A Christian Response to Suffering

One of the toughest questions that critics of Christianity ask is: "How can a good God allow so much pain and suffering in our world?" At memorial services through the years I have shared the following:

1. Suffering is an intrusion into God's universe. The original creation was a garden paradise. There was health and peace between all species. Man and woman lived in harmony with God and a perfect creation.

2. Most suffering that we experience is due to ignorance, stupidity or choices we have made. Other peoples actions, either deliberate or unintentional, has brought havoic into our world.

3. Jesus dedicated Himself to relieve suffering and pain. He fed the hungry, healed the sick, comforted the brokenhearted, freed those in bondage to addiction and brought hope to those that mourn.

4. Jesus taught that there is something far worse than physical or psychological suffering. Eternal separation from God is a far greater loss than any "hell" on earth.

5. Jesus experienced pain, suffering and loss that was totally undeserved. He became the perfect atoning sacrifice for the evils in our world.

6. God will one day put an end to all pain and suffering. He is patiently waiting for people to respond to His grace before they submit unwillingly to His justice. This world as we know it will pass away, but a new heaven and earth will reveal the glory and perfection of God.

7. We experience suffering and death for: a. evil- in self, others and past generations. b. discipline- to test and mature us. c. righteousness- as we identify with the sufferings of Christ and witness to others the glory of God.

3 Classifications of People

The Biblical Text: 1Corinthians 1-3

THE NATURAL PERSON
All people who have not heard or received Jesus as Lord are identified as natural. This includes religious and well as secular thinking individuals. Specifically, those who hear the preaching of the cross of Christ and consider it foolishiness are classified as natural thinkers. Everyone born into this world begin their journey as natural people. We have a natural inablity to comprehend the deeper plan of God because we are without his Spirit. We do have the capacity to live by some of the moral principles taught in the Bible but cannot fulfill its deeper meaning. This is not to judge us but simply to clarify that this is the fact of life.

THE WORLDY CHRISTIAN
The person who has received Christ's sacrifice on the cross for their sins but continue to live by their natural abilities rather than by the power of God's indwelling Spirit. These people are classified as "carnal" or "fleshly" because they have not developed and matured in walking with the Spirit. This is why the church has divisions, envy, strife and hypocracy. Worldy Christians are classified as "babies" and cannot understand the deeper spiritual life. They are the problem that becomes a stumbling block to many natural people.

THE SPIRITUAL CHRISTIAN
There are many people who are not Christians who are seen as spiritual. But the Biblical test for spirituality clearly defines these people as those who have surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Spiritual people daily walk or live in the power of the Holy Spirit. They live beyond their circumstances. They are filled the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,gentleness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control. They live on a "supernatural" level that honors God. This is the life that God intends for all people to experience. Spiritual Christians are the answer to the worlds needs and unfullfilled expectations.

9 Dead End Roads

The Observations and Experiences of Solomon

There seems to be so many roads that lead to truth and life. So many worldviews both secular and religious that offer us reality. Yet Jesus said that there are really only two roads. One is a wide open highway with many lanes, but it leads to hell. The other is a narrow path that leads to life eternal.

In 1965 the Rolling Stones sang the number one rock song, Satisfaction. But they could not get any satisfaction. They tried this and that but they found themselves on a losing streak. Years later the heavy metal band called Poison sang another popular ballad asking the haunting question, Show me Something to Believe In?.

God showed Job, a righteous man, that he was a sinner. God showed Solomon, a wise man, that he was a fool. He was looking for love and truth outside the counsel of God. Ecclesiastes is the autobiography of King Solomon when he walked away from God. He explored every desire and appetite that people choose, but all the roads of inquiry ended in vanity and emptiness.

Solomon experienced nine philosophical roads hundreds of years before the great eastern thinker Confucius and the early Greek philosophers Socrates and Aristotle. According to 1 Kings 4, Solomon lectured in the disciplines of zoology, biology and other physical sciences long before they were developed by modern civilization.

Here are the nine roads he explored:
1. Scientism- the belief that scientific method will discover all truth.
2. Philosophy- the belief that human wisdom will discover all truth.
3. Hedonism- the belief that human pleasure will discover all truth.
4. Existentialism- the belief that present-tense experiences is reality.
5. Fatalism- the belief that all events are pre-determined so why seek truth?
6. Egoism- the belief that self-interest is the primary value in life.
7. Religion- the belief that self-effort will bring us to God and enlightenment.
8. Materialism- the belief that material possessions is the primary value in life.
9. Morality- the belief that ethical values based on human standards is truth.

The results of the journey:

All attempts to find ultimate happiness and fulfillment are only fleeting at best. It is an exercise in futility. The futility of life should lead us to seek happiness and fulfillment in God alone. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life".

7 Scientific Problems with Macro-Evolution

DEFINITIONS:

A. Macro-Evolution = The complete process of change by random spontaneous generation of simple life (single cell) to the complexity of every form of life we observe. (Inconsistent with scientific and Biblical facts).

B. Micro-Evolution = The adaptations, mutations, hybridization and other changes within a species or kind. (Consistent with scientific and Biblical facts).

1. The results of the Scientific Method – from observation and experience prove that spontaneous generation doesn’t happen. In the 1800’s the experiments of Pasture, Spellinzoni, Reddy and others showed that life must come from life. Dr. George Wall a Nobel Prize recipient in Biology from Harvard confirms those experiments by commenting that these scientists clearly disproved spontaneous generation. Also, it is important to note that the most common form of dating (C14) becomes highly subjective and speculative after 5,000 – 7,000 years.

2. The Statistical Probability – of life from non-living matter, generating by chance after 20 billion years, is a position of extreme faith. Sir Fredrick Hoyle states that the probability is about the same as “a tornado tearing through a junkyard and creating a 747”.

3. The Fossil Record – shows billions of highly complex forms of life suddenly appearing in the Cambrian strata. The Pre-Cambrian strata is virtually void of life. Those fossils that are observed probably filtered down from the Cambrian strata according to Dr. Dwane Gish professor of Natural Science. The fossil record is also void of transitional forms that are necessary for naturalistic evolution.

4. The Mutations – which are necessary for evolution has never “succeeded in producing even 1 new species by the accumulations of micro-mutations”, according to Dr. Goldschmidt professor at U.C. Berkeley. Most mutations are harmful causing sterility or death. All mutations in history have only produced minor changes. Transmutations (mega), which are critical in the evolutionary process, have never been observed.

5. The Laws of Physics – contradict the theory of macro-evolution. Dr. Henry Morris stated that “things left to themselves always tend to go from complex to simple, from organized to disorganized”. The implications of the laws contend that the universe had a beginning and is in the process of running down.

6. The Evidence of Intelligence and Design – rejects the whole concept of random, chance spontaneous generation. Dr. N. W. Pirie of the Rothamstead Experimental Station says “complicated molecules such as proteins do not, in our scientific experience, arise spontaneously, even by stages.” The DNA, RNA, PROTEINS, RIBOSOMES are like highly complex computer chips. The earth is an exotic rarity in our universe and its revolution around the sun is accurate and smooth, 365 days 5 hours 48 minutes and 48 seconds. Design reveals a master designer!

7. The Evidence of Molecular Biology – actually opposes evolution according to professor James Coppedge. In his book Evolution: Possible or Impossible @ 1973 he reveals data that molecular structures do not form naturally and spontaneously, but if they do exist, they spontaneously disintegrate.

Mindanao Medical Team

As a pastor, one of my great joys is to encourage people to take a short term missions trip to a "third world" location. A few months ago I participated on a medical team with friends Scott Roberts, Craig Copeland and Steve Shaw. We were hosted by Patrick and Shari Bailey in Mindanao. We were blessed to offer prayers, healing and hope to various tribal groups. These beautiful people extended love and grace to us and the experience will be continued in eternity.