Why?

Living in Hunstville, Alabama, I deal daily with engineers.  now if you never have dealt a lot with these types, you should know that engineers need to understand why to every question presented them,  it is just their nature.  Well one engineer guy in particular that I have shared the gospel with got motivated enough to read the entire Bible in about 3 weeks (wow!) and told me afterwards, that about 1/2 of the story must simply be missing.  I tried to explain that are certain parts of the Bible that we simply have to take on faith and will never fully understand until we are in heaven. We have now had this discussion several times and today he told me something that happened to him a while back that makes me think of the wonders of God.  He said that after reviewing some equation he was asked to execute to, that he tried to get the PhD in charge to explain where the equation came from and why it applied.  After starting about three times trying to explain it to him, the PhD finally said "I don't think you have the math ability to understand, so just have faith that it is correct and will work", it did.  

Is that what God has to remind us sometimes, that we just are not wired to understand some things?  I think so.  In fact there a lot of things that I don't understand and I never will, like why a child dies, or why an obvious evil person lives and why certain people are rich and some really Godly people I know struggle to surive financially.  I don't understand how the world was created by God, I don't understand how the waters covered the entire earth during the flood, but I believe both things are true.  There is not enough room on the internet for me to explain the rest of the things I don't understand!

Don't lose faith simply because you don't understand, simply accept that you are not made to understand it all, but God does and God has a plan that is for the good, PRAISE GOD!

Mark 4:35-41

³⁵That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." ³⁶Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. ³⁷A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. ³⁸Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"

 ³⁹He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

 ⁴⁰He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

 ⁴¹They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

According to a recent report titled "More Americans say they have no religion":

"In 2008, Christians comprised 76 percent of U.S. adults, compared to about 77 percent in 2001 and about 86 percent in 1990. Researchers said the dwindling ranks of mainline Protestants, including Methodists, Lutherans and Episcopalians, largely explains the shift. Over the last seven years, mainline Protestants dropped from just over 17 percent to 12.9 percent of the population."

I urge you now more than ever to pray for this country.  People are hurting and are scared, there has never been a better time to witness to people and we as Christians need to be bold and be prepared to stand up.  We may even be called upon to give our lives for Christ.  Are you ready?  

Carl 

Who wrote the book of John?

In my study, I started comparing the 4 gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John because I wanted to see how each captured the instructions Jesus gave the disciples when he sent them out giving the the authority over demons.  I found it interesting that He sent them out with no money, no bags, only one coat and sandals:

 ⁸These were his instructions: "Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. ⁹Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. ¹⁰Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. ¹¹And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them."

When I got to John, I started looking at when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.  Amazing story, right?  So, why is it NOT in the other gospels?  So in John 11-

 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. ² It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. ³ Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”

"He Whom You love".. interesting use of words I thought, so I looked further.. the only other times I can find reference to "The one whom He loved" was at the last supper- John 13 -

²³ Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.

²⁴ Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke. 
²⁵ Then, leaning back on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?” 

And on the cross - John 19-

²⁵ Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶ When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” ²⁷ Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.

So, who was this disciple "that Jesus Loved"?  I have always been told it was John. But would it make sense that it was actually Lazarus?  I am not claiming some great revelation here, just a thought.  

Couple of thoughts, John was not considered very educated, could he write such an eloquent book?  Sure he could with the holy Spirit guiding him, but I do not remember any other act of the Holy Spirit making someone literate.  Other thought, the mention of the disciple at the cross "the disciple whom He loved", I believe from what I have read, this was the only follower or disciple at the actual cross while Jesus was being crucified.  Who better than Lazarus to be there and not be afraid of being linked to Jesus and be killed along with Him?  He had already been dead once and knew what it was like and knew that Jesus was in fact God and could protect him or even bring him back to life again if need.  The book of John mostly covers Jesus's ministries in and around Judea.. that is were Lazarus lived (and died and lived again).  

Does it matter?  Not really I guess, but I do find it interesting to ponder.  I mean, think about it, if this book was actually written by Lazarus, it means it could be a much better insight to life after death since Lazarus actually, for a better term, lived it. 

I know a lot of times when I think of the "disciples" I think of just the twelve we know of, but certainly, the term "disciple" at least in the book of John, was anyone who followed Jesus as eluded to in John chapter 6 - 

 ⁵³Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. ⁵⁴Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. ⁵⁵For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. ⁵⁶Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. ⁵⁷Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. ⁵⁸This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever." ⁵⁹He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. ⁶⁰On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" 

So, I welcome your thoughts.... and God Bless you for listening to mine as I attempt to be a better disciple. 

Carl

Making it thru the valley..

 ⁴Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

I heard a pastor on the radio the other day talking about psalms 23 and had a lot of insight on this wonderful psalm that maybe a lot of us maybe never really got (at least I blew right thru it many times) because we know it so well and may be one of the only verses we memorized.  But think about it, it really says everything so beautifully.

One of the things he said that really had an impact on me was related to this verse (4).  First, the "valley" .. did you know that to have a valley, you must first have two mountains.  The psalm before (22) is really a mountain .. it is a picture of calvary, the psalm after (24) in verse 3 says " ³Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?", again a mountain.   So, in this valley mentioned in psalms 23 is smack dab right in the middle of two mountains.  The other thing about this verse is notice it says "the SHADOW of death".  Why a shadow?  This is the best part.. death has no power, just like a shadow may be scary, but it is powerless for those of us that are in Christ.  

Thank you Lord for walking with me thru the valleys, even the valley of the shadow of death.  Help me to be like David and fear no evil for You are with me at all times.   

Just Kill me now!

Numbers 11:10-15

¹⁰ Then Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, everyone at the door of his tent; and the anger of the LORD was greatly aroused; Moses also was displeased. ¹¹ So Moses said to the LORD, “Why have You afflicted Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all these people on me? ¹² Did I conceive all these people? Did I beget them, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a guardian carries a nursing child,’ to the land which You swore to their fathers? ¹³ Where am I to get meat to give to all these people? For they weep all over me, saying, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ ¹⁴ I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me. ¹⁵ If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now—if I have found favor in Your sight—and do not let me see my wretchedness!”

How many times have we all felt completely overwhelmed by those around us?  I know I have.  I can just see Moses at this time, he must have felt that he had taken all he could (sound familiar?).  The Israelites were again complaining about being brought out of Egypt.  Imagine, God just brought them out of a life of slavery and was leading them into the promissed land of "flowing milk and honey".  God had provided them with all they could eat of this new thing they called manna (meaning literally "what is it?"). They started now getting a little sick of manna and really though they wanted some meat.  It is hard sometimes for me to imagine that they complained, but thinking about it, don't we all still complain?  Don't we all sometimes get a little tired?  Don't we all sometimes feel as if our old life was in someways at least comfortable?

I love what God told Moses, "²³ And the LORD said to Moses, “Has the LORD’s arm been shortened? Now you shall see whether what I say will happen to you or not."  

Do you think God's arm has been shortened?  God is faithful to us if we trust Him.  We just have to trust Him. 

Lord, let me always remember what you have brought me out of.  Help me to remember your faithfullness to me.  Help me to also remember Your special purpose for me and that it will not always be easy, but that you are still leading me into the promissed land.  Amen 

The curtain is opened!

Matthew 27:50-51:

50And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.

Ever wondered about the curtain that was "torn in two from top to bottom"? The curtain was the veil that God has instructed Moses to have made to cover the entrance of the tabernacle. Only the high priest was allowed in the tabernacle and anyone else would die upon entry.

When Jeses cried out "It is finished", the curtain ripped allowing everyone to get their first glimpse into the Holy of Holies. The very act of Jesus' death was the completion of the work required for the redemption of man. The veil was now open for all men to enter, Jews and Gentiles alike. Praise God!