Author Richard Exley tells the story of a pastor whose son committed suicide. Returning to his pulpit ten days later, his text was Romans 8:28. With a trembling voice he read, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” He said, “I cannot make my son’s suicide fit into this passage. It’s impossible for me to see how anything good could come out of it. Yet I realize that I only see in part. I only know in part.”
Fighting for composure, he continued, “It’s like the miracle of the shipyard. Almost every part of our great ocean-going vessels are made of steel. If you take any single part…and throw it into the ocean, it will sink. Steel doesn’t float! But when the shipbuilders are finished, when the last plate has been riveted in place, then that massive steel ship is virtually unsinkable.”
“Taken by itself, my son’s suicide is senseless. Throw it into the sea of Romans 8:28, and it sinks. Still, I believe that when the Eternal Shipbuilder has finally finished, when God has worked out his perfect design, even this senseless tragedy will somehow work to our eternal good.”
In the midst of his despair, this Christian father’s hope was in God’s promise to “work for the good of those who love him.” He came to realize that God shapes our lives through both agony and ecstasy to make us more like Jesus.
Related Scripture: Romans 8:28
© 2007 Leith Anderson
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Who Are Prophets
Do you ever wonder what the Bible means when it talks about “prophets”? “Prophets” are those that speak God’s truth to humans. Prophets were authors of the Bible. Listen to how the New Testament explains it:
You will do well to pay attention to [the word of the prophets].… Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation, for prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
The authors of the Bible didn’t think up what they wrote all by themselves. They didn’t spin their own interpretation of history. They didn’t make up a religion. They spoke the words God gave them and they wrote with the authority and accuracy of the Holy Spirit.
The Bible is the most studied and documented book in history. What it says has been dissected, analyzed, attacked, criticized and verified for almost two thousand years. Bottom line, the Bible is the Word of God and it’s the truth. And when you put your own personal experience of faith together with the truth of the Bible, you have the two pillars upon which Christianity stands – faith and the Bible, personal encounter and truth. Christianity is not just your own experience and it’s not just the truth of the Bible. It’s a supernatural combination of faith and facts. And, together, they are life transforming.
Related Scripture: 2 Peter 1: 19-21
© 2007 Leith Anderson
You will do well to pay attention to [the word of the prophets].… Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation, for prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
The authors of the Bible didn’t think up what they wrote all by themselves. They didn’t spin their own interpretation of history. They didn’t make up a religion. They spoke the words God gave them and they wrote with the authority and accuracy of the Holy Spirit.
The Bible is the most studied and documented book in history. What it says has been dissected, analyzed, attacked, criticized and verified for almost two thousand years. Bottom line, the Bible is the Word of God and it’s the truth. And when you put your own personal experience of faith together with the truth of the Bible, you have the two pillars upon which Christianity stands – faith and the Bible, personal encounter and truth. Christianity is not just your own experience and it’s not just the truth of the Bible. It’s a supernatural combination of faith and facts. And, together, they are life transforming.
Related Scripture: 2 Peter 1: 19-21
© 2007 Leith Anderson
Friday, September 21, 2007
A Mountain-top Experience
The Bible tells us that Jesus went up on a mountain with three of his closest followers, Peter, James and John, where he was “transfigured” or changed in appearance. His clothes became dazzling white and the three disciples heard the voice of God the Father out of a cloud saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” It was an intense, life-shaping experience that fed their faith.
Many people have stories to tell about their own personal experiences with God. Most of them are wonderful, a few are weird, and some are downright wack-o. But what we need to understand is that faith is always tied to personal experience with God and these experiences are different for everyone.
Personal faith is how a person becomes a Christian. That’s why we talk so often about a personal prayer of commitment to Jesus. Faith is not something that someone else can decide and do for us—every one of us needs to experience Jesus Christ. But it’s important that we don’t try to copy somebody else’s experience. If we climb a mountain expecting to see Jesus, as Peter, James and John did, we’re going to be deeply disappointed. That was their experience. Unfortunately, some well-meaning Christians try to impose their experience on others. They expect others to see their visions, to speak in their tongues, or to experience their miracles. But that misses the point. For God’s plan is for each one of us to personally experience Jesus Christ.
Related Scripture: Matthew 17: 4-5
© 2007 Leith Anderson
Many people have stories to tell about their own personal experiences with God. Most of them are wonderful, a few are weird, and some are downright wack-o. But what we need to understand is that faith is always tied to personal experience with God and these experiences are different for everyone.
Personal faith is how a person becomes a Christian. That’s why we talk so often about a personal prayer of commitment to Jesus. Faith is not something that someone else can decide and do for us—every one of us needs to experience Jesus Christ. But it’s important that we don’t try to copy somebody else’s experience. If we climb a mountain expecting to see Jesus, as Peter, James and John did, we’re going to be deeply disappointed. That was their experience. Unfortunately, some well-meaning Christians try to impose their experience on others. They expect others to see their visions, to speak in their tongues, or to experience their miracles. But that misses the point. For God’s plan is for each one of us to personally experience Jesus Christ.
Related Scripture: Matthew 17: 4-5
© 2007 Leith Anderson
Friday, September 14, 2007
Confusing Faith and Culture
Throughout history Christians have often made the mistake of confusing faith and culture. Just because we do things a certain way in our culture, doesn’t make them biblical, Christian or right. It’s a mistake to try and super-impose Western culture in the name of bringing the gospel of Jesus.
Historically we have taken non-Christian symbols and activities and Christianized them. One is the Roman cross. We have taken what was a symbol of hatred, pain and condemnation and turned it into a symbol of hope, love and eternal life. The German Yule tree has been renamed a Christmas tree and the celebration of the winter solstice has been replaced by the celebration of the birth of Jesus in the third week of December. We refer to the hymns written by John and Charles Wesley, the founders of the Methodist church, as traditional Christian music. We forget that the Wesleys used the contemporary music of their day. They wrote Christian lyrics for the tunes that were popular in the pubs of England.
Christian missionaries have sometimes gone to other cultures and insisted that they dress the way that we dress; sit in chairs as we do; gather together for worship on Sunday morning as we do and worship with our kind of music. None of that is biblical. It has nothing to do with true worship. What matters is bringing people to the point of trusting in the one true God – and in Jesus Christ, his only son, who came into this world to save sinners from every culture.
Related Scripture: John 3:16-21
© 2007 Leith Anderson
Historically we have taken non-Christian symbols and activities and Christianized them. One is the Roman cross. We have taken what was a symbol of hatred, pain and condemnation and turned it into a symbol of hope, love and eternal life. The German Yule tree has been renamed a Christmas tree and the celebration of the winter solstice has been replaced by the celebration of the birth of Jesus in the third week of December. We refer to the hymns written by John and Charles Wesley, the founders of the Methodist church, as traditional Christian music. We forget that the Wesleys used the contemporary music of their day. They wrote Christian lyrics for the tunes that were popular in the pubs of England.
Christian missionaries have sometimes gone to other cultures and insisted that they dress the way that we dress; sit in chairs as we do; gather together for worship on Sunday morning as we do and worship with our kind of music. None of that is biblical. It has nothing to do with true worship. What matters is bringing people to the point of trusting in the one true God – and in Jesus Christ, his only son, who came into this world to save sinners from every culture.
Related Scripture: John 3:16-21
© 2007 Leith Anderson
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Misled by a Bumper Sticker
A police officer pulled over a car and asked the driver to show his license and registration. The driver was obviously taken back because he said, “Officer, I didn’t go through a stop sign, I didn’t run a red light. I’ve actually been driving under the speed limit.”
The police officer said “What you say is true, but I’ve been following you. I saw you wave your fist at that lady in the left lane who wouldn’t get out of your way. And then when that Hummer cut you off, I was close enough to see how red your face turned. You were really flushed. I couldn’t understand the words you were saying but it appeared that they were pretty explosive. And then, back at the exit when the traffic was all backed up, I could see you pounding on the wheel. So I decided to pull you over.”
The man said “Wait a minute. Since when are any of those things crimes?” The police officer replied, “There’re not – but when I noticed the bumper sticker on your car that says ‘JESUS LOVES YOU AND SO DO I,’ I figured this had to be a stolen car.”
What’s my point with this story? Some of us are not what we claim to be. We pretend to be faithful followers of Jesus Christ when, in reality, we’re hypocrites. Let us examine ourselves to make sure that we are living in a way that honors Jesus in all that we say and do. Jesus calls us to walk in integrity.
Related Scripture: 2 John 6 & Titus 2:7
© 2007 Leith Anderson
The police officer said “What you say is true, but I’ve been following you. I saw you wave your fist at that lady in the left lane who wouldn’t get out of your way. And then when that Hummer cut you off, I was close enough to see how red your face turned. You were really flushed. I couldn’t understand the words you were saying but it appeared that they were pretty explosive. And then, back at the exit when the traffic was all backed up, I could see you pounding on the wheel. So I decided to pull you over.”
The man said “Wait a minute. Since when are any of those things crimes?” The police officer replied, “There’re not – but when I noticed the bumper sticker on your car that says ‘JESUS LOVES YOU AND SO DO I,’ I figured this had to be a stolen car.”
What’s my point with this story? Some of us are not what we claim to be. We pretend to be faithful followers of Jesus Christ when, in reality, we’re hypocrites. Let us examine ourselves to make sure that we are living in a way that honors Jesus in all that we say and do. Jesus calls us to walk in integrity.
Related Scripture: 2 John 6 & Titus 2:7
© 2007 Leith Anderson
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
The Two Largest Religions
In the 18th and 19th centuries the world issues were exploration, conquest and colonialism. Side effects were commerce, slavery and a multitude of wars. In the 20th century, the world issues were Communism and Totalitarianism vs. Capitalism and Democracy. The century was a ferocious battlefield for land, bodies, minds and souls.
It appears that the world issue for the 21st century is religion. Around the globe there is fierce competition for the religious allegiance of our souls. What happened in America on September 11, 2001 was not the cause, but an effect of the religious competition that is sweeping the globe. It made Americans more interested in Islam than ever before.
Christianity and Islam are the world's two largest religions, together making up about half of the world’s population. Both are multi-national, evangelistic, and growing very rapidly.
In America we are mostly Christian. We belong to different branches of Christianity with names like Lutheran, Presbyterian, Baptist or Methodist; but the rest of the world lumps us together under the broad title of “Christian.”
With the Muslim population in the United States steadily growing, we are very aware of Muslims. Public opinion ranges from seeing Islam as a religion that is equal to and as acceptable as Christianity, to a well-known leader describing Islam as an “evil and wicked religion.”
So, what’s a Christian to do? Just be yourself! As a devoted follower of Jesus, see Muslims as potential friends rather than as enemies. Treat Muslims as you would treat any one else – with the love and kindness of Jesus Christ.
Related Scripture: 2 Peter 1:6-7 & Galations 6:10
© 2007 Leith Anderson
It appears that the world issue for the 21st century is religion. Around the globe there is fierce competition for the religious allegiance of our souls. What happened in America on September 11, 2001 was not the cause, but an effect of the religious competition that is sweeping the globe. It made Americans more interested in Islam than ever before.
Christianity and Islam are the world's two largest religions, together making up about half of the world’s population. Both are multi-national, evangelistic, and growing very rapidly.
In America we are mostly Christian. We belong to different branches of Christianity with names like Lutheran, Presbyterian, Baptist or Methodist; but the rest of the world lumps us together under the broad title of “Christian.”
With the Muslim population in the United States steadily growing, we are very aware of Muslims. Public opinion ranges from seeing Islam as a religion that is equal to and as acceptable as Christianity, to a well-known leader describing Islam as an “evil and wicked religion.”
So, what’s a Christian to do? Just be yourself! As a devoted follower of Jesus, see Muslims as potential friends rather than as enemies. Treat Muslims as you would treat any one else – with the love and kindness of Jesus Christ.
Related Scripture: 2 Peter 1:6-7 & Galations 6:10
© 2007 Leith Anderson
Thursday, September 6, 2007
God is Our Highest Authority
Life’s decisions are seldom simple. Christian ethics aren’t always as easy as some would like to make them out to be. There sometimes is a conflict between God and government.
The religious high court told Jesus’ followers, Peter and John, “not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.” Although the court had the authority to make that demand, Peter and John immediately answered that they would disobey the ruling because their ultimate allegiance was to God and not to government.
What if everybody did this? If we each decided to pray about what speed we should drive instead of accepting the speed limit laws, we would have automotive chaos. On the other hand, if government must be obeyed without dissent, we have the potential for totalitarian oppression.
Listen to what the New Testament teaches, “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.”
That seems pretty clear to me! Christians are to keep all laws. Yet those words were written by Peter – the one who told his leaders he was going to defy their orders to keep quiet about Jesus.
The broad Christian principle here is that Christians should do their best to obey every law even when the laws are wrong. However, there are limits. God is our highest authority and we must ultimately obey God even if it means breaking the law.
Related Scripture: I Peter 2:13-14
© 2007 Leith Anderson
The religious high court told Jesus’ followers, Peter and John, “not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.” Although the court had the authority to make that demand, Peter and John immediately answered that they would disobey the ruling because their ultimate allegiance was to God and not to government.
What if everybody did this? If we each decided to pray about what speed we should drive instead of accepting the speed limit laws, we would have automotive chaos. On the other hand, if government must be obeyed without dissent, we have the potential for totalitarian oppression.
Listen to what the New Testament teaches, “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.”
That seems pretty clear to me! Christians are to keep all laws. Yet those words were written by Peter – the one who told his leaders he was going to defy their orders to keep quiet about Jesus.
The broad Christian principle here is that Christians should do their best to obey every law even when the laws are wrong. However, there are limits. God is our highest authority and we must ultimately obey God even if it means breaking the law.
Related Scripture: I Peter 2:13-14
© 2007 Leith Anderson
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