Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Coming in January...
Everybody gets the blues sometimes...Suffering rolls in like a thunderstorm over the Mississippi Delta, sadness rides in on a lank horse and sits for a spell, and when you need water, life gives you gasoline.
In those moments, hope can shine through because of Christ and His work.
Join us in January in the Crossroads class as we look at how we can be set free and leave the blues.
Crossroads Single Adult Bible Fellowship meets at 9:30 in room 2230-2231 at Sevier Heights Baptist Church.
For more information about The Singles Ministry, or to contact us, go to: www.sevierheights.org (click on "singles").
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
“Why would a ‘good’ God allow suffering?”
I’ve been asked this question quite a few times over the last 6 months. With senseless terrorist attacks sinking hooks of fear deep into many, the overall state of the world economy, and the general anxiety over the future of our nation, it’s easy to see why this question would be something mulled over at times. But sometimes the question is directed at moments much more localized, toward personal hardships and private pain.
So, why would a good God allow suffering?
Epicurus tackled this idea many years ago in ancient Greece:
“Either God wants to abolish evil, and cannot;
Or He can, but does not want to;
Or He cannot and does not want to.
If He wants to, but cannot, He is impotent.
If He can, but does not want to, He is wicked.
But if God both can and wants to abolish evil,
Then how come evil is in the world?”
(By the way, Epicurus’ name is attached to a certain school of thought: Epicureanism. Simply stated, for an Epicurean, pain and pleasure were indicators of what was bad and good. They believed that entire point of philosophy was to live a life that was happy and peaceful and without any fear or discomfort.)
So, how do I answer when someone asks that question?
Though I may be oversimplifying for the sake of space, some use suffering as a "reason" to disbelieve in God, while others wonder what God is doing when He allows for suffering.
First, I've been told by some, “Suffering proves there is no God.”
My response is always the same: “Why, what’s wrong with suffering?”
Usually the person isn’t very happy with that question, and I get a passionate response along the lines of: “Suffering is bad, unfair, and wrong. A good God wouldn’t allow it!”
And there’s the problem with that thinking. If I think suffering is bad, unfair, wrong, unjust, cruel, or any other thing that carries with it a value judgment, and I also hold to the assertion that God does not exist, then from where does that idea of bad, unfair, wrong, unjust or cruel arise? (And where do we get the idea of a "good" God?)
If there’s no God, and if truth is determined only by the culture in which we live, then there are no absolutes that transcend culture and time. There’s no objective standard. If that’s the case, then morality is relative too…and the notion of right and wrong…and good and bad…Quite simply, without a God, there’s no real "fair" or "unfair."
Let me give you an example…I had an Anthropology professor in college who, in the first half of a lesson, taught how life and culture are subject to evolutionary processes, and in the next portion of the lesson she talked about how everyone should have equal rights, no matter their status, education, IQ, physical traits, or abilities. I had to wonder why that might be the case. Those two ideas can’t coexist (at least not in any sensible way). If evolution is true, then there is no fair and unfair; one must use whatever means necessary to survive. So get faster and more fit because there’s no fair and unfair, only “good for me” and “too bad for you.”
Yet we know that there is a thing called unfairness…and cruelty... and suffering.
The recognition of suffering points to a standard, something perfect…God.
And it underlines an important point: Things are not as they should be…
And then some believe in God, but still struggle with the reality of suffering in the world. I keep returning to the big idea that has helped me most through times of suffering: Suffering points toward a restoration.
But what of the end of suffering then? What’s the point? Does it end? And what do I mean by a restoration?
Let's see...
Vance Havner once said, “Adam and Eve bit the apple and our teeth still ache.”
We’re born into a sinful world. We live in a sinful world with all the things that sin brings with it. But there’s more to come…and better things…
Matt. 19:28 So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Do you see what Jesus is saying? He says that He is the One who will set all things right, make all things over, and bring His justice upon the earth. He’s the way. He will restore creation…
Is. 65:17 "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.
Acts 3:19-21 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.
II Pet. 3:11-13 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Rev. 21:1-5 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."
Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."
But He not only will restore the physical world, but He restores us. He is the resurrection. He brings the dead to life…He is the new birth.
II Cor. 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
II Cor. 5:1-5 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
Our mortality, and all the suffering with it, will be “swallowed up by life” that Christ offers.
So what do we make of it all…that the universe and all who are His will be restored to a perfect state, yet we experience suffering here and now?
Rom. 8:18-25 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
We wait for Him to return and restore us…A word from Mr. Lewis:
“They say of some temporal suffering, ‘No future bliss can make up for it,’ not knowing that Heaven, once attained, will work backwards and turn even that agony into a glory.” --C. S. Lewis
We groan, yes, but we point to Christ. The world is sinful, we are born into sin, and each and every one of us is offered an opportunity for repentance. He can restore us, and then use us to bring the message of the hope found in Him to the world that needs restoration by His power.
The people of former rebellion can be the people of future restoration by sharing the hope that is within us with a world in need of restoration for the glory of God. We are not perfect, so we should be able to easily share and relate to those who do not know God, yet being in a struggle with the flesh, we long greatly for the redemption offered by Christ.
So, when it comes to suffering and restoration, I always think of my childhood…
When I was small, sometimes I would get a cut or a scratch or skin my knee. The result would be a band-aid…and then a popsicle or a bit of candy to placate the tears. A consolation for the pain I endured; “Poor little guy. Here, have something sweet.”
I often thought of Heaven as being that: a long struggle here, a consolation offered on the “other side,” as it were. God leans down and says, “Poor little one, you’ve been through so much, here, have something that will take your mind off that.”
But that’s not restoration…
The future restoration of which the Bible speaks may be more akin to not a bandage and a confection, but a brand-new knee, with new skin, that never ages, or experiences hurt, and that is completely beyond any kind of skin that anyone could ever image…perfect. But not just a knee, but a new body and a total being without the desire to sin (try to wrap your brain about that).
Heaven is not a popsicle…it’s a new knee. That’s our hope.
John 11:25 “I am the resurrection and life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
So, why would a good God allow suffering?
Epicurus tackled this idea many years ago in ancient Greece:
“Either God wants to abolish evil, and cannot;
Or He can, but does not want to;
Or He cannot and does not want to.
If He wants to, but cannot, He is impotent.
If He can, but does not want to, He is wicked.
But if God both can and wants to abolish evil,
Then how come evil is in the world?”
(By the way, Epicurus’ name is attached to a certain school of thought: Epicureanism. Simply stated, for an Epicurean, pain and pleasure were indicators of what was bad and good. They believed that entire point of philosophy was to live a life that was happy and peaceful and without any fear or discomfort.)
So, how do I answer when someone asks that question?
Though I may be oversimplifying for the sake of space, some use suffering as a "reason" to disbelieve in God, while others wonder what God is doing when He allows for suffering.
First, I've been told by some, “Suffering proves there is no God.”
My response is always the same: “Why, what’s wrong with suffering?”
Usually the person isn’t very happy with that question, and I get a passionate response along the lines of: “Suffering is bad, unfair, and wrong. A good God wouldn’t allow it!”
And there’s the problem with that thinking. If I think suffering is bad, unfair, wrong, unjust, cruel, or any other thing that carries with it a value judgment, and I also hold to the assertion that God does not exist, then from where does that idea of bad, unfair, wrong, unjust or cruel arise? (And where do we get the idea of a "good" God?)
If there’s no God, and if truth is determined only by the culture in which we live, then there are no absolutes that transcend culture and time. There’s no objective standard. If that’s the case, then morality is relative too…and the notion of right and wrong…and good and bad…Quite simply, without a God, there’s no real "fair" or "unfair."
Let me give you an example…I had an Anthropology professor in college who, in the first half of a lesson, taught how life and culture are subject to evolutionary processes, and in the next portion of the lesson she talked about how everyone should have equal rights, no matter their status, education, IQ, physical traits, or abilities. I had to wonder why that might be the case. Those two ideas can’t coexist (at least not in any sensible way). If evolution is true, then there is no fair and unfair; one must use whatever means necessary to survive. So get faster and more fit because there’s no fair and unfair, only “good for me” and “too bad for you.”
Yet we know that there is a thing called unfairness…and cruelty... and suffering.
The recognition of suffering points to a standard, something perfect…God.
And it underlines an important point: Things are not as they should be…
And then some believe in God, but still struggle with the reality of suffering in the world. I keep returning to the big idea that has helped me most through times of suffering: Suffering points toward a restoration.
But what of the end of suffering then? What’s the point? Does it end? And what do I mean by a restoration?
Let's see...
Vance Havner once said, “Adam and Eve bit the apple and our teeth still ache.”
We’re born into a sinful world. We live in a sinful world with all the things that sin brings with it. But there’s more to come…and better things…
Matt. 19:28 So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Do you see what Jesus is saying? He says that He is the One who will set all things right, make all things over, and bring His justice upon the earth. He’s the way. He will restore creation…
Is. 65:17 "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.
Acts 3:19-21 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.
II Pet. 3:11-13 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Rev. 21:1-5 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."
Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."
But He not only will restore the physical world, but He restores us. He is the resurrection. He brings the dead to life…He is the new birth.
II Cor. 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
II Cor. 5:1-5 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
Our mortality, and all the suffering with it, will be “swallowed up by life” that Christ offers.
So what do we make of it all…that the universe and all who are His will be restored to a perfect state, yet we experience suffering here and now?
Rom. 8:18-25 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
We wait for Him to return and restore us…A word from Mr. Lewis:
“They say of some temporal suffering, ‘No future bliss can make up for it,’ not knowing that Heaven, once attained, will work backwards and turn even that agony into a glory.” --C. S. Lewis
We groan, yes, but we point to Christ. The world is sinful, we are born into sin, and each and every one of us is offered an opportunity for repentance. He can restore us, and then use us to bring the message of the hope found in Him to the world that needs restoration by His power.
The people of former rebellion can be the people of future restoration by sharing the hope that is within us with a world in need of restoration for the glory of God. We are not perfect, so we should be able to easily share and relate to those who do not know God, yet being in a struggle with the flesh, we long greatly for the redemption offered by Christ.
So, when it comes to suffering and restoration, I always think of my childhood…
When I was small, sometimes I would get a cut or a scratch or skin my knee. The result would be a band-aid…and then a popsicle or a bit of candy to placate the tears. A consolation for the pain I endured; “Poor little guy. Here, have something sweet.”
I often thought of Heaven as being that: a long struggle here, a consolation offered on the “other side,” as it were. God leans down and says, “Poor little one, you’ve been through so much, here, have something that will take your mind off that.”
But that’s not restoration…
The future restoration of which the Bible speaks may be more akin to not a bandage and a confection, but a brand-new knee, with new skin, that never ages, or experiences hurt, and that is completely beyond any kind of skin that anyone could ever image…perfect. But not just a knee, but a new body and a total being without the desire to sin (try to wrap your brain about that).
Heaven is not a popsicle…it’s a new knee. That’s our hope.
John 11:25 “I am the resurrection and life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
Monday, December 1, 2008
The Best Laid Plans
“A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.” Prov. 16:9
Sometimes I have an image in my mind that looks something like this…
It’s a cold morning, just before dawn, and I’m sitting in my truck at the edge of a recently cleared plot of land. Beside me is a rolled-up plan. It’s the plan for my life. I’m about to meet with God so that He can look it over. God shows up (I really don’t pay any attention to what kind of vehicle He drives…). I pull out the plans and lay them on the hood of my truck and He looks them over. “Did you do this?” He asks.
“Yes.”
“All by yourself?”
“All by myself.”
“But you didn’t ask Me.”
(pause)“But I’m asking now.”
“Asking for what?”
(another pause, longer this time) “Asking for You to bless them.”
He looks at the plans again. “So, where do I fit in?”
“Excuse me?”
“Me. Where do I fit in your plans?”
I flip a page or two of the sheets, “Here, right here, see, there You are. And You are in some other places too.”
He just looks at me.
“Let Me show you something,” He says. And, with that, He takes out His own plans and places the roll of papers on the hood. “You made plans all by yourself, that’s the problem. And the plans you have made by yourself would be really good plans, if you want to accomplish them all by yourself. These are My plans for you now.”
He unrolls a tiny bit of a corner for me to see. I look at it and say, “And…?”
“Do that, and then I’ll show you more.”
“But I would like to know the rest now.”
“You have plenty to do with this one corner now. Besides, these are My plans for you, not your plans for Me. You are a part of My plan, not the other way around. So, if anyone needs to get his plans in line, it’s you.”
I find myself confronted with that reality at times. I can get comfortable and so focused doing “my own thing” and ignore the One who has plans for my life. And, sometimes, the “corner” that He lets me see makes little or no sense at the time, because I can’t see the entire picture. He’s not an “add-on” or “optional equipment.” He’s the Architect of the plans I am to follow and Builder.
He doesn’t need my wisdom to make His plans for me (“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent” (I Cor.1:19b)), but I need His wisdom to follow the plan (James 3:13). The problem lies in forgetting Him; for us to see a work that can be done by God alone, we must first see a work that is impossible for man alone.
The only thing I can really offer to the accomplishing of the plan is my trust, obedience, and dependence upon Him. “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (II Cor.12:10b). Are you a part of His plans, or is He a part of yours?
Dustin C. George
Minister to Single Adults
www.sevierheights.org
Sometimes I have an image in my mind that looks something like this…
It’s a cold morning, just before dawn, and I’m sitting in my truck at the edge of a recently cleared plot of land. Beside me is a rolled-up plan. It’s the plan for my life. I’m about to meet with God so that He can look it over. God shows up (I really don’t pay any attention to what kind of vehicle He drives…). I pull out the plans and lay them on the hood of my truck and He looks them over. “Did you do this?” He asks.
“Yes.”
“All by yourself?”
“All by myself.”
“But you didn’t ask Me.”
(pause)“But I’m asking now.”
“Asking for what?”
(another pause, longer this time) “Asking for You to bless them.”
He looks at the plans again. “So, where do I fit in?”
“Excuse me?”
“Me. Where do I fit in your plans?”
I flip a page or two of the sheets, “Here, right here, see, there You are. And You are in some other places too.”
He just looks at me.
“Let Me show you something,” He says. And, with that, He takes out His own plans and places the roll of papers on the hood. “You made plans all by yourself, that’s the problem. And the plans you have made by yourself would be really good plans, if you want to accomplish them all by yourself. These are My plans for you now.”
He unrolls a tiny bit of a corner for me to see. I look at it and say, “And…?”
“Do that, and then I’ll show you more.”
“But I would like to know the rest now.”
“You have plenty to do with this one corner now. Besides, these are My plans for you, not your plans for Me. You are a part of My plan, not the other way around. So, if anyone needs to get his plans in line, it’s you.”
I find myself confronted with that reality at times. I can get comfortable and so focused doing “my own thing” and ignore the One who has plans for my life. And, sometimes, the “corner” that He lets me see makes little or no sense at the time, because I can’t see the entire picture. He’s not an “add-on” or “optional equipment.” He’s the Architect of the plans I am to follow and Builder.
He doesn’t need my wisdom to make His plans for me (“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent” (I Cor.1:19b)), but I need His wisdom to follow the plan (James 3:13). The problem lies in forgetting Him; for us to see a work that can be done by God alone, we must first see a work that is impossible for man alone.
The only thing I can really offer to the accomplishing of the plan is my trust, obedience, and dependence upon Him. “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (II Cor.12:10b). Are you a part of His plans, or is He a part of yours?
Dustin C. George
Minister to Single Adults
www.sevierheights.org
Hold Whatcha' Got...
As a child, growing up on a farm, there were plenty of opportunities to fix fence, split wood and find lost cattle. At times the cattle proved too adept at escaping the confines of the fences, so the posts were lengthened and more levels of plank were installed. One day as my father and I worked on the fence, he came alongside me and showed me what he needed me to do. He measured a section of fencepost, then scored it with the point of a 40 penny nail and lifted the heavy end of a plank, pushing it up to the mark on the post. "All I'm asking you to do is hold it to this mark," he said. "After I level out the other end and nail it, I'll come back down here and nail this end." So I stood there, with my back to his work, staring out into the pasture, holding this plank. The first few moments weren't bad…then time seemed to wear on…and on. I became tired and distracted. Before long, my father was standing beside me looking down at the post.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"Wha-?"
"You've let the plank slip."
He was right. He lifted it back up and said, "Hold whatcha' got. That's all you have to do for now. I'm going to work on the other end, and then, then I will come back down to this end and we'll nail it up. I haven't forgotten about you. Just hold whatcha' got."
I think about this at times when I'm shouldering a load, a responsibility, a task that God has given me. He places it into my stewardship, and then he seems to take His time working elsewhere. I grow tired, and impatient while I wait on Him…and I slip away from His mark on my post. It's at those times that He draws alongside and says, "I haven't forgotten about you. Hold whatcha' got." I can trust Him in these moments, after all, He did make some promises: "Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!" (Ps.27:14), "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." (Gal. 6:9), "For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."( Heb. 13:5b).
If the burden is great, "hold whatcha' got" until He lifts it. Concern yourself with the "mark", the standard, that He has laid out for you. He hasn't forgotten you; He may be working on the other end. He knows what He is doing…and He knows right where you are.
Dustin C. George
Minister to Single Adults
www.sevierheights.org
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"Wha-?"
"You've let the plank slip."
He was right. He lifted it back up and said, "Hold whatcha' got. That's all you have to do for now. I'm going to work on the other end, and then, then I will come back down to this end and we'll nail it up. I haven't forgotten about you. Just hold whatcha' got."
I think about this at times when I'm shouldering a load, a responsibility, a task that God has given me. He places it into my stewardship, and then he seems to take His time working elsewhere. I grow tired, and impatient while I wait on Him…and I slip away from His mark on my post. It's at those times that He draws alongside and says, "I haven't forgotten about you. Hold whatcha' got." I can trust Him in these moments, after all, He did make some promises: "Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!" (Ps.27:14), "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." (Gal. 6:9), "For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."( Heb. 13:5b).
If the burden is great, "hold whatcha' got" until He lifts it. Concern yourself with the "mark", the standard, that He has laid out for you. He hasn't forgotten you; He may be working on the other end. He knows what He is doing…and He knows right where you are.
Dustin C. George
Minister to Single Adults
www.sevierheights.org
"Why does Mr. Jefferson have a goatee?"
According to government statistics, in 2006 alone, counterfeit US bills totaling $56,200,000 were discovered after entering into circulation. With home-production of illegal funds posing such a growing problem and the arrival of advanced copiers and better computer printers, the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing in recent years has upgrading the security features of some of the most commonly-counterfeited bills, thus making it much harder for would-be crooks to produce “funny money.” Color-shifting inks, watermarks, and security strips, increase the uniqueness of American currency. According to the US Secret Service website, even the paper that bills are printed on can not be legally produced by an individual. It is of a specific composition, pressed to a particular thickness and contains tiny red and blue fibers (you can see them if you look closely enough).
However, one of the best ways to determine a real bill from a fake one is the simplest: human touch. Because of the characteristics of this closely-guarded paper, a difference can be discerned by the fingertips. Interestingly enough, the best way for one to become skilled at determining counterfeit bills is not by intensive study of the fake money, but by taking every opportunity to handle real currency. When a person knows exactly what the genuine article feels like and looks like, spotting an attempt at deception becomes easier.
The same proves true in matters of spirituality.
There are many voices speaking many things conveniently labeled as “truth,” but not all of these hold up to scrutiny. You can’t believe every person on television who claims to preach the truth, no matter what kind of ratings they might enjoy. Nor should you recommend a particular book simply upon the basis that you found it in a Christian bookstore. And just because a movie mentions God doesn’t make it a religious film. We need discernment.
Hebrews 5:13-14 reads, “For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” We must train and exercise our spiritual sense of “touch” by disciplined application of Scriptural truth so that we can recognize the counterfeits when they arise.
If you want to spot the frauds, spend time with the truth.
Dustin C. George
Minister to Single Adults
www.sevierheights.org
However, one of the best ways to determine a real bill from a fake one is the simplest: human touch. Because of the characteristics of this closely-guarded paper, a difference can be discerned by the fingertips. Interestingly enough, the best way for one to become skilled at determining counterfeit bills is not by intensive study of the fake money, but by taking every opportunity to handle real currency. When a person knows exactly what the genuine article feels like and looks like, spotting an attempt at deception becomes easier.
The same proves true in matters of spirituality.
There are many voices speaking many things conveniently labeled as “truth,” but not all of these hold up to scrutiny. You can’t believe every person on television who claims to preach the truth, no matter what kind of ratings they might enjoy. Nor should you recommend a particular book simply upon the basis that you found it in a Christian bookstore. And just because a movie mentions God doesn’t make it a religious film. We need discernment.
Hebrews 5:13-14 reads, “For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” We must train and exercise our spiritual sense of “touch” by disciplined application of Scriptural truth so that we can recognize the counterfeits when they arise.
If you want to spot the frauds, spend time with the truth.
Dustin C. George
Minister to Single Adults
www.sevierheights.org
Bellyache
I have a close friend who has been a part of my men’s small group for the last two years now, and I can remember the first time he gave me some of the best advice I’ve ever been given. One day, I related to him the trials of the previous week and the turmoil they had caused. When I finished, I waited for a response. Honestly, I expected the equivalent of an emotional slap on the back and some line about “you’ll make it brother” (how pat we are sometimes in our response to other Christians in straits). Instead, he looked right at me and said, “You know what your problem is? You need perspective. Why don’t you try to get some?”
Not the answer I wanted, but true nonetheless.
It wasn’t the first (nor the last) time that I’ve needed a good dose of perspective. Oftentimes, God brings that perspective through events that you never would have chosen for yourself. Take Jonah for example. Here’s a guy who gets a message from God: Arise, go to Nineveh and preach to them. Now, in all fairness, Nineveh wasn’t the best place for him to go, it might be dangerous; they were, after all, an evil people, God said so Himself. But God Himself also gave a personal command that should have taken priority over Jonah’s desires. So what does Jonah do? Grab a ticket for a cruise in the opposite direction. “But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD” (Jon. 1:3). But since we have a better chance of losing our shadows than escaping an omnipresent and all-powerful God, He still works His plan in Jonah’s life. He is pitched overboard and swallowed by a “great fish.” 3 days and 3 nights later he is spit out onto land. God speaks to Jonah a second time, “Arise, go to Nineveh” (3:2). This time, he obeys.
What changed? Nineveh was still evil, the mission commanded by God remained static, and the sun continued to rise and set for those 3 days and nights. The world didn’t change; Jonah did. Floating around in the dark gullet of an animal, covered in fish juices (and other stuff you don’t want to imagine) had a profound effect on him. There are changes in perspective that you gain only by spending time in the belly of a fish. Those dark, stinking places and hard, despairing times that we go through shape us more deeply and define us more clearly than most other experiences. They point out our weaknesses and underscore the fact that God has none. Jonah cries out from his own literal fish belly, “When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the LORD” (2:7). Our response to difficulty should be no different. Only by remembering God can we have the right perspective.
The Jonah drifting into the deep in the ship’s wake toward the awaiting fish’s mouth was not the same Jonah gulping the fresh air on the shore after being spit out. Likewise, the way you view God, others or even yourself can change dramatically after a period of time in the fish’s belly.
When you do land on the shore, let your first breath be one of thanks, and go to your own Nineveh with a new perspective of the One who holds your life.
Dustin C. George
www.sevierheights.org/ministries/singles
Not the answer I wanted, but true nonetheless.
It wasn’t the first (nor the last) time that I’ve needed a good dose of perspective. Oftentimes, God brings that perspective through events that you never would have chosen for yourself. Take Jonah for example. Here’s a guy who gets a message from God: Arise, go to Nineveh and preach to them. Now, in all fairness, Nineveh wasn’t the best place for him to go, it might be dangerous; they were, after all, an evil people, God said so Himself. But God Himself also gave a personal command that should have taken priority over Jonah’s desires. So what does Jonah do? Grab a ticket for a cruise in the opposite direction. “But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD” (Jon. 1:3). But since we have a better chance of losing our shadows than escaping an omnipresent and all-powerful God, He still works His plan in Jonah’s life. He is pitched overboard and swallowed by a “great fish.” 3 days and 3 nights later he is spit out onto land. God speaks to Jonah a second time, “Arise, go to Nineveh” (3:2). This time, he obeys.
What changed? Nineveh was still evil, the mission commanded by God remained static, and the sun continued to rise and set for those 3 days and nights. The world didn’t change; Jonah did. Floating around in the dark gullet of an animal, covered in fish juices (and other stuff you don’t want to imagine) had a profound effect on him. There are changes in perspective that you gain only by spending time in the belly of a fish. Those dark, stinking places and hard, despairing times that we go through shape us more deeply and define us more clearly than most other experiences. They point out our weaknesses and underscore the fact that God has none. Jonah cries out from his own literal fish belly, “When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the LORD” (2:7). Our response to difficulty should be no different. Only by remembering God can we have the right perspective.
The Jonah drifting into the deep in the ship’s wake toward the awaiting fish’s mouth was not the same Jonah gulping the fresh air on the shore after being spit out. Likewise, the way you view God, others or even yourself can change dramatically after a period of time in the fish’s belly.
When you do land on the shore, let your first breath be one of thanks, and go to your own Nineveh with a new perspective of the One who holds your life.
Dustin C. George
www.sevierheights.org/ministries/singles
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