Interesting Quote ...

"The Glory of God is the human person fully alive"

             - Irenaeus of Lyons (2nd century)



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The Bible was Just Kidding About Demons ... Right?

I have just finished a book entitled 'An Exorcist Tells His Story' by father Gabriele Amorth.  Amorth is a Catholic Priest and a sanctioned exorcist.  The first time I heard about this book I must admit that it brought back memories for me, specifically regarding the film adaptation of William Peter Blatty's novel 'The Exorcist.'  The first time I saw the film I must have been around 10 years old.  My parents had left for a night out, and I was with a babysitter.  Somehow I managed to persuade her that it was no problem if she let me stay up and watch this horror movie.  I hid behind the couch the whole time.  I think I may have been psychologically scarred by this.  Why did I insist on watching this film?  Why is our culture so fascinated by supernatural evil?  Blatty's novel spent something like 57 weeks on the New York Time's best seller list back in the early 70's.  Even the title alone of Amorth's book - I admit - drew me in.  The premise was fascinating.  He spends 200 pages detailing the strange things he has seen during his long career as the local parish exorcist in Italy, and doesn't pull any punches when chastising the Church in Rome because they have forgotten the Biblical roots of exorcism.  That horror film I watched when I was 10 was just a movie though, right?  And that was just based on a book, right?  Amorth's book presents the topic in an interesting light.  Basically, that it is all real.  I wondered if I would have to read this book from behind my couch as well.

It is interesting that Amorth reminds us that the Ritual (the Catholic Church's official set of norms and guidelines for priests to exorcise individuals) was written in 1614.  He says it is still as effective today as it was then.  Amorth does not quote the Ritual word for word, probably because (as he warns us later) the average lay person ought not try this at home.  In the Bible, Jesus does grant the power to expel demons to anyone who believes in His name.  Amorth does realize this, but he adds that the average person must be careful - because things like blessing a home are entirely different than practicing the removal of evil spirits from another human being.  But I am getting ahead of myself here.  Aren't demons, ghosts, and spiritual evil the stuff of fiction?  Isn't it safe for me to come out from behind my couch after all?  People today don't need exorcisms because now we have the ability to diagnose schizophrenia and a host of other mental maladies without the need for religion - right?  But 'An Exorcist Tells His Story' was published in 1994!  Not necessarily ancient history.  Often times Amorth describes taking a psychiatrist with him during some of his exorcisms.  Apparently the Church also concedes that it is important to go to the doctor first.  So what, then, are we to do with the things that he is saying in his book?  That people today are attempting to erase supernatural evil from reality?  That many people have a tendency to divorce the Bible's teachings on evil from its teachings on God and Heaven?  It is this strange paradigm that I will discuss in the next paragraph.

It does fascinate me how many of us (including even some people of great faith) can read the Bible and take certain truths seriously, but reject wholesale the other things it mentions.  Speaking for myself, I was always of the camp that it was okay to believe that some guy named Jesus lived a long time ago, and that Moses may have heard from a higher power in the desert outside Egypt.  But as far as demons and the devil were concerned - that was just metaphor and symbols.  Things were easier that way, less embarrassing.  One of the most difficult things in the Bible to defend today may just be the doctrine on Satan and his demons.  You would have better luck selling snake-oil at Sears.  But there is a catch.  Without a literal devil, the story of the Fall of Man in Genesis makes no sense.  Without literal demons, who was Jesus expelling half the time in the Gospels?  If we are made fun of for believing in the Bible, then we might as well go the whole way, and believe ALL of what Jesus said - not just the happy stuff about God and Heaven. 

But if our culture doesn't believe in the literality of demons, they sure do seem eager to watch movies about them (The Rite, The Exorcist and its sequels, Paranormal Activity, etc).  Not to mention the onslaught of books and T.V. shows about them.  We may not believe in the devil, but we are still worshipping him a good portion of the time.  But none of this matters of course, if demons are merely symbolic.  I won't spend too much time mentioning the popularity of psychics, mediums, astrologers, and the like.  I think they are all part of this cult fascination as well.  Amorth warns against visiting these people, and so does the Bible.  We are to trust God only.  There are no shortcuts to spiritual fulfillment.  So if spiritual evil is real, then why don't more of us witness things like demons on a semi-regular basis?  Why is it necessary to get our "scare fix" by going to a movie theatre or visiting the public library?  Well I believe many of us have witnessed these things, and probably more of us than we would like to admit.  I can't blame people for wanting to relegate this area to the realm of fiction.  It's more comfortable that way.  Less embarrassing. 

I will recount a story for you now.  I am mentioning this from personal experience.  Feel free to read it and either ignore it or accept it - the choice is always yours.  When I attended a small church a few years ago, I had a good friend who I was very interested in inviting to service.  After some discussion, he agreed to meet my family and I one Sunday.  My wife and I were very excited - he was a good friend and a good man.  The Saturday night before the church service, my wife and I put the kids to sleep and got ready for bed like normal.  About 2:00 in the morning I woke up to feel my dog squeezing up against my neck; whining incessantly in fear.  I looked over and saw my wife wide awake as well.  We both sat up in bed and came to the conclusion that we were not alone in the house.  I got up and grabbed an old police baton that I keep under my bed (I don't do guns) and began checking the doors and windows to make sure there wasn't any forced entry.  The entire time I was doing this, both my wife and I felt a palpable presence of evil in our home.  It's interesting to describe, but we both felt it from the moment we woke up.  The air felt very still and heavy, and it was as if "something" hated us vehemently.  It was to say the very least, frightening.  After finding that the house was closed up safe and sound, I returned to bed. 

The next morning it was gone.  My wife looked at me plainly and said, "we were not alone last night."  I nodded in agreement.  Whatever visited us that night did not want us to meet my friend for church the next day.  It wasn't pleased that another soul was being set in motion to encounter God.  Things went well at church on Sunday morning.  I think we may have even taken my friend out to lunch afterward.  I know for certain that I am not the only one this type of thing has happened to (and this is not my only story either).  I have spoken with pastors, Christian friends, and a few others who have had similar or even more graphic stories.  My point is this: the Christian walk is worth fighting for.  By choosing not to believe in accounts by people like father Amorth, I think we do a dis-service to the Bible.  If Jesus warned us to be mindful of demons and to stay away from modern-day psychics and astrologers, we probably should.  We don't need them.  God is our best resource and greatest protector.  It's fun to talk about Heaven and happy things, but in doing so we cannot erase the darker spiritual component.  All the more reason to stay in line with Christ, and to invite Him into our lives at all costs.  

Amorth concludes his book by upholding Jesus as the centerpiece of our salvation.  I will echo that sentiment here.  The last sentence in his book is a paraphrased quote by a writer named Manzoni.  He says that writing "one book at a time is sufficient, and at times, is one too many."  And so it can be with blog posts as well I'm sure, so I will stop here.  But at least I have come out from behind the couch.  I hope the same for you.



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The Homeless Equation

Last Sunday I teamed up with a local ministry here called Joppa (named after the city in the Bible) and went out with 2 car-loads of people to distribute meals to homeless people in our city.  I'm not sure what prompted me to do this.  I simply saw it in our church bulletin, and decided to sign up for a session.  We met at 1:00 pm at the Joppa warehouse and split up into four different groups that were responsible for four unique routes around the city.  Since I was the "new guy" I remained silent, but I noticed immediately who the old veterans were.  There were two people in particular who help organize these distributions almost every weekend.  Personally, I was grateful to have a guide, and I even hitched a ride in someone else's vehicle for the day.  We finished around 5:00 pm.  What I experienced is not easy to summarize.  In fact I'm not so sure this blog post will be a very focused piece of writing, but I feel the need to write about it nonetheless.  It was easier to feel my way through this experience than it was to quantify it.  I have listed the things I noticed during this outting below. 

Puzzlement for their Plight
I found myself at the beginning of the experience wondering if anyone was doing more than just delivering food and clothing to these unfortunate people.  After all, shouldn't we also be helping them get on their feet?  Soon I found out that Joppa does indeed help many of them clean up and get into housing.  Often times finding them a job as well.  One gentlemen named Al told me that after he had been placed into a job and an apartment, he was back on the street within months.  He told me he could not beat the "demon of alcoholism." 

I was told that some of the people we delivered to actually preferred to live by themselves without the responsibility of a full-time job or a mortgage.  Others asked us to pray for them, so that they could bet back on their feet.  I found myself feeling sad, and at the same time puzzled: they needed help, but only so much help was appropriate.  Some of them (I think) have chosen this as their life.  And whether by way of addiction or personal choice, are destined to end up back on the street at some point.  I'm not sure how to feel about this yet, at this point I'm just recounting what I saw.

God is Still Good
I wondered if these people were being helped spiritually also, in addition to just physically.  That question was answered as soon as I met a man named Dwight.  He lives in a small tent community in the woods behind a bank (insert your own metaphor here).  Dwight told me that he and some others in the tents attend a large church on the West side each Sunday.  He was happy to tell me that they were all Christians in that camp.  He also told me that with God's help, he was able to repair some damage to his tent in only half a day.  Every other sentence out of his mouth was "God is good."  I shook his hand twice and spoke with him maybe a total of 10 minutes.  I will most likely remember him the rest of my life.  No home, no heat, little food ... but God is still good.  I cannot add anything else to this.  His attitude was nothing less than amazing.

Stray Cats and D-Batteries
On one of our last stops we drove over a bridge and into an abandoned parking lot.  Just over the bank in the woods stood two or three tents.  There were only two people living there, they appeared to be a couple.  It had snowed earlier in the week and the man began telling us that the snow was so heavy it weighed down the trees to the point where one of them tore a hole through his canvas.  He was able to repair it quickly, but he wondered if we had any D-batteries so they could keep some electricity going after it got dark.  How I truly wished I had stopped at the store on my way to the Joppa warehouse and picked up some D- batteries.  We had none to offer them. 

A stray cat passing over the embankment caught my eye.  "That is our pet cat," he said.  "The campers who were here before us left him behind, so we took him in."  This struck me for a moment.  There was compassion in the way he said it.  What is it about animals that unites us?  My wife and I took in a stray cat about 5 years ago.  One of the best pets we have ever had.  This man was no different than me.  I live in a house, he doesn't - that was about it.  How many paychecks could I stand to miss before ending up in the same situation?

I hope this article strikes a chord with some of you.  It doesn't have much to do with a logical faith, or how we can know that God exists through reason or philosophy.  We are not discussing atheism or agnosticism today.  No, last Sunday was about meeting people and helping them.  No arguing about religion or denominations - just delivering food.  Jesus says we will always have the poor with us, and surely this is true.  But I don't like it.  I didn't like that this experience produced feelings in me that I couldn't articulate.  The homeless people we met that day don't need our pity, they just need some help.  I am grateful for what Joppa and similar ministries do.  I heard that Joppa was started by only two people.  Now it has its own warehouse downtown.  I asked myself questions like "what did these homeless people do prior to Joppa in this city?"  ... or "why did no one else form such a ministry sooner?"  But then why did it take me until I was 38 years old to volunteer?  Bad enough to admit that I didn't spend much time thinking about this problem until now.  Worse to admit that over time, a certain degree of apathy may sneak back into my attitude.  But only if I let it.  It is a problem that has no simple equation or solution.  It just exists, and we must help when we can.

For more information on Joppa and the things they do in the Des Moines area, click this link: http://www.joppaoutreach.org/


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"I just want to lobby for God ..."

                                     - Billy Graham




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The Grand Design: Something out of Nothing?

I have recently finished reading Stephen Hawking's new book The Grand Design.  With the help of author Leonard Mlodinow, Hawking has crafted an impressive book outlining his theory of everything (called M-Theory).  He claims this theory - once developed - will be the answer to Einstein's search for a unified scientific theory to explain everything.  A theory that will explain how everything is scientifically determined, right down to the last living single-celled organism.  I knew Hawking would have some interesting points, though I have to admit I didn't find the text very compelling.  In chapter one he states that "philosophy is dead."  From there he proceeds to lay out his personal philosophy on how our universe can exist without God.  A fascinating circular reasoning mistake from one of the brightest minds of our time.  But ignore that for now, let's talk about the book's denouement for a minute.  That is where things get interesting.

In the last chapter, Hawking says, "Because gravity shapes space and time, it allows space-time to be locally stable but globally unstable.  On the scale of the entire universe, the positive energy of the matter can be balanced by the creation of whole universes.  Because there is a law like gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing in the manner described in Chapter 6 [Choosing our Universe].  Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist.  It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the universe going."

That laws like gravity exist and might govern something the size of a universe is interesting, but it doesn't answer the question of who or what ordered that law in the first place.  Hawking addresses this earlier in the same chapter by employing one of atheist Richard Dawkins' favorite counter-arguments for God.  In essence, if there is a God, then who created Him?  This counter-argument has always seemed too simple to me.  We know from the Bible that God is described as having always existed, with no end and no beginning.  Since we have things that exist as complicated as entire universes or black holes (where we cannot see an end or beginning), is this concept of eternality really so hard to imagine for people like Dawkins and Hawking? 

At any rate, I cannot mask my disappointment after reading the conclusion of the book.  I believe he is basically telling us that because there are laws that exist which use positive and negative energy as a balance, everything can just "spring up" from nothing - and we are supposed to call it "M-Theory."  Have I oversimplified this concept?  Perhaps.  I am not a scientist or an expert in quantum physics.  This book however WAS written for the common and ordinary person.  The problem is that the reason we are given as to why anything exists is a little too common and ordinary.  Anyone can choose not to believe in God, but it is something entirely different to disprove Him.



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Spiritual Homework: A Return to Joy

"Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart." Psalm 119:111


I remember what it was like to be a new Christian.  Not a new member of a church, not the first time I watched the Passion of the Christ movie ... but what it felt like to trust Jesus.  I was around 30 years old when I knelt on the bottom stair of my split foyer home and admitted to God that I needed Him in my life.  This changed a number of things for me.  I remember doing "crazy" things like withdrawing twenty-dollar bills from the ATM and shoving them in the coat pockets of my unsuspecting co-workers.  When they turned off their computers and put on their jackets to head home for the night, the surprised look on their face and stunned silence was it's own reward.  I would just keep quiet and giggle from my cubicle across the hall.  I was joyful toward God and life, and ready to save the world!
 
Since then a number of years have gone by (without telling you my age!).  Why had I done those types of things?  Because I was happy to be alive.  Happy to be under God's grace.  Happy to be forgiven and free, all at the same time.  I have been thinking about this alot lately.  Why don't I do those things anymore?  After all, God is still faithful - and I am still His, right?  
 
I think many of us forget what it is like to have freedom in Christ.  We get caught up in the throes of raising a family and going to work, paying bills, etc.  Even experienced Christians can lose track of the joy that God provides.  In Revelation 2:17 Jesus tells  the church in Ephesus that they had "forsaken the love they had at first."  I think that many of us (myself included) have done this very same thing.
 
I want to extend an offer to you today.  This is your "spiritual homework" for the week, if you choose to accept it.  Do the following 2 things after reading this post:
 
1.) Pray that God would show you someone that needs your help
2.) When God shows you this person, DO something to help them
 
If it entails watching their child while they run to the grocery store for a gallon of milk, then do it.  If it means sharing the Gospel message, then give it a shot.  I believe that if we pray this prayer sincerely, God will respond.  After all, what would it be like to put on your jacket at the end of the day and find an extra twenty-dollars?
 

PS: If you have accepted this assignment and want to share with me (and the readers of this blog) how God allowed you to help someone, please email me your story at sjklaus@msn.com.  I look forward to seeing what can happen when we ask God for someone to bless.
 
 

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Interesting Quote

“We thought that we had the answers, it was the questions we had wrong.”


- Bono





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How Are We Using Our Time Here on Earth?

Pastor and best-selling author Francis Chan summarizes his thoughts in the video below.  I am currently reading his book Crazy Love, about what it means to love God in the 21st century.  I found the link below both humorous and compelling.  Enjoy!

Interesting Quote

"It surprises me how disinterested we are today about things like physics, space, the universe and philosophy of our existence, our purpose, our final destination. Its a crazy world out there. Be curious."

- Stephen Hawking

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Heaven is for Real: Colton Burpo's Story

I recently finished the book Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo.  This book is only about 150 pages, so it is a relatively quick read.  But I have to be honest - it was quite engaging.  In the pages of this book Todd lays out the true story of his son Colton's trip to Heaven.  When Colton was close to 4 years old, he suffered from a mis-diagnosed appendicitis.  5 days later, by the time the Burpos took Colton to a hospital to find out that his appendix had ruptured, it was almost too late.  In fact at one point the author relates that the nurses in the hospital were instructed not to give the Burpo family any encouragement, because Colton would most likely be dead from organ poisoning in a matter of days. 

Can you imagine this?  One day your 4-year-old is healthy and active.  The next day he is on death's doorstep.  Unfortunately many people can imagine this and have experienced something similar.  In this case, however, things took a turn for the better.  After the Burpos invited around 80 people to gather and pray for recovery, Colton rebounded quickly.  Todd writes that those same nurses would stream constantly after he had recovered just to witness what they knew was a miracle. 

Then things get interesting.  Throughout the course of the next year, Colton begins relating details to his parents about what he had witnessed when he was close to death.  He talked about sitting in Jesus' lap.  He discussed seeing people in white robes with red and blue sashes across their chest.  Colton met Todd's father "Pop", who had died before Colton was even born.  Apparently in Heaven everyone is young and beautiful.  There are fantastic color palettes there, thousands more colors than exist on earth.  And then there was what would become Colton's catch-phrase during those post-hospital months: "Jesus loves the children."  Todd even writes of one instance where they were attending a funeral for an acquaintance, and Colton happened to see the casket.  He exclaimed, "Daddy, did that man have Jesus in his heart?  You can't get into Heaven if you don't have Jesus in your heart!"  Not your typical topics of conversation for a 4-year-old.

The Burpos have been a beacon of hope to many people, and also subject to criticism by others.  This is normal of course.  You cannot write a book about Jesus and please everyone.  But the strange thing is that some of the criticism is from other Christian groups.  One group argues that you ought not mistake the truth of Scripture for a supernatural "experience."  Now this is a strange argument really.  After all, if the Bible is true - shouldn't we see some experiential evidence?   At any rate, I applaud the Burpos' courage.  If your 4-year-old started talking about meeting Jesus, would you tell anyone?  As Todd wrote several times in the book: it was a gift from God.  The more time that passed, the more wrapping paper would come off. 

Nothing in Heaven is for Real appeared to contradict anything Biblical, at least in my eyes.  The author was careful to research everything his son was telling him, and he provides chapter and verse for Biblical verification throughout the book.  I am recommending this book.  I think it will enhance what we already think we know about Heaven.  It also makes me wonder how many of us are holding on to incredible stories about God that we may choose not to talk about in mixed company.  Do you and I have "gifts from God that need to be unwrapped?"  I have included a link below to a video detailing the Burpos' experience.  Take a look and see for yourself!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhT36Dizo2s


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"God had one son on earth without sin, but never one without suffering."



            - St. Augustine (354 - 430)
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Consternation and Faith

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Progress on The God Circle Book

Just an update on the progress of my book.  I was able to procure the help of a local editor and I am happy to announce that the second draft of The God Circle: the Search for the Logical Christian Faith is complete!  I think I may have underestimated how much of a process something like this can be.  Nevertheless, I hope to be nearly complete (and maybe even published) in 6 months. 

I wanted also to extend a big THANK YOU to all who have supported this project.  From the people who have screened the original manuscript and given me feedback, to my wife who has had to stomach listening to me talk about it constantly.  Keep an eye out for this book soon.  I intend on having a dedicated website set up so people can order it easily, as well as an internet "advertising" campaign.  But most of all, I think this book will succeed through word of mouth.

Thanks again for reading!

- Jon


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Does Science Imply No Supernatural?

There is a call-in radio show by Don Johnson Ministries that often honors callers with different worldviews. Although it is a Christian show, Don will entertain atheist callers, and the outcome is usually a respectful and thoughtful debate. On one particular segment, caller Justin was attempting to promote a naturalistic and determinist worldview. In the course of the conversation, Justin mentioned that one big reason for his assent to an atheistic viewpoint was the fact that natural science had proven itself so well over the course of history. He maintained that because science assumes that there is nothing other than a physical world and universe, and because it has worked well to help mankind over the years, then it serves as evidence that the supernatural does not exist.


Now this is an interesting vantage point. Don challenged the caller with the following 2 points: 1.) natural science does NOT assume that only the physical world exists, 2.) natural science only cares about testing and observing nature – nothing else. To this last point I would add that anything else you bring to the table here is personal philosophy, not scientific fact.


I think the question then is this - does science imply that the natural physical world is all there is? Now a good many people today think this is true. But I think that linking the effectiveness of science with the assumption that there is no God was not as predominant throughout history as it is today. I am not a historian, but I believe this to be largely a new phenomenon. So if this claim is truly a weapon that some people are keeping in their intellectual arsenal so that they can ignore Christianity, we must examine it further.


First of all it occurs to me also that science does NOT assume that only the physical universe exists. Since natural science is only concerned with the natural world, it can only speak to attributes of that natural world. It cannot say – no matter how much some want it to – that no other type of world exists. This may seem like semantics, but let me put it a different way. Let’s say that I am a really good mechanic, and that I always have a full car shop. Anything from Hondas to GMC vehicles show up at my door. I am experienced at working on cars, and over the years I have become pretty efficient - maybe even impressive. But if you take me out of my car shop and plop me down in front of, say, an art school; I find that I cannot even properly mix a color palette. Simply put – I have nothing to say when it comes to painting or drawing. Science is an excellent tool and predictor of things in the natural world. But I hardly think it can assume that there is ONLY the natural world, anymore than I could assume that replacing a muffler or overhauling an engine is all there is to life.


Second, it occurs to me that when we regard any of the conclusions we draw based on the results of natural science (at least in so much as it pertains to the big questions of life) we are using philosophy or a worldview - not science. Bear with me while I risk an oversimplification with this next example. I can test the effect of two chemicals together, and I can observe the outcome. But I cannot declare that this outcome automatically points to a certain worldview or philosophy. Just because science is really good at science, doesn’t mean that there is no God. I don’t think most people (atheists included) could argue this raw point. In order to argue that point, you would have to break it down into finer and finer arguments, wherein I think you would simply find yourself adding more and more personal preference and philosophy – hence taking you farther away from the factual science itself, and full steam ahead into the arena of philosophy.


When we begin to step outside the realm of the scientific and into the realm of the worldview, we have left science and entered into something different. Let us at least be agreed on that. After all, natural science isn’t good or bad, it just IS. The minute we begin to analyze it as being something that is good or bad, we are making a personal judgment about it, and this is something different.


OK, so what does this mean? I think it means that if a person is relying on the effectiveness of natural science to help hedge their bet that atheism is correct, then they have been misled. In other words, the fact that “science works” is absolutely no indicator that God doesn’t work. You can have both God and science. There is nothing wrong with holding a worldview. We just need to be honest about it when we do.


Please feel free to add your comments below. This is such a BIG issue for some, that I am interested in possible differences in opinion.


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The Importance of Man, in Light of God

"Man is the microcosm; man is the measure of all things; Man is the image of God."

                   - G.K. Chesteron, 'The Everlasting Man'



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Wretched Radio & Television!

Looking for a nice place to spend time?  Todd Friel is the host of Wretched Radio and Wretched TV.  He is often accused of being a little too over the edge, with some of his biting commentary hitting too close to home.  I have always found his style unique and entertaining though.  Consider him the polar opposite of the most boring Christian speaker you have ever heard.  There is nothing boring about this guy!

I have included the link to his website below.  Enjoy it - and try to catch his TV show sometime!

http://www.wretchedradio.com/



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Sacrificially Yours ... Signed Jesus

The following story is worth the read.  I cannot personally verify whether or not it is a real account from a real school, but it makes the point well enough - even if it is merely hypothetical.  Hope you enjoy it!

There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr. Christianson , a studious man who taught at a small college in the western United States.  Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at this particular institution.  Every student was required to take this course their freshman year, regardless of his or her major. Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as nothing but required drudgery. Despite his best efforts, most students refused to take Christianity seriously.

This year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve. Steve was only a freshman, but was studying with the intent of going onto seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well liked, and he was an imposing physical specimen. He was now the starting center on the school football team, and was the best student in the professor's class.

One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him. "How many push-ups can you do?" Dr. Christianson asked.  Steve said, "I do about 200 every night."


"200? That's pretty good, Steve," Dr. Christianson said. "Do you think you could do 300?"  Steve replied, "I don't know.... I've never done 300 at a time"


"Do you think you could?" again asked Dr. Christianson.  Well, I can try," said Steve.  "Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it," said the professor.


Steve said, "Well... I think I can...yeah, I can do it."  Dr. Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on Friday. Let me explain what I have in mind."  Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, the professor pulled out a big box of donuts. No, these weren't the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls.


Everyone was pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend with a party in Dr. Christianson's class.  Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, "Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts?" Cynthia said, "Yes."


Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?"  "Sure!" Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk.  Dr. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia's desk.


Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, "Joe, do you want a donut?"  Joe said, "Yes." Dr. Christianson asked, "Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?"  Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut.


And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten push-ups for every person before they got their donut.  Walking down the second aisle, Dr. Christianson came to Scott. Scott was on the basketball team, and in as good condition as Steve.  When the professor asked, "Scott do you want a donut?"  Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my own push-ups?"  Dr. Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them."  Then Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then."


Dr. Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked, “Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't want?"  With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten push-ups. Scott said, "HEY! I said I didn't want one!"  Dr. Christianson said, "Look! This is my classroom, my class, my desks, and these are my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it." And he put a donut on Scott's desk.


Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow.


Dr. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry. Dr. Christianson asked Jenny, "Jenny, do you want a donut?" Sternly, Jenny said, "No."  Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten more push-ups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn't want?"  Steve did ten....Jenny got a donut.


By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The students were beginning to say, "No!" and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks.  Steve also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get these push-ups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.


Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row.


During his class, however, some students from other classes had wandered in and sat down on the steps along the radiators that ran down the sides of the room. When the professor realized this, he did a quick count and saw that now there were 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it.  Dr. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set.


Steve asked Dr. Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?" Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your push-ups. You are in charge now. You can do them any way that you want." And Dr. Christianson went on.


A few moments later, Jason, a recent transfer student, came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled in one voice, "NO! Don't come in! Stay out!"  Jason didn't know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said, "No, let him come."  Professor Christianson said, "You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten push-ups for him?"  Steve said, "Yes, let him come in. Give him a donut."  Dr. Christianson said, "Okay, Steve, I'll let you get Jason's out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?"  Jason, new to the room, hardly knew what was going on. "Yes," he said, "give me a donut."  "Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can have a donut?"  Steve did ten push-ups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.


The very last two students in the room were two young women, both cheerleaders, and very popular. Dr. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a donut?"  Linda said, very sadly, "No, thank you."  Professor Christianson quietly asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn't want?"  Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow push-ups for Linda.


Then Dr. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. "Susan, do you want a donut?" Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. "Dr. Christianson, why can't I help him?"  Dr. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, Steve has to do it alone; I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a donut whether they want it or not. When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked at my grade book. Steve here is the only student with a perfect grade. Everyone else has failed a test, skipped class, or offered me inferior work. Steve told me that in football practice, when a player messes up he must do push-ups. I told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the price by doing your push-ups. He and I made a deal for your sakes."

"Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a donut?"  As Steve very slowly finished his last push-up, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 push-ups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.

Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said, "And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead to the Father, 'Into thy hands I commend my spirit.' With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, He yielded up His life. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten."  Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a seat, physically exhausted, but wearing a thin smile.


"Well done, good and faithful servant," said the professor, adding, "Not all sermons are preached in words."  Turning to his class, the professor said, "My wish is that you might understand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ . He spared not His Only Begotten Son, but gave Him up for us all, for the whole Church, now and forever. Whether or not we choose to accept His gift to us, the price has been paid."


"Wouldn't you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it lying on the desk?"

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The World Will End on May 21st ... Really?!?!

Unless you have lived in a cave for the last 30 days, you know that small, but organized Christian groups are setting up bill-boards and driving around the country warning people that the end of the world as we know it will occur on May 21st of 2011. As I am writing this blog post, we are 2 days away from our projected doom – and I have 2 questions that I can’t get away from: 1.) What possesses large groups of people to go into a state of temporary insanity like this, and 2.) What happens when all of them wake up on May 22nd and the world is still here? It will be interesting to see what the news media records in answer to these 2 questions. Regardless of what they report, I will answer these 2 questions the best that I can below.

Why do so many people believe that the end is near, and why have they begun to do things like quit their jobs and travel the country?

I think that 2 factors come into play here. First, people are hungry for someone or something to believe in. We all have an innate desire to make sense of the world around us. Much of the suffering that takes place can seem to random and cruel. But what if all of a sudden there sprang up a leader who could manipulate something that you already believed in (the Bible) and transcribe a pseudo-religion wherein it was commanded that in order to be thought of by God as “Elect”, you would need to do things like leave your church, quit your job, and spread the word? Sound familiar? (Remember Waco) I think in one regard, this is exactly what has happened. I have listened to people like Steve Brooks from Boone Bible Ministries talk about the May 21st deadline. They are eloquent and intelligent. If you didn’t know your Bible, you may in fact be drawn in.

Second, the Bible itself does tell us that groups and movements like this will occur more and more frequently as time goes on. Jesus tells us plainly in Matthew 24:4-5, “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.” And again later in the same chapter He says, “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.” There have in fact been many groups and people that have thought they were the end time prophet, or even Jesus himself! (see my other blog post Million Dollar Mansions and False Messiahs). All of this business is interesting and confusing, but none of it is new to God.

What happens when all of these people wake up on May 22nd, and the world is still here?

This is the bigger problem. The news media loves a good story where Christians look silly or stupid. And believe me friend, this is one of them. Damage is being done. If your friend or family member already thinks you are a bit strange for believing in the Bible, this business has not helped your case. Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins are laughing together somewhere right now. But what about all of those well-meaning folks that actually DO believe that they are performing a service for God? I’m afraid there can be only one outcome. They will be disheartened, angry, upset, feeling led astray, and worst of all – their faith may be shaken.

It doesn’t matter if their leaders attempt to back-peddle by saying things like, “well we must have miscalculated” … or “God must have changed His mind.” It won’t matter if they suddenly remember that the Bible says expressly that it is not given unto man - or even the angels in Heaven - to know the hour or the day that the end will come. The damage will already be done. These folks will wake up jobless, disillusioned, and embarrassed.

I would not want to be the one heading up this march. I would have a lot to answer for. Let’s just hope that no one decides to drink the cool-aid, if it is offered. On May 22nd there will be disappointment, but also I think, some relief. Now we can go back to reading our Bibles with the Scriptures rightly divided. Just remember, be nice to these people. At least they are doing something with what they believe in, however misguided it may be!

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"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

- Jesus Christ

My advice is to knock. What do you have to lose?

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The Truth About Truth

Recently I viewed a debate between Dr. Sam Harris and Dr. William Lane Craig at Notre Dame on the matter of ‘Does Good Come From God?’ Harris is an atheist, author, and eloquent speaker. Craig is a theist, an author, and also eloquent. The two men went back and forth debating this issue for several hours. Harris provides the following equation in order to illustrate what “Good” is: imagine the worst case scenario of suffering for human beings, and then acquiesce to the fact that anything which is not as bad as the worst case scenario, must intrinsically be better, or more good. He maintains that you do not need God as a governor behind the scenes, instituting what is good or bad.

By contrast Dr. Craig says that in order for something to be good, there must be something or someone providing that intrinsic “goodness” behind the scenes. Otherwise we are all left up to our own opinions, or even worse – cultural majority vote, telling us what is good and bad. This was all very interesting of course, but I found one of the peripheral issues MUCH more interesting than the primary subject of the debate. Dr. Craig often posed the following argument: we need to have a grasp on the truth (generically speaking) in order to be able to make right comparisons as to what is or is not GOOD. And if we hold to the world view that human beings are nothing more than highly evolved mammals that came from a happy accident of matter mixed with life, then our reliance on truth is also a happy accident. In other words, we can never have any confidence in our own logical processes (how can you trust an accident?), because this intrinsic understanding of logic that we are “born with” was never the result of a divine mandate. Only unintelligent matter coming together to form a highly complex brain.

Or look at the problem this way. If Dr. Harris maintains that his worldview is correct, logical, and truthful… but then denies any type of God who could govern the intrinsic nature of that truth, then it follows that Harris’ take on truth and logic is simply the result of a happy accident of evolution - and as such cannot possibly have any logical grounding. For example, how can I trust that A+B=C, if my understanding of A, B, and C came from green slime which eventually evolved into small creatures, and eventually became a human being? You cannot use science to prove that science is accurate. There must be a higher standard which governs whether or not something is logical or true. From this higher standard, you may then make right comparisons as to whether or not worst case scenario suffering is good or not. Skipping the higher standard step is cheating.

I suspect that many people who hold to the closed system of naturalism act like there is no God, but all the while make use of God’s gift of reason and logic.

Why does inserting God solve this problem? Because then we would know that there is a force which gives truth its impetus and power. Evolution is supposedly a blind master, impartial to good or bad, true or untrue. Things just are the way they are. God takes away this impartiality, by providing the First Cause by which we can even understand logic and reason in the first place. If God is the originator of reason, then we can have confidence in our use of that reason. We need no longer attempt to argue that a person’s worldview is the Truth on one hand, but in the same breath deny there being any ultimate Truth on the other hand. Yet that is what people often do. This is what Sam Harris attempted to do, but Craig caught him. We do not have to take the rather silly stance of “whew, thank goodness the cosmos and evolution just happened to form the human brain in such a way as to be reliable in its use of logic and reason.” But rather we can say, “there is a God which allows me to think, reason, and engage in truth in a way that is different from the animals.” There is a greater Truth behind the way we use truth.

The lesson to be learned here is a big one. God gives us the ability to use His power to reason and identify truth. It is a gift, we don’t own it. He allows us to go through life judging concepts, making comparisons, and yes… He even allows us to deny His existence. And then when we do put forth a worldview without God, we ignore the gift of reason which allowed us to suggest the worldview in the first place.

I have 3 children. My wife and I are responsible for their well being; dressing them, feeding them, etc. At various times – while relaxing after a full meal – one of them will utter a harsh remark or take us for granted. We feed them, we love them, we make sacrifices for them - but all on human terms. Imagine what a personal God might feel like when His children treat him similarly.

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Interesting Quote

"God the Father bestows upon all, existence; and participation in Christ, in respect of His being the word of reason, renders them rational beings."

- Origen (185 - 254 A.D.)

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Financially Stressed?

Proverbs 22:7, "The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender."

Tired of feeling poor? Dave Ramsey (internationally famous financial speaker and author) gives us four tips to keep control of your finances. As no one says it better than Dave himself, I have included a link below this post, for those of you who want more. In the meantime, take a look at the following items, and weigh whether or not you are accomplishing these things in your own life!

1.) If you don't start to save money, you will always be broke.

2.) Create a plan for getting out of debt. You can wander into debt, but you cannot wander out of it. You need a specific plan.

3.) Get a part-time job [if you need to]. "If a man shall not work, he shall not eat" 2 Thessalonians 3:10.

4.) Pray for blessing. Your Father in Heaven is rich in abundance. You are able to "dial him up" at any time to ask for help!

Click here for more of Dave Ramsey: http://www.daveramsey.com/home/

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Stay in Your Lane

The excerpt below was taken from one of my good friends and spiritual mentors. Hope you enjoy it:

1 Kings, Chapter 1

These scriptures illustrate how Adonijah attempted to set himself up as King over Israel & Judah. Solomon was David’s choice, but Adonijah and his people tried to undermind David and Solomon. Adonijah decided he, not Solomon, should be King after David’s death.

He got chariots and horses, gathered his entourage, sacrificed animals, and had a big feast. He didn’t invite Solomon or the others that ordinarily would have been there, if in fact, he were supposed to be the King. When David heard this, he set things in order. He had Solomon anointed and to sit on David’s throne.

At this news, Adonijah’s entourage dispersed, leaving him alone. He was afraid because he had done wrong, so he went to the temple and held on to the horns of the altar. He knew that Solomon could have him killed for what he had done. In the end Adonijah bowed before Solomon and his life was spared.

Just like there can only be one king over a kingdom, there can only be one pastor of a church. Anyone that tries to set themselves in the office of pastor, divide the church, usurp authority and create disharmony, is asking for trouble from on high. God has something for each of us to do in the kingdom, but we can’t all be the king.

1st Corinthians 12, teaches us that we are one body with many parts. We can’t all be hands or feet, and there can only be one head. I challenge you to seek God for the assignment He has specifically for you, and then give that your best. For I also read that if you are faithful over a few things, God will make you ruler over many.

Yours in Love,

Min. Lacinda McClendon

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The Prayer Engine

In dealing with the personal experience as it pertains to God, we cannot neglect mentioning the power of prayer. If a personal God exists, then He would want to speak with us. Prayer is the language by which we speak to God. It is true that God is omnipotent and knows our heart at any given moment, but there is something special about finding a quiet place, sitting down, and talking to God. The Bible tells us to “pray without ceasing”, and you will find many people who pray in their vehicles on the way to work, in their homes, at the car wash… just about anywhere. We need not fold our hands and get on our knees every time we utter something to God. If we speak it, He can hear us.

I am blessed to have a true prayer warrior in my own family. If there is a fast track to Heaven, she is on it. My grandmother Kathleen is 92 years old. She has been praying almost all of her life. One afternoon over lunch, I went to visit her. My aunt and uncle were also present. I decided to pose 6 questions about prayer to all of them. What follows each question below is a paraphrased summary of their responses, with my own comments in brackets.

1.) Does Prayer Work?

Yes [everyone answered emphatically on this point].

2.) How do you Know Prayer Works?

Things so often turn out the way you want, after you have prayed about it. [There were actually so many prayer success stories here, that we had to work to trim them down to just a few]. There was actually one time in particular, when I [my aunt] was looking for a job and came across an advertisement for a high school religion teacher. I was uncertain about applying for this at first. As it happened I was soon recruited to be a chaperon for one of the student trips, and we were all riding in a bus together. Many of the students were listening to a radio, and I remember praying the prayer, “God if you want me to apply for this teaching job, play the song American Pie on the radio.” All joking aside, the VERY NEXT song was American Pie. And it continued to play 3 more times on the radio intermittently during the rest of the bus ride. I knew it was more than coincidence. I applied for the job, and got it! It turned out to be one of the most interesting and fulfilling jobs I have ever held.

3.) How has prayer made a difference in your life?

It settles your nerves and keeps you calm. It allows for a transfer of responsibility from your shoulders, directly onto God’s shoulders. If ANYONE needs help, they should pray. Because the God you are praying to can see farther down the road than you can – He knows what you need before you do.

There was one story in particular that comes to mind here. When my husband was in the military [Kathleen is speaking now], I had the same dream off and on for 3 nights. The dream was about my husband laying in a ditch somewhere out in the field. I could tell he was in trouble, and he didn’t move – just laid there. Some time later when he returned from the war we discussed this occurrence. He told me that at one point they were out on patrol, and he heard the voice of the enemy – he was forced to jump down into a low-lying ditch. He had stayed there all night. When his fellow soldiers found him the next day, they couldn’t believe he had survived the night alone, surrounded by the enemy. As it turned out, the timing on this matched when I was having those dreams!

4.) How do you View God?

He is the great protector. No one loves or protects you more than God. We are all His children, and I can’t stand to see people mistreating each other.

5.) Do you Have Any Tips for Praying?

[Kathleen] I always pray that people will be healthy, good Christians, and good role models. It is better to thank God first, so as not to be constantly bombarding Him with only personal requests.

[My aunt] Begin with praise for God, move on next to repentance, continue on to asking for things, and then finally you can end with petitioning God on behalf of yourself.


6.) What Would You Say to Someone Who Doesn’t Have Prayer in His or Her Life?

You don’t know what you are missing. It calms your fears.

I think [my uncle speaking] that prayer allows you to be separate and apart from your worries and problems. It frees you up.

Many have had a bad taste by looking in on “religion” from the outside, seeing only the rituals and hypocrisy of certain churches. But they haven’t experienced Jesus. That is different.

There are so many suicides and cases of depression today. I think lack of prayer, and lack of the knowledge of something greater adds to this.


The questions above were designed to get people thinking about the grace of prayer. All the people involved in the discussion that day were able to fill an encyclopedia with stories of prayers fulfilled, and lives changed. I was only there for an hour, but it could have gone for a day. It seems clear from the Bible that we were created to be in communion with God via the saving grace of Jesus, and by the language of prayer. Prayer operates like an engine, able to sustains us continually and operate in even the most difficult circumstances.

My grandmother finished with the following statement. I feel there is nothing else that needs said, so I will end this chapter with her words: “I pray that God gives the gift of Faith to all of my children and grandchildren, and I am grateful every day because I know He will.”

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New Book Coming from 'A Logical Faith'

Well it has been some time coming, but my book manuscript is almost 100% complete. The working title is: The God Circle: In Search of the Logical Christian Faith. It is a compilation of many of the different blog postings from this website, in conjunction with some new material, and also a list of appendices. During my faith walk these last 2 years or so, I had often thought about transferring the content discussed on the blog into a book which would challenge both believer and non-believer to examine many of the ideas they hold about God and Faith. I believe I have achieved that goal.

I am currently trying to decide whether or not to self-publish, or go through an agent and sign with a professional publishing house. I am investigating both options. I am also in prayer about it, and I'm sure that whichever path I go down, God will be at the center. It has been a wild ride already, and there are a few people screening the manuscript even as I write this.

So keep an eye out for the book in the near future. I will also keep you all abreast of things on this blog once it has gone to print. Thanks to all the people and faithful readers of this website that have helped bring this day to fruition. I really appreciate you!

- Jon

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God is Good

The Bible tells us that God is good. Many of us know this experientially as well. Last week a good friend of mine at work informed me that after 20-some years of hoping and praying, God moved in the heart of her elderly father, and he decided to receive Christ. This is overwhelmingly good news, and my friend's face was absolutely glowing when she told me. I have to admit, it made my day also.

What does something like this say to you and I? I believe it reminds us that time doesn't have the same meaning for us as it does for Him. 5 years, 10 years, 20 years... everything happens according to the proper season and at the perfect time. I enjoy hearing stories about God showing up. I enjoy them even more when they happen to the people around me, so I can experience the joy with them, and also be reminded first-hand that God really is in charge.

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