One Thing An Atheist Can't Explain

An atheist is one who does not believe in the existence of a God or gods. I remember occasionally talking to an atheist at our local Starbucks coffee shop. He was very confrontational, and very adamant about defending his position and disproving the existence of God, Jesus, and blind faith. He thought my belief system was foolish. But in reality, who is the fool? Psalm 14 talks about such a person. 

Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.”  (Psalm 14:1a)

The atheists I have talked to do not understand why we would believe in something or someone we cannot see, namely having blind faith and total trust in an invisible God. 

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see.  (Hebrews 11:1)

I often wonder why someone would be an atheist? Could it be that their opinion is just based on ignorance or lack of knowledge? Or could it be that atheists do not believe in a God because of some negative circumstance that happened to them in the past? Perhaps they got burnt by religion, or some traumatic event happened in their life and they question why a God would allow such a thing to happen. Whatever the case, they have turned off God, and it's a sad situation. 

However, the good news is this: It's possible for even the most staunch atheist to be transformed into one of the most convincing believers in God. But I'm not writing this blog to come up with ways of trying to convert an atheist to a Christ follower. That's for another time. I'm just proposing that there is one question that an atheist can't answer -- one thing an atheist can't explain that will blow holes in their theory of a non-existent God. 

Here it is........"Where did all matter come from?"

Matter, the physical stuff that the universe is made up of -- the planets, the stars, the earth, as well as all living and non-living things on earth. Matter can't just come from nothing. Or can it? It can, only by a Creator God. The universe itself proclaims the existence of an invisible God. 

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. (Psalm 19:1)

An atheist cannot explain how the universe began and how all matter was created out of nothing. Even scientists can't explain it. They come up with ridiculous theories such as the big bang theory. But what was before the big bang, and where did the big bang come from? 

Atheists seem to hang everything on science and knowledge, trusting that all things can be understood and explained without the existence of God. Their denial of God is based on human reasoning. And that's the problem.      

Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. (Galatians 1:11)    

Atheists are deceiving themselves if they believe there is no God. 

Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. (1 Corinthians 3:18-19a)

Here's the bottom line. There truly is a God, who exists, who is interactive with us, who is a real-time God, who wants to be in a loving relationship with us which is made possible only through the cross of Jesus. And to answer the question where did all matter come from? -- here's the answer: Our God created all matter from absolutely nothing. It's the only possible answer!

By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. (Hebrews 11:3)

The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born. He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs. Let the whole world fear the Lord, and let everyone stand in awe of him. For when he spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command. (Psalm 33:6-9)

How Could The Apostles Remember Every Word That Jesus Said?

Most Bible scholars agree that the Gospels were written many years after Jesus died.  According to Bible Gateway, Mark and Matthew were written 50-60 A.D., Luke 60-61 A.D., and John 80-90 A.D.

How could John, for example, remember everything Jesus said, word for word, after 50 years? How could he quote Jesus accurately? And John quotes Jesus a lot! In John chapter seventeen, 25 out of the 26 verses in that chapter are direct quotes of Jesus praying. Have you ever wished you could hear Jesus praying? This chapter is like listening to a recording of His words. 

I am old enough to at least try to remember discussions from 50 years ago, and I can remember bits and pieces. But to accurately quote word for word a detailed discussion I had back then - forget it. I know there are, in rare cases, people who can recall events to the minute detail. But there are only a few dozen in the world. It's a condition called hyperthymesia. One such person is Marilu Henner who was once interviewed on the TV program 60 Minutes. She said she could remember almost every day of her life since she was 11 years old! At least the events. But what about the conversations?

The Apostles did not have the condition called hyperthymesia. When Jesus chose them, they were just uneducated, ordinary men!

When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and discovered that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized these men had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:17)

There are many clues in the Bible as to how they were able to recall word for word what they had seen and heard long after it happened, with absolute and perfect accuracy. The first clue is in the verse above. They were "with Jesus." And being with Jesus, they became believers, followers, and were eventually given a supernatural gift -- the Holy Spirt. 

And after he said this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. (John 20:22)

They were not ordinary men anymore! Then after Jesus resurrected and ascended into Heaven, the Apostles were given another outpouring of the Holy Spirit to empower them. 

Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them.  And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. (Acts 2:2-4)

Earlier, Jesus had promised this would happen.

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

Yes, they received the Holy Spirit which gave them special powers to discern, cast out demons, proclaim the Word of God, heal the sick, and even raise the dead! Wow! But does this mean they could recall conversations, word for word, from decades earlier? Yes, the Holy Spirit, also referred to as the Spirit of truth, guided them. 

 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. (John 16:13a)

If that's not enough, there is one more powerful clue that is the most important one of all! And the most convincing one as far as the Apostles ability to recall the words of Jesus accurately, without error, so they could write it down decades later. It's a promise that Jesus gave them while He was still on earth with them.

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (John 14:26)

So, as you can see, what may be impossible for you and I, was not impossible at all for the Apostles. They could, in a supernatural way, recall everything Jesus did and said. And because they wrote down what they saw and heard, we can have an understanding of who Jesus is and what His expectations are of us. And we can be confident that the Bible is God-inspired, and the source of absolute truth.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16)

Actually, all of the authors in the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, were inspired by the Holy Spirit. That's why we can be assured that the Bible is "God-breathed". Yes, men wrote the Bible, but they were men who were divinely inspired -- the Holy Spirit placing in their minds what words to write. The Apostle Peter affirms this:

Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God. (2 Peter 1:20-21)

Grace Upon Grace

I haven't been writing blogs in a while because I've been spending more time songwriting. But let me tell you a story about how one of my recent songs developed. 

My wife and I decided to read through the book of John together using the English Standard Version of the Bible. Each morning we would sit down and take turns reading out loud. We took our time, sometimes reading just a few paragraphs each day. As we started out in chapter one, a phrase jumped out at me when we read verse sixteen. It was the words "grace upon grace". Here's the verse in its entirety.

"For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace." (John 1:16 ESV)

When I saw the words "grace upon grace", it made me visualize God continually pouring grace on top of grace on top of grace on me, like a waterfall. What a great expression, grace upon grace! That's what we receive from God -- abundant, unending grace.  

What is grace? Probably the most common definition is the one taught in many Sunday school classes. Grace is getting what we don't deserve. And that's the point. Because of our sins, we don't deserve God's gift -- His offer of forgiveness through Jesus. 

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

  
I've realized that grace is not just a one time thing. God is a God of grace. It's who He is. And continually pours His grace upon us who believe. This thought, as pointed out in John 1:16,  prompted me to write a song called "Grace Upon Grace". Below are the lyrics. 

"How can I explain the wondrous love of God
that pursues me even though I'm so underserving of. 
I cannot comprehend the mercy shown to me, 
the love that is so wide, so high, so long, so deep.

Grace upon Grace, love upon love.
You pour it over me, just like a waterfall.
I don't deserve a thing
Yet Your blessings still flow
Grace upon Grace upon Grace

How can I express the fullness of my heart
The gratitude I have, I surrender all my heart
I cannot understand dying on a cross
for the guilt of all my sins, through the nails You took it all

Grace upon Grace, love upon love.
You pour it over me, just like a waterfall.
I don't deserve a thing
Yet Your blessings still flow
Grace upon Grace upon Grace

It's all I want, it's all I need -- the love You proved You have for me
It's all I want, it's all I need -- the joy, the peace, You've given me
You're all I want, You're all I need
I worship You and fall down on my knees

Grace upon Grace, love upon love.
You pour it over me, just like a waterfall.
I don't deserve a thing
Yet Your blessings still flow
Grace upon Grace
Grace upon Grace
Grace upon Grace upon Grace
Grace upon Grace upon Grace."

The Right Way To Throw Dice

Ever throw dice? Most of us have done so, maybe not at a gambling table, but surely during a board game. The point is, when you throw dice, you are looking for a desired outcome, but you never know what numbers are going to show up. In life, throwing dice can be equated to making decisions, taking chances, or going for opportunities, without being sure of exactly how it will play out.

As believers, we don't rely totally on random chance. We trust if it's God's will, He will intervene and work out things that are best for us in the long run. Such trust is believing in the providence of God - that He has all authority and power to do His will in all situations. 

"We may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall."  (Proverbs 16:33 NLT)

There's a common expression that you may have heard or even use yourself. It's the phrase "God willing".  For example, someone may say, "I'll see you tomorrow, God willing."  Using such a phrase reveals our acknowledgment that we don't know what the future brings, only God does, and only God is in control. It's an expression that has a scriptural basis. The Apostle Paul used it when he was leaving Ephesus. 

But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.” (Acts 18:21)

The idea that we as Christians don't rely solely on random chance is demonstrated in an interesting way in the book of Acts. It occurred during the time when they were trying to pick a replacement Apostle for Judas, who had betrayed Jesus. They narrowed their choices down to 2 men, Barsabbas and Matthias. Then, to determine which man would become the twelfth Apostle, they cast lots, like drawing straws. However, they didn't just put their trust in random chance, they relied on God to show them the right one. 

So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. Then they all prayed, “O Lord, you know every heart. Show us which of these men you have chosen as an apostle to replace Judas in this ministry, for he has deserted us and gone where he belongs.” Then they cast lots, and Matthias was selected to become an apostle with the other eleven. (Acts 1:23-26)

There's nothing wrong with making plans for the future. We should, as good stewards or managers of our life. However, when we make plans, we must not leave God out of the picture. We should pray about our plans and commit them to Him. 

"Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed."  (Proverbs 16:3)

Sometimes our plans may succeed, but we may reach our goals in a totally different way than we expected. 

"We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps."  (Proverbs 16:9)

And sometimes our plans don't work out at all. But maybe it's for the best in God's eyes.

"We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer."  (Proverbs 16:1)

It could be that His purpose trumps our plans.

"You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail." (Proverbs 19:21)

So, let's plan, pray, commit our plans to the Lord, and see where God leads. That's the right way to throw the dice. Whatever your plans are, here's my prayer for you, taken from the words of David in the book of Psalms. 

"May he grant your heart’s desires and make all your plans succeed." (Psalm 20:4)

Movie Review: "Paul, Apostle Of Christ"

The movie, "Paul, Apostle of Christ", depicts the final days of the apostle Paul while he is imprisoned. It's centered around a small group of Christians in Rome, who are hiding in secret to avoid the persecution that is in full force under the Roman leader, Nero. One of the Christians in the group, headed by Aquila and Priscilla, is Luke, the physician.

As the movie proceeds, Luke decides to attempt to visit Paul, and then successfully does so even under the threat of arrest himself. As Paul recounts his life, Luke begins to write down his words, and supposedly compiles the Book of Acts. 

Jim Caviezel, who played Jesus in The Passion Of The Christ, is Luke. And James Faulkner plays Paul. Both do a superb job. The casting in this movie is very well done. However, there are some real issues with this movie. 

First, the story is very slow to unfold, it drags, and is dark. Secondly, the dialogue is difficult to hear because of so much whispering by the characters throughout the entire movie. I even struggled many times trying to understand their words, and I am not hard of hearing. Anyone with hearing problems will wish this movie had closed caption!

But my main disappointed was that the movie didn't reflect on the life of Paul as it could have. This is where the movie misses the mark. Only a few times did Paul flash back on his life. But the actual Book of Acts is loaded with drama, excitement, conversions, and incredible miracles performed by Paul. If the movie only highlighted the events of the life of Paul as the Book of Acts really does, it would have been uplifting, exciting, and inspiring. Instead it dwells on what his last days hypothetically could have been like.

The scriptures show Paul as one totally devoted to Christ, who relentlessly persevered regardless of circumstance, including being beaten, stoned, flogged, and imprisoned. The Bible never tells us how Paul actually died. The movie, however, portrays Paul as someone opposite - as one who appears defeated at the end of his life. I cannot get myself to believe that his last days were anything other than him boldly proclaiming Christ to his final breath. 

My Rating:  6  (out of 10)

Movie Review: "I Can Only Imagine"

"I Can Only Imagine" is the movie based on the very popular song of the same title. And it follows the life of the lead singer of the band Mercy Me, Bart Millard. The movie basically covers the time from his childhood, through his early band days, to the point of him writing "I Can Only Imagine", one of the most popular Christian songs ever written.

The lead character, Bart Millard, is played by J. Michael Finley, a broadway actor making his film debut in this movie. And he does a great job! The movie also stars Dennis Quaid who does a superb job playing Bart's dad. Dennis Quaid is fantastic in this movie and is very convincing as the controlling and sometimes abusive father. 

Through the movie, Bart struggles with his family life, his goals and desires, and finally ends up doing what he loves, singing. Although his father disapproves, he begins a musical journey and joins a struggling band. They call themselves MercyMe, taken from a saying by Bart's grandmother. Their old tour bus takes them from town to town until they meet up with a manager well played by Trace Adkins. Throughout the movie, Bart struggles with relationships, with his father and his girlfriend, and the haunting memories of his childhood. 

As a musician myself, I thought the movie felt authentic and the story line was captivating, and flowed well. The music and singing is top-notch.  Although the film is full of unfulfilled dreams, broken relationships and heartaches, it has a great ending  - one of reconciliation and redemption. For me, the very last scene was perfect - wow! So bring your tissues, and definitely go see this one! It's a must see, especially if you are a fan of the title song. 

My rating:  9   (out of 10) 

A World Gone Berserk

It seems like the world has gone berserk! Murders, shootings, terrorist attacks, war, hate, violence, wickedness, and just plain evil. Is there some kind of virus going around that causes insanity? Whatever the cause, things don't appear to be getting much better.  

Now some may say that the world has always been this bad, and it only seems to be worse because we have such real-time access to global news through modern technology. When evil or violence occurs, we hear about it, and even see it, almost immediately. But I wonder. Do societies and cultures gradually become more immoral and evil over time? You know what? It sure seems that way. For example, compare our country's morality to what it was 50 years ago and there's only one conclusion you can make as far as the direction we are headed. 

I wonder what God thinks when He sees the condition of this world? After all, it started out pure, but then degraded into corruption. Do you think He will ever get to the point where He is sorry that He even created humans?  Well...as a matter of fact, He once did! There was a time, long ago, when that's exactly what happened. Mankind had became more and more wicked. And God noticed. 

"The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. (Genesis 6:5) 

Do you know what God felt about that? It broke His heart! "So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart." (Genesis 6:6)

But God didn't just sit back and do nothing. On the contrary, He felt there was only one thing that He could do. Wipe out every living thing!  What?!   

And the Lord said, “I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will destroy every living thing—all the people, the large animals, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and even the birds of the sky. I am sorry I ever made them.”  (Genesis 6:7)

That would have been the end of the human race if it wasn't for one man whose name was Noah. "But Noah found favor with the Lord" (Genesis 6:8)  The rest is history. Mankind got a second chance. The human race started anew, but because of Satan's influence, evil starting creeping in again. I wonder, are we again getting to the point of God's disgust with the human race? Will God again decide to destroy His creation? I think He would have done exactly that by now except for one major difference between Noah's world and our's ....JESUS!

Instead of destroying the human race, God decided to save it - by sending a Savior. Without Jesus, the world would be doomed. We would be without hope. Jesus is the only hope for the human race. He has overcome the world. If we are in Christ, believing in Him and following Him, then we overcome the world as well, forgiven and saved by grace.

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."  (Ephesians 6:12)

There's a spiritual battle going on. However, we can resist and overcome. 

 "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."  (2 Peter 1:3-4)

A Simple Call Says It All

Sometimes the most simple call can be the most life-changing one. It all depends how we respond to the call. Now, the call I'm talking about isn't a telephone call. And it isn't a card game type of call for a show of hands. And it's definitely not a call to halt something like when a baseball game is called because of rain. 

It's certainly not the type of calls someone gives in leading a square dance, nor a type of call as in a summons for jury duty. It's not a calling it quits, calling one's bluff, calling it a day, calling the shots, or calling a spade a spade.

The call I'm talking about is a very, very simple call in the form of a heart-felt request. It's not a demand, but a request that requires a decision on your part that can lead to a very positive outcome. An example would be a call from a company offering you a great job position. Or a call or request persuading you to attend a dear friend's wedding. It requires a decision.

The most simple but powerful, life-changing call, however, is the one Jesus made. And it's only 2 words!  "Follow me". He used it many times, and many made the decision to follow Him. For example, Matthew, then know as Levi, was called by Jesus and he quickly responded. 

As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him. (Mark 2:14)

Peter (early on called Simon) and Andrew, fishermen, responded to the call.

One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him. (Mark 1:16-18)

I love the example of the early followers. When they saw Jesus and heard His call, they dropped what they were doing and began to follow Him. It's as simple as that. And they followed Him for life. It wasn't just temporary, something to try out for a while. They made a heart-felt life decision, and their lives changed forever. Did they know everything about Jesus? No. Did they know what their life would be like? No. Did they trust Jesus would lead them physically and spiritually? Yes!

Here's the deal. Jesus still calls us today. "Follow Me". Have you decided to follow? I'm not talking about simply claiming the title "Christian". I'm talking about being a "Christ-Follower". Big difference.

You don't need to know everything about Jesus before you decide to follow. You don't need to be living a perfect life. You don't need to be a Bible scholar. You don't even need to be worthy of being called! You don't need to be anything. You just need to make a decision. And respond to His call, "Follow Me".  And start walking!

Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life". Who wouldn't want to follow Him?

He said “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”   I'll take it!

A decision to follow Him involves walking with Him, listening to Him, talking to Him, and learning from Him the rest of your life. And it results in an ever-growing, loving relationship with Him. The good news is that it leads to peace, joy, hope, promise, forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life!

How could anyone say no?

10 Hard Questions By Jesus

Jesus asked many hard questions during his teaching time here on earth. Below are 10 of them. Take your time! Meditate on each one. If Jesus stood in front of you, how would you answer?

(1) “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?” (John 4:48)

(2) "If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else?" (Matthew 5:47)

(3) "Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?"  (Matthew 6:27)

(4) "And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?" (Matthew 7:3)

(5) “Why are you afraid?" (Matthew 8:26)

(6) “Why did you doubt me?” (Matthew 14:31)

(7) “But who do you say I am?” (Matthew 15:16)

(8) "And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?"

(Matthew 16:26)

(9) “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” (Matthew 19:4)

(10) “What is your request?” (Matthew 20:20)

A Stone, A Sling, And The Power Of God

So many times we totally underestimate God. Perhaps it's in a moment when our faith isn't as strong as it should be. Or in moments of doubt or uncertainty. Or even in times of crisis such as a financial hardship issue, or a relationship issue, or a health issue, when we think we are in an impossible situation. 

Unfortunately, sometimes when we are in such situations, we forget about God all together. In those moments especially, we can feel like there is absolutely no way that things can or will work out. Let me remind you of one thing: nothing is impossible with God! 

Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.” (Mark 10:27)

Jesus was very serious when He said these things. He looked at His listeners "intently". With God, what seems impossible, is possible! 

The story of David and Goliath drives home this truth. Goliath totally underestimated the one true God. On the contrary, David didn't second guess God's ability at all. David told King Saul, "The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” (1 Samuel 17:37)

The armies on both sides were positioned to fight, but this was going to be one-on-one, winner-take-all battle. So David and Goliath started toward each other. David picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine.

"Goliath walked out toward David with his shield bearer ahead of him, sneering in contempt at this ruddy-faced boy." (1 Samuel 17:37)

David, however, spoke up confidently, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied." (1 Samuel 17:45)

Then what seemed impossible happened. It was the power of God in action. It was David's complete faith in action. As he approached Goliath, he said, "And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!”

 As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground. So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword." (1 Samuel 17:47-50)

I don't know what your battles are. But if there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel, no possible solution, remember the words of Jesus, "Everything is possible with God".