Whose Responsibility Is It to Reconcile Science with the Bible?

We hear today from some scientists that the Bible cannot be believed because it cannot be reconciled to science.  How foolish!  The Bible has been around a lot longer than today’s scientists.  It has even been around longer than science’s conclusions.  Consider also that the conclusions of science are not nearly so settled as the Scriptures, for we do see scientific understandings change as new theories are introduced.  The Scriptures have never changed.

It is not the responsibility of the Bible believer to reconcile the Bible to science.  On the contrary, it is the responsibility of the scientist to reconcile science to the Bible.

Science studies the work of God, but science itself is the work of man.  For this reason, it is cannot be infallible.  Indeed, it has proven to be quite fallible.  None of this is to deny the benefits of increasing our scientific understanding.  Great good has come from this endeavor.  But if scientists have gotten themselves into a corner where their findings seem at odds with the Bible, they cannot demand that mankind give up the Bible just because of their predicament.

Of course, there may be perceptions and interpretations of the Bible that scientific understanding has overturned, and that would be fine.  But consider also that there are perceptions and interpretations of the Bible that common sense has overturned as well.  For whatever reason, our understanding of the Bible might change in some ways, but the truth of the Bible never has changed and never will change.

Therefore, when I hear people disparage the reality of Adam and Eve, the miracles of the Exodus, or the sea monster of Jonah, or the signs and wonders of Jesus and His resurrection from the dead – all in the name of science, I don’t worry in the least.  I simply rest in God.  It is not my responsibility to show scientists where their scientific understanding has led them astray.  I’m not a scientist and therefore couldn’t do that for them even if I wanted to.  What I can do is stand fast on the truth of all the Bible says.  Sooner or later, the scientists will come around.  After all, everyone is going to heaven.

Bible notes on this post.

The purpose of this blog is to proclaim Jesus to those who want to hear about Him without having to join a group.

The Mischief Starts Whenever We Try to Create a People of God

In Biblical times, God was concerned with having a people for His name.  First, He chose Abraham and his descendants.  They became His people, known to the world as the nation of Israel (having been named after Abraham’s grandson).  Then, after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, He chose those who believed in the resurrected Christ (that is, those who had the faith, if not the physical lineage, of Abraham) to be His people.  The first “people of God” bore witness to the acts of God and produced the Old Testament.  The second “people of God” bore witness to the acts of God in Christ and produced the New Testament.  Therefore, in both cases we have solemn written testimony by the people whom God chose.

Since those times, the kingdom of God has come and the Scriptures (Old and New Testaments) serve to describe and explain that kingdom.  Through the kingdom of God, all people are now God’s and He has no more need of a chosen people to bear Him witness because the Bible is complete.  There is no need for more Scripture.  There is only a need for us to heed the Scriptures we have.

Every church, every denomination, every sect, every cult, every Christian group is an attempt to create a people for God.  Stop!  He doesn’t need that or want it anymore.  All you are doing is promoting a “holier than thou” attitude.  We are all the same before God.  We’ve all sinned and need His redemption.  We’re all His children and can count on His redemption.  He is a wonderful, wonderful Father.  Let us please stop trying to make distinctions among ourselves.  He loves the whole human race.  That’s a settled fact, to which the Scriptures bear solemn and eloquent witness.

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The purpose of this blog is to proclaim Jesus to those who want to hear about Him without having to join a group.

Jesus Christ: The Vapor Trail of God

Vapor trails (also called “Contrails,” short for “condensation trails”) are the traces that a jet aircraft leaves as it crosses the sky.  After the plane is gone, you can see its path by the cloud trail it left behind.

Jesus Christ is the vapor trail of God.  In saying this I am remembering the Bible verse that says that we humans are but a vapor that appears for a while and then vanishes away.  God was in Christ, redeeming the world through that humble life.  To those who witnessed the earthly life of Jesus of Nazareth, it seemed a human life – albeit one particularly blessed by God.  From the vantage point of having witnessed His resurrection after His crucifixion, the life seemed superhuman.  And now with the vantage point of almost 2,000 years later we can see that the life was Divine.

God passed by!  Our Creator walked our planet.  He lived among us.  Oh, the wonder and majesty of God having been in our midst.  Blessed be His holy name!

Only after He’s passed – like a vapor trail – can we fully appreciate the grandeur of His passage.

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The purpose of this blog is to proclaim Jesus to those who want to hear about Him without having to join a group.

Don’t Seek to Be a Christian; Seek Instead to Obey Christ

What is the difference between being a Christian and obeying Christ?  Alas, it can be a very big difference.

In general, a Christian is someone who attends church.  This has nothing to do with obeying Christ because Christ doesn’t command church attendance.  Yes, it says in the Bible that people went to church, but it also says people sacrificed animals to God.  Neither necessarily means that we’re supposed to practice such things now.  We have to consider the times, and these are the days of the kingdom of God.

Jesus commands us to love Him (that is, God) above all, and our neighbor as ourselves.  Therefore, if you want to obey Christ, these are the things you must do.  These commands of His are timeless.

If someone calls you a Christian because you go to church, so what?  But if someone calls you a Christian because your behavior reminds them of Jesus, now there’s something God can be proud of!

Even then, however, the point won’t be to have been called a Christian – the point will be to have obeyed Christ.

Bible notes on this post.

The purpose of this blog is to proclaim Jesus to those who want to hear about Him without having to join a group.

Seek Human, Not Christian, Fellowship

I spoke about fellowship with God in yesterday’s post, and said that it was the fellowship we should be seeking above all others – certainly above any Christian fellowship (for all the reasons that I stated).  Yet there is a fellowship among human beings which God does bless and I want to say a word about that.

Human fellowship (that is, human interaction) is good, and it, too, is preferable to Christian fellowship.  The reason?  Human fellowship speaks of how we as humans are all equal in the sight of God.  Christian fellowship, as I said yesterday, factionalizes the human race.  It implies that some people belong to Christ and others do not.  In actuality, all people belong to Christ. That’s why we should be seeking human, not Christian, fellowship.

Some will say that Christian fellowship gives the opportunity to acknowledge and praise Jesus Christ.  There’s no reason all human fellowship couldn’t include acknowledgment and praise of Jesus Christ.  He is certainly worthy of that.  If some people don’t like hearing the name of Jesus, shouldn’t we bear up under their persecution and love them anyway?

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The purpose of this blog is to proclaim Jesus to those who want to hear about Him without having to join a group.

Seek Fellowship with God, Not with Christians

Have you been invited to “Christian fellowship”?  Here’s a better idea – seek God’s fellowship instead.

“Christian fellowship” is typically a social engagement in the name of God.  It is just like any other social engagement, except that it has the reputation (sometimes among its proponents only) of being sanctioned and blessed by God.  The truth is that it is not anything God is seeking.  In fact, He’s not pleased at all when people pull themselves away from others and declare among themselves, “We are God’s chosen!” – implying others are not.

The real fellowship God wants to see is between Himself…and you!  God made us for individual fellowship with Him.  It is a glorious thing to enjoy the presence of God in our hearts through the Holy Spirit.  This is the right and privilege of every single human being.  In fact, He’s speaking to you in your heart now.  Steady and quiet your heart and you will hear Him.  It’s the richest fellowship you’ll ever know!

Bible notes on this post.

The purpose of this blog is to proclaim Jesus to those who want to hear about Him without having to join a group.

Cyberchurch Is Not a Solution

Cyberchurch, or online Christian fellowship, has all the drawbacks of any other form of church.  I won’t repeat the rationale I gave in yesterday’s post about house churches, but I will build upon it.

The central problem is trying to be a church, as if that was something God wanted in this age.  This is the age of the kingdom of God, and church is no more necessary than is Solomon’s temple, Moses’ tabernacle, or Noah’s ark.  Those were all preliminary structures built with human hands.  The kingdom of God is entirely of His spirit and we simply submit to it – we don’t have to build it or maintain it.

There is, of course, nothing wrong with communicating with others about Jesus – whether online or in person.  In fact, it’s a wonderful thing!  Would that all human beings acknowledged Jesus in every conversation.  Trouble begins, however, when we seek to affiliate with others, identify with a group or a leader – in other words, when we try to be a church or a religion.  This trouble stems from the act of separating ourselves and creating some kind of group identity.  Such factions put walls between ourselves and our fellow human beings.  This does not advance God’s kingdom.

Organized religion never advances God’s kingdom.  It only advances some human agenda.  And it’s the organizing that is the root of the problem.  If you’re trying to organize God’s people, know that you’re off track.  He used human help under the old covenant in Israel and the church.  But under the new covenant (that is, the kingdom of God) He has no need of human help to organize His people.

There is one human race, and one God and Father over it all: Jesus Christ our Lord.  To Him – and Him alone – be the allegiance!

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The purpose of this blog is to proclaim Jesus to those who want to hear about Him without having to join a group.

House Churches Are Not a Solution

Some Christians today are turning to house churches as an alternative to all the problems they see with the institutional church.  These people will eventually learn that house churches are no solution to these problems.  There are two reasons for this.

The first reason is that even house churches cannot get away from human hierarchy – a fundamental flaw of organized religion.  Even without titles, there is almost always an unofficial “pope” in the house church.  This authority structure – however discreet it might be – misses the whole point of the kingdom of God which is that through personal relationship with each human being, God rules.  Human hierarchy is completely inconsistent with the kingdom of God.  Jesus Christ wants direct contact with each one of us and He doesn’t need a group (church, large or small) to accomplish that.

The second reason is more subtle.  It is that every time we seek to gather as a church, no matter how many trappings we try to leave off, we are still separating ourselves from the rest of humanity as “the people of God.”  The truth is that all people are God’s people.  We have no business trying to be holier than others.

Even identifying yourself as a Christian evokes an attitude that those who are not Christians are not Christ’s – which is just not true.  Everyone is going to heaven because everyone belongs to God.

Therefore, a house church has all the fundamental flaws of the grandest cathedral.  Do not think that diminishing the size of your church will diminish its problems.

Return to Jesus.  He is the Savior and we stumbled only when we stopped following Him in order to follow church.

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The purpose of this blog is to proclaim Jesus to those who want to hear about Him without having to join a group.

Jesus – Organized Religion = Biblical Christianity

Jesus minus organized religion equals biblical Christianity.

Does this surprise you?  It shouldn’t.  Organized religion has been giving God a bad name ever since the Israelites came up with the golden calf when they tired of waiting on Moses.

Even the church of the New Testament was corrupted within its first generation, as the apostles make clear.

What then shall we do?  Forsake organized religion and love Jesus Christ.  He is God.  He is spirit and is everywhere.  He will hear you when you pray.  He will guide you in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

I must warn you: Christians will disapprove of you if you try to follow Jesus without following them.  But you can endure persecution just as Jesus did – by loving and praying for those who persecute you.

Follow the Bible’s prescription.  That is, abandon church and serve Jesus.  Stop living for yourself, and instead live for Him.  It’s called seeking the kingdom of God.

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The purpose of this blog is to proclaim Jesus to those who want to hear about Him without having to join a group.

Looking for an Alternative Christianity?

If you are considering an alternative Christianity, consider Jesus.

Yes, consider Jesus of Nazareth, Savior of the world.

Perhaps you will say that you have tried Christianity already but found the church too much to take.  In that case, forsake the bath water and cling to the baby.  That is, forsake churchgoing and cling to Jesus Christ.

You do not have to accept church in order to accept Jesus.  In fact, focusing on church will only distract you from walking with Jesus.

Call on the name of Jesus in faith, depending on no one and nothing else.  He will hear you and He will heal your soul.  You can walk with Him every day of your life in just this way.

Bible notes on this post.

The purpose of this blog is to proclaim Jesus to those who want to hear about Him without having to join a group.