Straight Talk: 3 of 4

Was Jesus Religious?

Scripture

Romans 7.14-25

Gen 11

Luke 9.23-24

 

Quotes

“The gospel is not so much concerned with what as it is concerned with why.”

Religion: building your identity on moral achievements
Irreligion: building your identify on any other secular pursuit

Religion: Salvation through moral effort
Christianity: Salvation through grace

Robert Louis Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

“I resolved in my future conduct to redeem the past; and I can say with honesty that my resolve was fruitful of some good. You know how earnestly, in the last months of the last year, I labored to relieve suffering; you know that much was done for others…[But as] I smiled, comparing myself with other men, comparing my active goodwill with the lazy cruelty of their neglect…at the very moment of that vain-glorious thought, a qualm came over me, a horrid nausea and the most dreadful shuddering…I looked down…I was once more Edward Hyde.”

Tim Keller, The Reason for God

“The Christian gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, yet I am so loved and valued and that Jesus was glad to die for me. This leads to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time. It undermines both swaggering and sniveling. I cannot feel superior to anyone, and yet I have nothing to prove to anyone. I do not think more of myself or less of myself. Instead, I think of myself less.”

 

Resources

Reading

Keller, Tim: The Reason for God

 

Sites

www.podcast.billmesaeh.com (download or hear the series again)

the ONLY question...

…that matters for those hoping to affect change in the Church:

“Is this aimed at bringing as many new people to Jesus as possible?”

If that’s your goal, then you should be a part of the conversation. If it isn’t, then you can’t. If we’re not always asking and answering that question, then we’re not a church.

Jesus gave us that kind of singular, unmistakable focus to help keep us on track.

¹⁷ When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” (Mark 2.17, NLT)

Straight Talk: 1 of 4

How Can I Know God Exists?

Scripture

Gen 1.1

Psalm 19.1-4

Rom 1.19-20

Job 38.1-11

Col 1.15-16

Quotes

-Robert Jastrow, God and the Astronomers

“Theologians generally are delighted with the proof that the Universe had a beginning, but astronomers are curiously upset. Their reactions provide an interesting demonstration of the response of the scientific mind—supposedly a very objective mind—when evidence uncovered by science itself leads to a conflict with the articles of faith in our profession. It turns out the scientist behaves the way the rest of us do when our beliefs are in conflict with the evidence. We become irritated, we pretend the conflict does not exist, or we paper over it with meaningless phrases.”

“Now we see how the astronomical evidence leads to a biblical view of the origin of the world. The details differ, but the essential elements in the astronomical and biblical accounts of Genesis are the same: the chain of events leading to man commenced suddenly and sharply at a definite moment in time, in a flash of light and energy.”

“Astronomers now find they have painted themselves into a corner because they have proven, by their own methods, that the world began abruptly in an act of creation to which you can trace the seeds of every start, every planet, every living thing in the cosmos and on the earth. And they have found that all this happened as a product of forces they cannot hope to discover….That there are what I or anyone would call supernatural forces at work is now, I think, a scientifically proven fact.”

“For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; his is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.”

Arthur Eddington

“The beginning seems to present insuperable difficulties unless we agree to look on it as frankly supernatural.”

Richard Dawkins, The Blind Watchmaker

“Biology is the study of complicated things that give the appearance of having been designed for a purpose.”

Francis Crick

“Biologist must constantly keep in mind that what they see was not designed, but rather evolved.”

Richard Lewontin

“Our willingness to accept scientific claims that are against common sense is the key to an understanding of the real struggle between science and the supernatural. We take the side of science in spite of the patent absurdity of some of its constructs, in spite of its failure to fulfill many of its extravagant promises of health and life, in spite of the tolerance of the scientific community for unsubstantiated just-so stories, because we have a prior commitment to materialism. It is not that the methods and institutions of science somehow compel us to accept a material explanation of the phenomenal world but, on the contrary, that we are forced by our a priori adherence to material causes to create an apparatus of investigation and a set of concepts that produce material explanations, no matter how counterintuitive, no matter how mystifying to the uninitiated. Moreover that materialism is absolute for we cannot allow a divine foot in the door.”

Resources

Reading

Geisler, Normal & Frank Turek: I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist

Keller, Tim: The Reason for God

Jastrow, Robert: God and the Astronomers (Note: I have not read this entire book and am not giving a full endorsement)

For more information on various apologetic-related topics, including Cambrian Explosion, abiogenesis, homochirality, and Christian documents, go to: http://www.billmesaeh.com/Xnty%20&%20Xn%20Living.htm#Christianity_101

Sites

www.bethinking.org (general apologetics)

www.answersingenesis.org (strengths of creationism)

www.podcast.billmesaeh.com (download or hear the series again)

Jesus and Health care

April 2010 Newsletter

Below is an adaption from a couple of emails on a small discussion regarding universal health care. I’d like to post this and see what kind of discussion it’ll generate.

Two Ground Rules:

1. Write nicely; don’t be mean.

2. I’m a pastor and therefore solely concerned (at least here, in this discussion) with debating this issue on moral grounds. Stay away from other related issues (i.e.: funding, “flaws” in the system, abuse, etc.)

Is Health Care a Right or a Privilege? -and-

IF Health Care is a right, is government-managed universal health care the moral mandate?

I recently read an extremely one-sided article discussing the (perceived) church’s stance on universal health care. I’ll concede the factual side of the article in a moment and spare you all the hateful ramblings. But, I would like us to consider the ramblings because I believe they highlight an area of biblical omission for some believers. The omission: Christians who oppose universal health care solely because of what it costs are in error and simply adopt the slices of Jesus they find most convenient. I write on this topic primarily out of concern for those who adopt every stance of any political party without first considering the biblical perspective.

I agree with the Left when they charge the Right of occasionally misappropriating Jesus; however, I find it dually hypocritical when they refuse to acknowledge the areas in which they do the same thing.

Republican Christians can no more ignore the poor-loving and compassionate Jesus than can democratic Christians ignore the Bible's clear stance on other social issues (sanctity of life, homosexuality, etc.). We stray from God's intent for our lives when we check our faith at the political door as if it were designed to be one of many factors influencing our decision-making as opposed to the all-encompassing filter through which we see reality. How much it costs or what it will do to my tax rebate is of much lesser (if any at all) consequence. If it is the Right thing to do, do it. For Christians, Right is defined by God--not society or the price tag.

My problem with the mixing of faith and politics is this incessant urge by both sides to drag Jesus into the argument as if He would be marching in a picket line if He were on earth today. Sure, He has a stance: it's plain, clear, and undeniable if we simply get our nose in the Bible. But, the blanket devotion to the party line by people claiming to be followers of Christ is morally irresponsible.

The Bible would much rather someone deny a Christian affiliation than claim that Jesus would deny any welfare or health care to the needy OR that the Bible tolerates a homosexual lifestyle, abortion, etc.

I’ll give Christ the last word:

Matthew 25:34–40 (NLT)

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.³⁵ For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.³⁶ I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ ³⁷ “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink?³⁸ Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing?³⁹ When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ ⁴⁰ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

Let us Out!

March 2010 Newsletter

The Mesaeh house is ready for Spring!

Ask the Lord for rain in the spring, for he makes the storm clouds.

And he will send showers of rains so every field becomes a lush pasture.

--Zechariah 10:1 (NLT)

Like many of you, we have spent enough time “underground” and are now ready to come out and play. While we’ve enjoyed the winter, it’s time to admit cabin fever has set in. We spent the winter cuddling on the couch to watch Star Wars more times that we can count (that was probably more for William and I than Hannah and Elijah), playing board games (we learned William cheats at Hungry Hippos), and using our home for a full-scale Nerf battlefield. But, now the movies, hippos, and dart guns will have to yield to BBQs, spring cleaning, and backyard games with our church family.

And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new...”

--Revelation 21:5 (NLT)

When most of us think of Spring, we have thoughts of newness: new flowers, new plants, new birds, new opportunities, etc. While we embrace and enjoy new things, the prayer of the Mesaeh house for Spring and beyond is that we stay the course.

We want to continue the work of raising our boys to be modern-day Knights: men who are chivalrous and loving, honest and uncompromising. With the help of our parents and our church family, we know God will bring this about. William seems convinced he has promising career opportunities as a crime-fighter in a black cape; perhaps we’re on the right track.

We also want to continue contributing to the work of our church. We love you, and we cherish the opportunities you give us to serve Christ. I am eager to see the new opportunities that will arise as the snow melts and the flowers start to bloom.

For the Kingdom,

-bill