A Boomer in the Pew

The Dark Winter of the Soul

I maintain a website for a men's Bible study called The Marketplace Bible Study. 

I thought our most recent topic might be of interest to my readers, so I copied the post below.

Occasionally, in our walk with God, we can find ourselves in what seems to be a dark, cold place apart from God. 

The Bible is full of accounts where God is seemingly quiet. 

In such cases, it is not uncommon for our spirits to grow confused, afraid, and perhaps even despondant in what many have called the dark winter of the soul.

Pastor Jamie Rasmussen shared with us that "when it comes to God, and our relationship to him, faith and faithfulness are higher values than emotional or physical experiences."

During these times, Pastor Jamie put forth these four points:

• Use suffering and dry seasons to fortify your faith. (Matthew 26:36-42)
• Remain steadfast and determined in the disciplines of your faith.  (Revelation 2:5)
• Practice obedience.  (Philippeans 2:12)
• Persevere.  (Psalm 30:5)

Listen as Pastor Jamie Rasmussen explains:

Winter of the Soul

Note:  hover your mouse over the above player to find the start button.

Are All the Words in the Bible God's Words? All of Them? Really?

Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem - This post is part of my year-long journey through Dr. Wayne Grudem's world-renowned Systematic Theology.  I welcome and hope for your interaction.

Chapter 4 - The Four Characteristics of Scripture: (1) Authority

Dr. Grudem mentions in his audio that this particular topic is the absolute bedrock for the serious student of the Bible. 

The Bible itself, the prophets, and the apostles all make claim that every single word in the Scriptures are God's and it is the Christian's job to understand this and to accordingly obey them.

Hear it from Dr. Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology:

"The authority of Scripture means that all the words in Scripture are God's words in such a way that to disbelieve or disobey any word of Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God."

The Apostle Paul is one of Dr. Grudem's sources for such a statement:

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness," (2 Timothy 3:16)

As we journey through the doctrines of the Bible, we are absolutely certain to encounter teachings that are completely adrift from our natural sensibilities. 

When we encounter them, what will be our response?  Take them out of the Bible like Thomas Jefferson?  Ignore them?  Believe that some things in the Scriptures are true, and some things are not true?  If so, who is the judge of such things?  Ourselves?  Individually?  Really?  You think God would leave that up to us?

If we don't first come to grips with the authority of Scripture, then we are certain to find ourselves shipwrecked in our thinking as we attempt to understand God's infinite mind with our finite minds.

So...what say you?  Every single word in the Bible from God?  Every one?

Resource materials from Dr. Grudem's Sunday school class:

Grudem, Four Characteristics of Scripture, Part 1

Grudem, Four Characteristics of Scripture, Part 2

Note:  hover your mouse over the above players to find the start buttons.

Download Dr. Grudem's Notes on Scriptural Authority

How Do We Know That We Have the Right Books in the Bible?

Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem - This post is part of my year-long journey through Dr. Wayne Grudem's world-renowned Systematic Theology.  I welcome and hope for your interaction.

Chapter 3 - The Canon of Scripture

Audio and notes from Dr. Wayne Grudem's Sunday school class:

Wayne Grudem - The Old Testament Canon

Wayne Grudem - The New Testament Canon

Note:  hover your mouse over the above player to find the start button.

Download Wayne Grudem's Notes - The Canon of Scripture

We ended last week's article with the conclusion that God's written words in the Bible are the most reliable place for us to know God, and to understand his desires.

However, if we are going to base our lives on the words in this book, how can we know that we have the right books in the Bible?

A very important question, right?

Here's the "Reader's Digest" version of Grudem's answer:

• God began the canon of Scripture with his writing of the 10 Commandments.
• God instructed Moses to write down everything from Mount Sinai, and Moses continued his writings throughout his life.
• Joshua, and those who filled the office of prophet continued writing the words of God until God quite speaking around 435 BC with the book of Malachi.
• Although Jewish history continued to be written by historians, these same historians lamented the fact that God has not spoken since Malachi.
• God then came speaking in the person of Jesus Christ.
• The recorded words of Jesus, in the Gospels, and the Holy Spririt inspired words of the apostles were now God's design to communicate to his people.
• God's divine word to his people ended with the book of Revelation and the canon of Scripture is now closed.  

A foundational belief that we have the actual words of God in our Bibles in critical.  We are certain to come upon rough theological waters as we continue, and without this belief, we are certain to struggle even more.

I believe that the words contained in my ESV Study Bible are the actual words of God.

How about you?  What are your beliefs?  Actual words of God?

Homework:  Next week we move to chapter four:  The Four Characteristics of Scripture. 

Would You Pay More Attention if God Spoke to You Personally From Heaven Than Through the Bible?

Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem - This post is part of my year-long journey through Dr. Wayne Grudem's world-renowned Systematic Theology.  I welcome and hope for your interaction.

Chapter 2 - The Word of God

Before we can now begin our year-long journey, we must first make two assumptions:

1. That the Bible is true and that it is, in fact, our only absolute standard of truth.
2. That the God which is spoken of in the Bible exists, and that he is who the Bible says he is: the Creator of heaven and earth and all things in them.

Of course, these are enormous assumptions for some, and we will certainly be exploring these very assumptions as we move along. 

As we place our gaze upon the whole of the Bible, we find that God has spoken to us in primarily two ways:

1. "The word of God" as a person: Jesus Christ (John 1:1)
2. "The word of God" as speech by God.

As we consider God's word as speech, it has come to us in a number of ways:

• God's decrees.  For example, God said, "Let there be light".  God's decrees cause something to happen which we can then witness.
• God's words of personal address.  The Bible is full of examples of this.  Think of God speaking to Adam and Eve, or God speaking from heaven during the baptism of Christ.
• God's words as speech through human lips.  Think of prophets like Moses, Elijah, or Jeremiah.
• God's words in written form (The Bible). 

Grudem goes on to say that it is this fourth way where the student of systematic theology will spend his/her time.  Although the other three ways are possible, it seems that God has chosen today to let us find him primarily through the written word: the Bible.

Dr. Grudem left this chapter with a very good question for us to consider:  Do you think you would pay more attention if God spoke to you from heaven or through the voice of a living prophet than if he spoke to you from the written words of Scripture?

My answer to this, right or wrong, is yes. 

If God were to appear in my home office right now, it would significantly change my life.  Yet, I don't seem to give his words in the Bible the same respect. 

I suppose some of this is only natural and I should give myself a break?  Or, I need to significantly deepen my understanding of the way God personally communicates to me today.

What say you?

Homework:  Next week we will explore chapter three and discuss what belongs in the Bible and what does not.  See you then!

Extra! Extra! Scottsdale Man Raised From the Dead

Sensational headline...right?

If this headline were to appear across the national media, I suspect it would likely be the story of the century.  Or, with our cynical post-modern minds, we immediately presume "tabloid headline".

Perhaps the greatest understanding for mankind to wrap its mind around is a beginning understanding of God's grace.  We've all heard the term. If fact, there are countless churches around the world where "grace" is even a part of the church's name. 

Yet, if we were to ask 100 people in the church to describe what's so amazing about grace, sadly many would stumble to answer.  And to be completely honest, I was in this camp for many years.

Here's the deal. 

The third chapter of Genesis describes the fall of man, and throughout the Bible's testimony we learn that there is a physical death, and a spiritual death.  It seems that we are all "born into sin" and into the most precarious position of being physically alive and spiritually dead. 

Here's Paul in Ephesians 2:1-7:

"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."

As my pastor (Jamie Rasmussen) pointed out in his message on Sunday, the word "dead" here is from the Greek word "nekrós" and means ... dead.

So, why do the angels in heaven rejoice with sounds of great praise when someone places their faith in Jesus the Messiah?  It's because God has just raised the dead to life. 

If you force upon yourself the discipline to plumb the depths of this understanding, then you too will be melted in the deepest parts of your soul and proclaim loudest praise to God for his amazing grace.

Dear reader, please set aside 40 minutes and listen to Pastor Jamie Rasmussen explains our position before holy God and why his grace truly is amazing.

 

A New Year Hymn and Prayer for Biblical Understanding

A great many people around the world have started a year-long journey through the Bible commencing on January 1st.

This year begins my own third journey through the Bible.

As I was doing a little study on a separate year-long journey through Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology, I happened upon this hymn that Wayne offered in his text regarding spiritual nourishment from God's word written by Mary A. Lathbury:

Break Thou the bread of life, dear Lord, to me,
As Thou didst break the loaves beside the sea;
Beyond the sacred page I seek Thee, Lord;
My spirit pants for Thee, O living Word!

Bless Thou the truth, dear Lord, to me, to me,
As Thou didst bless the bread by Galilee;
Then shall all bondage cease, all fetters fall;
And I shall find my peace, my all in all.

Thou art the bread of life, O Lord, to me,
Thy holy Word the truth that saveth me;
Give me to eat and live with Thee above;
Teach me to love Thy truth, for Thou art love.

O send Thy Spirit, Lord, now unto me,
That He may touch my eyes, and make me see:
Show me the truth concealed within Thy Word,
And in Thy Book revealed I see the Lord.

I think this a worthy prayer for all of us as we begin to journey through God's word.  If you care to sing these words to God, you can find the tune here.

My Father: "Life's a Bitch and Then You Die"

I was reading in the Book of Job this morning:

"where then is my hope?" (Job 17:15a)

It is an absolute certainty that each of us, as we travel through life, will encounter suffering and death.

Each of us, with little effort, can call forth excruciating examples. 

In only takes moments for me to recall a dear loved one struggling with cancer and ultimately death, someone who is suffering with drug addiction and ends his life with suicide, someone who is completely lost in life and drowns their woes with alcohol, someone who precious daughter was killed in an automobile accident, quite a number of people whose life-savings were decimated in our current recession.

Consider this lithograph.  It depicts absolute and utter hopelessness, nakedness, and even a sense of trying to find protection from an unseen assailant.

Sure, all of us work hard to focus on the blessings around us.  Those of us who live in the United States enjoy unparalleled luxury and ease, as compared to many around the world.  We have nice houses, wonderful families, automobiles, flat screen televisions, and lots of stuff.

But, where does it all end? 

Naked and a return to dust is the final destiny for all of us.

You say, "No!  Stop talking about that!  That's so negative!"

Perhaps.  Nonetheless, your desire to turn the head doesn't make it less so. 

A great multitude would have us "live in the now".  Fine, wonderful, but your ultimate destiny is still the same.  Death!  The end of you.

My father, for better or worse, continually proclaimed:  "Life's a bitch and then you die".

If you are currently in the midst of heart-wrecking pain, or will take a few minutes to consider these words, and plumb the depth of its stark reality, you will find terror-stricken loneliness, pain, and hopelessness.

Hopelessness.  What an awful thing!

So, where then can we hope?  Is there anything, or anyone in which we can place our hope?  Is our life a meaningless existence and death?

We must all answer this question for ourselves. 

For me, I have surveyed the evidence and have concluded that God does exist.  Furthermore, looking at the testimony of a great many over the world's history, I have also concluded that this God, my creator, has communicated to me where hope can be found.

Did you get that?  Finding hope is a BIG, BIG deal.

I have placed my hope in the character of God.  I have chosen to believe, and place my faith in the fact that God is sovereign, that God is just, that God will vindicate me, and while still infinitely hard to completely believe, I have also placed my faith in what theologians call "that great hope":  life everlasting with God.

Dear reader, do you have hope?  Where do you find it?

Can We Believe in the Bible, God, Jesus Christ as Messiah, Sin, Heaven, Hell, Satan, Angels? Systematic Theology Addresses These Questions.

Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem - This post is part of my year-long journey through Dr. Wayne Grudem's world-renowned Systematic Theology.  I welcome and hope for your interaction.

If you followed my year-long journey through the ESV Study Bible last year,  you witnessed a considerable amount of whinning from me as we whisked past very important revelations worthy of our attention.

As I considered my year-long project for this year, I decided to go back and do some deep-sea diving in some of the most critical of the Bible's revelations.

Dr. Grudem defines systematic theology:

"Systematic theology is any study that answers the question, "What does the whole Bible teach us today?" about any given topic"

The folks over at the Pew Forum tell us that a large majority of Americans profess a belief in God, yet, it would seem, most can not intelligently put forth any reason beyond a simple belief in some eternal being or universal spirit.

A study of systematic theology will help us put meat into our beliefs, will help to shape our worldview, and in the end will likely have significant effect on our choices and behaviors in the world.

Here are the broad topics the we will cover in this study over the course of the year:

• The Bible - is it really God's word?  Are there errors in it?  Why these 66 books and not others?  Are the stories in the Bible literally true? 
  
• God - how do we know that God really exists? Can we know him?  How is God different from us?  What is all this "God in Three Persons" about?  Does God really hear our prayers?  What about miracles?  Creation, really?  Is there a devil?  Are there angels? 
  
• Man - were we really created by God?  Do I have a soul, a spirit?  Why did God make two sexes?  What is this sin thing all about?
• Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit - who are these guys?  Is Jesus the Jewish Messiah? Was Jesus really God in flesh?  I've heard that Jesus died for my sins, what is that all about?  Jesus died and rose from the dead?  Really?  Who is the Holy Spirit and does he exist?
• Redemption - I've heard that I must be born again, what is that all about?  How can I be born twice?  Isn't my belief in God and my good behavior enough to get me into heaven?
• The Church - why do we even have this thing called church?  What is it?  Why are there so many different churches?  Don't these people just want to control my life?  Can't I just believe in God and forget the whole church thing?
• Heaven - really?  Is there such a place?  How do I get into heaven?  Hell?  Come on, really?  Eternal damnation?  Burning in hell forever?  Really? Come on!  Earth will someday be destroyed and we'll live with God forever?  Really?  Come on!

Let's ask a few questions of ourselves:

• Do we have cogent beliefs in all of these areas that we can intelligently profess?
• Are these not some of the most important questions of life?
• Are these not things that you would like to know more about?

Bingo!  This is why we should all be students of systematic theology. 

I'm looking forward to this year-long journey, want to come along?

Are You Possessed by Your Possessions?

My wife and I spent a good many years faithfully saving money from our successful business with the goal of early retirement at the age of 50.

In 2006, we acheived our big hairy audacious goal (BHAG) only to have our assets ravaged in the great market downturn of October 2008.

This website is actually one of the fruits of that disaster as I have been trying to mentally work my way through God's design in my broken plan.

On Sunday, Pastor Emeritus Dr. Darryl DelHousaye was speaking in our church (Scottsdale Bible Church), and asked a very pointed question:  Are you possessed by your possessions?

To be honest, I squirmed in my seat quite a bit.  For you see ... the honest answer is yes.

Having 45% of our assets destroyed in 2008, along with the loss of a monthly income stream, messed up my life and my plan in a big way.

Now, here in 2011, I am hunkered down and have my arms wrapped tightly around the remaining funds.  Please God, don't take this too!

Is it possible that I still haven't learned my lesson?  Sure, I no longer possess the massive pride I did.  But ... am I still placing my faith in my possessions?  Am I possessed by my possessions?  If I lost all of my possessions tomorrow, how would I handle that?

OUCH! 

Dr. DelHousaye reminds us over and over that there is nothing wrong with having a great amount of possessions.  In fact, it brings God joy to bless us and many times that is with possessions.

But, at the end of the day, who do these possessions belong to?  Will we be taking our possessions into our graves? 

I would greatly encourage you to watch Dr. Darryl DelHousaye's video from Sunday.  (Hint: start at 6 minutes)

I have some more work to do in this area, and I suspect that I am not alone.

How about you?  Are you too possessed by your possessions?

Paul Maier Argues: All Religions, except Christianity and Judaism, are the Figments of Someone's Imagination and Have no Basis in History

Today, in my second chronological journey through my ESV Study Bible, I have completed the narrative of earth's primeval history which starts with creation and ends with the patriarch Abram.

Abram hails from Ur of the Chaldeans. In the 1920s, the whole world watched with great excitement as archaeologist Leonard Wooley would spend the next twelve years unearthing this ancient city at Tell el-Muqayyar in modern Iraq. (Link to photographs and story of this dig from The British Museum)

As I was exploring the fascinating finds on this website, my mind drifted to atheist Richard Dawkins who would fashion Chrisitianity to be the wild fantasies of the mind.

Perhaps he is ignorant of the incredible arcaeological record that supports a belief in God and his recorded words in the Bible.

Just before Christmas, I was reading  In the Fullness of Time: A Historian Looks at Christmas, Easter, and the Early Church (affiliate link) by historian Paul Maier.  In his introduction, he makes the following statement:

"Of all religious beliefs in the world, past or present, none have more thoroughly based themselves on history than Judaism and Christianity.  The divine-human encounter in the biblical faiths always involves claims about real people, living in real places, who acted in real events of the past, many of which are also cited in secular ancient history. 

Because Judeo-Christianity has so thoroughly influenced Western culture, we are prone to imagine that all other world religions have similarly solid historical base.  This is by no means the case.  It can, in fact, be argued that every religious system before or since Judaism and Christianity has avoided any significant interaction with history, and instead has asked its followers to believe, by sheer faith alone, the claimed revelations of its founder(s).  This is true of the mythologies of yesterday and the cults of today, the religions of the East or the "New Age" of the West."

Did you get that? 

Maier argues that all religions, except Christianity and Judaism, are the figments of someone's imagination and have no basis in history.

Strong words?  You bet!

The Bible is loaded with very strong statements that will shock a serious student to the core.  The Bible maintains that the earth is ruled by Satan who has created false religions to decieve and keep a great many ignorant of the truth.

The simple fact is, if you look at the whole record of Christianity, combined with the incredible trail left behind in archaeology and history, then as Josh McDowell proclaims in his The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict (affiliate link), there is enough evidence to demand that you make a decision.

Dear reader, don't stick your head in the sand on this.  You do not want to find out that the claims of the Bible were true after you are dead and standing in front of God's White Throne of Judgment.