What Are The Chances?

 

Today is Good Friday.  The day that Christians all around the world stop and contemplate the sacrifice by Jesus on the cross to bridge the gap between God and humankind.  I have been asked by a close friend in the past "You aren't one of those Christians are you?  One that takes the Bible literally, are you?"  I've been scolded by a Christian friend not to take the Bible as literal because it isn't trustworthy like a history book.  I've been made fun of by atheists who say I'm unintelligent because I take my faith blindly, without logic or reason.  I respectfully disagree with them all. 

In an exercise of building my own faith,  I have asked myself, "What are the chances?"  Well, come to find out, I'm not the only one that has wondered about that very question. Mathematicians and statistical scholars have asked too, and they have even calculated the odds.  So, here they are:

There are over 700 prophecies written to help us identify the Messiah throughout the Bible.  Prophecies foretelling how, when, where of his birth, death and resurrection.  And don't forget, also his return.

Dr Peter Stoner (Science Speaks, 1958)  calculated the probability  that the chance of one man accidentally fulfilling just 8 of these prophecies is one in 10 ¹⁷ It is a number that is hard to wrap the mind around.  Here is an illustration by Dr. Stoner to help us visualize it:

If you mark one of ten tickets, and place all the tickets in a hat, and thoroughly stir them, and then ask a blindfolded man to draw one, his chance of getting the right ticket is one in ten. Suppose that we take 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They'll cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would've had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man, from their day to the present time, providing they wrote them in their own wisdom.

Now, what are the odds that only 48 of the more than 700  prophecies of Jesus were fulfilled?  Dr. Stoner estimated the odds against that to be 1 in 10 to the power 157. [1]  A number that would fill a  blank page with zeros.  Here is an illustration to help us visualize this number:

How large is the number one in 10¹⁵⁷? Well, it contains 157 zeros! Stoner gives an illustration of this number using electrons.

Electrons are very small objects. They're smaller than atoms. It would take 2.5 TIMES 10¹⁵ of them, laid side by side, to make one inch. Even if we counted 250 of these electrons each minute, and counted day and night, it would still take 19 million years just to count a line of electrons one-inch long.

Statistically, any odds beyond 1 in 10⁵⁰ have a zero probability of ever happening by random chance. This is Borel's law in action which was derived by mathematician Emil Borel.

Dr. Stoner concludes,''Any man who rejects Christ as the Son of God is rejecting a fact, proved perhaps more absolutely than any other fact in the world."

Those are the odds.  If you take blind faith out of the equation and insert mathematical probability and logic, you get a zero probability that Jesus was accidentally or mistakenly the prophesied Messiah. 

That means Jesus came just as God promised. He lived among us just as God promised, He died for you just as God promised.  He rose from the dead just as God promised.  And He will come again in glory just as God promised.  It is a Good Friday, indeed!

Revelation 19:10,

“The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

*If you are interested in studying some of the prophecies Jesus fulfilled check out the Bible Study link on the top right of the blog.  I will add it as soon as Resurrection Sunday is over, but for now I am going to go celebrate with my family!

Where is my baby?

Eight years ago  I experienced the loss of my first child, James. He was my 4th pregnancy and I had no idea anything was wrong. I went to my 17 week check up and the doctor couldn't find a heartbeat. She looked concerned and left the room for a portable ultrasound. I sat there staring at the wall and all I could think of is maybe I'd get to find out the sex of the baby that day.

I was so clueless.

 She came back in and started looking at the monitor, I was calm and excited. After a few minutes she turned off the ultrasound, tears streamed down her cheeks as she said, "I'm sorry, Shelli, I am so sorry."

 I still wasn't processing this. I sat there in shock for a while, unable to cry. I just kept asking over and over, "Can't you be wrong? Are you sure?"

She wasn't wrong.

In the days that followed, I remember cying so much I had no more tears to cry,  I thought, "That's it I will never be happy again."  It felt like an impossibility to smile, no chance I physically could ever smile again.

We took the kids to an indoor water park for the weekend.  I watched one of the kids do something silly and I cracked a smile! Then the guilt hit me like a wave.  I thought, Oh NO! Am I moving on? I can't do that, not without my baby.

I became angry, questioning God. If He is a good God how could this happen? Why didn't He warn me? I stopped going to church on Sundays. Mike would take the kids, I would put on Christian music, lay flat on the floor and sob.

Once I heard an audible voice. It scared me at first, I even jumped up. I laid back down on the floor and listened again and heard "my sheep know my voice and they follow me." I got a picture in my head of James hearing Jesus, he let go of my hand and he walked to Him. It was a sweet image, I liked it and it brought me my first glimpse of comfort. But I needed so much more.

I would ask God all throughout the day, "What did that mean, is my baby with you, why couldn't he stay here with me, did I do something wrong, am I really saved, will I ever see James again?"  I started saying the 'Sinners prayer, over and over, obsessively. At one point I was praying for my own Salvation dozens of times a day. I was afraid if I didn't do it right I may never see my baby again.

I needed so desperately to hear from God. A close friend of mine invited me to a women's retreat. I went because no one there knew me and I knew if I broke down in to a mess of tears at least it wouldn't be as embarrassing.  The only person who knew I had just lost a baby was my friend and I purposely avoided her the entire time. I was there to hear from God and God alone.

In the evening there was a prayer and prophetic time. I joined the group of strangers. I listened as they prayed and spoke over each woman in the circle. I was last. As they worked their way over to me my heart raced faster and faster and at one point I thought it just may burst!  Two women laid hands on my shoulders and became silent.

Nothing.....nothing.....nothing.  Then, one of them spoke, and to the best of my memory this is what she said:

"I see a sheep. He is on one side of the fence and you are on the other. You are crying for him. Jesus is walking and the sheep is following him. It's okay, your sheep is safe."

I couldn't believe it!  She described my vision from weeks earlier.   I was as you can imagine,
I was a bawling crying mess at this point. I squeaked out a thank you and started to head for the door. The other woman grabbed my hand to stop me and said, "One more thing, who ever you keep praying for to be saved, God says, "Stop.  It is done. They are saved."

I couldn't process that at that moment. I was so amazed at the confirmation I had just received that James was OK I jumped in my car and drove home even though it was only the first night of the retreat.

As I was driving I kept going over and over the words spoken to me through God's vessels.

I remembered the 'stop praying for salvation' comment.  I racked my brain for who I was currently praying for to be saved.  I couldn't think of anyone specifically off the top of my head.  Then, it hit me....that was me!  I had been praying over and over for me to be secure in the Kingdom.  I needed to know that my name was written in the Book of Life.  I was spending my prayer time stuck in that place of needing reassurance and had no peace.

Not only did God tell me my baby James was safe in His arms, but he also told me I was secure in the Kingdom and someday we would all be reunited again.  What a loving and comforting Father!

My trials and losses didn't end that day, but as I walked through 2 more difficult pregnancies and 4 more losses to miscarriage I walked with a peace that defied human understanding.  Sure it was difficult, but I knew where my babies were and that I would be united with them someday.

Until we meet again James, Jonathon, Madelyn, Josiah and Levi ...mommy loves you!

John 10:27-28, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand."

Update: If you have suffered a child loss, I pray this blogpost brings you peace.  Ask God the hard questions and let him help you process.  A wonderful book I read that helped me see with Scripture what Jesus says about heaven and what the Bible says about child loss was "Safe in the Arms of God" by John MacArthur. 

waiting....

I have a new friend I have been praying for the softening of her heart towards the Lord.  I was praying the words for her that she cannot yet pray herself.  As I was praying a picture flashed in my mind of children in an orphanage in Ethiopia.  This meant a lot to me considering  I have another friend in Florida who has been in process of adopting their baby (one week younger than our twins) from there.  They went and met him, Baby T is all they are allowed to share for now, and now they sit waiting for that phone call saying they can come back and get their child.  They heard about him at 7 months and now for the past 14 months they have been in agonizing wait for their child to come home with them. As I reflected on what my prayer for an unbeliever would have to do with my friend adopting from Ethiopia it became clear to me.  God longs for us to come to Him the same way.  He patiently waits and desires nothing less than to wrap us in His loving arms and say welcome home, child.  I missed you!

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you not wanting anyone to perish, but wanting everyone to come to repentance.  2 Peter 3:9

Determining your Worth....

Value...what do you value?  What are your valuables?  Do you have certain 'values' you live by. Maybe you value a sense of community, your children, home, or relationships.  Value as defined by dictionary.com is this:

VALUE (noun)-
1.relative worth, merit, or importance.

2. monetary or material worth, as in commerce or trade.

3. the worth of something in terms of the amount of other things it can be exchanged for.

4. estimated or assigned worth.

I was meditating on this concept yesterday.  Thoughts of times I have tried to assign my own value or worth as well of times I have allowed others to define my sense of value came springing to my mind.  How easily we can go from being confident and feeling valuable to a feeling of worthlessness by hearing a harsh or critical word.  Everyone has some desire to feel valuable.  No one wants to be alone or unimportant.  On some level we all desire to feel needed, smart, or like our lives have made some difference in the world around us.  This deep rooted drive to have value assigned to us can make us needy people-pleasers as we seek our value from human relationships.  We can also be on the other side of the spectrum in a flash assigning a value or worth on another person, fetus, drug addict......you see where this is going. 

I have heard countless times the saying, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."  Value is the same way.  Just look on an EBAY auction and watch people try to assign worth to something.  The seller wants to get all they can, the buyer wants to get it for the least possible.  They are at odds with each other, both sides looking at it from their vantage point.  I do not think people can be unbiased judges of worth.  We need an outside perspective and who better than the One who created you in the first place?

Worth or value of a soul is not determined by a person, unless that person is Christ.  Defining value with our definition above and through the eyes of God gives you the relative worth of your life, merit or importance, assigned worth of your soul in terms of an amount exchanged for you....you were so valuable to God that He sent His only Son to die for you and pay the ultimate price, the maximum amount- all of it -to restore you to Him.  That makes you very valuable, a person created with much worth and importance to the Creator of the Universe.  

The world tries to devalue life, get you to devalue yourself, or take what is valuable in God's sight and make it depreciate.  We cannot not afford to believe the lies. 

A person's value is not determined on another person's appraisal. 

A person's value is determined by the price Jesus was willing to pay....

and He paid it ALL for YOU!!!! 

John 3:16,  “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."

1 John 3:16, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers."

Deuteronomy 6:7, "For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession."

Matthew 6:21, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

1 Peter 3:3-4, "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.  Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight."

 Amos 4:13, "He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, he who turns dawn to darkness, and treads the high places of the earth— the LORD God Almighty is his name."

Psalm 139:13-18a, "For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,  I know that full well.
 My frame was not hidden from youwhen I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

 How precious to O God!  How vast is the sum of them!

 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand."

How to Shine like a STAR....

Homeschooling provides us with so many teachable moments.  I think that is what I love most about it.  I often ask God what virtue, trait or concept I should focus on or teach the children.  I try to stay sensitive to what is going on in our home and I diligently look for opportunities to reinforce important truths to them. God has never failed to amaze me.   Today we are learning about how to stay pure and shine for the Lord. 

I found a great free website for printing out handwriting pages:  http://www.handwritingworksheets.com/flash/printdots/paragraph/ .  You can put in your text and it will print out a custom handwriting sheet. This made it possible for my youngest writer to be able to write out the Bible verse we were focusing on with ease. 

We studied Philippians 2:14-15, "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe."  

I had each of them write out the Bible verse and as they did I explained to them just what exactly that means. 

- We talked about how it is important to do EVERYTHING without complaining!  Boy is that a lesson we can all take to heart.  I think it is more accurate to say we do everything WITH complaining lately!!!

- Without arguing!!!!  The kids were challenged with this one as soon as they climbed out of bed and their feet hit the floor.  I think this is a biggy, especially for those of us who are together 24/7!

-We talked about the importance of not complaining or arguing and how that helps us to lead blameless and pure lives. 

-Then we discussed how there are people in the world that do not believe, acknowledge or live their lives according to God's laws.  They are crooked and depraved.  I explained to them how we can stray or get lost if we are crooked and that God desires for us to keep our eyes on Him to stay on the straight path.

-I printed out this picture for them and had them color it in.  (http://www.thecoloringbarn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/star-1.jpg) .  When they were finished we talked about things that make us shine like stars....praying, sharing, helping, serving, forgiving, etc., and as we said each thing we added some glitter glue to the main star.  I told them that everyone has the ability to shine and we added some glitter glue to the top stars representing others in the world. 

-Then we talked about sin and how it gets us dirty.  I had a small cup of potting soil ready and we talked about things that would get us 'dirty' or cause us to not be pure and blameless.  Much to their horror I sprinkled a little bit of dirt on to one of the sections of the wet glitter glue on their star.  They were pretty upset that their picture now had a little dirt on it.  Shelby even tried to cover her dirt up with more glitter, but you could still see it.  This gave me the opportunity to share with them that we can try to cover up our sin, but it is still visible to God.

-Next we talked about what Jesus came to do.  I had them each bring me a baby wipe and we wiped off the dirt just as Jesus wipes away our sin when we ask Him for forgiveness.  It was a powerful moment.  Then we added more glitter glue in that spot so that it could be restored and shine again for the Lord!

-Finally we talked about how everyone has sin, everyone of us.  We added some dirt to the other stars to remember that.  They asked me how to help get those stars clean and I shared with them that they will need someone to tell them what Jesus did for them, too.  They each picked a star to 'tell' about Jesus and we then we wiped them clean and added more glitter to represent a new life choosing to shine for the Lord. 

It was such a powerful lesson.  I am so thankful to the God of Heaven who looks upon us and meets us right where we are to show us the way to shine like stars in the universe.  The kids got it.  They understood on a whole deeper level the power sin has to make us unclean and that only by the power of the blood of Jesus we can be pure again. 

Now, I would be lying if I said my children were perfect little angels the rest of the day!  I wish!  But, I will say that the only correction I have had to give today is, "Be careful and STAY CLEAN!!!!"

Love, love, love.......all we need is LOVE....

Because today is a day that is set aside to celebrate LOVE...I thought it would be appropriate to hear a few words about L-O-V-E from the Author, Himself:

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Deuteronomy 6:5

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.  Deuteronomy 7:9

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.  1 Chronicles 16:34

But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. Psalm 13:5

But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, Psalm 33:18

Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Psalm 36:5

But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness...Psalm 86:15

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. Psalm 103:8
 
Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 106:1

The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. Psalm 145:8

...because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in. Proverbs 3:12

Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred. Proverbs 15:17

He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends. Proverbs 17:9

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21

What a man desires is unfailing love ; better to be poor than a liar. Proverbs 19:22

He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor. Proverbs 21:21

Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:10
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17
“Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. Matthew 12:18

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ Matthew 22:37

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ Mark 12:30

He answered: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ ; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” Luke 10:27

“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. John 3:16
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:34-35

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. John 15:9
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:12
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 1 Corinthians 13:4

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13

Do everything in love. 1 Corinthians 16:14

The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”Galatians 5:14

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— Ephesians 1:4-5
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loveColossians 3:12

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:14
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:7
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Hebrews 10:24
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. 1 Peter 1:22

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!
1 John 3:1

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 1 John 3:16

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:18
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:8

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 1 John 4:9

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18

We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19

This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.  1 John 5:2

Cleaning Toilets Builds Character....

I have been trying hard to teach Gabe (almost 6) and Shelby (almost 4) to play nicely.  When other kids are over they do just fine, but when the two of them are alone they are constantly hitting each other on the head with a matchbox car.  I have tried everything to get them to stop.  I sit next to them as they play and as soon as I leave the room.....WHACK!!!  Well, today it happened again, this time it was Gabe and I had just warned him NOT TO HIT HIS SISTER!  

First I sent him to his room so I could decide the punishment.  As I was walking through his bathroom a light bulb went off in my head.  I brought him into the bathroom, handed him a rag and spray bottle and showed him the dirty toilet. 

I explained to him that when we disobey or hurt someone it is sin.  Sin makes us dirty just like his toilet.  I had him clean off the lid, under the lid, and around the seat....YUCK!!!  He was quite disgusted.   I explained to him that that is how God feels about our sin and wants us to be clean. 

 After we had a sparkling clean toilet I took Gabe to Shelby to say "Sorry."  Then we returned to his room to pray. 

It went like this, "Sorry God for hitting my sister.  Please forgive me.  Thank You for forgiving me.  Thank You for making me clean again."  I gave Gabe a great big hug and wiped away his tears.  Then as I left I reminded him to STAY CLEAN!!!!  I hope it doesn't happen again, but if it does I have 3 more toilets.....come to think of it this example would work with dishes, laundry, trash, etc.

"Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your unfailing love;

according to your great compassion

blot out my transgressions.

Wash away all my iniquity

and cleanse me from my sin."

Psalm 51:1-2

(Oh and by the way, the pictures on this blog are NOT mine.  Our toilet wasn't THAT bad!  And I put some funny and clean potty humor pics below.  Enjoy!)



Is That Really Love???

God is Love (1 John 4:8).  We have heard this said often because God's Love is the foundation of our faith.  This seems like such a simple concept, yet it can cause problems for some studiers of the Word.  It doesn't take long to flip through the Bible and see by the Lord's hand-pain, suffering, punishment, and the promise of hell for those who reject Him.  The question has been similarly asked by believers and nonbelievers, "Is that really love?"

If you think of love as all warm and fuzzy you are missing a big part of what love is.  It is important to understand that true love is not devoid of pain.  Jesus certainly suffered pain on this earth.  He was not spared rejection, punishment, or hurt, and He was sinless.  He demonstrated the depth of His love by hanging on a cross to make a way for us to the Father.  We call the day Christ was sacrificed "Good Friday". 

All pain may feel bad, but we need to understand that all pain or punishment is not bad.   If you set a good boundary for your child and they cross it, you must follow through with the consequence.  If you don't they will never learn to stay safe and will  continue to test the boundary; crossing further and further until you finally say STOP! When you put your hand on a hot stove you immediately pull it back. Why?  The response to pain is a huge tool to the human body and provides protection individually and corporately. 

If you have ever put a child in time out or imposed a consequence for disobeying, you demonstrated love.  You weighed the 'warm and fuzzy' with the 'tough call' and chose to teach something very important to them.  Ever squirted a cat with a water gun?  Ever taken away the teenager's cell phone or car keys?  If done to teach a valuable lesson, then that is love. 

Before the punishment there should always be a warning.  It wouldn't be fair or loving to just walk into a room, pick up a child, and slam them in the time out chair without so much as a word.  Boundaries must be clearly set and understood for the consequence to be appropriate. 

That brings us to a Scripture passage I was recently asked to explain:

 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.  But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.  So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." 


"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?  It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.  Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.  But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’  and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.  The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of.  He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."  Matthew 24: 42-51

Whew!  That is a harsh word and can be a difficult picture to connect with love.....or is it?  These words are Jesus' words.  He said them privately to His disciples (Matthew 24:3) who were the founding father's of the New Testament Church.  He was warning the 'servant in charge of the house' to keep watch and feed the fellow servants of the household.  Who is the servant in charge?  What house?  Let's look at a few words in the original Greek to help us get the whole picture Jesus was painting.


Master-(kurios)-he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.  This title is given to: God, the Messiah.
 
Servant-(doulos) means a Bondman or Bondmaid


House-(oikia) means the dwelling itself


Matthew Henry Commentary says: "Now this parable, with which the chapter closes, is applicable to all Christians, who are in profession and obligation God's servants; but it seems especially intended as a warning to ministers; for the servant spoken of is a steward."


Jesus was speaking to the leaders of the Church.  They are 'in charge' of God's children, the Household of Faith.  They have been entrusted to care for, shepherd, disciple, and feed the people in the House of the Lord. 
 
Jesus tells the servant to give the house food, the King James uses the word 'meat'.   Not fluff and stuff Christianity, but the real preaching of Salvation and Christian instruction from the Holy Bible.  There is only One Way, Jesus.  The consequence to not obeying the true call for Ministers of the Word is pretty clear and it is consistent.
 
James 3:1 says, "Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly."
 
So to answer the question is that love?  Yes it is.  "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."  (2 Peter 3:9) 

The desire of the Lord is for ALL to come and have a daily relationship with Him. The duty of the shepherds of the flock comes with enormous responsibility.  The stakes are high, consequences serious, and the success or failure eternal.  God lovingly cares for His children and sets the bar very high for those whom He entrusts with their care.


Footnotes: Strong's Biblical Concordance (master, lord)Greek Strong's Number: 2962 Transliteration: kurios; (servant)Greek Strong's Number: 1401 Transliteration: doulos; (house)Greek Strong's Number: 3614 Transliteration: oikia; Matthew Henry Commentary, Concise and Unabridged texts.  Scriptures from the Holy Bible, NIV.

The End of the World as We Know it?

I am watching the posts on the "End of the World", along with millions of others around the world, and have been asked by several people what I think of it.   So here it is.......I think that Harold Camping of Family Radio isn't helping but hurting.  I have read that he has spent $4 million dollars in this campaign funded by followers and supporters to reach lost souls, calling them to repent.  That tells me Harold and many others believe fully in his prediction, but it also tells me they are misguided. 

Matthew 24:26 clearly states that "NO ONE (emphasis mine) knows about the day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

One would reason that if any being would know about the hour it would at be Jesus, the One coming back.  Mr. Camping isn't the first to try and figure out the day.  Here is a rundown of a few famous other date setters (of the 200+ recorded):

*400 A.D.- Hippolytus "calculated that 5,500 years separated Adam and Christ and that the life of the world was 6,000 six full 'days' of years until the seventh the day of rest." His calculations in 234 indicted there were still two centuries left. (from A History of the End of the World, Rubinsky and Wiseman, 1982).

*500 A.D.-A Roman priest and theologian in the second and third centuries, predicted Christ would return in A.D. 500, based on the dimensions of Noah's ark.



*950 A.D.- Adso of Montier-en-Der wrote a "Treatise on the Antichrist" which was a response to a number of mid-century crises that had provoked widespread alarm and fear of an end-time apocalypse. Five years later, Abbo of Fleury heard a preacher in Paris who announced that the Antichrist would be unleashed in the year 1000 and that the Last Judgment would soon follow.   
 
*968 A.D.-Panic in Otto's army at an eclipse the soldiers took to portend the end of the world (Gesta episcoporum Leodensium, MGH SS IX, p.202)  And when the last Carolingian dynasty fell with the death of King Louis V in 987, many saw this event as a precursor to the arrival of the Antichrist. King Otto II of Germany had Charlemagne's body exhumed on Pentecost in the year 1000 supposedly in order to forestall the apocalypse.
 
*1000 A.D.-This year goes down as one of the most pronounced states of hysteria over the return of Christ. All members of society seemed affected by the prediction that Jesus was coming back on Jan 1, 1000. There really weren't any of the events required by the Bible transpiring at that time. The magical number 1000 was primarily the sole reason for the expectation. During December 999 AD, everyone was on their best behavior; worldly goods were sold and given to the poor, swarms of pilgrims headed east to meet the Lord at Jerusalem, buildings went unrepaired, crops were left unplanted, and criminals were set free from jails. The year 999 AD turned into 1000 AD and nothing happened.




*Both Halley's comet in A.D. 989 and a super nova in A.D. 1006 were interpreted as signs of the end. About the same time, the Moslim caliph, Al Hakim, destroyed the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem prompting apocalyptic fear in the west as well as violent anti-Jewish outbursts.
 
*Pope Innocent III predicted the end would come in 1284

*16th century Mother Shipton declared "...The world to an end shall come; in eighteen hundred and eighty-one."

*A 17th Century Baptist preacher named Benjamin Keach predicted it would be in 1689.

*1715 A.D.-Christ's coming; Isaac Newton, a note in his research on the Law of Gravity (Luther Martin, Date Setters, Guardian of Truth, Sept. 15, 1994)

*1809 A.D.-Mary Bateman, who specialized in fortune telling, had a magic chicken that laid eggs with end time messages on them. One message said that Christ was coming. The uproar she created ended when she was caught forcing an egg into the hen's oviduct by an unannounced visitor. Mary later was hanged for poisoning a wealthy client.


*1836 A.D.-John Wesley wrote that "the time, times and half a time" of Revelation 12:14 were 1058­1836, "when Christ should come" (apud A. M. Morris, The Prophecies Unveiled, p. 361)

*Jehovah Witnesses have predicted the end numerous times, most notably in 1914, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1925, 1941, 1975 and 1994.
*1953 A.D.-David Davidson wrote a book titled "The Great Pyramid, Its Divine Message". In it, he predicted that the world would end in 1953-AUG.



*1970 A.D.-The late Moses David (formerly David Berg) was the founder of the Christian religious group, The Children of God. He predicted that a comet would hit the earth, probably in the mid 1970's and destroy all life in the United States.   Also, The True Light Church of Christ made its claim to fame by incorrectly forecasting the return of Jesus. A number of church members had quit their livelihoods ahead of the promised advent.
 
*1986 A.D.-(He's back) Moses David of The Children of God faith group predicted that the Battle of Armageddon would take place in 1986. Russia would defeat Israel and the United States. A worldwide Communist dictatorship would be established. In 1993, Christ would return to earth.
 
*The book "88 Reasons Why the Rapture is in 1988" came out only a few months before the event was to take place.  After the passing of the deadline in 88 Reason's, the author, Edgar Whisenaunt, came out with a new book called "89 Reasons why the Rapture is in 1989." This book sold only a fraction of his prior release.
 
*In 1992, David Koresh of the Branch Davidian group in Waco Texas changed the name of their commune from Mt. Carmel to Ranch Apocalypse, because of his belief that the final all-encompassing battle of Armageddon mentioned in the Bible would start at the Branch Davidian compound. They had calculated that the end would occur in 1995. After a 51-day standoff, on 1993-APR-10, 76 members died as a result of a deliberately set fire.
 
*Harold Camping in his book "Are You Ready?" predicted the Lord's return in Sept 1994. The book was full of methods that added up Bible numbers up to 1994 as the date of Christ's return. Sept. 15, 1994: Last Day and Return of Christ; Harold Camping; Book: 1994? (pub in 1992) "Last Day and return of Christ sometime on or between September 15, 1994...and September 27, 1994." (p. 531) "I will be surprised if we reach October 1, 1994" (p. 533) Camping hedged his bets though, by offering a back up date of 2011 if 1994 was wrong.
 
*TOMORROW* Harold Camping's back up date of May 21, 2011, 6pm
 
So here we sit....watching another prediction come and go.  Much time and energy is wasted on books, predictions, false teachings, and advertising.  Money that could go to really help the lost, hurting, or poor is squandered.  Precious time is thrown away that could be spent sharing the Good News that sins are forgiven for those who accept and Jesus really is coming back, someday.  Unbelievers stop and stare at it like a train wreck; reaffirming the lie that Christians are crack pots.  This further attacks the reputation and believability of the Bible and believers everywhere as if Judgement Day Predictors like Harold Camping actually represent the TRUTH at all.

There is one thing that Harold Camping is helping to prove...the BIBLE is trustworthy.  If his predictions of Judgement Day were right the Bible wouldn't be; for NO ONE knows the hour, thus sayith the Lord!!!!
 
The Truth is that the end of the world is nearer today than yesterday.  Jesus died for the sin of the world and WILL return.  He doesn't know the hour and neither does anyone else, only God does.  We would be wise to be about the Father's Business until then.  (More on that in the next blog :)
 
  *Notes taken from: http://www.bible.ca/pre-date-setters.htm  and http://www.focusonlinecommunities.com/blogs/Finding_Home/2011/05/19/will-the-world-end-on-saturday)

Your back always faces something....

Yesterday was Resurrection Sunday.  Millions celebrated the freedom of the cross through Jesus Christ.  Churches everywhere preached the Good News and called for lost souls to turn to the cross.  So I was picturing it today in my mind and I saw it so clearly.  At all times your back is facing something!  It is an interesting posture.  To turn around you face your back as an action not just a state of being. Kind of like saying, "Talk to the hand!"....just talk to my back!   

When we stand before the cross of Christ and accept the free gift of salvation our back is turned against sin.  Every time we turn around to sin our back is on the cross.  There is no middle ground, no half way, no stopping point as you pivot.  You are either facing Jesus or facing your own selfishness.

Psalm 66:16-20
Come and hear, all you who fear God;
let me tell you what he has done for me.


I cried out to him with my mouth;
his praise was on my tongue.


If I had cherished sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened;
but God has surely listened
and has heard my prayer.


Praise be to God,
who has not rejected my prayer
or withheld his love from me!

As we consider Jesus' sacrifice on the cross let us see what we must put behind us to take in it's beauty.  If we feel distant or unheard, maybe we just need to turn around and face Him.  The cross is not just a time of acceptance but a time to turn your back on death and choose life.