What we do in life echoes in eternity

“My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust? If the whole show was bad and senseless from A to Z, so to speak, why did I, who was supposed to be part of the show, find myself in such violent reaction against it? A man feels wet when he falls into water, because man is not a water animal: fish would not feel wet. Of course I could have given up my idea of justice by saying it was nothing but a private idea of my own. But if I did that, then my argument against God collapsed too-for the argument depended on saying that the world was really unjust, not simply that it did not happen to please my fancies. Thus in the very act of trying to prove that God did not exist-in other words, that the whole of reality was senseless-I found I was forced to assume that one part of reality-namely my idea of justice-was full of sense. Consequently atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be a word without meaning.”
-C. S. Lewis - Mere Christianity


i majored in philosophy and Religious studies.  As a result a lot of the classes that i took dealt with the issues of God, and the attempt to fully prove or disprove his existence, his being.  This came in the form of philosopher's we studies, christian, not christian, agnostic, atheistic and everything else, and people in classes who fell in the same spectrum. i often found myself to be one of the few Christians, or at least one of the few who wasn't afraid to go toe to toe with those who didn't believe he existed.  No matter what the discussion was focused on the idea of the problem of evil always came up and was presented as the trump card.

The problem of evil goes like this in its simplest form
Premis:
1. If God exists he is omniscient, omnipresent, and omni-benevolent
2. Because God is omni-benevolent everything he creates must be good, there can be no evil
3. There is evil in the world
Conclusion
4. Therefore God does not exist.

From a strictly logical philosophical point of view the argument is sound, the conclusion follows from the premises and there are no logical fallacies.  However, there is an understanding fallacy with in the premises.  That fallacy being that we are able to understand God.  It is illogical to think this way.

To think that we can stand on par mentally with the creator of the universe, the being with out beginning is the ultimate display of hubris and lunacy.  Our brightest minds cannot grasp the full capacity of the human mind, or physics, or how our own biological process works, or calculus. All these things that God created we cannot and do not understand completely.  Yet we think we can fully understand the creator?  It is laughable and incredibly narcissistic.  The ancient roman philosopher Cicero said once "Either God wishes to remove evils and cannot,or he can do so and is unwilling." The famous atheist Sam Harris comments on this quote by Cicero saying "Therefore God is either impotent or evil."


i would say that the only thing Cicero proves and Harris as well is what the Word of God says "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways, declares the Lord" - Isaiah 55:8.  Both of these men believed that they understood God and his nature, they couldn't have been farther from the truth.


The existence of evil in the world no more disproves the existence of God than the existence of the sun disproves the existence of darkness.  The suffering, the evil, the injustice and all the things people say negate God's existence are actually saying it negates their ability to reason God and his nature based on our nature.  i don't understand nuclear physics one bit, doesn't make any sense, don't really know how it works.  But just because i don't understand it, and there are parts that seem unexplainable doesn't disprove it as a real thing, just simply beyond the complexities of my mind. 


Atheist or agnostics either don't want to or don't know how to put faith in something as big as God.  They are too scared, or proud, or self absorbed, or all of the above or any other reason you can come up with.  They may claim that they don't believe in faith they believe in science, but that would just make them a global skeptic on a metaphysical and epistemological level.  They would have to say that nothing exists and we can have no knowledge.  In fact they would have to be skeptics of skepticism.  The fact is Atheist, et. al. do have faith, they put faith in a lot, they just chose not to put faith in God.  They make science their god, they make the golden cafe their god.  The saddest part is, we[christians] live our lives in a way that allows them to do this.  We make these same things our god, we follow in the exact same footsteps of the Israelites, who we scoff at and say how could they reject God like that? We put our faith in the creation not the creator.


The problem is not with evil, it never has been, which is why God doesn't get rid of it, because we don't understand what God is doing.  Suffering has a purpose, is it fun no, but not everything in life is fun and pleasurable.  Hedonism can not be the driving force in the world, because hedonism is a lie.  It is fueled by lust. The problem is with humans, with their mindset, with the decisions we make from the free will that we have been granted through God's divine providence and knowledge.  If you accept the fact that we cannot understand everything about God's nature, all of the arguments against God become lunacy and hubris.


Harris in a recent publication used the analogy of Hurricane Katrina to illustrate his point. "Only the atheist," he writes, "has the courage to admit the obvious: these poor people [who prayed to God in New Orleans then died] spent their lives in the company of an imaginary friend." Harris is wrong, he lacks understanding.  In reality only the atheist, has the hubris to make the claim: that as the creation they had the same amount of knowledge to call themselves the great "I am" to count themselves equal with the creator.  

“One philosopher formulated an argument against God this way: First, there is no reason that would justify God in permitting so much evil rather than a lot less; second, if God exists, then there must be such a reason; so, three, God does not exist….
That’s like saying it’s reasonable to believe in God if six Jews die in a Holocaust, but not seven. Or sixty thousand but not sixty thousand and one, or 5,999,999, but not six million. When you translate the general statement ‘so much’ into particular examples like that, it shows how absurd it is. There can’t be a dividing line…. At what point does suffering disprove the existence of God? No such point can be shown. Besides, because we’re not God, we can’t say how much suffering is needed. Maybe every single element of pain in the universe is necessary.”
- Lee Strobel "The Case for Faith"

"Speak, Lord, for your slave is listening."
- 1 Samuel 3:9-10

Prayer.  Its an interesting concept, or maybe a misunderstood concept, most likely both.  Its Power is not something that we will ever be able to fully wrap our heads around.  The whole of the New Testament does not emphasize prayer as much as the Old Testament, in and of itself this is not a bad thing, but in the modern "biblical" church in America this results in a significant problem.  The Old Testament is often times left out, and so people dont always get the full picture of God's story, we don't get insights into prayer that are so prevalent in the Old Testament. The Old Testament is full of different conversations that people have with God, yes conversations.  These are moments of prayer, images of how to communicate with God.

Often times it is God who attempts to initiate with us, but for a myriad of different reasons we do not here him or we do not.  To us prayer is telling God what we think we need and want and then expecting God to take care of everything.  No interest in a real relationship, just benefits of one. What if we treated our spouse this way? Unfortunately some do.  No relationship, just fulfillment of needs and wants; food, clothing, shelter, transportation.  And too self absorbed to see the situation for what it really is, not a relationship, a parasite. We lach on to God and we take and take and take, and there is no give back.

What if instead we responded to God, and treated prayer like Eli instructs Samuel to do in 1 Samuel 3.  Samuel is asleep and keeps hearing his name called so he keeps going to Eli, Eli is not calling but realizes it is God.  So Eli tells Samuel to respond "Speak, Lord, your slave is listening."  What a response. The craziest part?

He meant it.

Acted upon it.

Lived every day with that mentality.

So, God used him.  In big ways for His Kingdom.  Samuel is one of the most prominent Prophets.  All because he listened first. He chose to respond. Acted in accordance with God's will. Freely chose to be a slave.

Prayer is a conversation, it is communication.  And the most important piece to communication is not talking, it is listening.  Which quality do you desire in a spouse and friends?  A good talker or a good listener? We are created that way, and we are created in God's image. We are created to be good listeners, all of us, we just need to choose to be good listeners to God. And to those around us.

We must be still, and know that he is God.  Because God as powerful and great as he is, doesn't always speak in a thunderous voice, it isn't always the raging storm where he is heard.  Often it is in the quietness, in the sound of silence that comes after the storm where God speaks.

Will you choose to hear him?  Will you respond?

“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹² And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. ¹³ When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
   And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
- 1 Kings 19:11-13

Book Review:
Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ by John MacArthur

"Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright, that God may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless and do no wrong; that is your oath."\
-Balian of Ibelin - Kingdom of Heaven. 

There was a time once, when chivalry was the standard men lived by, when Sir was a title with meaning and weight behind it, not just a term of respect that  future son-in-laws call their potential father-in-laws. A time when the pen was not mightier, but swords ruled, it was a sign of wealth and status.  It was the best gift that could be passed on from father to son. A time when a a good man was defined by his character, valor, honor, and chivalry.  When you owned whatever you did either good or bad, and took the consequences.  A time when the greatest compliment any man could receive is to have someone who knew your father say to you, "you are your father's son".

Could you imagine that comment today?

Would any guy these days take it as a compliment?

What has happened to men that we no longer take that as a compliment?

Many books have been written about this topic. The problem with fathers, sons, and the relationship or lack there of between them.  Being a true man, and a man of God.  These are important topics.  This is not to say that there weren't these problems in medieval times, but can you think of any man you know, yourself included, and myself included for that matter.

Who doesn't want their own son to take that compliment like gold?

I want my son to take that compliment as the best compliment he could receive.

So what do we do?  First we must learn to live like real men of God, following kingdom principles.  Be men of honor and valor.  Respected by men and God alike. Chivalrous and upright. King David command's his son Solomon and all men on how to be men. "Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying: "I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn;" (1 Kings 2:1-3).


What kind of man will you chose to be? Will you follow the Lord, and walk in the ways of a righteous man, a godly man? Or will you walk in the ways of this world, and not be the type of father your son wants to be come, the type of father who draws a violent and negative reaction.


What will your legacy be?


Will your son want to continue it?


“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
- Joshua 1:9

"What makes Christ glorious, is an admirable conjunction of diverse excellencies."
- Jonathan Edwards

Often times in life there are reoccurring themes, those things that just seem to constantly come to the surface.  The first few times this theme presented itself in my life, i brushed it off.  i believe that is something that we often times do, we tend to think its the other people who have a problem, not ourselves. The theme continues to knock on my door however, it cannot be ignored, it must be accepted in, and even if grudgingly we must allow it to chisel away at our exterior, when this happens more of God is revealed in us and potentially through us.

i have always said that one of my greatest strengths is also my greatest weakness.  i am for lack of a better term, a passionate person.  Always have been, and always will be.  When this passion is properly controlled, and harnessed, it can be very dangerous for the Kingdom of Heaven.  However, if i let my passion get the better of me, go uncontrolled, look before i leap, etc. i potentially become very dangerous for the domain of darkness.   Just like any other emotion, on its own passion is not sinful, it is only when we let ourselves be controlled by that emotion, when Satan is able to use it against us.

So how do i keep myself from being controlled by this emotion, and learn how to control it?  Find a role model and work to pattern my life after how they handle it.  Jesus is called the Lion of Judah, and for good reason, He is God, and has all power and authority on heaven and earth.  He could have easily done away with any of his opposition,  done anything that he wanted. But he didn't. In his book "Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ," John Piper has a chapter titled "The Lion and the Lamb,"  in this chapter he discusses all the ways in which Jesus lives out the perfect juxtaposition of these two diverse excellencies.  It doesn't seen possible to be both a Lion and a Lamb.  To be a Lion-like-Lamb, and a Lamb-like-Lion.  Jesus knew how to control his passion, yes he turned over tables and drove people out of the temple with a whip that he made, but it came out of righteousness. He chose to become the lamb of Judah, instead of the Lion to give us all life. There is no greater example.  Being a Lion is a good thing, but being a Lamb-like-Lion is a Godly thing.  So we must "rise and rise again, until lambs become lions," but always be a lion the way that Jesus was, and never the lion that Satan tried to get him to be. 

" The Lion of Judah conquered because he was willing to act the part of a lamb.  He came into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday like a king on the way to a throne, and went out of Jerusalem on Good Friday like a lamb on the way to the slaughter.  He drove the robbers from the Temple like a lion devouring its prey.  And then at the end of the week he gave his majestic neck to the knife, and they slaughtered the Lion of Judah like a sacrificial lamb."
- John Piper Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ