The oldest man who ever lived died before his father did?

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Brain teaser

Sorry there are no major updates today. Busy morning

...wake up at 4:00
...swing my golf clubs in the living room
...work on my grip change
...work on my turn and club head release
...check out the news...
...answer some e-mail
...listen to Don Imus
...and the Golf Channel
...and ESPN
...and Squawk Box
...have a cup of coffee
...head to the gym to play basketball for an hour
...get the daylights beaten out of me by the high school guys on the court
...(Ok, we actually kicked their backsides, but it sounds more humble to say it the other way....)
...fill up the truck with gas
...home by 7:20 to shower and get to work.
...major marketing presentation to do final prep for and give with the marketing team today....

So, here's a brain teaser for you. Drop your answers in the Comment area below or e-mail them if you want to. We'll see if anyone gets this.

This isn't hard, but it may sound like it at first: The oldest man who ever lived died before his father did.

How is that possible?

Have a good day, and I hope to see some comments here later!

Da Vinci Code follow up question: "I also read the book but what is it about it that is attacking God? I can see it attacking the Catholic church."

The Mona Lisa: Secret Da Vinci Codes?

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Question: I also read the book but would ask specifically what is it about it that is attacking God? I can see it attacking the Roman Catholic church.
Yes, there are many theories that are certainly not from the bible, but even if all of Brown's theory was true I don't see how it would affect my faith in God. Marriage and family are not sins, so why would it be a problem if Christ was?

The last verse of John (21:25) states that there are so many things that Christ did that there is not a book big enough to contain it. While the Bible is all we need, why couldn't there be more documentation of Christ's life? I would find it fascinating to read more accounts if they existed. Just because the Bible doesn't state it, does that mean it couldn't be? Why couldn't Christ have been married and set an example of perfect love between a man and a woman? Thanks!

Anonymous


ATP: Great questions! Thanks for expressing what many people may be thinking about the subject.

There is an excellent article on this subject at ChristianityToday.com written by Collin Hansen in November of 2003. I would recommend flipping over to that web site and taking a look. Hansen explains things very succinctly.

Let me quote and then comment on part of Hansen's article that helps explain the nature of the problem with the Da Vinci Code's comments, and that such things are not harmless. Here's the quote:

The central claim Brown's novel makes about Christianity is that "almost everything our fathers taught us about Christ is false." Why? Because of a single meeting of bishops in 325, at the city of Nicea in modern-day Turkey.

There, argues Brown, church leaders who wanted to consolidate their power base (he calls this, anachronistically, "the Vatican" or "the Roman Catholic church") created a divine Christ and an infallible Scripture—both of them novelties that had never before existed among Christians.

The comments from Brown referenced by Hansen above, were the kinds of things that caused me to laugh when I read the Da Vinci Code. Laugh, not because his comments can't do harm, but because they are soooo not rooted in truth. They are inventions of a fertile imagination, not history.

The followers of Christ did not believe that Jesus was divine or that the Scriptures were infallible until 325 C.E.? Not to be unkind, but to speak in the casual and playful language that two friends might have with one another, that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard!

Let's see, so somewhere between 58 C.E. and 68 C.E. when Matthew in chapter 1 verse 23 of his Gospel, writes about the birth of Jesus and says it fulfills the prophecy from Isaiah 7 "and they shall call His name Immanuel", which translated means "God with us." he didn't mean to communicate that Christ was divine? Helloooo! Helloooo! Earth to Dan, earth to Dan! (Just having some fun here...not trying to put an edge on this.)

The followers of Christ didn't wake up to the fact that Jesus was God until 325 C.E.? Really? News to me. News to Matthew and the others too.

And when Matthew quotes Jesus speaking of the Scriptures in Matthew 5:18, "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law until all is accomplished." neither he nor Jesus meant to communicate that the Scriptures were infallible? I wonder, Mr. Brown, whatever could they have meant?

Hmmm, funny thing, the earth is still here and I see the stars at night, so the heavens Matthew spoke of are still around. Ok, easy decision: I'm going with Jesus and Matthew instead of Dan Brown!

The tone above is intended to be tongue in cheek and fun, and directed at the comments in the Da Vinci Code, not to the person who sent in the question. I hope this will be read with that in mind. We ought to be able to have some fun even as we debate serious topics.

My point here is that in two simple verses from the Bible, known by many, many children who attend Awana programs, Adventure Clubs and a variety of other church programs with other names, are all it takes to show how far off base are the theories around which the Da Vinci code is based.

Again, not to be unkind, but from a historical perspective they aren't just off base, they are silly. They are the historical equivalent of saying that Elvis is alive! He ain't. And we all know it.

The followers of Christ in the early church knew precisely who he was, and they believed the Bible to be infallible. That was Jewish teaching about what we call the Old Testament, and it was Christian teaching. It was a seamlessly held belief that did not just arise out of the mist in 325 C.E. at the Council of Nicea, no matter what the Da Vinci Code would have you believe.

Why are such theories an affront to the character of God? Because they call him a liar, by claiming that the obvious things recorded in the Bible, aren't true. Moreover, these theories falsely claim that Jesus is a liar by saying that Jesus wasn't divine. These theories falsely destroy the only hope that you and I have: that a perfect sacrifice from the Divine Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sins!

Without the Divinity of Christ being true, we have no salvation, no hope of eternity and Christianity is a lie and a cruel hoax that has been foisted on millions of unsuspecting people.

Is a book like the Da Vinci Code damaging to people? No, not to those who know the truth. For those, the book...at least most of it...is just an interesting and good read, and way to pass a few hours unraveling a plot. It also provided some levity (humor...though unintended by Brown) as it threw out in serious tones, laughable theories that are frankly intellectually embarrassing to have been stated.

For others who are not familiar with history and with the Bible, the Da Vinci Code's message can do great harm. People can be fooled into thinking that the book's theories have merit. Very intelligent but uninformed people can read such a book, and with its reasonable tone and pseudo-intellectual pronouncements, be persuaded that there is something to the message being promoted.

There isn't! Again, I don't mean to be flippant or unkind, but the theories are laughable when one simply looks at the evidence. But calling God a liar is no laughing matter and neither is damaging the faith or potential faith of readers of such a work.

Balance here is important though I think, as we discuss this subject. I enjoyed reading the book. Didn't bother my faith one whit as I mentioned. Brown is a good writer and the plot was a good one. What is unfortunate is simply that anyone would have taken the theories seriously. That is what caused the rub, and though I have not read anything about Brown's personal beliefs and so have no idea of what he believes...wasn't interested...it was just a novel...it would seem from the way that people take issue with the book that Brown intended something more than just the writing of a good book.

Too bad, had he put a disclaimer in the forward, you still have a good read. Have you seen the movie National Treasure? with Nicholas Cage? Good movie. Go see it. But be forewarned, the movie hints that the Founding Fathers of America hid a secret message on the back of the Declaration of Independence!

Did that movie shake my faith or anyone else's in how our country was founded? Hellooo! (I say with a smile on my face!) Of course not. We know the facts and so we all enjoyed the movie. Secret codes on the Declaration of Independence? Nope. On the Mona Lisa? Ditto.

The Da Vinci Code could have been simply a good novel, like National Treasure was a good movie. But by apparently trying to communicate it's theories as having merit, it stepped into another realm altogether, which is why we are having this discussion.

Wait until movie version of The Da Vinci Code comes out. The discussion will start all over again. It’s a worthwhile chat to be sure, in that it gives us all an opportunity to look at the truth, rather than at some work of pure fiction like The Da Vinci Code.

How is the Bible’s authenticity attacked today? Can you say, "The Da Vinci Code?"

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Question: How is the authenticity of the Bible attacked today?

ATP: The authenticity of the Bible comes under attack in ways both subtle and overt, that is, out in the open.

Have you read Dan Brown's, The Da Vinci Code? I would recommend it. I know that some may think that is a funny thing for a pastor to say, given the theme of the book, but it's worth a read to help understand how "attacks" on the Bible happen, and I use the word "attacks" loosely here.

I heard all the flap from Christians about The Da Vinci Code and wondered what the big deal was about the book. As I traveled through airports on several trips, I noticed that intelligent looking people were carrying around a copy, or were sitting next to their luggage lost in concentration as they read it.

So I got a copy. Half way through it I was thinking, What's the problem everyone is talking about? This is a good read and a nifty plot! Nice book!

It was at about that time that the errant "theology" of the book began to rear its head, and it continued to do so right through to the end. I won't give away the last part of the book, but suffice it to say that the theological "theories" or premises found there are laughable to anyone who knows the historical record and the evidence about Christ.

I literally found myself laughing when Dan Brown introduced some of his thoughts about the deep dark secret of the Da Vinci Code. And frankly at the end, the conclusion is such a whimper in terms of impact, that the great beginning didn't end with the promise the book began with.

Nevertheless the book was a good read, and as long as one understands that the theology or theories in the book are simply literary fiction used to spin a good tale, there is no harm done.

Am I in favor of such themes? Of course not. I believe that such content undermines the faith of weak or unsuspecting people. Further, I believe that such content is an affront to God himself.

My point is that if you know that what is contained in the book is simply fiction, you won't be harmed.

On Dan Brown's own web site he has posted a review from the New York Daily News that says,

A gripping mix of murder and myth

The key word there is myth. Nothing truthful about the theological stuff at all.

But that is the problem for the uninformed reader, which unfortunately describes a large chunk of the population: they don't know the difference between truth and myth. So a person's faith can be harmed by such books if they are not aware of the difference.

The Bible comes under attack, so to speak, when weak theories are presented as truth, or when bad scholarship is presented as good scholarship with no one around to give correction. This happens all the time on television specials purporting to be historical documentaries, but which come off as little more than propaganda pieces opposed to taking the Bible as literal history.

There is a silliness when articles or programs ask about the "real Jesus" and then discount what the Bible has to say about him, in favor of some liberal theologian's spin.

The Bible is the single greatest source of information on the planet about who the "real" Jesus is! How can what the Bible says be discounted and the pet theory of some late arriving theologian be held on a higher level? Remarkable!

But that silliness isn't recognized by all or even many, and so damage can be done to an uninformed person's faith.

Our job as Christians is to be informed on the one hand, and not afraid on the other. The Bible has stood up quite well against attacks in the past, and it will continue to do so. Never forget that the Bible is the living Word of God. It has a power to defend itself that is all its own. Simply reading it has turned many a critic or an atheist into a believer.

Can you say, C.S. Lewis?

Is suicide an unforgivable sin?

Even in darkness there is hope

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Question: Is suicide an unforgivable sin?

ATP: Some time ago a friend talked with me about a close relative who had taken his own life. My friend wanted to know the answer to this same question: Does God forgive a person who commits suicide? Somewhere along the line, he, like many people had been taught that God does not forgive some one who commits suicide. I tried to put my friend's mind at ease, because it seems to me that God does forgive, even the act of suicide.

Let's be clear: Suicide is the wrongful taking of a human life, and is therefore sin. But what sin is there that God cannot and does not forgive?

There is no sin that I know of that God does not forgive except blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. But what is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit? It appears that it is the rejection of Christ as Lord and Savior. You see it is the Holy Spirit that draws a person to Christ. Rejecting God's inner calling to come to Christ for forgiveness is the ultimate blasphemy.

In other words, if we persistently refuse God's offer of forgiveness through Christ, dying for whatever cause without having said, "yes" to it, we remain unforgiven. In rejecting the Spirit's call to come to Christ for forgiveness, we have effectively blasphemed by labeling the Holy Spirit a liar.

A person who commits suicide is often, if not always, in a diminished mental state. Depression, stress, anxiety, despair, physical or mental problems, along with any number of other factors, may contribute to the decision to end one’s life. While these are not excuses that justify the sinful act of suicide, they do allow us as human beings to understand the frailty of our common human condition. We are weak. In our weakness we often do wrong things.

Thanks be to God that he forgives! With one exception, I do not believe it is reasonable to think that we are measured for eternity only by the last act we commit. Thank the Lord that he doesn't look at us and say,

I know that you received Christ as your Savior, but you know, the very last thing you did before running your car into a tree and dying, was to swear at the other driver who caused the accident. So, since you died before having a chance to clear up that last sin, to paraphrase the "soup Nazi" from the TV show Seinfeld, "No heaven for you!!"

In my view it is not the last act of our life that is the determiner of our eternal destiny, with one exception: A person whose last act before death is to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will be forgiven and will go to heaven.

It isn’t wise to wait until the last minute to make such a decision, of course, but the point is that even if we do, the door of salvation is open us right to the end.

If you are a person who is having thoughts of suicide or if you know some one who is, please do not misunderstand what I have written. The ability of God to forgive is not a justification for sin and nothing written here should be construed as minimizing the act of suicide or seeing it as acceptable in any way.

If you are having thoughts of suicide, stop! You need to know that there is a way out from under the pressures you are facing that does not involve injuring yourself. Talk to a counselor or a pastor or a friend. Go get some help. Don’t wait. There are people who care about what happens to you.

Even if you are convinced that no one does care, know this: God cares. And God has a plan for your future.

Why are we here?

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Question: Why are we here? Does God have some use for all who are believers after we die?

PP

ATP: Has there ever been a generation of people or even an individual who hasn't wondered in some way about the answer to the question, "Why are we here"? It is doubtful. It seems that God has hard-wired into our souls, a quest for meaning and purpose.

Funny isn't it, if there is no God then sooner or later we ought to find people who don't think about God or the concept of God, along with related questions like the one asked here by PP. If we have simply come out of the primordial ooze and evolved into what we are today, sooner or later we ought to find people who don't think about the meaning of human existence and the purpose of life.

And yet the subjects of God and the meaning of life are universal in human pondering, and from what we know of the human historical record, have always been so. Why is that? And what does it have to do with answering the question, "Why are we here"?

Part of the answer is found in Acts 17:26-27.

...He made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek after God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;

God's purpose for our lives, the answer to the question, "Why are we here?", is that we might come to know Him.

Whether we like it or not, God in his love is pursuing us to develop a relationship with us. His original purpose for creating us as I noted in the previous blog entry, is a mystery. We don't fully know why God interrupted his eternity to bring us into being, and to do so on an eternal basis, that is, to create us as eternal beings. (We are going to live forever. The question is where: heaven or hell?) It would have made more sense to have us created for a short season, see if things work out, and if not, just evaporate us back to nothing.

But since God is all knowing and never comes into possession of new knowledge (he is the original and only perfect "know it all") he already knew what was going to happen when we came into being. So why did he create us? We don't know, but that is a different question than, "Why are we here?" which does have an answer:

We are here to seek after God and find Him.

And the passage from the book of Acts noted above, tells us part of how God is working out that purpose for our lives.

He has in effect, hemmed us in both in terms of time and place. He has drawn a time map of our lives and overlaid it with a road map. In doing so he has determined how long we will live in each of the places we live on earth, and he has determined what those places will be. He has done so to orchestrate or allow circumstances and/or people to intersect with our lives in such a way as to cause us to seek after him.

He wants us to come to know him and his Son, Jesus Christ, so we can be forgiven of our sins and spend eternity with him, enjoying literally perfect existence forever.

When we decide it is time to make a geographical move we may do so for any number of reasons: job, health, family and so on. And humanly speaking, these kinds of things will be the decision drivers that cause our move. But behind the curtain of human existence God is at work, either allowing these moves or orchestrating them, as they fit into his plan for us to encounter people and circumstances that will cause us to seek after him.

It is no accident that you live where you do. It is no accident that you know the people that you do. It is no accident that you are reading this blog. God is at work. He is circling his wagons around you so that when you look around you will see him! If we do not do so in one place, he moves us to another place or brings other people into our lives, all to show us from another angle that he is there and he loves us.

The divine purpose for our lives, the answer to the "Why are we here?" question, is that we might come to know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, and receive the forgiveness and eternal life God offers through Christ.

In John 20 verses 30 and 31, as the Apostle John explained why he wrote the Gospel of John, he explained the purpose of his writing in a way that fits the answer to our "Why are we here?" question. He said,

Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in his name.

Can it be that simple, that the meaning of life, the purpose of life, the answer to the question "Why are we here?" is wrapped up in knowing Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior? Yes. And once we understand this and "find" Christ by asking for God's forgiveness through Christ, things begin to make sense, not only past things, but future things.

God has a plan for you to spend eternity with Him. It involves you being forgiven by receiving Jesus Christ into your heart as your Lord and Savior, asking God to place all the penalty for your sins on Christ, allowing Jesus to pay your bill.

There is much we don't understand about it all, so that we feel at times like we are "groping," as the earlier mentioned Acts passage described the human quest. But the truth is that God can be found. He says so. He desires it. Having us find Him is at the very center of the master plan he put in place before the world was even created. (Ephesians 1:4)

"To find God" is the answer to our question, "Why are we here?"

What is God's purpose for creating us? Why are we here? Does he have some use for all who are believers after we die?

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Question: What is God's purpose for creating us? Over all the centuries there have lived many billions of people. Why are we here? Does he have some use for all who are believers after we die?

PP

ATP: PP, the question of why God created us is one of the great mysteries of history.

Some suggest that God was lonely and wanted fellowship. But God is perfect, not lacking in anything. There never was nor ever is anything deficient in him that needs filling by something outside of him. No, God was not lonely.

Others suggest that God created us to glorify him. There is a sense in which that is true, but not the sense which is sometimes meant by the person giving the answer. God doesn’t have an ego problem, such that he created us so he could be worshipped by some one. The Bible is very clear that Jesus who is the same yesterday, today and forever is humble.

So it was not to fill some prideful need that God created us.

Why then?

To be honest we don’t fully know. Surely it would have been easier for him not to. We have made such a mess of things, and continue to do so every day. To think as a human being would, it would make sense if he were to simply destroy us and get back to what we suppose must have been a quiet universe before we came around.

A question perhaps equally as mysterious as "Why did he create us?" is "Why does he keep us around?" To that question we do have an answer that may tell us something about the answer to the original question of why we were created.

God is love. A cliché. A phrase that can be bent to mean things that the Bible doesn’t mean. A phrase that people say in a derogatory way when they mock religion. But a true phrase. The nature of God’s very being is love.

That’s amazing really, and though still inadequate as fully the reason for God creating us, may be part of the equation.

Why do couples not yet parents, choose to have children that in many ways are going to cause them grief, disobey, be expensive to raise and who disrupt their lifestyle? Is it love? Or the anticipation of love and wanting to pour out love on another person? Yes, I think it is.

Is the reason God created us a similar one? It would seem so, but it is more complicated than that, and not fully knowable.

While in this life we will never fully unravel the mystery of why God created us, what we can be sure of is that he did create us, and he loves us with a love that we cannot even imagine.

In John 3:16 the Bible says,

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

There is no love in all the world like the love of God for us. Apart from the fact that God’s very nature is love, it would be another mystery. Thank the Lord that he has told us of his love, and continues to do so repeatedly. One day in heaven I believe he will tell us why he went to the trouble of creating us in the first place. Until then we’ll just have to wonder.

The second question you asked, "Why are we here?" is one that is answerable, if we take its meaning in a slightly different direction than the "why did God create us" version. I’ll answer that in the next blog entry, hopefully tomorrow.

How do you tell a pastor not to preach sermons he has taken off the internet as though they were his own?

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Question: How do you tell a pastor not to preach sermons he has taken off the internet as though they were his own? In other words, is it acceptable for a pastor to preach a sermon from the internet and pass it off as his own?

D.H.

ATP: “How do you tell” and “Is it acceptable”: two sides of the same coin.

If it is acceptable then “telling” isn’t needed, but if it isn’t acceptable then telling is required. And frankly it’s not acceptable, but let me explain what might be.

The word to describe the kind of behavior mentioned in your question is, plagiarism. The dictionary defines plagiarism as:

To take and use as one’s own the thoughts, writing, inventions etc., of another person; copy (literary work, ideas etc.) improperly or without acknowledgment; pass off the thoughts, work, etc. of (another person) as ones own...literary theft. (Oxford English Dictionary, p. 2226, Oxford University Press 2002)

Notice that plagiarism is not just the idea of taking some one’s written work and passing it off as one’s own, as, for example, some high school and college students have been known to do when writing an essay. Plagiarism includes taking some one’s thoughts or ideas and passing them off as one’s own.

Take a look at the Oxford English Dictionary definition of plagiarism above in the bold type. I could have given you an off the cuff definition of the word and avoided all the publishing references to the Oxford English Dictionary. There are times when a less formal definition would be the preferred choice to the style of a document, or when footnoting would be better, so that such information doesn’t clutter up the page for the reader.

And notice the "...literary theft" part. Experienced writers will know that "..." part means I have left something out and am communicating that to them. Nothing secret. Nothing hidden in terms of content, nor where that content came from.

I chose to use the actual definition from the Oxford Dictionary to make a point. Had I used this same definition without attributing it to the Oxford Dictionary, it would have been plagiarism, perhaps with the motive of leaving the impression that I am very clever with the turn of a phrase or very intellectual to have come up with such a clear definition on my own.

Not properly attributing Oxford University Press might also have meant that I’m just sloppy and forgot. Whatever the reason, it would be wrong to lift the definition directly from the pages of the Oxford Dictionary and claim it as my own. That is plagiarism.

So, plagiarism is a form of theft; it is dishonest. As such it should not be done. Ever.

Notice, however, by simply and clearly attributing the material to Oxford, I have communicated the same definition honestly and you as a reader gain the intended benefit—learning the definition of the word plagiarism—without any misunderstanding about where the material came from.

If a pastor’s goal is to teach people, not make an impression, he shouldn’t have the slightest problem attributing the material he uses to the proper sources.

I don’t find it inappropriate to read other sermons and learn from them and even incorporate material into a sermon. We all learn from others, whether the source be a commentary, a Bible Dictionary, a tape, a conversation or from a published work on the Internet. All of our sermon pages would be blank if we couldn’t use things we have learned from others.

The rub here is in how we present that material. We must do it honestly. It matters in terms of credibility, but more important than credibility is actual integrity! We can be credible people--that is, people who have a public track record that is worthy of people’s trust--but at the same time be secretly acting without integrity. It ought not be so for anyone, let alone a pastor!

The argument that some pastors use for their plagiaristic behavior, and I have heard this argument, is often, “Well if it was good enough to preach once, it is good enough to preach again.” True. I have no problem with that, as long as proper attribution is given.

I am not an advocate of this kind of preaching and in 20 years as a pastor have never once preached such a sermon, but nevertheless the problem of plagiarism would be solved if a pastor at the beginning of such a “borrowed” sermon simply were to say,

“You know, I heard a sermon the other day from Pastor Jones that so impacted me and so fit what we are going to talk about today, that I felt I couldn’t possibly do a better job than he did in explaining this text. So with your permission, I am going to preach Pastor Jones’ sermon this morning. I think you are going to like what he had to say.”

Poof! No issue with theft or plagiarism, and the congregation is helped just the same. And isn’t helping the congregation the goal after all?

By the way, if you are a good listener, you hear good pastors carefully applying this integrity principle regarding such things at every point in their sermon, not just when the issue of plagiarism involves the entire sermon.

You have heard them begin a quote about some particular subject by saying, “Some one once said…..” Why do they say “some one” instead of naming the person? Because who said it isn’t important in every instance. What they are communicating is, “This didn’t come from me. I am not the world’s repository for all knowledge and cleverness. I got this from some one else.”

Honesty. Integrity. That is what they are communicating, and for the listener the communication is seamless and clear. More importantly such clear communication builds trust in the relationship between the speaker and the listener.

As pastors we are communicating most important message in the world: the Word of God. Doing so with complete integrity and clarity of integrity is an absolute that should never be violated.

The second part of your question is a bit complicated: How do you tell a pastor? Not all pastor's will "get it" unfortunately. But where there are problems, church boards should deal with this during review times and make it clear that such behavior is not acceptable.

If discovered or suspected by individual church members, I would recommend that the church member talk directly to the pastor first. There may be some simple misunderstanding that doesn't have to rise to the level of a Board discussion. Give the pastor the benefit of the doubt first before "calling out the dogs."

One question that has been on my mind a lot for several years is the question of desiring money.

Ben Franklin’s Mona Lisa "smile" on a $100 Bill

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Question: One question that has been on my mind a lot for several years is the question of desiring money.

I know we should place our faith in the Lord to provide for our needs but I also know that we're supposed to work and do our best in all things. I view my investing as work and thus spend a lot of time planning and fretting when it doesn't go as planned. I don't desire a lot of money for a lavish lifestyle but do want to be comfortable and not spend my retirement worrying about paying the bills. I guess my question is, is it wrong to be concerned over money or should we just go day to day in faith and not be concerned with what the future holds.

PP

ATP: PP, the Bible is very clear when it comes to money, that it is the love of money is the root of all evils… 1 Timothy 6:10 Money itself, whether we have much or little, isn’t the issue. It is our view of money and how we handle money that matters.

Paul told Timothy in the same section one verse earlier, But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.

There is nothing wrong with trying to improve our financial lot in life, as long as we have the right attitude about that pursuit. If we don’t have the right attitude, we end up chasing the meaningless rainbow of wealth and find ourselves in senseless greedy pursuits that will ruin us.

In Ecclesiastes 5:10-12 Solomon said,

He who loves money will not be satisfied with money; nor he who loves wealth, with gain: this is also vanity. When goods increase, they increase who eat them; and what gain has their owner but to see them with his eyes? Sweet is the sleep of the laborer, whether he eats little or much; but the surfeit (abundance) of the rich will not let him sleep.

So our baseline for financial contentment level should be what Paul said in verse 8 of 1 Timothy 6:

…but if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content.

As long as we are truly content at that level, then pursuing “success” in our business pursuits, whether as a full time investor or a business owner or whatever our role/function is in the business/work world, is fine. In fact, it is expected and normal.

The core or key point is what our attitude is. Does the pursuit of money own us? Are we sacrificing our families or our relationships in the pursuit of some financial goal? Have we placed our desire for a certain lifestyle ahead of our desire to walk with and serve the Lord?

If our answers to these questions are on the proper side of God’s balance sheet concerning them, we will be able to avoid the result that occurred in Solomon’s life when he said in Ecclesiastes 2:18-19,

I hated all my toil in which I had toiled under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me; and who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This is also vanity.

We are going to leave everything behind—everything. Keeping that in mind can help keep us in balance.

This blog is already a bit long, but let me close it out with a story I heard some years ago.

It seems a wealthy man in a private conversation with God, made a deal that when the man died he could bring to heaven with him one suitcase of precious possessions from earth. When the day of his death came he arrived at the Pearly Gates only to be greeted by Peter who immediately told him that no possessions were allowed.

"Oh yes they are Peter! I have a special deal with God: one suitcase of my most precious possessions is allowed. You can talk to the Boss. He’ll confirm that to be the case."

Peter, fully equipped with his heavenly Palm Pilot…this one his real palm…spoke into his palm to call the Boss. Sure enough the man had it right: one suitcase was allowed.

"I guess you are right," Peter said. "But since this has never happened before, I am curious. Would you mind if I looked in your suitcase to see what you have brought along?"

"No problem with that at all," said the man, proud that he was going to be the wealthiest man ever to enter the gates of heaven, for he had loaded his suitcase with bars of solid gold!

Upon opening the man’s suitcase a questioning furrow appeared on Peter’s forehead. Seeing Peter’s puzzled expression, rather than one of "wow!" that he had expected, the man said to Peter, "I don’t understand Peter. What is the problem with the gold bars in the suitcase? I expected a more excited response."

To that Peter responded, "I guess what is puzzling to me is that of all the things you chose to bring from earth, you decided to bring….pavement!"

Pavement--there are streets of gold in heaven! You get the idea. What we value so highly here, is nothing but pavement in heaven. If we can keep a heavenly focus on money, understanding that it has no more heavenly value than the dirt we walk on, we’ll be fine.

With the vastness of the universe and the greatness of God, do you think there are human like beings in other solar systems?

Stars of the Milky Way

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Question: With the vastness of the universe and the greatness of God, do you think there are human like beings in other solar systems?

If so, would they have the same Word from God as we do? Or would their Word of God be different since their world is different? Not that the meaning of the Word would be different but just their level of evolvement may be different. For example, if they had no Middle East/birth place of a Messiah, or were more advanced beings than we are, etc. requiring a different wording of the Scriptures. Would Jesus have appeared and made the sacrifice for them?

PP

ATP: PP, these are great questions and ones that people often wonder about.

For a variety of Biblical reasons, it is my strong opinion that there are no human like beings in other solar systems.

In Genesis we are told the reason for the existence of the stars and planets:

Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so.

The clear message of the Bible’s account of creation is that human beings on earth were and are God’s special focus. All of the heavens exist because of God’s focus on human life on earth. In fact we are told that one day heaven and earth will be destroyed:

2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

While this is to be the fate of both the heavens and the earth, only of human beings on earth is it written that there is a salvation story, let alone any existence of other beings.

The book of Revelation in its final two chapters at the end of the Bible tells us that there will be a new heaven and a new earth, but only the new earth is mentioned as being as inhabited, and that with human beings and with God himself. That is singularly striking all by itself: God’s dwelling place, we are told, will be with men, that is, with us.

In addition, the Bible is clear that human beings are made in the image of God. When we receive Christ as our Lord and Savior we become not just his physical children--as all human beings are in a creative sense--we become his spiritual children, “saved” as the Bible describes it, part of God’s forever family.

What kind of being could possibly be higher in creation order than that of a being that is made in the very image of God and is called and is in reality a son or daughter of God? None.

Last, a core reason for believing there are no other beings out there on other planets, has to do with Christ’s death and resurrection which you alluded to in your question when you asked, Would Jesus have appeared and made the sacrifice for them?

We are told at least 3 times in the book of Hebrews that Christ died once for all. Referring to Christ as our Great High Priest, Hebrews 7:27 says:

(He) does not need daily, like (those other) high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

Christ’s death was done once, here on earth, never to be repeated here or anywhere else. And if there were “human like” beings on other planets, they would be sinners in need of a Savior, because the Bible tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But Christ’s death and resurrection took place here, never to be repeated again here or anywhere else.

Furthermore, every implication from the Bible speaking of Christ’s redemption plan for human beings, is that those who are to be redeemed are those who have descended from Adam, the first human being of earth.

For these reasons it seems clear to me that there are no human like beings out there in the cosmos on other planets in other solar systems.

What are the reasons people do not read or trust the Bible? Part 1

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Question: What are the reasons people do not read or trust the Bible?

S.M.K.

ATP: The reasons people don’t read the Bible range from simple and practical to complex and spiritual.

Some do not read the Bible because reading in general has never become a habit in their lives or because it is a struggle. For those who grew up loving to read and for whom reading comes easily this may be hard to fathom, but reading isn’t enjoyable for everyone and many people struggle with it.

Others don’t read the Bible because they have never been told or taught that it is something they should be doing.

A third group doesn’t read the Bible because they find it hard to sit down and relax!

A more complicated reason for not reading the Bible occurs when some feel that they just couldn’t understand the Bible anyway, so why try; or when they have tried and just couldn’t figure it out and gave up.

Some don’t read the Bible because religious leaders in their lives have told them (or their parents) that interpreting the Bible is for the professionals and that lay people should leave it alone.

And frankly some don’t read the Bible because it is too convicting!

I had professor in college who explained a remarkable thing about the Bible that I have found to be true: One of the greatest proofs that the Bible is truly the Word of God is that it exerts its authority over you!

What he meant was that when a person reads the Bible there is a divine “ought to” that comes into the person’s heart and mind. The writings don’t feel like suggestions! With other books we tend to take or leave the advice and counsel found in them. Not with the Bible. We are more inclined to accept what is there as how things should be, or to fight against what is there because we don’t want to obey.

Hmmm, where did that word obey come from?!

But that is precisely the feeling we get when we read the Bible: we are to obey it. And when a person isn’t living the way they are supposed to be living, obedience to God is the last thing they want to be thinking about, so they may avoid reading the Bible altogether so they won’t have to “listen” to Him.

There are more reasons for not reading the Bible—laziness, lack of discipline, forgetfulness etc.. Some are benign in terms of being a cause for lack of reading, but all have the same effect in our lives: spiritual atrophy, that is spiritual weakness, lack of spiritual direction and peace.

I’ll comment further on this in the next blog, but just know for now that reading the Bible should be part of every Christian’s life, and I would recommend it for those who are in a searching process too. Very often the opinions people have about the Bible have been formed in the vacuum of never having read it for themselves.

How do we talk to some one about God who doesn't want to hear? Part 1

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Question: How do we talk to someone about God who says he/she doesn't believe in God and doesn't want to hear anything about God or his Word? I know/feel it is our responsibility as Christians and it is weighing heavy on my heart!

E.K. from Florida

ATP: There is no simple formula we can apply in answering the question of how to go about “witnessing”, as it is called, to a person about their need for the Lord when that person doesn’t want to hear.

On the one hand, the old saying is often true that, “A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.” In other words, if people don’t want to listen or agree, even if we out debate them to win a logical point, it is likely that we have not changed their minds. We may have only annoyed them. Sometimes such an approach will push them further away from the point/truth we are trying to persuade them of.

This is a common result whether we are talking about politics, child rearing or moral issues etc., let alone direct discussions about God.

On the other hand it is often the case that people who have been upset when confronted with things they really didn’t want to hear, later have come to accept, believe in and even embrace the truths spoken to them.

For example when families and friends do an “intervention” in the life of some one with an alcohol or rage problem, major changes can take place. Without going into great detail, an intervention is an orchestrated ambush on the person with the problem, with all the people in their closest relationships meeting them in one place when they do not expect it to confront them about what it going on in their lives.

Just to be doubly clear, I am only using “intervention” as an example to explain the point I am making. I am not recommending it as a witnessing tool! Not a good idea!

So what do we do?

First we need to understand that it is God who prepares people to listen. In John 16:8 referring to the Holy Spirit whom God was going to send,

…when He comes He will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment.

It is the Holy Spirit, not us, who brings conviction to the heart of a person. If people aren’t ready, they aren’t ready. When we make attempts to talk to some one about the Lord and they don’t want to hear, we need to respect their wishes. We need to give them space for a season regarding that subject. That may mean giving them space for years. Each case is different.

If God hasn’t prepared them, he hasn’t prepared them. We should be able to love them and hang out with them without having to bring up the subject that they don’t want to hear about. It is a matter of respecting their wishes.

Second we need to remember Jesus’ comments to some of the disciples when he called them. He said,

Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.

While I recognize that the fishermen he was speaking to primarily used nets, not hooks and lines to catch fish, there was skill and knowledge involved. To catch fish a fisherman needed to know when and where to fish; how to throw a net out, how to pull it back in so the fish wouldn’t be lost.

In similar sense, but with no manipulation implied here, we need to know how to put out the “bait” when the fish doesn’t seem to be interested.

Whacking the fish in the head with the bait isn’t a good idea. Very often “twitching” the bait from a short distance away will make a fish move forward to investigate and then bite. So giving people distance out of respect for their wishes but living our Christian lives in plain view, may cause a person to move forward to take a closer look at Christ.

Our tension in how to share our faith often exists because the part we are thinking of is how to ask someone if they want to ask Christ into their life. But if the fish hasn’t been attracted to the bait, setting the hook is a useless exercise.

Years ago I read about a study that said it often takes 1,000 contacts in a person’s life before they are ready to say yes to God, asking Christ into their life.

They read a story, hear a Bible verse, attend a church service, are extended kindness by a Christian—whatever the contact points may be—it may take 1,000 of such contacts to do the job.

What we need to do is simply be one or more of those contact points and worry less about being number 1,000! Contact number 543 is just as important.

There is much more to share on this subject that I will add on another day, as this blog is already getting long! Hopefully this has been a helpful start.

How do we as Christians show love to people who are intentionally rude, annoying or hurtful?

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Question: The Bible often refers to love, but there are people I'm pretty sure I don't love. There is one in particular that spreads untrue things about my husband and me. She has bad-mouthed me to several people including one of my children. She is annoying at best, hurtful at worst. I have spoken to her about some of these issues but it doesn't stop her. I have prayed for patience and God has helped me tolerate her but I don't feel warm toward her at all! I guess the question is, How do we as Christians show love to people who are intentionally rude, annoying, or hurtful?

VB

ATP: It isn't easy is it. In addition to the emotional difficulty of loving such people, the methods of loving people are complex. You have named some of the methods of expressing love to hurtful people: praying for them, praying for personal patience and talking directly to the person about the conflict are all appropriate Christian responses. Warm feelings, however, may not and in fact need not accompany loving action.

While love may include feelings, and it is wonderful when it does, at its core love isn't a feeling. It is a commitment to do what is best for the other person no matter how we feel about it and no matter how they respond. So don't be too hard on yourself about not having warm feelings toward this person. Feelings will take care of themselves in time.

The Bible says, Insofar as it depends on you, live at peace with all men.

That statement acknowledges that it may not be possible to live peaceably with everyone no matter how well we handle things. Jesus, the perfect person, had enemies and critics and people who lied about him.

With some he was patient. With others he called them what they were: hypocrites. His responses were at differing ends of the gentleness spectrum, yet each response was appropriate in its context. So there is no one answer to the question of how to show love in such circumstances.

To one person the most loving response may be to say nothing and be patient. To another, loving them may require a direct nose to nose confrontation. God will have to show you if either of these or something somewhere in between is the preferred approach in each situation. But be encouraged, you are already on the right track in dealing with the person you described.

What does it mean to be tolerant?

Mars Hill were Paul was tolerated as he discussed new ideas

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Question: What is tolerance? We hear a lot about it, but what is it?

ATP: A good friend of mine named Greg addressed this question as he spoke about the relativism that has become the thinking pattern of our age. His led into to his point about tolerance by speaking about the subject of truth.

"Truth" is relative people say. What is "true" for you may not be "true" for me?

That's nonsense of course, but it is the way that some view things religious. To demonstrate what he was driving at Greg related an illustration he used at a discussion panel on a campus in southern California where he was speaking to several hundred students.

As he answered a question about what real truth is he stopped in mid-sentence, pointed to a gentleman standing in the crowd and said, "Oh, by the way, your zipper is down." Embarrassed, the man looked down to see if that was in fact so, as several hundred students swung their eyes in the same direction. Turns out that his zipper wasn't down.

Greg then made his point:

"If I tell you that this man's zipper is down and it isn't, then my statement is false. But if I tell you that his zipper is down and it is down, then my statement is true. It's that simple."

Whether a statement or an idea is true or not, relates to how it squares with reality, not belief.

Let me say that again: Whether a statement or an idea is true or not, relates to how it squares with reality, not belief. In this realm, there is no such thing as something that is "true for one person but not true for another person." We know that intuitively every time we stop at a red light and expect others to do the same. No one would buy the excuse that a red light was "green for them." Green is green and red is red.

And we live this way in most matters in life. But for some reason in matters religious we think that all ideas are equal. They aren't. And that brings us to the subject of tolerance.

The dictionary says that tolerance is: the disposition to be patient and fair toward those whose opinions or practices differ from one's own.

Notice that it does not say that tolerance is the belief that all ideas are equal. It does not say that tolerance is the belief that all ideas are valid or true. Tolerance has to do with how we treat one another when our ideas or practices or cultures etc., are different. While we should respect every human being and be patient and fair, not all ideas are equal, not all ideas are valid and not all ideas are true.

What is interesting is that many who preach tolerance don't really believe what they say. Let some one say that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven and people react as though some horrifying sin has just been committed just by making the statement. "That's intolerant!" they may say rather forcefully. Not at all!

Intolerance is the attitude being displayed by them. They are intolerant of anyone who disagrees with their relativistic thinking. The person who states that Jesus is the only way to heaven is merely expressing a viewpoint, which may or may not be true. There is nothing intolerant about that at all.

What is intolerant is the idea that views in and of themselves should not be expressed, unless they fit into some politically or religiously correct framework.

What does it mean to be a born again Christian?

Discussion in Athens at the Parthenon

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Question: What does it mean to be a born again Christian?

ATP: In the minds of many, a born again Christian is a pushy, obnoxious religious person with some very narrow ideas about the Bible and how people should live their lives. Unfortunately this characterization is often an all too accurate description of people who claim to be born again. But what the Bible means when it uses the phrase “born again” is something quite different.

In biblical terms there is no such thing as a Christian who isn’t born again. While some may prefer not to use the phrase to describe themselves given the stereotypical view some have of those who are born again, if a person truly is a Christian they most certainly are born again.

In John chapter 3 in a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, Jesus said, Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Jesus repeated this comment and added emphasis by saying, Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again.

Note the word must.

Being born again is required for eternal life, and it most certainly was the matter of eternal life that is being discussed by Jesus and Nicodemus. Their conversation concludes with Jesus talking about the cross he was going to die on, saying:

The Son of Man (Jesus) must be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

A born again Christian then, is any person who has honestly put their faith in Jesus Christ, asking him to be their Lord and Savior through what he did by dying on the Cross in payment for their sin.

They are some one who is saying to God, “I have nothing to offer you of my own to pay for my sins, but I ask that my sins be forgiven through Christ. My faith and my hope of heaven are totally bound up in him and in nothing else.”

Friend, Jesus died on a cross to pay for the sins of the world, so that all who are willing to take God up on his offer of forgiveness, can experience that forgiveness and the eternal life that goes with it.

Though the payment of the debt for your sin is available through Christ and cannot be earned by your good works, you must do something to access this wonderful gift. You must repent of sin, putting your faith in Christ, and surrender your life to him. If you will do so, you can know today for sure that you are headed for heaven when you die.

When my son recovered from a coma he said that while he was in the coma he had spoken to his deceased grandfather. What do you think?

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Question: Hi, My son was in a terrible car accident in 1997 and was in a coma for 4 months. When he became alert I asked if he could hear us talking to him while he was comatose. He said he only remember talking to his grandfather, my father, who died in 1975. He said that his grandfather told him to go back because he needed to take care of me. That was kind of strange to hear because my son is a quadriplegic. What do you think of these types of happenings?

G.F.

ATP: G.F., first let me say that I am so sorry for what has happened to your son and for the personal pain you have experienced as a parent because of the car accident. My sympathies are with you and your son. I am a parent as well, and can only imagine my feelings were something as you have described to befall my children.

As for his conversation with his grandfather I do think there is an explanation.

Years ago when I was in high school, I lost one of my best friends in a tractor accident. We had literally just finished driver's training class in our rural Iowa town, when as he drove the tractor out of town, headed for a local farmer's place where he was going to be baling hay, the tractor rolled over killing him instantly. He was 16.

For a number of years I had dreams that Duane was still alive or had come back from the dead. Most of the time I knew they were dreams even in the middle of the dream. And then one night years later, I had a dream about Duane coming back from the dead that was so real that while in it, I was convinced that it was authentic.

I remember being stunned that somehow Duane had come back to life, and I remember saying in the dream, "All those other times this was only a dream! Oh my gosh, this time its real! He's really come back!"

And in the dream I talked to Duane about his coming back to life, and he talked to me about it. And try as I might during the dream, I could not shake myself out of it back to reality. I was convinced during that time that it was real.

Of all the dreams that I had about Duane over the years, it is the only one I really remember.

Our minds are incredibly powerful things that work in ways that we don't understand. I remember driving home from prom in high school, long after I should have been home, exhausted from the evening. As I was driving, fighting the urge to fall asleep, I began to hallucinate...stone sober and no drugs...seeing buildings along side of the road that weren't there, and pheasants everywhere.

I know of others who during a time of fatigue have experienced the same thing.

My point is that our minds can create their own reality. We have all experienced it, whether in a dream or in an exhaustion induced bit of mental confusion.

In my opinion your dear son probably experienced one of these kinds of things. And in his love for you, his mind created a dream of concern for you and how you were going to be taken care of.

As much as it would seem comforting in some way that his grandfather had spoken to him, I don't believe it is likely that it actually took place.

With all the recent activities that have threatened our world, are we seeing some signs of the end times coming?

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Question: With all the recent activities that have threatened our world, are we seeing some signs of the end times coming?

Anonymous

ATP: Yes I think we are, but what the time frame is, is anyone's guess.

There is wide agreement in many circles that we are rapidly approaching the end of the age, that is, rapidly approaching what is known as the "end times." However, what "rapidly" means is open to debate.

Will the end of the age come in 10 years? 100 years? 200 years? In terms of world history if we are just 200 years away from the "end times," then we are close. So in that sense, I think there is no doubt that we are "close."

But history takes time to unfold. God works out his will in the real world in the real time frames that we live in. There are many things, in my view, that have to take place before the full end of the age can come upon us.

This subject is something that many are interested in. Just tonight as we wound up the Bible study I teach on Wednesday nights, someone asked about the end times. A discussion followed and "What are the signs that we should be looking for?" was one of the questions I was asked.

There are several in my opinion:

First we should keep an eye on the Middle East. (My apologies for not taking time to explain everthing I am about to say...perhaps at another time.) I believe that the "ten nations" prophesied to make a peace treaty with Israel at the end of the age, will be Middle Eastern nations not European ones.

When it comes, the peace treaty will likely be signed on or about Passover time. It will have been promoted by a very charismatic person who will have been able to unite disparate factions in the Middle East to come together in this false peace treaty.

Rebuilding the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem will commence somewhere in this time frame. That rebuilding is something completely unlikely now given the obviously explosive situation such a rebuilding would create between Israel and the Arab world. Therefore it is clear that some significant season of time must pass and/or some major events must occur for such a rebuilding to occur and thus the end of the age to be fully seen.

Are all sins equal in God's eyes? Part 2

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Gordon,

My question relates to your "are all sins equal" post.

Are some sins punished more severely because the sins are different in God's eyes, or are they punished differently because of incompleteness of repentence? I had taken away from a message (my pastor preached) that sins are pretty much the same and God doesn't differentiate - they all send you to hell.

Am I wrong and does it matter? I even used equality of homosexuality and theft in a discussion regarding acceptance of unrepentent thief and homosexual on staff of Christian based organization. Are the sins of same importance if behavior continues unrepented? Should they exclude one from leadership position in non-church Christian organization?

B.W.

ATP: BW, very good questions, and ones that give me a chance to clarify my earlier post.

As it relates to those who refuse God's offer of forgiveness through Christ, I think it is the case that some sins will be punished more severely by God, because some sins are worse than others. Of course all who refuse God's offer of forgiveness will have to pay for their own sins, so there is no "good case" scenario here in having committed "lesser" sins.

But it is clear that there is a difference between sin and sin.

In the New Testament there are sins that require a Church to act to help a person who has fallen into those sins. Some call this help "Church Discipline" and I suppose that is an acceptable phrase. But a better phrase comes from Galatians 6:1 where we are told,

If anyone is overtaken in a trespass, let those of you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness.

Restoration is the goal in such cases, not discipline. The hope and intent is that the fallen person will be restored to a whole relationship with God and with others whom he/she may have injured.

There are other sins that don't call for this kind of church intervention, and thankfully so. Each of us every day does things that are sin. We stumble in our attitudes or our speech and often in our behavior toward others. Thankfully each time we fall in these ways there isn't a delegation from the church breathing down our necks!

To use an Old Testament illustration, in the rules of the Torah, the Law of Moses, leprous bodily sores required specific physical and ritual cleansing. Care was taken to identify such sores and cleanse them, so that such sores would not spread to the rest of the congregation of Israel. There were other sores that were not considered leprous. In the natural course of things the body would heal itself and these sores would not spread to others.

Leprosy in the Bible is a "type," or picture, of sin. It seems to me that there is a parallel here between differing types of bodily sores and how they are handled, and differing types of sin. Some sins/sores are worse than others.

In another sense, I think your pastor had it right: in terms of whether one goes to heaven or hell on their own merit, even one sin of any kind will qualify a person for hell. Thankfully, as I noted above, God doesn't want anyone to suffer this fate and so has provided a way out through Christ's death and resurrection.

As for leadership in a Christian organization, I think it is the case that any unrepented of major sin does disqualify a person for leadership. Of course it does not disqualify one from being loved and cared for, but it does disqualify one for leadership in my opinion.

Leadership in any organization requires that within responsible and fair limits, leaders embody in their life and lifestyle, the values being espoused by that organization. If that organization is a Christian one, then this principle is all the more important because it is God who has created the values/ideals.

The Bible is not written as a "myth" nor is it one

The Theater in Ephesus

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Contrary to popular discussion promoted by a well known PBS series of a few years ago, the Bible is not "myth" nor "a myth." Nothing about it fits the definition of myth.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary a myth is, "a traditional story, either wholly or partially fictional, providing an explanation for or embodying a popular idea concerning some natural or social phenomenon or some religious belief or ritual."

A second definition is that a myth is, "a widely held (esp. untrue or discredited popular) story or belief; a misconception, a misrepresentation of the truth; an exaggerated or idealized conception of a person, institution etc."

There is nothing about the Biblical narratives that would lead one to believe that what is written is intended to be viewed as fictional, or simply as a literary device used to convey some traditional belief. On the contrary, when the Bible speaks it speaks of real places, like the Theater at Ephesus above. It speaks of real people, real eras and real events

Are there "fictional" things in the Bible? Of course, and the Bible labels them as such. It calls them parables for example: stories used as illustrations of a greater point the very real person Jesus was making. But no reader would confuse the main historical story with the parable.

In fact if you read the first verses of Luke chapter 1 (see Acts chapter 1 also) you discover that far from being a story, the writer, Dr. Luke, tells us in his introduction that what he is writing is nothing but the cold hard facts. Listen in to what he says:

"Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word have handed them down to us, it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you might know the exact truth about the things you have been taught."

It could hardly have been more clearly stated that Luke intends to be the Joe Friday of religious writers, "Just the facts M'am."

No, the writings of the Bible are not myth and it is abundantly clear that the writers did not intend them as myth.

Real places, real people, real events.

I've stood in the theater in the picture above, and at the request of the tour group I was hosting, sung from the theater floor. The theater seats 25,000 people and has acoustics that are incredible. A single voice--mine--could be heard at the top levels of the theater just as though you were standing next to me.

This is almost certainly the theater that Paul was in, as recorded in the book of Acts chapter 19 verses 23-41, when he had the confrontation with the local residents about the Temple of Artemis.

Why have I posted the picture above and why the last couple of paragraphs about me standing in the theater? Simple: To show you what you already know. That I am not writing as though my experience and the place of my experience were a myth. You intuitively know the difference because the communication is clear.

And the Bible is just as clear in its communication of historical fact. Its no myth and if you read it, you will intuitively know the difference, because its communication is clear.

It isn't always the case, but unfortunately at times those who question the Bible are often those who haven't read it! Try it some time. You may be surprised at what you'll find. Begin with Luke's "Joe Friday" version. Its hard to beat.

Master List of Articles

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Ask The Pastor: How it got started

If we forgive some one does that mean we have to like them? And trust them?

How can I know for sure I am going to heaven?

Are we required to forgive?

Is religious truth really knowable?

When a loved one passes away does their spirit “linger” for a time?

Are all sins equal in God’s eyes?

The Bible is not written as a “myth” nor is it one

What about the movie “White Noise” and Electric Voice Phenomenon? Part 2

What about the movie “White Noise” and Electric Voice Phenomenon? Part 1

Are all sins equal in God’s eyes? Part 2

With all the recent activities that have threatened our world, are we seeing some signs of the end times coming?

When my son recovered from a coma he said that while he was in a coma he had spoken to his grandfather. What do you think?

What does it mean to be born again?

What does it mean to be tolerant?

How do we as Christians show love to people who are intentionally rude, annoying or hurtful?

How do we talk to some one about God who doesn't want to hear? Part 1

What are the reasons people do not read or trust the Bible? Part 1

With the vastness of the universe and the greatness of God, do you think there are human like beings in other solar systems?

One question that has been on my mind a lot for several years is the question of desiring money

How Do you tell a pastor not to preach sermons he has taken off the internet as though they were his own?

What is God's purpose for creating us? Over all the centuries there have lived many billions of people. Why are we here? Does he have some use for all who are believers after we die?

Why are we here?

Is suicide an unforgivable sin?

How is the Bible’s authenticity attacked today? Can you say, "The Da Vinci Code?"

Da Vinci Code follow up question: "I also read the book but what is it about it that is attacking God? I can see it attacking the Catholic church."

Today’s Sermon attached: Why we do what we do matters to God. Acts 5

The oldest man who ever lived died before his father did?

Why do people not read or trust the Bible?

New granddaughter born

I've gone through some tough times and have read the book of Job many times, but can't comprehend it's lessons. Can you explain what we should learn?

Could you explain the Book of Revelation in 200 words or less?

God shaped assignments: What’s your?

Busy days----and the Rapture of the Church

Was there a special "resurrection of Moses" as some 7th Day Adventists believe?

Could you explain further your statement that "hermeneunitics" is a bad Bible Study method?

Does God speak to people audibly or give instructions in such a way that a person might describe them by saying, “God told me to…” or “God said to?

Is it wrong to use a “fleece” in determining God’s will for decisions in my life?

Prophecy Series Part 2: Glossary of Terms

Evangelism: You are more of an expert than you think.

What do you think about reincarnation?

Prophecy Series Part 3: Marching Toward the End

Prophecy Series Part 4: How and when the End will come: Can we know? Details regarding the Temple say yes.

Christ was crucified on Thursday and rose from the dead on Sunday just as planned

He walked through the Valley of the Shadow

If we don't forgive others, are we not forgiven by God and thus lose our salvation?

How provable is the Resurrection of Christ?

What is meant by the term “original sin?”

I just finished reading the Bible and am wondering what is really meant by “God’s grace?”

Are there activities of Satan going on in the world that God is powerless to stop?

Tour Israel with us – Spring 2006!

How do we as Christians show love to people who are intentionally rude, annoying or hurtful?”

Could you tell me some of the key elements of different denominations?

Can you take the Bible literally?

Can you take the Bible literally? Part 2

Been on a dead run the past couple of weeks. Sorry about that!

Sunday Sermon June 12, 2005 Ephesians 1:1-2

Sunday Sermon June 19: The Centerline of Faith Ephesians 1:3-9

What is the age of accountability?

Is it biblical for women to be pastors or to teach men?

Response to comment on 'What is the age of accountability' article.

Been working on this (see below).

How to Handle it When a Hurrican Hits Your Life

Please explain 2 Samuel 15:7 and why 40 years is recorded in the King James Version rather than 4 years.

What does it mean to have a personal relationship with God?

Sunday Sermon August 28th: Walking in a Manner Worthy of the Calling to Which We Have Been Called

Is Divorce Allowable from a Biblical Perspective?

If we do not forgive, will God not forgive us, and do we lose our salvation as a result?

It tears me up that my boyfriend watches porn. It makes me feel less than significant. Am I offbase here?

Sunday Sermon: Building Up the Body of Christ

The Urgency of our Task

Going through a hard time?

Are all sins equal in God's eyes?

Ask The Pastor: How it got started.
E-mail your questions
Master List of Articles


Question: Are all sins the same in God's eyes?

Anonymous

ATP: Yes and no.

All sins are in the same category in God's eyes in that any single sin is enough to disqualify us from heaven. To say it another way, there are no "good" sins. All are bad and any will separate us from God. (There is a remedy of course, and that is through Christ.)

On the other hand, God views some actions as more evil than other actions. (Note again that all sin is evil, it is just that some sin is more evil.) For example, in the Old Testament, while all sins required a remedy to restore a person to a right relationship with God, some sins required a greater remedy.

Rape and kidnapping were clearly viewed as more evil than theft in that a thief was required to make restitution, while a rapist or a kidnapper was to be executed.

This principle of differentiating between sins continues today, although how sin is dealt with on earth is different now than it was in the Old Testament. In the New Testament we read that the final judgment of God at the end of the age will be worse for some people than it will be for Sodom and Gomorrah. Why? Because the Bible says that if Sodom and Gomorrah had heard the message that people now have heard, they would have repented of their sin.

The point for this discussion is that there will be greater punishment for some than others, and the difference will be due to the difference in sin committed.

Of course any person can avoid paying the punishment for their sins altogether, no matter what they have done, if they will sincerely turn from their sin, asking for God's forgiveness through Christ. And it is God's desire is that all would do so.

When a loved one passes away does their spirit "linger" for a time?

Ask The Pastor: How it got started.
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Master List of Articles

Question: When a loved one passes away at home, do they stay in the home for a while? I was told this.

Also, I had a dream a long time ago that I was in heaven. I wanted to go in, but others there said, "You don't want to go in yet". So we went on. Then one night I dreamt that God was standing over me with his hands out. I woke up just as he was disappearing and I could see him, just for a minute.

I never told anyone because they would think I was crazy. Can you answer this for me? Thank you.

From "A" via e-mail

ATP: Thanks for your questions. They are not uncommon so don't feel like you are crazy.

As to what happens after a person dies, the Bible teaches that at death a person who is a believer in Christ immediately goes to be with the Lord. There is no intermediate state of any kind. No hanging around in the "spirit" so to speak. (See: Luke 16 in the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man; and, 2 Cor. 5:1-10, "to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.")

On the dream side of things, the Bible cautions us about making too much of dreams. It warns people about "dreams and visions puffed up in their sensuous minds." Our minds are powerful and can come up with their own false versions of reality at times.

On the other hand, the Bible does talk about God using dreams and visions in the lives of his children, so one cannot totally discount the possibility. But we are taught to respond to and live by what the Bible teaches, no matter what our "experience" may be. The Word of God is our guide, not our experience, feelings or dreams.

This is always to be true, but particularly so if a dream or an experience seems to give us direction or information that contradicts what the Bible teaches. God will never contradict his Word. This is critical to remember so a person isn't led astray by his/her own experiences or dreams or those of others.