Mary Did You Know?

• Prayer in Jesus’ name is taught in John 14:13-14, “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” Some mistakenly apply this verse by believing that saying “In Jesus’ name” at the end of a prayer results in God always granting what is asked for. This is essentially treating the words “in Jesus’ name” as a magic formula. This is absolutely unbiblical!

• Praying in Jesus’ name means praying with His authority and asking God the Father to act upon our prayers because we come in the name of His Son, Jesus. Praying in Jesus’ name means the same thing as praying according to the will of God, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us-whatever we ask-we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15). Praying in Jesus’ name is praying for things that will honor and glorify Jesus.

• Saying, “In Jesus’ name” at the end of a prayer is not a magic formula. If what you asked for or said in prayer was not for God’s glory and according to His will, saying “In Jesus’ name” is meaningless. Genuinely praying in Jesus’ name and for His glory is what is important, not attaching certain words to the end of a prayer. It is not the words in the prayer that matter, but the purpose behind the prayer. Praying for things that are in agreement with God’s will is the essence of praying in Jesus’ name.

 

Good Friday To You!!!

 

• Good Friday is the Friday immediately preceding Easter Sunday. It is traditionally the day on which Jesus was crucified.  Assuming that Jesus was crucified and died on a Friday, should Christians remember by celebrating Good Friday?

  

 

• The Bible does not instruct Christians to remember Christ’s death by honoring a certain day. The Bible does give us freedom in these matters, however. Romans 14:5 tells us, “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.” The Bible instructs us to remember Christ’s death by observing the Lord’s Supper. First Corinthians 11:26 declares, “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

 

 

• Why is Good Friday referred to as “good”? What the Jewish authorities and Romans did to Jesus was definitely not good (see Matthew chapters 26-27). However, the results of Christ’s death are very good! Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit.”

 

 

• Many Christian churches celebrate Good Friday with a subdued service, usually in the evening, when Christ’s death is remembered with solemn hymns, prayers of thanksgiving, a message centered on the Messiah’s suffering for our sakes, and communion. Whether or not Christians choose to “celebrate” Good Friday, the events of that day should be ever on our minds because the death of Christ on the cross is the paramount event of the Christian faith.

Dr. Robert Jastrow Dies

 

 

 

Dr. Robert Jastrow, world-renowned astrophysicist, Died last month, he described the astronomical discoveries of recent years and the theological implications of the new insights afforded by science into mankind’s place in the cosmos. He explained the chain of events that forced astronomers, despite their initial reluctance (“Irritating,” said Einstein; “Repugnant,” said the great British astronomer Eddington; “I would like to reject it,” said MIT physicist Philip Morrison) to accept the validity of the Big Bang and the fact that the universe began in a moment of creation.  His Great quote 

 

“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; he 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.

”

Prince Caspian – Is Not Here Soon Enough For My Boys

 

• My Boys are very excited about the Prince Caspian movie, which is due out in May.  As we reread this book and talk about some of the Christian Themes–In this, the fourth (Really the 2nd Original) of this seven volume series, Peter, Lucy, Edmund, and Susan are summoned to their beloved Narnia as young Prince Caspian seeks to regain his rightful place upon the throne.

 

 

• As the story unfolds, we learn the young Caspian’s true identity has been kept a closely guarded secret by an ill-meaning uncle, but Caspian’s teacher, Dr. Cornelius, breaks his vow of silence by revealing Caspian’s true heritage and the wonderful secrets of Narnia’s golden past. A civil war erupts when Prince Caspian challenges the evildoers who stole his crown. Outnumbered by an enemy of far superior strength, the enterprise appears doomed from the start, but Narnia is a land of miracles and possibilities–much like our own world!

 

 

• As the battle rages, unsavory allies offer their assistance–allies who could help turn the tides of the battle–but Caspian’s true friends warn the young prince against making holy alliances with unholy creatures. The great Aslan would not have his prince being “unequally yoked” with the unrighteous enemies of Narnia!

 

 

• A tightly woven plot, memorable characters, plenty of action, and a dramatic climax make up the legendary hallmarks of C.S. Lewis’ classic Narnia tales. Prince Caspian is a story of good versus evil, yet it retains all the elements of a real adventure without coming across as preachy or sermonizing. Parents will appreciate the book’s valuable lessons in old-fashioned virtue while young readers will thrill to the nonstop suspense and intrigue. What could be better? Prince Caspian is more than entertaining–here is adventure with a purpose.

Blessed Be Your Name

God Please Fulfill Me!!!

 

• Without God, man is unfulfilled, even in his mortal life. Thomas Merton remarked that man is not at peace with his fellow man because he is not at peace with himself, and that he is restless with himself because he has no peace with God.

 

 

• The pursuit of pleasure for pleasure’s sake is a sign of inner turmoil. Pleasure-seekers throughout history have found over and over that the temporary diversions of life give way to a deeper despair. The nagging feeling that “something is wrong” is hard to shake off. King Solomon gave himself to a pursuit of all this world has to offer, and he recorded his findings in the book of Ecclesiastes.

 

 

• Solomon discovered that knowledge, in and of itself, is futile (Ecclesiastes 1:12-18). He found that pleasure and wealth are futile (2:1-11), materialism is folly (2:12-23), and riches are fleeting (chapter 6).

 

 

• Solomon concludes that life is God’s gift (3:12-13) and the only wise way to live is to fear God: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (12:13-14).

 

 

• In other words, there is more to life than the physical dimension. Jesus stresses this point when He says, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Not bread (the physical) but God’s Word (the spiritual) keeps us alive. Blaise Pascal put it this way: “It is in vain, oh men, that you seek within yourselves the cure for all your miseries.” Man can only find life and fulfillment when he acknowledges God.

 

 

• Without God, man’s destiny is death. The man without God is spiritually dead; when his physical life is over, he faces continued death—eternal separation from God. In Jesus’ narrative of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), the rich man lives a sumptuous life of ease without a thought of God, while Lazarus suffers through his life but knows God. It is after their deaths that both men truly comprehend the gravity of the choices they made in life. The rich man “lift up his eyes,” being in hell’s torments. He realized, too late, that there is more to life than meets the eye. Meanwhile, Lazarus is comforted in paradise. For both men, the short duration of their earthly existence paled in comparison to the permanent state of their souls.

 

 

• Man is a unique creation. God has set a sense of eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11), and that sense of timeless destiny can only find its fulfillment in God Himself.

Dad What about Angels?

 

• Spent some time discussing what an angel is with my Boys.  Angels are spirit beings (Hebrews 1:14), so they do not have any essential physical form. But angels do have the ability to take on human form. When angels appeared to humans in the Bible, they resembled normal males. In Genesis 18:1-19, God and two angels appeared as men and actually ate a meal with Abraham. Angels appear as men many times throughout the Bible (Joshua 5:13-14; Mark 16:5), although they never appear in the likeness of women.

• At other times, angels appeared not as humans, but as something other-worldly. At times, their appearance was terrifying to those who encountered them. Often the first words from these angels were “do not be afraid,” because extreme fear was such a common reaction. Zacharias in was speechless before the angel who visited him, as were the keepers of Jesus’ tomb, who became as dead men when they saw the angel of the Lord. The shepherds in the fields in Luke 2 were “sore afraid” when the angel of the Lord appeared and the glory of the Lord shone around them. To others, however, angelic appearances did not produce terror. Mary’s encounter with the angel who announced the birth of Jesus produced confusion at the pronouncement, but did not seem to produce the same fear experienced by Zacharias.

• As for physical characteristics, angels are often described as winged. The cherubim on the ark of the covenant have wings that cover the mercy seat. Isaiah also saw winged seraphim in his vision of the throne of heaven, each one having six wings. Ezekiel, too, saw visions of winged angels. Isaiah depicts angels having human features—voices, faces and feet. Angel voices are heard singing and praising God in unison several other passages. One of the most complete descriptions of an angel is in Daniel 10 “I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of the finest gold around his waist. His body was like chrysolite, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.” The angel guarding Jesus’ tomb was similarly described: “His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow”.

• Whatever appearance angels take on, there is reason to believe they are incredibly beautiful in appearance. First, Ezekiel tells us that Lucifer’s beauty was such that it caused his heart to be “lifted up” in pride. In addition, it stands to reason that angels have extraordinary beauty. because they are continually in the presence of Almighty God, whose glory is reflected upon all that is around Him.

My Boys Favorite Worship Song

El Shaddai (Hebrew Word for God- Translated “Almighty”)

Let’s Talk About Theology

 

• The word “theology” comes from two Greek words meaning “God” and “word.” Combined, the word “theology” means “study of God.” Christian theology is the study of what the Bible teaches and what Christians believe. Many believers treat Christian theology as something that is dividing, something that should be avoided. In actuality, Christian theology should be uniting! The Word of God teaches truth and we are to be united behind that truth. Yes, there are disagreements and disputes in Christian theology. Yes, there is freedom to disagree on the non-essentials of Christian theology. At the same time, there is much that Christians should be united over. A Biblically-based Christian theology will enable us to better understand God, salvation, and our mission in this world.

 

 

• For some, the word “theologian” conjures up images of crusty old men poring over dusty volumes of ancient texts in dimly-lit rooms, studying things completely removed from real life. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Second Timothy 3:16 tells us that all Scripture is inspired by God, literally God-breathed, and is indispensable to us because it makes us complete, lacking nothing. To be a theologian is to be one who seeks the face of God in order to encounter the creator of the universe and His Son, Jesus Christ, and embrace Him as Lord of our lives, so that He becomes the center of our desires, affections and knowledge. This intimacy spreads into all aspects of our lives—thrilling us with its blessings, comforting us in times of loss, strengthening us in our weaknesses and upholding us to the end of our lives when we will see Him face to face. Scripture is God’s story and the more we study His Word, the better we know Him

His Grace

Has Anyone Seen God?

 

• This Question came from my  6 year old Son (Paul), just before he fell to sleep.  The Bible tells us that no one has ever seen God (John 1:18) except the Lord Jesus Christ. In Exodus 33:20, God declares, “You cannot see My face, for no one may see Me and live.” These Scriptures seem to contradict other Scriptures which describe various people “seeing” God. For example, Exodus 33:19-23 describes Moses speaking to God, “face to face.” How could Moses speak with God “face to face” if no one can see God’s face and live? In this instance, the phrase “face to face” is a figure of speech indicating they were in very close communion. God and Moses were speaking to each other “as if” they were two human beings having a close conversation.

 

• In Genesis 32:30, Jacob saw God appearing as an angel – he did not truly see God. Samson’s parents were terrified when they realized they had seen God (Judges 13:22), but they had only seen Him appearing as an angel. Jesus was God in the flesh (John 1:1,14) so when people saw Him, they were seeing God. So, yes, God can be “seen” and many people have “seen” God. At the same time, no one has ever seen God revealed in all His glory. In our fallen human condition, if God were to fully reveal Himself to us, we would be consumed. Therefore, God veils Himself and appears in forms in which we can “see” Him. However, this is different than seeing God with all His glory and holiness displayed. People have seen visions of God, images of God, and appearances of God – but no one has ever seen God in all His fullness (Exodus 33:20).