|
The Rolling
Fog
A silent confusion has drifted almost
imperceptibly across the United States landscape. On many university and
college campuses a significant number of professors bombard
students’ minds with philosophical relativism guised
in the cloak of science; that is, no scientific evidence
supports the claim of absolutes. Students who fail to
scrutinize this arbitrary declaration in the light of all
evidence often fall prey to this insidious
fog!
Indeed, it’s profoundly amazing how doors to
very relevant and enlightening avenues of exploration have
neatly been sealed off from discussion, and at the same time,
mere statements become hinged to the clout of position and
prestige to lock those doors of exploration!
But sometimes integrity and stubborn pursuits
among those whose inquisitive minds refuse to dismiss
any evidence become the only role these mavericks
willingly play.
Their unwillingness to compromise has sometimes
provoked ostracism, even to some of those who have earned the
role of expertise in fields of science. Sadly, these well
qualified and soundly based scientists who have rendered
convincing documentations to support their conclusions are
quarantined from the mandarins of established
science!
This brings to mind this keenly relevant
observation:
There are none so blind as they who refuse to
see!
But leave it to the very honest and open common
people to perplex the minds of those who feel that the
universe revolves around themselves and that their words are
always invincible, irrespective of any criticism! The following
interaction may well illustrate this
point:
“Over here, Gus,” came the shout at the
gate.
“Zach,” Gus greeted as he quickly moved toward
Zach with an outstretched hand. “Boy, it’s good to be
back in my old stumping ground and especially to see you, my
favorite cousin.”
“And good to have you back, old buddy,” Zach
responded. “But
you are sporting something you did not have before your
departure from here to pursue your academic
quest.”
“Huh?” Gus questioned, a puzzled shadow falling
across his expression.
“Oh, you know,” Zach insisted. “Your
credentials, your PhD earned at prestigious Yale!”
“I’ll admit,” Gus chuckled and looked toward the
ground, “it’s a good boost to establish my ends, but that’s
about all there is to it. I mean,
friendships—like yours—mean more to me than placing myself on
some sort of pedestal.
As a matter of fact, my educational pursuits have
taught me much more tolerance toward everyone else. Gives me a sense of
peace to know I really have no
enemies”
“Hmm,” Zach pondered momentarily and responded,
“I’d like to learn more, but first, let’s get settled in. Here’s my car. Let’s load this
luggage of yours and get home to a good meal
first.”
“Good idea,” Gus agreed with a smile. “I’m anxious to learn
about your relationship progress with your close friend,
Renee. I haven’t
had any communication from you about her for several months,
now.”
“There’s a good reason for that,” Zach started
with a heavy gravity in his voice. “As you have also
noticed, I’m sure, until I called you last week to wish you
the best at your graduation, I’ve written you only every three
or four weeks.
Yes, for a good reason. I’m sure I had
mentioned to you that Renee and I had seriously considered
marriage. She was
reluctant to consent.
Then, I found out from a dear friend of hers that she
suffered from cancer in the last stages. Then, I found that in
spite of her love for me, she did not wish to… to…
uh…”
“Oh,” Gus interrupted, “she felt she loved you
too much to drag you into her
plight.”
“Well…uh… yes. Kinda,” Zach conceded
with a tear trailing down his cheek. “I tried. Really. But she wanted us to
be friends with no obligations. Then, suddenly about a
month ago, she… she succumbed to the
cancer.”
“Buddy,” Gus spoke softly with a bit of pathos
moving him, “I’m so sorry. I just had no clue
about how things were going with you and
Renee.”
Then the two continued to catch each other up on
other news about acquaintances and events as they traveled
down the highway.
Soon, however, they arrived at Zach’s small house at
the end of a street arched with tall trees over the street
from each side.
Shortly, the two had settled in and found
themselves seated at a table where Zach’s mother, who had come
to prepare the meal, visited with them.
“Now as soon’s I asks the blessings, you guys
just dig in,” Mrs. Dodge instructed as she seated
herself. “Dear
God, bless us and make us so appreciative for all your bounty
and help us to see the Giver much more than the gifts! And thank you fur Gus
and Zach. Give
‘em enough time to get acquainted all over again. In Jesus name,
amen.”
Consuming the meal in the midst of laughter and
small talk, much about old times together, the three glanced
frequently at each other with a twinkle in the eyes that
marked a delight to be back together with each
other.
“As good as this is,” Zach remarked after each
had finished the desert and sat for a few minutes, “I’m going
to steal Gus for awhile in the living room to bring me up to
date on his school
experiences.”
“It’s like old times,” Liz Dodge, Zach’s mother,
reflected. “I
remember when you two would spend hours playing together years
ago. You two just
retire and catch up on everything as I tidy and clean the
dining room.”
“Oh, Aunt Liz,” Gus protested, “you can just let
those matters go and join
us.”
“Nonsense!” Liz insisted. “I won’t hear of
such. Y’all just
shush on away and get caught up on
news.”
As the two seated themselves on the couch, Gus
yawned and sighed as he stretched his arms
high.
“Gus,” Zach called, “you look pooped. It might be a good
time to catch a little shuteye before we get into your
experiences.”
“You know, Zach, old buddy, you’re absolutely
right.” Gus conceded.
“Yes, but only as I have a chance to share with you for
a little while, at least.”
“If you insist,” Zach allowed, “but only if
you’re sure you’re up to it.”
“Absolutely. After all, this ol’
Nigger done showed them white folks how to succeed,” Gus
mocked with a rolling laughter. “Here in ol’
Mississippi, nonetheless!”
“Gus, you were always one to speak without
reservation, but—really—you could have gone on without that
slur!”
“Oh, now come on,” Gus rejoined. “You offended by
Nigger? Why, I
remember some of your best friends from the white neighborhood
would say such things as y’all are real good Nigger boys! And I mean they
treated us like family.”
“Now, get off it, Gus!” Zach protested. “You know very well
that they used that slur in ignorance. We don’t have to
perpetuate such language.”
“Still the same old Zach,” Gus mused. “You never did care
much for off color humor, did
you?”
“I just don’t see the point of
it.”
“Now, you two sound just like old times,” Mrs.
Dodge echoed from the kitchen, “picking on each other and
needling each other—yeah, just like the best of
buddies!”
“Right on, Aunt Liz,” Gus cheered. “We do have fun
returning the ball to each other’s court and in the end find
ourselves to be fairly close to
agreeing.”
“But we’ll see about where we end this time,”
Zach cautioned.
“And as I indicated, Zach, old buddy,” Gus
stressed, “since I’ve had the fortune to soak up the finest
education, ending up graduating from Yale, the big lesson I
learned is tolerance.
I assure you I respect your views because each of us is
right in creating his own world of views to suit himself.”
“Well, Gus,” Zach began in a deliberating tone,
“I’m quite familiar with humanistic/materialistic
philosophical approaches to relativism. I seriously question
the validity of those presuppositions leading to that
perspective.”
“Wow!” Gus exclaimed. “You have done a lot
of reading, haven’t you, old
buddy?”
“Oh, yes.
I’ve read some, and even books that I totally disagree
with, just to get a feel for how the academic world deals with
issues.”
“Really!
I’m quite flabbergasted!” Gus reflected. “Why, you almost sound
like some of my professors. You would have made a
good student to bring out their expertise to deal with your
ideas, especially since you’re so very well versed on
ideologies.”
“However,” Zach hastened to add, “no other book
can stand up to the foundational revelation through the
Bible.”
“Excuse me, my friend,” Gus cautioned. “Although I have a lot
of respect and believe people have a right to develop their
own religious outlook, religion is religion and the real world
fostered from scientific research are two separate
worlds!”
“Really?
And scientific research is based on facts?” Zach
reflected. “Does
that mean that scientists recognize absolutes, after
all?”
“Well, facts only reflect observable, measurable
and definable substances and/or behavior that provide possible
predictable outcomes that can be subjected to testing in order
to demonstrate validity of proposed theories,” Gus spouted off
nonchalantly.
“Don’t circumvent the issue!” Zach reproved.
“As a matter of
fact, old boy, you have succeeded in over complicating the
starting point of the scientific method! Now, let’s go back to
facts. Is what
you observe, measure and define reality? In other words, are
they absolutes?”
“OK!
OK! If you
put it that way,” Gus conceded, “we tend to treat them as
absolutes, but they mirror the end of aimless, random and
accidental coalition of matter and reflect no intelligence or
purpose. We
attribute values to them out of our need to bring meaning to
give ourselves some sense of direction or
purpose.”
“Sounds to be a neat way to evade responsibility
and accountability in life, Gus,” Zach reasoned. “But such dismissal
speaks nothing concerning the origin of human conceptions of
intelligence, purpose or values. Just how could that
come about without having any reason or
source?”
“Just the same way the whole universe originated
out of meaninglessness and accidental coalition,” Gus
insisted. “We as
observing beings attribute causes to what we see from the
accidents of the end product of random, senseless
motions.”
“So-o-o, when you reason back toward your
nothingness, you arbitrarily decide that what did not exist
gave birth to existence,” Zach mused. “Just where in all of
human experiences do you have a concrete example how such
could happen?”
“Oh, boy!” Gus exclaimed. “Not to have ever
attended a university, you certainly know how to keep pushing,
don’t you? Well,
we only pursue from what we know—not from what we do not
know. For
example, we can observe nature. We see how nature
gives rise to patterns and orderly complexities. But the simple gives
rise to that developmental avenue—evolution, if you will. Things evolve from the
simple to the complex intellectual
ends.”
“So something different keeps coming out of
accidents?”
“Hardly,” Gus declared emphatically. “Adaptation is the
word.”
“But adaptation implies an inward sensitivity to
survival modes,” Zach pointed out. “The need to survive
in and of itself can scarcely translate into a meaningless
happenstance!”
“I tell you, Zach,” Gus responded with a
heartily laughter, “I am shocked that you are turning out to
be a very worthy opponent. You argue from a
viewpoint based on a presupposition of meaning. I simply say that the
concept of meaning evolved through an evolutionary process of
millions of years.”
“I don’t want to sound unkind or insensitive,
Gus,” Zach responded, “but you may not be aware of your skill
to evade and beg issues.
Please allow me to press you back to consider the
earliest and simplest cells. Even the one-cell
organisms have complexities of DNA and RNA. DNA provides a whole
library of information that determines the very nature and
function of the one-cell organism. The RNA houses the
mechanisms to translate that information into the structures
that provide highly specialized
functions.”
“Again, you are quite right in your knowledge of
DNA and RNA, Zach, but those building blocks evolved over more
than a billion years.”
“What?” Zach pressed. “Were you around to
make that observation?
Of course not, but I have a point to stress. Just suppose there is
a planet four times the size of earth. In our imaginations
let’s pretend hypothetically that we have advanced to the
level that astrologists could observe that planet that existed
more than a hundred light years away from earth. Just for the sake of
our point, suppose that they also determined that this planet
consisted entirely of marble-sized crystals. Through some
miraculous means, they were able to determine that every
crystal was black, except for a single one that was bright
white. Now, they
also made an amazing discovery as they continued to study that
plant. They were
privy to its explosion that suddenly came to earth from a
hundred years ago.
They knew that the explosion scattered all the crystals
in all directions throughout our galaxy from that explosion a
hundred light years ago.
Further calculations determined that about four million
years into the future one or two of those high speed crystals
had about one in a million chances of reaching earth. There would be another
of about one in a million chance that the speed of the one or
two crystals could be coordinated with the movement of the
earth by that time as to survive the atmosphere and land
somewhere on earth.
Suppose a child in the yard of his house were holding a
bucket up such that one crystal would fall into his
bucket. That
crystal turned out to be the white crystal. Now, my friend, could
you project the probability of this
happening?”
“Totally incalculable!” Gus
exclaimed.
“And, knowing you, Gus,” Zach continued, “I
think you know where I’m headed with this. As with that simplest
cell, for all conditions and all elements to come together at
the right place at the very split second even over the
expansion of billions of years would be less likely than the
child having that only white crystal from the exploding planet
fall into the bucket in the child’s
hand.”
“I’m not so sure about your illustration,” Gus
cautioned. “It
could be a bit askew. However, I catch
your drift.”
“To be honest with you, Gus,” Zach added, “I
just could not rally enough faith to believe in such a very
far-fetched theory that seeks to counter the compelling
evidence of intelligence. While you may be too
reserved to draw such a conclusion, intelligent design gives a
much more plausible
explanation.”
“Of course, I respect you too much to interfere
with your right to stack your world the way that best serves
you,” Gus assured.
“But I’m very interested in how you came to be so well
versed on such issues.”
“Daddy Dan,” Zach responded.
“He…”
“You mean to tell me that old Daddy swallowed
you up in his niceties?” Gus laughed. “Why, that old white
guy gathered a mixture of whites, blacks and Mexicans and ran
them around town doing yard work for senior adults, feeding
the hungry and needy people and in general talking about the
Bible all the time.”
“Yes, the same guy,” Zach affirmed proudly, “but
he saw my zeal and really took me under his wing. He made me his
assistant! Can
you believe that? A struggling young
Negro as ignorant as they come and not very refined—even
uncouth—at best.
He took a lot of us guys proudly right into his
church. You know,
that old, old church building on the corner of Jesse and
Starford Streets.”
“Ah, yes,” Gus admitted. “That old Baptist
Church that burned a couple of years
ago.”
“Yes, the very same. How I miss it! And strangely enough,
that was the same night that Daddy Dan was shot and killed by
a drug trafficker he caught dealing in illicit drugs—very,
very sad! When I
lost him, I lost a real dad—I mean, since my real dad died
before I was eight years of age, he really took the place of
my real dad whom I never had a chance to grow up
with!”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know. You never mentioned
him in your correspondence with me.
I…”
“I know,” Zach explained. “It had always been a
sensitive matter between us. You always suspected
him to have some ulterior motive and didn’t spare your
expressions of indignation toward him—even to his face. I saw no reason to
stir up hard feelings all over again between
us.”
“Of course,” Gus acknowledged. “You know, I could
have been wrong about him. I just could not
understand that anyone could give so much to others without
manipulating them toward some sinister end. But if he had been up
to no good, it would have surfaced sooner or later. I’m very sorry,
Zach. At least,
now I’m a bit more tolerant and a little less
suspicious.”
“Well that’s water under the bridge,” Zach
assured. “The
important thing now is that we can look to the future. Daddy Dan helped me do
just that. Even
in his death he willed me all he had—to carry on in his
footsteps.”
“At least, you did get a little toward helping
you.”
“I don’t consider nearly a million dollars
little assets!”
Zach rejoined.
“He accumulated much from his investment savings. He had great dreams of
expanding missions work throughout the United States and
eventually to the ends of the world. He had always given
much all his life, but also had this automatic investment
savings that grew over the
years.”
“Wow!”
Gus exploded with glee. “Here I am speaking to
a rich man! Can
you imagine—you, rich, and still living in this… this little
shack?”
“Woe!
Hold on!”
Zach cautioned.
“I’m reinvesting all this into mission work—just as
Daddy Dan envisioned this taking
place.”
“You don’t mean to say,” Gus stressed boldly,
“that you can’t use some of this for
yourself?”
“Legally, I could,” Zach explained, “but as a
Christian who shares Daddy Dan’s vision, I would not place
myself into such bondage. I love giving it all
for God’s use.
After all, He owns everything and we are His
stewards.”
“Hmmm,” Gus mused, “I’m beginning to sense
genuine authenticity in you. How wrong I must have
been about Daddy Dan since I can now see that he must have
passed that genuine attitude and love on to
you.”
“I have always thought highly of you, Gus,” Zach
reiterated, “but I feared you had drifted into the clutches of
a naturalistic and relativistic world view. I hope I now see some
light in your concession here that you see genuineness in
Daddy Dan and me.
If so, I think you are on the right
tract.”
“And I think the world of you, too, Zach,” Gus
assured, “but I don’t make any promises. However, I will give a
lot of thought to what I have learned from you. I’m going to try my
best to sort through things and research a bit. All I can really say
at this point is that we’ll see.” (Also see Relativism)
The Son’s
Shine Dissipates the Fog
As an executive representative
of DETEME Enterprises, a corporation nearby that Gus
chanced to tie up with, Gus returned from a schedule business
meeting in Europe. Since Gus and Zach had
discussed issues earlier, Gus welcomed his return as an
opportunity for visiting Zach to explore once more certain
issues that he felt uncertain about and which he could not
easily dismiss from his
mind.
The two arranged to meet in a downtown
park on a warm and sunny
afternoon.
“So, Gus, I’m here as we scheduled,”
Zach began, “but are you sure you will not allow me to treat
you to a meal.”
“No, no,” Gus assured, “since you had
already eaten, I had a sandwich on my way over. I’m
fine.”
“So-o-o-o, tell me all about your
European tour,” Zach suggested as he leaned heavily back on
the park bench.
“I’m dying to know how everything
went.”
“Really, Zach, I’m not going to bore you
with all the details, for I was too engaged in business
matters to find time to explore the landscape and the
people.”
“Man, since you’ve been wrapped up in
all this executive stuff,” Zach observed, “you’ve hardly come
up for breath.
Wouldn’t you like to get things off your chest? I’m sure all the
pressures keep building
up.”
“Oh, you’re absolutely right, my
friend,” Gus confessed, “but, really, it’s the kind
of work that’s down my alley. I eat this kind of
pressure up, but to be honest, there’s another kind of
pressure that gets to
me.”
“Oh?”
“Well… like we discussed last time. I mean, whether you
knew it or not, you gave me an awful lot to think about!” Gus
mused seriously.
“Not that everything has been settled, mind you, but
you’ve… you’ve kinda overturned some stones and showed me some
worms I was unaware of—like serious problems with the origin
of the universe and how evolution is… uh… is a perspective
with a huge problem to overcome in terms of the odds. Oh, yeah, I’ll admit
that I have done extensive research and… uh… uh… well, darn it
all, a lot of evidence poses serious questions about the whole
matter!”
“You mean about the whole area of
evolution?”
“That and the great leap from nothing to
the origin of the universe itself,” Gus emphasized. “I thought I had
everything settled in my mind and the navigation through the
universities made great sense to me… at least, on the surface
then—but now… I don’t know. I… I’m unsettled on
the whole matter.”
“At least, you have taken a big step
forward!” Zach insisted.
“How so?” Gus questioned. “I feel that I’ve
taken a step off the edge—that there are really no
solutions!”
“Right!” Zach emphasized. “You’re now off
center. You have
entered the domain of realizing that your playhouse was just
that—a playhouse and not the real world. The real world goes
far beyond you.
Now, that places you in a teachable disposition so that
you can receive the light when it
comes.”
“Speaking of enlightenment,” Gus spoke
as he pointed his finger, “what’re those two books right
beside you there on the
bench?”
“Oh, yes,” Zach acknowledged with a
smile, “one’s the Bible and the other’s C. S. Lewis, Mere
Christianity.
I got here a little early and read a
bit.”
“Oh, boy, you’ve really taken to reading
a lot,” Gus reflected.
“And it showed during our last conversation. And come to think of
it, I did notice quite a few books at your house. You don’t belong to
one of those book clubs, do
you?”
Zack chuckled and explained, “Oh,
no. All my books
came from Daddy Dan.
He passed his entire library to me through his will, as
well as his other
wealth.”
“So this is how you came by your
education?”
“Well, I just used what I had by the
Grace of the Good Lord,” Gus related. “I don’t lay claim to
being an expert or blessed with a formal education. I’m just using the
mind the Lord Himself gave me, but I am not swayed by
dishonest claims—like evolution or relativism promoted by
scientists who pursue selected avenues and discard all other
avenues that bring questions to their arbitrary
conclusions.”
“But it’s interesting that you have C.
S. Lewis there,” Gus declared. “I’ve run across his
writings in some of my research. He’s a guy who makes
you think.”
“And I’m glad you’re open to a broader
exposure now,” Zach commended. “You need to inspect
all sides of issues.
I know, for I also read books by authors who stand
completely opposed to all I believe. It sharpens my
understanding and reinforces my perspective of the truth. Yet, center to it all
is the Bible. And
many of the other books I read do shed light on the dimensions
within the Scriptures
themselves”
“And I admire that about you, Zach!” Gus
underscored.
“However, I still have problems, even though I can see
a good deal of sense in your perspective. For example, I
struggle with the notion that a good God could allow
evil—suffering, loneliness, hopelessness, death and injustice
in the world.”
“I’m glad you brought this up, Gus,”
Zach responded.
“Believe me, I’ve been there. I’ve struggled with
that issue along with why a good God could allow people to end
in hell.”
“Oh, yeah,” Gus agreed. “That is one of the
worst things
imaginable!”
“Well, believe it or not, the Bible
itself does shed light on those very problems,” Zach pointed
out with a smile.
"And really, I have a copy of an article that came from
a website. It’s
entitled Cosmic
Conflict.
Here, I have it folded in my Bible. I thought I’d let you
look it over to see what you
think.”
“Oh, yes, of course, Zach!” Gus
enthusiastically reached for it. “I’ll get on it right
away and let you know my thoughts on
it.”
“And oh, yes,” Zach added, “if you’d
care to explore links from that article, the web address is on
there, too.”
“Thanks, I just might do that,” Gus
declared.
And so it was that the two departed with
intentions of meeting again
soon.
That time came about three weeks later
at Zach’s house.
Once again Zach’s mother had fixed and served a
home-cooked meal.
After an hour or so of fellowship and sharing updated
news with each other, Zach and Gus once more found themselves
deeply involved in conversation in the living
room.
“Tell you what,” Gus started after a
brief moment of small talk, “that website you referred me to
set up a linking that excited my imagination and my
understanding.
I’m traveling down the trail toward a glow I’ve never
known existed—Man, of light that begins to clear the cobwebs
in my mind!
Really, I search for words to express that deep well of
awareness which has overtaken
me.”
“Right!” Zach concurred. “That’s kindred to my
experiences also.
I’m certain that all this moves us to focus on
Christ—especially, the Christ of the
Bible.”
“Yeah! Yeah!” Gus exclaimed
excitedly, “It’s… uh… uh… like parts of a puzzle coming
together to form meaning and purpose. Everything starts
fitting together—even the presence of evil and all that dark
stuff.”
“I’ve been praying for this,” Zach
revealed. “God is
wonderful to open doors by His grace, and as long as we are
willing to accept His Presence, He
will.”
“But…” Gus started with a sigh and then
paused.
“But?” Zach
pressed.
“Well,” Gus deliberated slowly, “I’m…
I’m still struggling with some peripheral shadows. You see, while I want
desperately to believe the Christian world view, I’ve been
also researching the other side of the issues. Some strong arguments
from opposing views tend to muddy the water a bit, just enough
to feed these nagging little doubts that keep me from taking
the final step across the
line.”
“Oh, I’ve been there myself,” Zach
acknowledged.
“There’s always going to be the opposing side on any
issue. The
powerful enemy, Satan, has far greater knowledge than any of
us who oppose him and spurs his advocates on by providing them
deceiving lures.
You see, the Bible provides us encouragement in first
John 4:4, which says Ye are of
God, little children, and have overcome
them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Even
though scientific evidence has a broad base and is in and of
itself very compelling in supporting revelation through the
Scriptures, there can be no absolute proof that
God’s revelation of Himself is true from a scientific
perspective. But
you and I can experience that reality through a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ. We can know it within
our hearts because what God does reveal resonates deeply
within our hearts.
It’s a natural outcome of exercising faith in God
through Jesus
Christ.”
“Yes, I know what you are saying and
want to believe it all the way,” Gus pressed, “but… well… I
mean, why can’t there be some kind of… uh… real proof so that
we can be absolutely
sure?”
“Gus, I appreciate you and can relate to
your dilemma quite well,” Zach conceded. “However, let me take
you a couple of steps further. How can finite beings,
such as we are, comprehend the
infinite?”
“Well, you’re right about that, but we
can have some kind of reference to the infinite, can’t
we?”
“We sure do in Christ Jesus,” Zach
assured.
“Although we can never be able to know fully the
infinite God, we do have a manifestation of His real presence
in Christ Jesus, Who exhibited the very nature of God. He became our sin so
that we can receive a full pardon from God, and He lives
within us. He is
the righteousness of God within us, a power that regenerates
us, making us new Creations in Him. This realization of
God’s presence through our oneness with Him by His Holy Spirit
generates genuine life that flows through
us.”
“That does make sense,” Gus agreed, “but
I still want to be certain! I want an air-tight
case that I can convince myself and
others.”
“Why?” Zach
pressed.
“Well… uh… You know,” Gus
responded. “I
guess I just need security in my
decision.”
“Let me ask you something, Gus,” Zach
began with a distinct pathos in his voice. “Even though I am
completely convinced and have full assurance of God and Who He
is in my life, let’s just pose a hypothetical situation
here. Just try to
imagine that Christianity grows out of a strong delusion.
There really is
nothing beyond death other than total oblivion. If that were the case,
what difference would it make whether we had been a Christian
or atheist?”
“Well… nothing, I suppose,” Gus
conceded.
“Then, why do you suppose the atheists
try to convince everybody else that they are right, if such
would mean nothing in the
end?”
Gus chuckled and shook his
head.
“Well, what would it matter if the
Christians had been right all the time?” Zach
insisted.
“Yeah,” Gus burst forth with radiance in
his expression, “either way, Christianity is far better. And to think,
Christianity has meant a lot of good in the world, reaching
out to meet needs, to share good news of God’s love… and… and…
it never ends!”
“Does that mean you are now ready to
receive Christ as your Lord and Savior” Zach questioned with a
smile, “in spite of the fact that the world sees a lot of
counterfeit Christians who give Christianity a bad
name?”
“Surely,”
Gus began in a joyful tone, “you’ve seen a difference in me
already. A burden
has been lifted.
As you were speaking I confessed my horrible sinful
state to God and asked Christ to forgive me and receive
me. Oh, what
peace and joy.
Now I really know that God is
real!!!”
“Oh,” Zach said with a keen look and a
grin, “I did see that radiance come over you like an
awakening, an awareness that says to the world now I know! You’ve now joined the
ranks of the entire stalwart Jesus’ freaks.”
“Freaks?” Gus responded with a
bewildered frown.
“Don’t look so shocked, Gus,” Zach
comforted. “You
might as well get used to terms such as freaks, radicals, far
right. You
and I belong to that group first called Christians as a slur
against Christ’s disciples during New Testament times. That term was meant to
belittle those followers as trying to be like little
Christs. It
intended to make them look very foolish. But Christians took to
that descriptive term because they sought to be as Christ-like
as possible. Yes,
many suffered persecution and death for their
stand.”
Gus nodded and said somberly, “Yeah,
I’ve read of a few great Christian martyrs—not only of early
Christians, but of people in the world today willingly
tortured and dying for Christ. I… I…” Gus stuttered with
tears trailing down his cheeks… “I do now feel a kindred
spirit with them.
Zach, I’m now open to learning all I can so I can take
my stand with Christ!”
And from that meeting forward Zach and
Gus became very bold brothers in Christ in the pursuit of
growing together in Christian values and Christian ministries
toward reaching the
world!
Also see Cosmic
Conflict.
<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>
Herman and Ross
Tidbits I
Herman: Hey, Ross, I see you’re walking home
today.
Ross: Well, yeah. Really it’s such a
nice spring day that I decided not to ride the bus. Man, I need the time
to think.
Herman:
To think?
Come on, you’re not getting philosophical on us, are
you?
Ross: Who?
Me? Nah,
I’m just so mad I could kick a
skunk!
Herman:
Tell me, what
happened?
Ross: Baseball.
Herman:
Baseball?
Ross: Well, yes, but I’m too mad to think about
it.
Herman:
Come on.
I thought I was your best
friend.
Ross: Oh, you are…
but…
Herman:
You can tell me, old buddy. I promise not to
whisper to anyone else.
Honest.
Ross: Oh, it’s that we had this baseball game with
Geer High after school
yesterday.
Herman:
And?
Ross: We were doing great and the other team was up to
bat. Then, I
pitched a high fast ball. George, the batter,
stood still and the ball hit the bat and bounced up under his
chin.
Herman:
Oh, and they had to take him to the
hospital?
Ross: Nah.
It just grazed him under the chin. He didn’t hardly have
no blood.
Herman:
Great!
Then everything was all
right?
Ross: No, he got mad and started to throw the bat
toward me, but the coach called to him. Then, the coach talked
to him a long time.
I was afraid because he’s the principal’s
son.
Herman:
But baseball rules could not apply to you since you
pitched and the ball did hit his
bat.
Ross:
Yeah, that’s what I thought, too. Only… Only, they
talked to me and asked me to leave the game for this pitching
turn. They told
me that they would give one of their pitchers from that other team a chance to pitch to
him.
Herman:
Woe!
Woe! They
can’t do that.
That’s not according to the rules of baseball. And on top of that,
using their own pitcher to pitch to his own teammate could
allow him to throw a good ball to knock it out of the
ballpark.
Ross: How did you know? That’s exactly what
happened!
Herman:
And you didn’t
protest?
Ross: I
sure did—after the game.
Herman:
And they made it
right?
Ross:
No! All
they told me is that if Congress and the President can change
the rules in Congress and ignore the Constitution about the
healthcare bill, they could stretch the rules of baseball to
do what they saw to be fair to the principal’s
son!
Zach and Gus
Focus on an Issue
Sometime during early March Zach
and Gus found themselves seated in Zach’s shack as his dwelling
had become referred to.
Zach picked up his napkin and mopped around his mouth
and commented to Gus, “Gus, I see something must be bothering
you. You seem so-o-o out of
it!”
“Wha-a-a… I mean, oh, yes,” Gus
muttered. “I
didn’t mean to ignore you, Zach. It’s… It’s… uh, well,
I’m just struggling with
matters.”
“Care to open up to
me?”
“I’m not sure I want to drag you in
on this,” Gus spoke in a monotone that reflected
hesitation.
“Well, you need not,” Zach
assured. “I just
thought…”
“Oh, why not?” Gus conceded. “I guess I do need to
share it with someone and you’re certainly a special
friend. I’ve just
felt betrayed by… by disgraceful arrogance and brazen lies
flowing from Washington—the politicians up there. I mean, power hungry
takeovers and brutal disregard for the Constitution and rules
of Congress. What
is this? Plunging
us under a dictatorship stinks to high heaven. Where’s the real
country our forefathers started—a representative democracy
under the decency of the Judaea/Christian heritage? I mean, this is not
the nation I grew up in.
Look, we’ve had racial problems, faults in the way our
nation has negotiated and so on, but we’ve always had an echo
of the people’s voices that brings us toward fairness and
settlements in the end.
This notion that Washington must dictate even what our
thoughts must be and take away our input in every avenue and…
and…”
“Hold on, old pal!” Zach called,
holding his palm up in gesture. “I’m not sure I agree
with you in all this—especially the defeatist attitude you
exhibit. Let me
point out something.
Where do you think our stand should be? I mean, should we
allow our attitudes to be controlled by the world view coming
from those politicians?
Tell me, who’s really in
control?”
“Well, God, of course, but do you
think God is pleased in the direction our government is
headed?” Gus
returned.
“Of course, God is never pleased in
any wrong attitudes anywhere—even in us!” Zach responded
strongly. “Do we
have the right to surrender to the tactics the enemy
employs? They do
lie and cheat and act like gods. Does that mean we need
to come back on the terms the enemy
sets?”
“I’m horrified!” Gus roared. “You surely don’t mean
I am guilty of lying or
cheating?”
Zach chuckled and continued, “You
know me better than that, Gus. Of course not. But certainly we
should not come back in the same groove with facts, which only
create and endless war.
We can’t win that war, for that is beyond our
jurisdiction.
We’re not asked to take up God’s role! Everyone, including
each of those politicians, comes under God’
jurisdiction.”
“Are you saying we should resign to
these out of control politicians and let them destroy our
nation?” Gus reasoned.
“Historically, God has always
allowed nations to choose. They remain
nevertheless accountable to God,” Zach explained. “Even if we entertain
a deep desire to see the execution of justice upon those in
positions of responsibility, we must learn that this world is
not the place of final accounting before God. Here we see sometimes
the measure of justice against some evil people, but the
complete justice will be brought by God against us all. You and I have already
had our deeds and attitudes taken care of in Christ. We must forgive others
as Christ forgave us.”
“In other words,” Gus said
somberly, “We need do nothing about the sad affairs except
pray?”
“Absolutely, we must always pray
that we become one with God,” Zach explained. “However, God does lay
upon our hearts that we use the talents we have for Him. For instance, the
talent of the vote can be a measure of our accountability
before God. The same is
true about keeping in touch with our congressmen and letting
them know how we stand. These are
opportunities to change the landscape through our voices, even
if that vote or contact could conceivably be ignored by power
grabbers. We’ve
used what God has given and executed our responsibility in
that area. But
let’s pose a possible outcome. Say, our nation
becomes a terror to every citizen and persecutions become
rampant. Are we
better than the New Testament church which suffered many
deaths under heavy persecution? And in each case, was
not God’s grace
sufficient?”
Gus dropped his eyes toward the
floor as he bowed his head and exclaimed, “Enough, Zach! I am so ashamed. I see where you’re
going.”
“Don’t feel too badly, Gus,” Zach
encouraged. “This
does not suggest that we feel no anger or sadness over what’s
happening. We
can’t allow the enemy to pull us into his tactics,
though. In the
end God will work out His purpose. And one other thing,
Gus, this world is not our home. Our eternal home will
make all the suffering and struggles here pale by
comparison!”
And with that ended another episode
between Zach and Gus.
Herman and Ross Tidbits
II
Ross: I just can't figure it! I
just can't figure it!
Herman: Figure
what?
Ross: I mean the
assignment—home work.
Herman: What
kind of assignment?
Ross: I had this news to do,
understand?
Herman: And
so…?
Ross: News. You know like what’s
going on in our world—like what’s up in Washington.
Herman: So,
what’s to figure about that? Couldn’t you just
report the facts about that?
Ross: I would, if I only
knew what the facts were.
Herman: Are
you telling me that the facts can’t be known? Why, what’s the
reports say?
Ross: This one report says
that if the bill they want to pass doesn’t allow abortion, it
would be too costly.
Herman: Oh,
I can understand that.
There wouldn’t be as many babies to cover with
insurance.
Ross: Yeah, but if the whole
matter means to save money, why do they only kill the
babies? Why stop
there? Couldn’t
they go to the other end and start killing the old people,
‘cause the babies haven’t had a chance to live life any?
Herman: Well,
I don’t exactly know, but maybe that babies can’t do anything
to defend themselves.
Ross: I still don’t get
it. Some old
people are too old and weak. They couldn’t do
nothing to defend themselves neither.
Herman: Oh,
but some of ‘em could squawk enough to cause a
scene.
Ross: That don’t make no
sense neither. I
hear of a lot of Americans screaming about the way Congress
and the President change the rules and don’t care about what
the Constitution says no more. Those screaming
Americans are in the majority and that don’t make no never
mind to them in Congress.
Herman: Oh,
I really don’t know, Ross. I guess there’s just
no real rules nor Constitution
anymore.
Ross: Yeah, and if they
don’t like people being born to make the government pay more
and some of ‘em talk about how much the environment is hurting
‘cause of people, why don’t they just kill all people
everywhere and save the environment—since that’s a lot more
important than anything else?
Herman:
Hmmm, Ross, you may be a bit weird, but in a
funny way you’re beginning to make
sense!
The Three Blind Mice and Their New World
Order
And
What Does this Have to Do with the
Churches?
Regarding
the churches, what do mice have to do with anything? Good
point. Churches
who have been moved with the passion of Christ to become light and salt within their
communities most certainly deserve recognition. These churches have
moved through the power and authority of the Holy Spirit to
witness to the communities and support mission endeavors the
world over, to address physical needs, such as hunger,
sickness, homelessness, and a host of other physical needs,
psychological and social needs and other needs in addition to
the spiritual needs.
Indeed, these churches must be commended, for in areas
where they have been effective, a minimum
of governmental or social services are
needed.
That is never the problem. The real issue lies in
the fact that such dynamic churches are not nearly as present
on the landscape as needed.
Mice enter the scene as a glaring opportunity
provided by the vast number of churches who are at ease in
Zion and protect their comfort zone to the point of neglecting
real needs throughout their communities. These needy
communities become a breeding ground for the kind of mice
featured in the following narration:
On the compass of a typical university during a
lazy Friday afternoon, a young freshman lady sat alone on a
campus bench near the campus fountain spouting sparkling water
into the bright sun to glisten like diamonds bidding serenity,
but the young lady with wells of tears dropping into her lap
onto sheets of paper seemed oblivious to the presence of
anything akin to serenity.
“Hey, Mildred,” came a call that seemed to jolt
the young lady back into awareness. She quickly used a
tissue to wipe the tears from her eyes and cheeks as she
almost gasped in astonishment, “Bill, I’m… I’m afraid you
caught me at a very awkward
moment.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Mildred,” Bill said in a very
apologetic tone, “I had intended to ask if the seat beside you
were available, but I won’t intrude right
now.”
“Nonsense!” Mildred scolded gently. “You might as well be
the first to know, since the word will be around campus
anyway.”
“Word?” Bill questioned
softly.
“Well, yes,” Mildred admitted. “See these pages
bathed in my tears?
It bears the mark of an F! It represents hours of
research and creativity on my part. And to get an F! I mean, even the
comments are very demeaning: Miss Dean, your
perspective and interpretation grow from narrow-minded
bigotry. Wake up
to reality!”
“Of all the—I mean, how utterly asinine can such
an arrogant and dictatorial professor be! That takes the cake”,
Bill almost shouted.
Then he reached forth his hand and asked, “Mind if I
see your paper?”
“Not at all,” Mildred conceded. “It’s a little wet,
but I think you can get the gist,” she continued as she handed
the paper to him.
Bill read through the twenty pages typed with
well organized and documented text. Momentarily, he
returned the pages to Mildred and silently eyed her with a
suggestion of passion and understanding before he
continued, “I must confess personally, I’ve never seen a more
scholarly composition.
Honestly, your claims are very logical and supported by
impeccable reasoning.
However, I fear you have one fatal
flaw,”
Mildred perked her ears expectantly as Bill
continued after a long pause, “Do you know what campus you are
on? This is one
of the most liberal campuses in the nation. Therefore, you fell
far short of being politically
correct!”
“At least I used an analogy from that satire
critical of Queen Mary in English history to apply to modern
political dispositions.
The Three Blind
Mice can also expose the great abuse of truth in our own
society.”
“Oh, how I agree!” Bill
emphatically shouted.
“I like the way you carried on an imaginary dialogue
with the mice.
Like to the first: No
wonder you can’t see, Mr. Mouse! Why do you keep your
eyes tightly shut?
“My dear
lady, the
mouse astutely replied, I
keep my eyes closed so that I can readily see. That way I’m not
distracted by reality.
I live in my own world where I can have the ease and
comfort of depending on others. Since I can’t engage
in normal activity, the government can supply all my needs and
I can remain on welfare
forever.
“And you uncover the same
blindness with the second mouse representing the well
acclaimed tolerant clergy of the progressive religious
restructuring of modern assault on the myth of
guilt.
Indeed,” the second mouse
mused, when
I keep my eyes from the real world of religious bigotry and
superstition, I can unchain myself from biblical nonsense and
pick and choose what verses fit into the culture such that
they can be accepted as building blocks to please the
direction and purpose of society rather than changing society
into some religious
bigots.
“And, oh yes, I just love the way you used the
words for this last mouse,” Bill continued excitedly. “May I read the way
you exactly stated the issue for the third mouse, if you’ll
allow me to see the pages
again.”
Mildred handed the pages to Bill once
more.
“Ah, yes,” Bill exclaimed. “Here it
is:
“And
my dearest lady, how I admire your interest in the great
responsibilities of the political machine! I mean, I have found
the more I keep my eyes closed concerning all the reality
which would upset the cart, the better we as politicians can
establish a government that can think for the people and tell
them what is absolutely best for them and demand they trust
us—or suffer the consequences! Indeed, we cherish,
not only that useful blindness, but now use another important
tool to keep us from the pollution of the voice of the
people—ear plugs also!
“And dear Mildred, no matter what the professor
says or thinks, you are the one on solid
ground.”
These students had run across nothing new;
indeed, even years ago when these university students were
mere babes, some events bringing threatening changes on the
landscape unfolded. Scarcely noticed by all
the John Does busily involved in their own interests and
businesses, three blind mice crept upon the scene and engaged
in the crafty, underhanded schemes to introduce new dimensions
fully bristling with the glitter of deception and sugarcoated
enough to entice public
acceptance.
Ah, yes indeed, the first blind mouse posed as
an enlightened minister, in much the same fashion as the one
portrayed in the tale of the university student, for, you see,
he could easily imitate a man. Quite true, he indeed
was once a man who rambled into the back closets of forbidden
dwellings to discover a potent brew called Backbone
Dissolver.
Not only did he partake of the concoction himself but
reserved some of that brew for some of his closest associates
who shared his world outlook. But how do we know this
tale to be nothing more than a fabricated fairy tale of
sorts?
Indeed, it does appear to be an invention of a
bright child’s overactive imagination on the surface; but
people everywhere mistook him as a real person, his physical
appearance deceitfully taking on the exact physical structure
of a man. How do we actually know
this claim to be factual? you may
ask.
That does bring us to one of the fundamental
differences between a man and a mouse. A man, a genuine man, may be
seen within the pages of history. Return to the time of
our forefathers where, generally, men were uncompromisingly
proponents of truth
and would willing give their lives to proclaim it, if need
be. For instance,
they knew what freedom meant, for they stood upon the biblical
principle proclaimed by Christ that you shall know the truth,
and THE TRUTH shall set you
free!
Just compare that one stance with some modern
men—or rather mice. Why, truth is no
objective reality at all, but the byproduct of each person’s
preferences in the creation of his own truth! These mice disdain our
forefathers as bigots, ignorant in bonds to their own
tradition, mere superstition. Mice claim to be
enlightened and unshackled by such burden that creates guilt
and shame.
Let us place this first blind mouse under a
diagnostic examination.
Naturally, the brew he drank had an appropriate name,
Backbone
Dissolver.
One of the researchers into this episode, Dr. Truly
Honest, hit upon a very feasible probability. That brew had been
concocted from pure
essence extract from mice, which when ingested would
immediately dissolve the backbone—well, not literally, but in
character. The
squeamish nature of mice and their urge to flee or compromise
rather than stand the ground was transferred to the man. However, the physical
form was never changed.
In the case of the modern day clergy mouse, he
dared not establish the truth through determination and
uncompromising stance, but gave in to the flow and retreated
into his own blindness.
Though in a different avenue, the second mouse,
the politician mouse, found himself in a position within his
egotistical power to lord it over all others, delighting in
his own control, justifying his blindness and deafness to all
others by his position in blindness and
deafness.
Unlike the young student at the university, it
was the third mouse
that profited by the form of government espoused by the second
mouse.
Now, none of us need special eyeglasses to see
the exact development of the three blind mice within our very
own United States of America. May enough of us
genuine Americans become so irate that we take up the TRUTH to slaughter
these three blind mice with a deserved slap of
reality!
Dealing
with an Unforgiving Spirit—with Zach and Gus
Ironically, even earnest Christians often find
themselves slipping into the trap of succumbing to the vile
disposition of holding deep-seated grudges. Unforgiving spirits
grow from alienation from God (see Matthew 6:15). Zach and Gus found
themselves dealing with this somber issue.
“Zach,” Gus greeted as he motioned to a young
man beside him, “I want you to meet a fine, Christian young
friend of mine, Jeff
Marshall.”
“My pleasure,” Zach replied, extending his hand
toward Jeff.
“Jeff,” Gus continued, “this is my very best
friend and cousin, Zach—Zach
Dodge.”
“It’s good to meet you, Zach,” Jeff spoke softly
and continued, “Gus has told me much about
you.”
“If I may, Jeff,” Gus started, “I’d like to cut
to the reason for our being here. You see, Zach, Jeff,
being a young Christian, has confided in me his strong desire
to be all God wants him to be. Yet, he has a very
deep-seated struggle.
But I’ll let Jeff put it to you in his own
words.”
“Well, Mr. Dodge…” Jeff started, only to be
interrupted by Zach with, “Skip the formality, please,
Jeff. Just call
me Zach.
“OK, Zach,” Jeff continued, “I… I’m not sure how
to put it. I
mean, I am so ashamed of myself, but I… I try to stop hating
someone who tore my heart out and trampled it underfoot. As if that were not
enough, she made fun of me for becoming a Christian and
criticized me to all the other college students, laughing and
laughing at my Christianity. Before I became a
Christian, we were engaged, but I guess it was kinda
superficial. I
was very much in love with her and didn’t see who she really
was until I made her very angry about my becoming a
Christian.”
“And now,” Zach interjected, “you feel guilty
for not being able to forgive
her?”
“I have tried very hard, but the hurt doesn’t
let me,” Jeff admitted.
“I understand,” Zach assured. “The pain cannot
disappear and latches itself to you like the claws of a
tiger.
Right?”
“Yeah.
Exactly,” Jeff agreed.
“But you realize that you do need to
forgive. I
understand you base your need to forgive on the
Scripture?”
“Absolutely!” Jeff exclaimed. “A lot of Scripture
comes to mind.
Recently, I read of David’s forgiveness of Saul from
first Samuel, chapters twenty-four through twenty-six. Also, there’s several
New Testament passages—like Matthew six, verse fifteen
and…”
“Great, Jeff! You know the
Scriptures all right.
That’s wonderful.
You do not go wrong there,” Zach
encouraged.
“That’s right,” Jeff conceded, “but…
but…”
“But you’re not
able?”
“Oh, how well I know!” Jeff
moaned.
“That’s the first step toward the solution!”
Zach emphatically assured.
“But I don’t understand,” Jeff spoke, a deep
shadow of confusion falling across his
countenance.
“Don’t be dismayed, my young friend,” Jeff
comforted.
“That’s just the point. You’re not supposed to
be able to forgive.
No human being can forgive. That’s an impossible
human task.
“You see,” Jeff continued, “our inability to
forgive or to live the righteous life was lost when Adam and
Eve sinned and brought the world into the age of the sin-curse
where death and ever human problem originated. The fact is: Satan lured Eve into
the trap of eating the forbidden fruit—the fruit of the
knowledge of good and evil. At that point, Eve
became as god, declaring what is good and what is evil from
her own self-centered world and thus made herself the sole
source to determine her own independent godhood. Adam followed, of
course.”
“But I thought I have been born from above with
a new nature!” Jeff declared.
“Absolutely, but when you revert to the old
nature by trying to forgive or do anything, you find it
impossible,” Zach explained softly with a smile of
acceptance.
“Then, how do I get that old nature behind me?”
Jeff asked urgently.
“Just as Jesus did,” Zach reflected. “I know, that’s easier
said than to come to rest upon that source. But our focus must
include an attitude of sacrifice. We must die to self
and self interests and throw ourselves in reckless abandon
upon God. That’s
the only place of supreme peace and rest. Many Christian martyrs
held their eyes upon the face of Christ to the degree of
oblivion to all the torture and mockery around them. These devout followers
of Christ had the radiance of God’s presence upon their
shinning faces as they met death. Modern cases of
martyrdom reveal the same serenity in sacrifice as did the
early Christians.”
“I see,” Jeff admitted. “I guess I must let
Jesus forgive through me.”
“You’re on your way, but there must be the
element of further understanding. When you are suffering
in the manner you are now, ask yourself certain
questions. Others
have wronged me, but am I better than my LORD Who refused to
escape the cross, but was driven by love for us to die for our
guilt? Was my sin
against this wonderful, innocent Jesus much less than the sin
against me by those who assault me? Since Jesus forgave
me, can this same Jesus in my own heart and life exercise His
authority and do what I am unable to do and forgive those who
wronged me?
“I would like to share with you an experience I
had,” Zach continued with a smile. “A few years ago when
I was a little less mature in Christ, my anger was kindled
deeply at an arrogant lady who boasted of operating multiple
abortion clinics.
I am greatly opposed to killing innocent unborn
children as much or more as murdering others who are
born. In my
heart, I would have liked to have seen great mishaps come to
that awful lady.
But my sight cannot measure up to God’s. He sees the hidden
chambers of the heart and knows all the motivations. He alone can
judge. I have
since come to leave judging in the Hands of the Lord, Who
knows all, when I took note to the conversion of that lady to
Christianity.
Now, she is one of the most outspoken pro-life
activists there is.
Of course, there are other marvelous examples, as with
the conversions of some of the most brutal terrorists in the
world who are now on fire for the
LORD.”
“Ah, yes,” Jeff conceded, “I’m beginning to see
the light.”
“Just one other thing, Jeff,” Zach added. “Your emotions will
rarely immediately evaporate, but as you are being transformed
into the likeness of Christ, His power and authority through
the Holy Spirit will bring you a peace beyond human
understanding.”
Thus, a new young friend, Jeff, has been added
to lives of Zach and Gus.
Overview of the Beatitudes—Are they
Restrictions or a Description of Genuine Character Found in
the Followers of Christ?
(Matthew,
chapters 5-7)
Many Christians, even devoted followers of
Christ, sometimes view the beatitudes as
goals to be pursued; yet, humanly speaking, they are forever
beyond human achievement. Yes, many try, but
there can be no character within humanity that makes possible
the keeping of the
beatitudes!
Such qualities reflect a supernatural domain.
Such may also be said about the ability to forgive (see Dealing with an
Unforgiving Spirit...
above).
Take, for instance, the principle of turning the other
cheek when an enemy strikes the left cheek. Human nature demands
retribution. Personal rights have been
violated; therefore, such victims should have a right to
correct the injustice!
Yet, if we who are Jesus’ followers take note to
Christ’s response to very severe and bold violations of His
own rights and observe how our LORD responded to such
assaults, especially within the events of the cross, we must
draw the inevitable conclusion that we could never naturally
acquire this absolute supernatural character of Jesus within
our own human nature.
It just isn’t within the human
constitution!
Therefore, Christ alone has the strength and
resolve to do what we within ourselves can never do. That is to say, CHRIST’S CHARACTER AND
NATURE MUST DWELL WITHIN US AS HIS FOLLOWERS! During the crucifixion
the disciples of Jesus did not measure up to expectation: Peter denied his LORD
three times; others fled and only John and Mary, the mother of
Jesus, remained at the foot of the
cross.
AN IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE SURFACES HERE: Natural humanity
cannot rise to the occasion, for natural humanity seeks to
preserve the status quo or seek self-preservation, as did the
disciples at Calvary!
But
the disciples were never left at that stage; neither do we as
Christ’s followers need to cave in to the old human
nature. We see in
Acts (see the first three chapters of Acts) that the disciples
acquired at Pentecost the power and authority of Jesus through
the Holy Spirit such that Jesus lived through them. Hence, we as followers
of Christ measure up to the beatitudes by the
character of the Jesus living in and through us! The beatitudes reflect
the life of Jesus within us. We then are never
called upon as human beings to measure up since that is an
impossibility.
But the supernatural character of God expresses itself
through the genuine followers of Christ!
See
Salvation.
|
