Rewriting History

It seems to be happening more and more.  And with the advent of the Internet and the ease of quick "information" (whether accurate or not), it's hard to tell what REALLY happened on anything anymore.  People with motives, writing in an authoritative style, but having no real authority, per se, take ill-informed theories and present them as fact via some link to a page on the oh-so-dependable internet.

I was having a conversation just last night, in fact, where someone told me, "Well, a bunch of men came together in 325 AD for the Council of Nicea to rewrite the Bible, throw out the stuff they didn't like, and ultimately tell us what to believe." And some of the speculation put forth goes even further than that, saying this is where "Jesus was invented" and so on.

Q: What is a person who reads one of these

blogs or fake publications to believe?  

A: Whatever they are fed, I suppose,

just like the rest of the modern world

if they choose not to dig in further. 

We are called to seek Truth ... to seek Him.  We are called to have an answer to give for the hope we hold in the promises of that Truth.  If we, as Christians, don't know the real story, or seem to only have a blind faith, unbelievers will take that as fuel to the "it's all made up" storyline being told by the Prince of Lies told through - I believe - well meaning but ignorant (i.e. lacking data) people.

I know it's about the heart ultimately. And that is good and right. But we're called to love our God with all of our heart, our soul, our strength, and our MIND.

Call to Action: Study. Know. Your church will likely have a series or two on apologetics and historicity of the church and our faith, or they can point you to resources.  My church has theology classes that I take, and I read a lot of in-depth books on the subject.  There are endless resources out there written by the likes of Ravi Zacharias, Tim Keller, Matt Chandler, C.S. Lewis, C.K. Chesterton, Billy Graham, and so on and so on. But there is no replacement for the actual Word of God.  Read it - study it with those who know it well.  


"I don't have time" is not an excuse. That is a decision you are making based on priorities.

What is YOUR priority? Will you simply believe whatever you're told? In a modern world of lost souls mislead by lies and misinformation, I don't believe we have that liberty ... if we are to truly resemble Christ.

Trust the Ice

Since it's winter (although in Texas it's been in the 70's), I thought I'd leverage a ice-based analogy.  Folks in the north will get this.  Southerners, try to follow along :-)

You peer out the window to see that the lake has frozen over.  You gear up, complete with ear muffs and mittens and your moon boots, and head out to test the ice.

You begin by putting your right foot onto the ice, left foot securely on terra firma. You shift a little bit of weight... just a little... to give the ice an initial test to see how solid it really is.

"Seems solid", you say to no one but yourself, "but I wonder how solid it is toward the center."  You tentatively take your left foot off the ground, shifting all of your weight on to your right, and place your left foot on the ice, as well. This was a big step of faith. Good for you. But you want to test the ice further.

You slowly scoot your feet 6" forward at a time, heading toward the center of the lake.  Your faith in the solidness of the ice grows, and you start to gain more and more confidence.  Your scoots become steps. Your steps become strides.

Then - all of a sudden - you have doubts, and you slow down again. You start to question what you just had confidence in only a moment ago. You picture the ice cracking, and falling through into the cold dark water.  Why?  Because you don't fully trust the ice.  Your worldly self ... your skeptical brain ... tells you, "Good!  You shouldn't just trust anything that fully!"

You once again put your right foot forward tentatively, keeping most of your weight on your left ...

Isn't this our faith journey? We accept Christ and, at first, have full faith in Him. Then the world makes us question His promises. Promises of a full, meaningful life.

Our doubts rise to the surface. It may be due yo tough times, questions we don't have the answers to, or the loss of someone dear to us.  It may come from believing that we are smarter than we think we are.

Sometimes it's that worldly thinking that creates doubt based on false premises.

But imagine if we just had full confidence in God. What if we took a running sprint onto the ice, never stopping until we reach the center?  What if we just believed with the faith of a child? What would that mean for our lives? What would that mean for the lives of those around us? Wouldn't that give them a sense sense of confidence as well? And wouldn't their growing confidence give us further confidence?

God, I know that you have the "full life" in your hands for me if I will just have faith in you and in your promises. I believe a little. Help me to believe fully, and to act upon it. I trust you. I surrender to you. I ask you to be Lord of my life ... fully. Thank you for your faith in me, while I was (correction: while I am) still a sinner. Help me Lord to return the favor.
In Jesus' name, Amen.

Don't get off track! Don't be timid!

From the paraphrase of Joshua 1, it says, "Don't get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you're going. And don't for a minute let this book of Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you'll get where you're going; then you'll succeed. Haven't I commanded you?

Strength! Courage! Don't be timid; don't get discouraged.

God, your God, is with you every step you take.

Amen!

"I am with you always, to the end of the age.” --Jesus

After all the knowledge I've gained over the past 5 years, even I forget sometimes that Jesus is alive and on His throne, and he is with us in every moment ... the good times and the tough times. 

So take heart and be confident in all you do. Because,  if he is for us, who can be against?