

In the classic Christmas movie, Miracle on 34th Street, the lawyers ask the judge to make a ruling - "Is there or is there not a Santa Claus?"  Ultimately, the defense lawyer provides "authoritative proof" that his client is in fact Santa Claus.  

But when considering the existence of God, there's no clear-cut evidence or "silver bullet" that persuades and satisfies everybody that God is real.

Over the years, I've read lots of homeschool books dealing with apologetics and defense of the Christian faith.  And I can give sound reasons for the existence of God - based on science, logic, philosophy, history, and theology.

But all those "academic" answers fall short. 

"Is God real?" is a human question, coming from a real person.  The human mind may understand solid facts and arguments for God - while the human heart remains unconvinced.

If I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.                                1 Corinthians 13:2

How would I answer "Is God real?"

Yes, Jesus.
Life's hard and it doesn't always make a lot of sense.  I know me and my faults, and I know that only Jesus has the answer and gives peace. 

Science and logic miss the human factor and don't offer comfort to the hurting soul.

But where the rubber meets the road - there's Jesus.  He came in the flesh, for the forgiveness of sins, so that you may have life.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.  John 14:27

Favorite Homeschool Books

One of the unique benefits of homeschooling is that a family reads and studies the same materials, together, and then has a common "experience" of learning.  



Several years ago, I was reading The Golden Goblet to my youngest son, when my oldest son walked into the room and said he remembered reading that book.  And we laughed and reminisced. 

Here's a short list of some of the books we've enjoyed:

The Scarlet Pimpernel - Although set during the French Revolution, the story is a romantic comedy, with an unlikely superhero.  High school.

The Golden Goblet - A historical novel, set in ancient Egypt, the story is about a boy who wants to be a goldsmith.  We loved the "one-eyed ancient" who peers at people with his one eye.  Upper elementary or middle school.

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch - This is the true story of Nathaniel Bowditch, who became a self-taught seaman and wrote The American Practical Navigator.  Upper elementary or middle school.

The Man in the Iron Mask - This is the last of The Three Musketeers books, and arguably the best.  I cried when Porthos died.  High school.

The Little Britches Books by Ralph Moody - These historical books chronicle the adventures of Ralph Moody's family, during the early 1900s.  I cried at the end of book #1 - "So long partner."  Upper elementary to middle school, but good for all ages.

The Physics of Star Trek - We're a trekkie family.  The book explains:    1) various Star Trek marvels and devices that could never scientifically happen, and 2) Star Trek inventions that are now everyday realities.  High school.

Around the World in Eighty Days - We love Passepartout, and how he says "No" to the Mormon missionary.  And, in the end, Phileas Fogg gets the money and the girl.  High school.

Oliver Twist -I still remember reading this to the older boys, with Al, who was 4, sitting on my lap, and Al saying, "He's going to eat his head?!!"  Read the book!  High school.

The Taming of the Shrew - We read this Shakespeare comedy aloud, with assigned parts.  I had all the female lines.  High school.

The Greenleaf Guide to Old Testament History - The guide has Bible readings in chronological order, along with questions and comments.  My sons love, love, love the Old Testament genealogies - something about the funny names.  All ages, except for early elementary.

The Bible - Even if you don't homeschool, reading the Bible together is a good thing to do with your family. 

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Unplug It And Plug It Back In?

Recently, my car's heating and audio controls quit working.  The settings were stuck on high heat and an "oldies" radio station.  And, at about the same time, my exercise bike display began shorting out.  

I was thinking, "Take car to get fixed and buy a new exercise bike." 

Then, my son Scott found a youtube video on car consoles.  With a few simple tools, he unhooked some wires and disconnected the system, then he hooked it back up.   

The system reset itself, and in less than ten minutes, problem solved!  I could change the radio station, and adjust heat in the car.  In like manner and even less time, Scott fixed my exercise bike.

The "go to" fix these days seems to be, "Unplug it and plug it back in."  We've all experienced that with computers, and it works.

I got to thinking, "Wouldn't it be great if we could do that with relationship issues?"  I could just reset the situation, as if the conflict never occurred.  That would make life more pleasant.

But..as much as I hate my sin and regret many of the things I say, and as uncomfortable as relationship issues are...I know there's value and growth in knowing and confessing my own failures.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  1 John 1:8-9

My sin shows me my inability to act correctly and my need for forgiveness - that I need Jesus and His work on the cross.

When I'm honest with myself and my God, and confess my sins to Him, ask for His mercy, and receive His forgiveness, my heart is tenderized.

I glimpse the treasures of the cross, and see other people with new eyes.  I'm able to love and forgive them, as I've been forgiven.  Mutual trust and depth of relationships are built on that love and forgiveness. 

The Way of the Cross is not to "unplug it and plug it back in."

I can't pull the plug on all the hurts I've caused others, and I can't unplug myself, and get rid of the scars I've received.  

But I can return to the cross, again and again, asking forgiveness and forgiving others, and learning to love them as Jesus loves me.

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.  Ephesians 4:32 

You won't find those directions on a youtube video, but hopefully you'll find it in your church.

 

Going Home

Trekkie Alert!

In the series premier of Star Trek Voyager, the Voyager ship and crew find themselves in foreign space, needing 70 years in space travel to get home.  They're so far away that they don't even have voice or data communication with earth. 

For most of the Voyager episodes, life goes on.  The crew meets alien beings and encounters unique situations, just like in other Star Trek shows.  

But the Voyager crew is always aware they're in foreign space, and "finding a way home" is continually on their minds.

Voyager Arrives Home

Then, in the surprising series finale, the crew manages to get home, after only 7 years!  

Every time I watch this episode, I have a sense of joy when Voyager emerges into home space, amidst a fleet of waiting starships.   



As I watched the finale recently, I thought, "Why is this so good?"

I was reminded of my time in the military and how I felt about coming home for Christmas. 

But I think it's bigger than that.  The whole premise of Voyager is that they're working and living in foreign space, learning and growing...but their aim is to get home.

And...I thought about the Christian life. 

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Philippians 3:20

A wise man once told me to "Embrace the journey."  That's not always easy, especially when bad things happen - money issues, relationship problems, health concerns, spiritual struggles, and death.

But what makes it a "journey" is that the "journey" isn't the final destination.  The journey brings experience, maturity, faith.  And then...sooner or later...it ends.

I confess that I often live like the journey, success in this life, is the main thing.   

At the Naval Academy, we always knew the exact number of days until Christmas break.  And once we turned in our last final exam, the semester was over.  Freedom!

Today, I'm just like God's people in the Old Testament - who lived in a foreign country, waiting for freedom, waiting to go home.

My prayer for this New Year is to "embrace the journey" and always remember the destination, that the journey will take me to someplace better, home.  Heaven is a promise and a hope that's sure.

Amen, come Lord Jesus. 

Why Do You Go To Church?

On the Christmas episode of The Middle, Axl Heck asks his mom, Frankie, why she goes to church.  

 
Frankie's first response is:

• You're supposed to go.
• To see my friends.
• I get to dress-up and sing.
• For the donuts.

Of course, Frankie gives a better response at the end of the show, and while waiting for her final answer, I considered the question.

I've often heard Christians give these reasons for attending church: "I want to be motivated and encouraged to do better this week, to be a better person" or "It's interesting.  I always learn something."

In the show, Frankie's final answer is that she wants to be part of something bigger and better than her ordinary and sometimes cruddy life, and that church makes her feel better.

While all of the above may be "true" answers for why people go to church, I would answer in a different way, and these verses come to mind:

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!  Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Psalm 34:8 

Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. Psalm 81:10b

I go to church with my fellow Christians to receive the Lord's gifts and to take refuge in Him.  God's in the business of giving.

• When we confess our sins together, I hear and receive God's forgiveness and peace, from the mouth of my pastor.
• When we proclaim our faith together, I experience the Communion of Saints.
• When we pray together, I have hope and certainty that He will answer.
• When we hear His Word read and then preached, I receive His grace.
• When we partake of communion, Christ's body and blood, I again receive His forgiveness and peace. 

Although songs, praise, worship, offerings are all a part of our church service, the truth is...He doesn't need my gifts. 

But I need His. 

And as an added gift, He's given me His church.  When we Christians "assemble together" we receive His gifts, and we're an encouragement and witness to each other, just by being there. 

A New Identity

Parents Weekend - Aug 1980

Just a few days after I turned 18, I entered the United States Naval Academy with the class of 1984.  And my life changed forever...

At the Academy, an incoming midshipman is a plebe, whose training is overseen by the upperclass midshipmen.  This begins in July and continues to mid-May.


And a plebe is the "lowest form of life" in Bancroft Hall - the dorm that houses over 4000 midshipmen.

Plebes aren't allowed to talk or loiter in the hallways of Bancroft.  When they have somewhere to go, plebes run down the center of the hall, saying "Beat Army, Sir" or "Go Navy, Sir" at every corner.  And, that's the easy part.

During the six weeks of plebe summer, my identity changed. 

The girl from Kentucky, who got straights A's and watched Kentucky basketball, who liked softball, track, cheerleading, knitting, and writing poetry - that person was no more.  

At first, life as a plebe was about surviving and staying out of trouble.  

But as plebe year continued, and even later...as a midshipman, as a Marine Officer, and as a wife, mother, friend...life became about serving, doing what needed to be done, not looking for praise - even avoiding the spotlight.

And that's the way of any type of "basic training."  A person gets broken down, shown his own weaknesses...and then is given a new identity and a new way of life.

From Reading Romans with Luther by RJ Grunewald:

The chief purpose of this letter [Romans] is to break down, to pluck up, and to destroy all wisdom and righteousness of the flesh. 

From the same book, and quoting Luther:

Christ wants our whole disposition to be so stripped down that we are...unafraid of being embarrassed for our faults and also do not delight in the glory and vain joys of our virtues. 

Reading that, I immediately thought of plebe year, and I realized that Romans is the basic training, "boot camp" letter of the Bible.

Romans shows us our own sin and our own need, and inability to keep God's law.  His law breaks us down.

...as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. Romans 3:10-11

Even when I read God's law, I can't "will" myself to not sin, and to obey, from my heart.  It's too much, and it's a foreign place to be.

But God makes it His work. 

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4

He forgives, shows me His grace, clothes me with Christ's righteousness, and gives me a new heart.

And after showing me my need, giving me a new identity, Romans further shows me how to live and serve others (Romans chapter 13 and 14) with the example of Christ (Romans 15).

To Paul and to Luther, this wasn't dry theology or a self-help manual.  This was life, experienced, thru knowing sin, guilt, and hopelessness...to knowing grace.  A new identity, lived in Christ.

Disobedient Children

My son Al just finished reading Romeo and Juliet, and one of our discussion topics was "The Penalty for Disobeying Parents."  

Our literature program had this to say:

The law of God is very clear about children who are incorrigible delinquents.  The penalty is death (Deuteronomy 21:18-21)...The Puritans in New England had a law that required the execution of disobedient children.  However, the law was never used, because there was no recording of a child being disobedient.  Thus, the law with its capital punishment ensured obedience.*

Those last sentences make a bold statement.  They claim that the Puritan children didn't sin, never disobeyed their parents, because of the law.  

Who knew?  The remedy for sin, that really works, is the death penalty.

But I don't believe those Puritan children never disobeyed their parents.  And it starts in Genesis...

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”  Genesis 2:16-17   

And what happened?  Adam and Eve sinned...and death came to man.

We live in a fallen, sinful world.  And man is always looking for an answer.  Some people believe that by enacting certain laws and enforcing punishment, we can fix the world.  But the law can't and doesn't...

...For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.                                 2 Corinthians 3:6

and

...if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. Galatians 2:21 

The truth is, we're all deserving of death.  Not only do we sin, but we're not even capable of keeping the law.  We're all disobedient children.

Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?  Romans 7:24

That's why the good news of Jesus is Good News.  

Because God did and does the same thing that those Puritan parents did for their children - He shows mercy and love to His children, giving them righteousness that they didn't earn.  

He accepts the work of Christ on our behalf, on my behalf, and gives life.

The hope for this world is not perfect laws, perfect rulers, perfect government, perfect parents, perfect children.  That's not even possible.

The hope for the world is Jesus.  Jesus for me, for my sins.

 
*Smarr Publishers Survey of British Literature, Romeo and Juliet - Lesson 5, by Robert Watson