Finding Meaning and Purpose at the University

A Christian Case for Trump

noreply@blogger.com (Dale Bremer) — Mon, 07 Sep 2020 16:28:00 +0000

"As followers of Christ, we are called to stand up for life..." Sister Dede Byrne, Little Workers of the Sacred Hearts

I have never advocated for a political candidate before in this blog. However, the stakes of this election are high. I have written about the modern-day holocaust of abortion happening in America today (Hidden Figures). The opportunity to confront this holocaust is on the presidential ticket in a big way this election, and Christians have a moral obligation to take notice. (https://youtu.be/WZrlXvNO9VQ)

Abortion: Does it Trump Everything Else?
Pro-lifers are sometimes accused of being single-issue voters. Ron Sider, an evangelical at Eastern Pennsylvania College, wrote an article entitled "Does Abortion Trump Everything Else", and argued that abortion does not trump everything else (1). He wrote: "...if one is truly pro-life, one must care about the sanctity of human life [not only from conception to birth, but also] from birth to natural death. There are many things that public policy shapes that kills persons created in the image of God. That includes poverty, lack of health insurance, racism, smoking, climate change and capital punishment."

I agree those are important issues, but are they all on equal footing and equivalent to abortion?

Frank Turek, a Christian apologist, responded that Sider fails to recognize a moral hierarchy in Christian ethics (2). For example, Turek wrote "If I fail to give a homeless person on the street $10, would that be just as bad as shooting him? Of course not, but that is what Sider seems to be saying here...that they are equal. There is no priority." Turek continues: "...when you think about this, the right to life is the right to all other rights. If you don't have life, you don't have anything."

Turek quoted his mentor Norman Geisler, Christian theologian and author, who wrote in Christian Ethics (3): "...not all moral laws are of equal weight. Jesus spoke of weightier matters of the law in Matthew 23:23. And the least of these, Matthew 5:19. And the greatest commandment, Matthew 22:36. He told Pilate that Judas had committed the greater sin, John 19:11."

If you thought Jesus wasn't involved in politics, think again. In Matthew 23, which was one of Geisler's examples in the previous paragraph, we find Jesus confronting the religious and political leaders of his day: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel." Matthew 23:23-24.

Woe unto You, Scribes and Pharisees. James Tissot (1836-1902).

I had never heard about a moral hierarchy (graded absolutism) in Christianity, but understanding it is crucial when contemplating abortion and other significant ethical issues as a Christ follower. Turek gives another example: "[graded absolutism] is applied even during, what we might say, are moral dilemmas. You know, if you're in Nazi Germany in World War Two, and you're hiding Jews in your attic, and you get a knock on your door...schnell, schnell...schnell, schnell. You come to the door, there are Nazi guards. Hast du hier Juden? What do you say? Well, you're not supposed to lie, right? Yeah, we got some Jews up in the attic right now. In fact, there's four of them up there. If you only see three, make sure you keep looking. No. You lie to protect innocent life. Why? Because there's a hierarchy of absolutes. And when you run into a conflict, you are exempted from the lower absolute to always tell the truth so you can fulfill the greater absolute, which is to protect innocent life. You have a greater duty to protect innocent life than you do to tell the truth to a guilty murderer." (2)

Turek concludes that rather than asking the question "Does Abortion Trump Everything Else?", we should ask the question that better reflects reality: "Does Murder Trump Everything Else". The answer is obvious - of course it does. Are you willing to say that you are okay with nearly one million murdered babies per year because you don't like Donald Trump's tone? I should hope not. I realize Trump isn't perfect, but let's remember we are voting for president, and not pastor of the U.S. It is his policies, not his demeanor, that will have long-lasting implications for our country (4,5,6).

Sister Byrne, quoted above, noted that "Donald Trump is the most pro-life president that this nation has ever had, defending life at all stages. His belief in the sanctity of life transcends politics. President Trump will stand up against Biden-Harris, who are the most anti-life presidential ticket ever, even supporting the horrors of late-term abortion and infanticide."

The Church and Politics
There are other issues Christians should be concerned about in this election. Eric Metaxas, bestselling author of books such as "Bonhoeffer" and "If You Can Keep It", has noted that Biden's promise to sign the Equality Act on day one of his administration would have chilling effects on religious liberty in America, including in areas of sexuality, marriage, and issues of life. (7)

Metaxas also commented that the Democratic Party's "common cause" with openly Marxist organizations such as Black Lives Matter and Antifa, are deeply troubling (7). To be clear, I passionately believe that all black lives matter, including the staggering number of black babies aborted (~300,000 annually), which is the leading cause of death in African-Americans and disproportionately eliminates members of this precious minority community in the U.S. (8,9). But I don't support the Black Lives Matter organization, which has a disturbing agenda of which most American's are probably unaware (10,11,12; https://youtu.be/8J68p5l-gjQ).

It is also important to emphasize the role of the next president in the appointment of judges, which will also have profound ramifications on the issues discussed herein, both for the church and our society, for many years to come. (4,5,6)

Many Christians seem to think they shouldn't be involved in politics, whether because they think their focus should be on preaching the gospel (I agree that is important), or perhaps it is because they are not paying attention to the important issues, or some may even be apathetic. However, it is actually very important for Christians to be involved in politics, as discussed brilliantly in this video by Frank Turek (https://youtu.be/BgXa5uzqXRk):

Politics affect many aspects of not only our lives (including our ability to freely preach the Gospel), but also the lives of the nearly one million murdered babies in the U.S. each year, who have no voice.

Sadly, except for a few pastors (e.g., Bonhoeffer), the church in Nazi Germany (circa 1933-45) refused to talk about politics because pastors thought that political parties shouldn't be mentioned — too messy and "earthy," while they were more "kingdom" minded. They praised Jesus while Jews were being slaughtered in the concentration camps (5). I think the church is dangerously close to the same place today. And I believe the hour is late, but not too late - yet.

It is time to wake up. (13)

Footnotes:

(1) https://ronsiderblog.substack.com/p/does-abortion-trump-everything-else

(2) https://crossexamined.org/does-abortion-trump-everything-else/

(3) Geisler, Norman L. 2010. Christian Ethics. Baker Academic.

(4) https://www.christianpost.com/news/can-you-be-christian-and-a-democrat.html

(5) https://www.christianpost.com/voices/5-reasons-why-christians-should-feel-comfortable-voting-for-trump-in-2020.html

(6) https://crossexamined.org/why-did-evangelicals-vote-for-trump/

(7) https://www.christianpost.com/news/eric-metaxas-on-why-pastors-need-to-address-politics-black-lives-matter-and-woke-christianity.html

(8) https://thelifeinstitute.net/learning-centre/abortion-facts/issues/the-numbers

(9) https://abort73.com/abortion/abortion_and_race/

(10) https://blacklivesmatter.com/what-we-believe/

(11) https://m4bl.org/policy-platforms/

(12) https://www.heritage.org/progressivism/commentary/the-agenda-black-lives-matter-far-different-the-slogan

(13) Romans 13:9-12 (NIV): The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Determined to Believe?

noreply@blogger.com (Dale Bremer) — Mon, 28 Oct 2019 01:34:00 +0000

"...some are preordained to eternal life, others to eternal damnation." John Calvin

Are people predestined for heaven or hell before they are born? Some Christians believe it, other Christians reject it, and some wrestle with whether it is true or not. It is the classic "free will vs. determinism" debate: Do we have a choice in whether we believe in God, or is it out of our hands?

John Lennox wades into these deep waters in his book "Determined to Believe: The Sovereignty of God, Faith and Human Responsibility".

This topic came up at a recent wedding reception, where I overheard a preacher discussing one difficult implication of determinism - specifically, if God is responsible for everything, as determinism teaches, then isn't God also responsible for evil? The pastor explained that since God is good, he can't be responsible for evil. Later, I asked him if he was Reformed (1) and he responded "Absolutely!" (2) When I asked him why, he said emphatically "Because the Scriptures clearly teach it!", and he proceeded to quote several verses from the New Testament. I took the opportunity to question him: "Would you say that God caused Adam and Eve to sin and thus, humanity to fall from grace? "Yes", he affirmed, "ultimately it will bring more glory to God". I continued my questions: "What about some of the most heinous actions people commit against others such as murder, rape, and torture, would you say God also caused that?" He affirmed that as well, although he seemed less comfortable with that assertion. He went on to explain that God in his Sovereignty can bring good from all things.

Wrestling with Determinism
Now, I believe that God can bring good from all things. (3) But I have trouble believing God ordains heinous acts of people against others, or even that some people are doomed to eternal damnation before they were born. But if the Bible really teaches that, then who am I to question it? Yet I've always been uncomfortable with this teaching. After all, If God predetermines the eternal destiny of people before they are born, what does it say about his character? Is he really loving and good? How can he be a God of love and justice if he preordains some to damnation but yet somehow holds them responsible for failing to see what they couldn't see or do what they couldn't do?

John Lennox, author of many
excellent Christian apologetic
books, including "Determined
to Believe?"

It was my conversation above with the Reformed preacher that finally motivated me to read Lennox's book, and I'm so glad I did. Lennox challenges theistic determination and its implications in a respectful tone. With logic and intellect, he examines the key Bible verses used to support determinism (4), including within their larger context, their interpretation from the original Greek, and some potentially alternate meanings of those verses.

After reading his book I have more peace about this topic because I know there is strong Biblical support for what my intellect and heart have sensed all along. Namely, while I totally believe in the Sovereignty of God, I also believe he gives us the free will to choose or reject him; to believe, or not to believe, in Him.

Is God a Moral Monster?
Because the doctrine of determinism appears to many to call into question the love and goodness of God (as described above), it alienates some people who are beginning to think about Christianity. Some Christians also wrestle with and think deeply about the big topics of God's sovereignty and human freedom and responsibility. These are serious issues, and are the primary reasons why Lennox wrote his book.

A Couple of Brief Examples:
I thought about trying to summarize the book in this post, but that would be difficult because it is such a weighty book. However, at the risk of ignoring many parts of his book, a couple of examples may be helpful. Here are two verses from the Bible, with comments following each of them by Lennox:

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him. John 3:36.

Lennox: "It is hard to imagine how this statement could have been made if men and women did not possess the capacity to believe.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16.

Lennox: "It doesn't say "whoever has eternal life believes in him". (5)

Of course, there are other verses that indicate determinism and Lennox addresses each of them, as I mentioned above. (4)

Conclusion
Lennox is careful to avoid labels and acknowledges his respect for those Christians who espouse determinism. And to be sure, there are varying degrees of determinism, and not all "determinists" would say that God preordains some people to eternal damnation or to commit heinous acts (6). Nevertheless, when such influential Christians like John MacArthur, John Piper, R.C. Sproul, and Jonathan Edwards emphatically teach (or have taught) it, the topic of determinism must be reckoned with. Lennox also notes a number of well-known Christians who have rejected, or at least questioned, determinism or portions of it such as C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, C.H. Spurgeon, John Wesley, A.W. Tozer, Alvin Planinga, William Lane Craig, N.T. Wright. (7)

If you are a Christian, or a person considering Christianity, who is troubled by the implications of determinism, this book could be extremely helpful to you. I highly recommend it.

Note: Lennox also discusses (and believes in) assurance of salvation, a huge and important topic. But in the interests of space and brevity, I haven't summarized it herein.

Footnotes:
(1) Reformed Theology teaches determinism.
(2) In my experience, those who believe in determinism are very adamant in their views.
(3) Romans 8:28.
(4) E.g., Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 1:5; Ephesians 1:11-12.
(5) In Chapter 10 of "Determined to Believe?", The Irreversibility of Regeneration.
(6) For example, the Lutheran Church teaches unconditional election to salvation but rejects predestination to damnation.
(7) Lennox also quotes Martin Luther quite a lot, but Luther's position, at the risk of oversimplifying, seemed to fall somewhere in the middle.

China

noreply@blogger.com (Dale Bremer) — Sat, 22 Jun 2019 16:36:00 +0000

Like most Americans, I have heard about China since I was a child. I have read the sayings of Confucius and seen pictures of China's (then) antiquated agriculture. Like many other children, I fully intended to dig a hole deep enough to get to China, and my parents told me to clean up all the food on my plate at meals because children were starving in China (that was a common cultural saying then; don't try to figure out the logic!).

Since then I've been blessed to know several wonderful people from China, including some who are my peers now or were my peers while I was in graduate school. Also, I've served as major adviser to two Chinese graduate students (one currently) and have served on the advisory committees of a number of other Chinese graduate students. Some of my peers and graduate students (former and current) are pictured below. What a privilege it has been to work with them!

In 2013, I was fortunate to visit China to attend the 12th International Turfgrass Society Conference (this post is long overdue)! Really I only visited Beijing and surroundings, and I'm aware there is much more to China. But what I saw was impressive.

China is a beautiful gem in God's creation, including its people, culture, and landscape. I hope you enjoy a few pictures of my visit there. (1)

The Great Wall was breathtaking (in more ways than one!). Built around 221-210 BC, it traverses
thousands of miles of China. We visited a restored portion less than 40 miles from Beijing. It was
crowded near the entrance (we took a cable car to get up to the wall). But I walked far enough to
where the crowd thinned out. The haze in the sky was smog from nearby Beijing; the sky had been
crystal clear the day before, but when the winds are calm the smog rapidly accumulated again.

I visited the Temple of Heaven, considered by some to be
Beijing's most recognizable icon. Here, successive emperors would make
sacrifices and pray to heaven and their ancestors at the winter solstice,
to intercede for their people and pray for a good harvest. The emperor was
considered the "Son of Heaven".

Entrance to Forbidden City, so called because at one time only members of the imperial court were
allowed inside. It is one of the largest palace complexes ever built. We spent several hours there
on a Sunday afternoon!

Tiananmen Square, the world's largest public square, is right across the street from the Forbidden
City. Dr. Kemin Su (right) was my first graduate student, and an excellent one at that. Kemin,
who is from China, went to considerable efforts and expense to help my colleagues and I feel
welcome (more below on that). Also pictured are Dr. Paul Johnson from Utah State Univ.
(2nd from left), me (left), and a Chinese friend we met in the subway, who spent most of the day
with us. I found the Chinese to be very friendly and fun to be around.

The Summer Palace and Kunming Lake, which in ancient days was the semi-rural summer retreat
area for the imperial court. On the day we visited it was the only clear day during the 7 days I was
there (the remainder were smoggy), and it was beautiful! Beijing city is in the background.

The entrance to Ming Tombs, 30 miles NW of Beijing. It is a vast burial site of 13 of the 16
Ming-dynasty (1368-1644) emperors. The tombs are spread over 15 square miles.

Drs. Jack Fry, Kemin Su, and me (right to left) on the Great Wall. Dr. Su, my first graduate student
as mentioned above, generously arranged a ride for Dr. Fry and his wife Nathalie and me, served as
our tour guide for a day to the Great Wall, Ming Tombs, the 2008 Summer Olympics site, and
treated us to a wonderful Chinese dinner in Beijing, all at his expense. He is a very generous and
hospitable man, and made our stay so much richer!

Bringing Kansas State University (KSU) to China! Dr. Jack Fry, his wife Nathalie, and me (right
to left). This was at the Summer Palace.

Turfgrass and China
From a historical context, China is a case study on the detrimental effects of removing all turfgrass from urban centers. The following is an excerpt from a textbook of the late Dr. James Beard, considered to be the father of modern turfgrass science:

"During the Cultural Revolution of the late 1960s and early 1970s in China, the grassed lawns, trees, and shrubs were removed in major urban areas because they were viewed negatively by the government officials as symbols of a capitalistic society. As a consequence, the dust problem became so severe that at times car traffic on roads had to be closed because of a lack of visibility for safe travel. Eventually, the rate of human diseases associated with the aerial dust pollution in these Chinese cities was much greater than for comparable cities in other parts of the world. Initially, government officials attempted to solve the problem by employing large groups of workers to regularly sweep up the dust from barren ground. The program was unsuccessful. This author was then contacted by the Chinese Botanical Society about revegetation strategies. The officials decided to reintroduce trees, but the problem was not significantly lessened until after an official policy of reintroducing turfgrasses onto the bare areas was implemented. It should be noted that windborne dust from rural areas remains a problem." (2)

So it was significant that China hosted the 12th International Turfgrass Society Conference, of which I had the privilege of attending. Below are a few pics of the conference and some turfgrass around Beijing.

Opening session of the 12th International Turfgrass Society Conference, 2013. The conference
lasted 6 days, from July 14-19.


Presenting my scientific research at the conference.

Natural turfgrass at the site of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Here near the Bird's Nest Stadium.

A Chinese appeal to your conscience to keep off the turfgrass. I wonder if this sign would
work in America! This was at the 2008 Summer Olympics Grounds.

Turfgrass inside the Forbidden City. Unfortunately it was artificial, not natural turfgrass!

Other Highlights from around the City:

Panoramic view of Forbidden City from the Wancheng Pavilion at Jing Shan Park. The Pavilion sits
atop a large hill to the north of the Forbidden City; the hill was created from the earth that was
excavated while building the moat around the palace complex during the reign of the Ming Yongle
emperor.

This rickshaw driver at Qian Hai Lake in the Hou Hai neighborhood, north of the Forbidden City,
was giving Dr. Yaling Qian (turfgrass scientist from Colorado State Univ.) a hard sell for a ride
around the area. Hou Hai consists of 3 lakes surrounded by an expansive and labyrinthine sprawl of
age-old alleys; it was most interesting. Yaling generously gave Dr. Jack Fry, Nathalie his wife, and
me a tour around the Hou Hai neighborhood and the Summer Palace. Yaling and I were graduate
students at the same time back in the 1990s at Kansas State University; Jack Fry served as her
major adviser.

The sky was clear on only one of the 7 days I was in Beijing. I was surprised to see
mountains around the city! This was the view from the window of my room in the Beijing
Yulong Hotel.

An interesting shirt for sale at a street vendor near the Forbidden City. Looks suspiciously like
our (then) President Obama in a Chinese Communist Military Uniform.

China and Cuisine:

Dr. Jinman Fu (right) very graciously treated us to a great dinner in a private room in the
restaurant. Dr. Fu was a graduate student at Kansas State University, advised by Dr. Fry. I had the
privilege of serving on his committee. Also pictured (right to left) are Dr Yiewui Jiang (Purdue
Univ.), who was formerly a graduate student at Kansas State Univ., Dr. Bingru Huang (Rutgers
Univ.), my predecessor (of my current position at Kansas State Univ.), Nathalie and Jack Fry, me,
and Dr. Yaling Qian (Colorado State Univ.).

The squirrel fish was most interesting, and very tasty!

Dr. Kemin Su graciously treated Dr. Fry, Nathalie, and I to an amazing
Chinese dinner in a private room in a nice restaurant. Here the chef was
serving Peking Duck.

Scorpions for dinner anyone? This was at a street vendor in Beijing on a bustling Friday evening. (YouTube: https://youtu.be/P-KXB8-yht4)

Street vendors were everywhere in Beijing! Most things looked tasty. I wasn't sure what to
think about the stinky tofu though...mostly because of the bad smell.

McDonald's is everywhere, here somewhere in Beijing!

Graduate students from China who have been or are in the turfgrass program at K-State:

Kemin Su, my first graduate student, at the
Birdsnest Stadium in Beijing. He is from
Shanxian (County), Shandong Province. He
now resides in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Mu Hong is currently my graduate
(doctoral) student; I serve as his
major adviser. He is from Shantou,
in the Guangdong province.

Mingying Xiang is from Weihai, in the Shandong
province. I served on her graduate committee.
She is now at Univ. of California, Riverside.

Qi (Chee) Zhang, Associate Professor
North Dakota State University
I served on Qi's graduate committee.

Footnotes

(1) Some information about tourist sites was obtained from: Top 10 Beijing, DK Eyewitness Travel, 2011.

(2) Beard, J.B. 2008. Integrated multiple factor considerations in low-precipitation landscape approaches. p. 33-40 In J.B. Beard and M.P. Kenna (editors) Water quality and quantity issues for turfgrasses and urban landscapes. Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, special publication 27.

The Secret of Life

noreply@blogger.com (Dale Bremer) — Sun, 02 Jun 2019 01:16:00 +0000

"Do you know what the secret of life is?" Curly (City Slickers)

If there was a true secret of life, would we be willing to believe it? In our post-modern world where many don't believe there are absolute truths, this is a relevant question.

Post-Modern Answer
In the movie "City Slickers" there is an intriguing scene in which Billy Crystal portrays a man going through a middle age crisis. He is beginning to see that his time in this life is limited, and is struggling to find meaning in it all. He is chatting with an old cowboy (Curly) about life when Curly asks him if he knows what the secret of life is (see YouTube video clip below or at this link: (https://youtu.be/X1cmvzRKCCg).

For me, the intriguing aspect of the scene, as characterized by Billy Crystal's character, is the display of yearning we all feel for something beyond ourselves that gives us true meaning, purpose and happiness. Curly's answer (which is basically, you have to figure it out for yourself) seems to carry some weight, but in the end is disappointing and leaves me unsatisfied. Why? Because no matter how much we try to assuage the ache of our mortality with our own anecdotes (money, sex, power, fame, even kindness or love) it doesn't change the fact that life is all too brief and in the end, in the secular worldview, none of it will really matter. Theologian Tim Keller summarizes the implications of the secular, post-modern worldview:

"What if human civilization lasted a billion years? In comparison to the oceans of dead time before life, and the oceans of dead time after the sun burns out, human civilization is just a blip. No one will be around to remember anything that’s been done. Nothing you do has any significance at all. Everything you do is insignificant whether you live a good life or a bad life." (1)

Astonishingly, in contrast to this bleak picture, there is a much better answer to the "secret of life" question, one that is filled with hope, joy, and peace. (2)

Jesus giving his famous "Sermon on the Mount" (Matthew 5-7).
Painting by Carl Heinrich Bloch (Danish painter, 1834-1890).

"Whoever has ears, let them hear", said Jesus Christ to a crowd after one of his public teachings. (3) Later, when his close followers asked him about the meaning of his teaching, he said “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you....Don't you understand...? (emphasis mine) (4) Despite their slowness, he patiently and graciously went on to explain the meaning of that teaching to them.

The same could be said of you and me. Do we want to "hear" about the secret of his kingdom? If you have an open mind and earnestly desire to know the "secret of life", I urge you to consider Jesus' message, which isn't really a secret at all. It is freely available and has brought hope, joy, meaning, and purpose to billions of people over the centuries.

Good News!
Jesus lived a remarkable life of "mighty works and wonders and signs." (5)
Here are a few of his teachings:

“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” (6)

"In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (7)

"...there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” “Behold, I make all things new." (8)

Of course, anyone could have said these things, although one would have to wonder about their sanity. However, Jesus backed up his claims by his mighty works and, especially, by his Resurrection from the dead after his brutal crucifixion. (9, 10)

Road to Emmaus, by Robert Zund (1826-1909).

"Seek, and you will find", taught Jesus. (11) He has the same patience and graciousness towards you and me that he had for his followers when they didn't immediately understand his teachings, as mentioned above.

I love the painting of Jesus on the Road to Emmaus, walking with his followers after his Resurrection from the dead. As they walked, Jesus explained the secrets of the kingdom to them. After the journey his two followers exclaimed “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”(12)

Do you want to know the secret of life?
Will you follow him? It doesn't mean your journey will be easy, or that you will always understand everything that happens to you. But it will be a lifelong journey of learning his truths and being increasingly filled with the hope that one day he will make all things new, including you.

Beautiful!

Footnotes...
(1) Tim Keller, Notes from his sermon "Sickness Unto Death". https://paulvanderklay.me/2013/11/07/notes-on-tim-kellers-sermon-sickness-unto-death/
(2) Romans 15:13
(3) Matthew 11:15; Mark 4:9, 23.
(4) excerpts from Mark 4:11-13.
(5) Acts 2:22.
(6) John 11:25-26.
(7) John 16:33
(8) Revelation 21:4-5.
(9) Acts 2:23-24.
(10) There is significant evidence of his Resurrection for those interested, but that is beyond the scope of this discussion and I have covered it in other posts: Ressurection from the Dead; and Risen - The Movie
(11) Matthew 7:7
(12) Luke 24:32

If You Can Keep It: The Forgotten Promise of American Liberty

noreply@blogger.com (Dale Bremer) — Mon, 18 Feb 2019 01:08:00 +0000

"We must always consider...that we shall be as a city upon a hill--the eyes of all people are upon us." John F. Kennedy (1)

The Statue of Liberty faces outward towards the nations, carrying a torch
and holding it high, as if to say "This is not just for us, it's meant for you
too..." (excerpt from City on a Hill, John Winthrop. Photo by Dale Bremer

Freedom and liberty. Our hearts yearn for it. American's are blessed with it. But what is it, and can we keep it?

Did you know America's founders saw our form of government as radical, risky, and fragile? Benjamin Franklin said as much when he responded to a citizen who had asked him, as he exited the Constitutional Convention in 1787 (2), what type of government they had forged. "A republic...if you can keep it.", he answered.

What exactly did Franklin mean? The idea of American liberty, or self-government was unprecedented in history. There was no guarantee it was going to work.

Most of us have forgotten this and other significant aspects of America's history, said Eric Metaxas in his book, If You Can Keep It: The Forgotten Promise of American Liberty. Nevertheless, the burden of "keeping it" as Franklin said, is excruciatingly important. Ronald Reagan once said: "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction". In his book, Metaxas lamented he was "gravely afraid we are in serious danger of letting [the flame of freedom] go out in our generation."

His book serves as a warning, but he offers encouraging ideas to help us remember our history, keep our republic, and pass it on to the next generation.

The Golden Triangle of Freedom was understood to be crucial to the long-term success of America, and explains why the founders believed the populace was ready for self governance:

1. Freedom requires virtue (3, 10)
2. Virtue requires faith (4)
3. Faith requires Freedom (5)
Metaxas explains it here: https://youtu.be/Vjxo5wEjM7w (6)

Venerating our Heroes has fallen out of favor in America, to our detriment. But we need stories of our heroes to inspire us. Consider Nathan Hale, who volunteered to go behind enemy lines for George Washington and was captured. His last words before being hanged were "My only regret is that I have but one life to give for my country". He was 21 years old. Let that sink in for a moment. His sacrifice should move us to tears.

Loving America
If America is to survive, we must love the best of America while acknowledging her worst. We shouldn't pretend America can do no wrong, nor should we cynically view "America as the world's problem". The current ideological battle between these two camps in America is deeply destructive to our culture.

Abraham Lincoln saw the ugliness of slavery and led the nation into war to stop it. But he also loved America, believed she was God's gift to the world, and called her "the last great hope on earth".

"Washington Crossing the Delaware". An 1851 painting by Emanuel Leutze. Metaxas suggests that we study art such as this
with our children to teach them (and us) to appreciate and love America.

How do we love America? Metaxas suggests studying art from our early history (7) and using remembrance and ritual, including with our children (8), as a beginning.

The promise of America is for future generations and even the world. (9) You and I simply must pass it on!

Perhaps Ronald Reagan summarized it best: "If we lose freedom here, there is no place to escape to. This is the last stand on Earth."

Footnotes:
(1)    Excerpted from City on a Hill, by John Winthrop, who based it on Jesus's words in Matthew 5:14: "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden."
(2)    Independence Hall, Philadelphia, USA.
(3)    "Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom" (Benjamin Franklin). Self government requires people to govern themselves.
(4)    "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." (President John Adams). The influence of Reverend George Whitefield, known as the spiritual founding father of America, had led to widespread faith in God throughout the American colonies.
(5)    The "wall of separation between the church and state", coined by President Thomas Jefferson, means religious liberty will be respected and encouraged, but the national government cannot favor one church over another. People are free to worship as they desire.

(6) For a longer, entertaining, and fascinating discussion about his book, listen to this video (https://youtu.be/UmtOdNtCTxg):

(7) For example, Longfellow's poem "Paul Revere's Ride", the painting Washington Crossing the Delaware, or the Iwo Jima statue in Washington D.C., and the movie "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington", which is critical of America but in a hopeful and inspiring way.
(8) Having children cite portions of Paul Revere's Ride on April 18, the Declaration of Independence on July 4, and do something to remember Abraham Lincoln on February 12 and George Washington on February 22. We should do this in our communities, in front of town halls, libraries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, and especially in our schools.
(9) Metaxas explains this in depth in his book. Perhaps the Declaration of Independence summarizes it best: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
(10) For more discussion and quotes on the emphasis on God during the founding of America, see my blog post about my visit to Washington DC: Emphasis of America's Founding Fathers on God.

Peace on Earth?

noreply@blogger.com (Dale Bremer) — Mon, 10 Dec 2018 01:15:00 +0000

"I did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the great God Himself." George Frideric Handel, after writing "Hallelujah Chorus"

Have you noticed tension and tragedy in the national and world news?

George Friderick Handel (1685-1759), composed
Messiah in only 24 days. During that time he rarely
ate or left his room.

This Christmas and beyond we desperately need a compelling vision of something larger than us and our differences, that puts our problems into perspective. Handel caught a glimpse of such a vision as he wrote his musical masterpiece "Messiah". The vision was so overwhelming that, according to a friend who visited during that time, Handel sobbed with intense emotion as he composed it. Later, as Handel groped for words to describe his experience, he quoted St. Paul, saying, "Whether I was in the body or out of my body when I wrote it I know not. God knows". (1, 2)

Oh that we would be overcome by the beauty and power of that vision.

Grasping the Vision
The lengthy vision embodies a love story of powerful intervention into the sufferings of humanity, the eventual destruction of death and evil, and the renewal of all things.

Specifically, it is a journey through many prophesies about the Messiah (Jesus Christ), His birth, sufferings, death, and resurrection, and His promised return to wipe away sorrow, destroy death, and make all things new. (3)

It is a vision about love, mercy, forgiveness, and redemption, encompassing the incomprehensible sacrifice and sufferings of Christ to intervene for all who accept His payment on their behalf. (4) 'He came to pay a debt he didn't owe, because we owed a debt we couldn't pay.' His work gives us great hope and joy even in the midst of pain. It reinstates our place in His Kingdom, now and forever.

The vision is also about justice, judgement and vengeance. ' king of kings and lord of lords', a prominent line in 'Hallelujah Chorus', is from Revelation amidst a description of Christ and his armies destroying the forces of evil. (5)

At first, that may not sound like peace. But think of it. All the murder, rape, theft, and injustice of history, and even death itself and the enemy behind it all will be judged, avenged and destroyed.

Jesus warned things will get worse before they get better. (6) This Lord of the Rings video gives a glimpse of what that day may look like.

We need this vision. It is much larger and more powerful than any troubling headline of our day.

Peace on Earth?
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." So the angels declared as they announced the birth of Christ that first Christmas night many years ago. (7) Dare we believe it?

I believe we can. The book of Revelation in the New Testament proclaims that countless people from every nation will praise God, (8) and that the "the leaves of the 'tree of life' will be for the healing of the nations." (9)

The nations at peace. No more death or mourning or crying or pain. All things made new. All injustices undone and made right.

That's something to hope for.

Hallelujah Chorus!
Andres Rieu directed the choir in the video below, telling his audience "no matter what last year brought to you, I know of no music that brings more joy and more hope than this song". The optics of his choir are powerful too, an illustration of the nations praising God.

As you listen, ponder the vision Handel and others have experienced.

May you experience the King of Kings this Christmas season and for all eternity!

HANDEL - Messiah (Johann Strauss Orchestra and Harlem Gospel Choir) from Joe Orgill plus joe.orgill.slcc on Vimeo.

From Andre Rieu's "Live From Radio City Music Hall" in New York City 2004.

Hallalujah Chorus Lyrics
Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah!
Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah!

For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth!
Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah!

The kingdom of this world is become
The kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ!
And he shall reign for ever and ever!

King of kings and Lord of lords!
King of kings and Lord of lords!
And He shall reign forever and ever!
Forever and ever!

Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah
Hallelujah!

Footnotes:

1. https://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1701-1800/messiah-and-george-frideric-handel-11630237.html

http://www.gfhandel.org/handel/anecdotes.html

2. 2 Corinthians 12:2-4

3. For a list of verses in Messiah, see website: http://opera.stanford.edu/iu/libretti/messiah.htm

4. Without the intervention of Christ, no one could stand in the presence of God and live, for we are imperfect and sinful. Isaiah understood this when, in a vision similar to that in Revelation, he cried "“Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and...my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” (Isaiah 6:5) See also Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:13.

5. 'I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war...He is dressed in a robe soaked with blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords.' Revelation 19:11-16

6. Matthew 24:3-9

7. Luke 2:14

8. "...there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:"
“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.” Revelation 7:9-10

9. Revelation 22:1-2

Scotland, Freedom, and Turfgrass

noreply@blogger.com (Dale Bremer) — Fri, 13 Jul 2018 01:15:00 +0000

"Go back to England and tell them...Scotland is free." William Wallace

My wife and I recently visited Scotland and England. Here are a few photos and thoughts from our journey...

Edinburgh Castle, an imposing sight from the streets of the city.

Statue of William Wallace, flanking one side of the entrance gate to
Edinburgh Castle along with Robert the Bruce on the other (not shown here, but
can be seen at a distance in the picture immediately below).

Scotland and Freedom

It seemed impossible not to think about freedom and liberty during our visit to Scotland. At Edinburgh Castle there are statues of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce flanking the entrance to the castle. Both are national heroes of Scotland because of their leadership in the fight against English tyranny in the 1200's and 1300's AD. William Wallace, you may recall, was portrayed in the movie Braveheart, who paid the ultimate price by being brutally executed at the hands of the English.

(more thoughts below)

My wife Jannis standing before the arched entrance of Edinburgh Castle. Statues of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce
can be seen on either side of the archway entrance to the castle.

View of the city of Edinburgh from Edinburgh Castle.

Freedom and Tyranny Have Many Dimensions
We also visited the Wallace Monument near Stirling, Scotland, where we had an interesting discussion with a man from San Francisco. We were visiting with him about travel, life, and work when he made a curious statement, mostly in regards to work. "As long as we are okay with it in here", he said pointing towards his heart. Somehow his words transcended the moment, notably because we were at a monument dedicated to freedom. His statement caused me to pause and reflect...

Am I at peace in my heart about how I spend my days? My work? None of us are getting any younger, and if we aren't passionate about what we do, if we are afraid to do the things we are called or made to do, which may require risk, then I believe we can live under a sort of self-imposed tyranny and not really free; not really living. Perhaps that is what led William Wallace to say:

"Every man dies, not every man really lives"

And the Psalmist to write:

"Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" Psalm 90:12

Are you passionate about your work and life? How do you handle fear and risk?

The view west from Abbey Craig, the site of the Wallace Monument, towards the city of Stirling, Stirling castle, and the
site of the Battle of Stirling Bridge (see below for details). Courage and risk in the face of fear was required by the Scots
who fought against the odds in this battle to gain freedom for their people.

The Universal Yearning for Freedom
As an American, these topics of liberty and freedom in Scotland resonated with me. I love this excerpt from our Declaration of Independence:

"We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness"

Interestingly, I found the following quote in my passport, which seemed to parallel the themes discussed herein:

"It seems to be a law of nature, inflexible and inexorable, that those who will not risk cannot win." John Paul Jones, naval commander, Revolutionary War.

Risk is scary, because we stand to lose something. There were Scots in Wallace's day who would not fight because they feared losing their land, possessions, or lives. Wallace risked it all and paid with his life, but he also inspired a nation and his legacy endures to this day. He was a man who "really lived".

Risk for you and I may not mean facing a physical battlefield, but perhaps stepping out of our comfort zone and into the unknown. It could be starting a new business or job, going back to college, pursuing your dreams, pursuing happiness.

Jannis by Hadrian's Wall at Birdoswald Roman Fort, UK. The wall was built by Emperor Hadrian in 122 AD,
who apparently decided it was better to try to keep the Scots out of the Roman Empire than fight them! The
Scots enjoyed their freedom, even 2000 years ago!

Spiritual Freedom and Tyranny
How did Wallace develop his deep convictions about freedom? I believe they came at least in part from his Christian faith in the Creator who endows these Rights. Wallace was educated by his uncle, the priest of Dunipace. In his studies he undoubtedly was influenced by the Bible, in which freedom is a common theme. Does that surprise you? For example:

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Jesus Christ (John 8:32)

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourself be burdened again by a yoke of slavery"
Apostle Paul (Galatians 5:1)

"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there the heart is free"
Apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 3:17)

[Christ] "stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe of their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the streets." [Therefore], "because of [the] Cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate. Can't you see the central issue in all this? It is not what you and I do...it is what God is doing...Apostle Paul (Colossians 2:15; Galatians 6:15, The MSG)

Why should I fear if God calls me into the unknown, to follow the dreams in my heart, dreams that were placed there by Him? Where failure seems possible and the price could be high? Why am I too often paralyzed by what others think about me? Clearly there is more to unpack here than there is space in this post, such as how to discern what God may truly be calling you and me to do in our lives. Though I still sometimes fear, I also know the Lord is near, and I'm both challenged and encouraged by my faith.

St. Margaret was an English Princess, a Scottish Queen, and a pious Christian
who undoubtedly knew about the freedom taught in the Bible. This stained glass
panel is in St. Margaret's Chapel, Edinburgh's oldest existing building (it is located
in Edinburgh castle), probably built in the early 12th Century.

Turfgrass
So what does all of this have to do with turfgrass (as indicated in the title of this post)? Well, as my turfgrass colleagues know, golf originated in Scotland. And Jannis and I were fortunate enough to visit the Old Course at St. Andrews, which is the oldest golf course still in existence today.

Me at the Old Course!

Jannis and I at the Swilkan Bridge, between the 1st and 18th fairways at the Old Course.

Actually, the main reason we were in the UK was to attend the European Turfgrass Society Conference. There were many excellent presentations by turfgrass scientists from around Europe and also the US. Thanks to Drs. Stewart Brown, Claudia de Bertoldi, and Bernd Leinauer for organizing and coordinating this event! Thanks also to the U.S. Golf Association (USGA) for partially funding my research presented at, and my travel to the conference.

You can tell this is a bunch of turfgrass enthusiasts since they are down inspecting the turf, here at Manchester City Stadium!

Attendees of the European Turfgrass Society conference at Campey Turf Care Systems Headquarters, near Manchester.

Dr. Christian Spring, research operations manager at the STRI (Sports Turf Research Institute) at Bingley, UK, explaining
their research plots.

Below is a video and a few other photos from our visit to Scotland. The video was taken outside the gates of Hollyrood Palace in Edinburgh, where we happened to stumble across the Royal Regiment of Scotland. They were entering the grounds to honor the Queen, who was in residence while we were there. It was amazing!

The sun sets late this far north; sunset after 10 pm and sunrise at 4:30 am. Twilight never stops. This is Portobello
Beach, near Portobello, a coastal suburb of Edinburgh.

Ruins of the 12th century St. Andrews Cathedral, once the largest cathedral in Scotland. St Rule's tower is the tall structure
to the right, which predates the cathedral. Visitors can climb the stairs for a great view of St. Andrews and surroundings.

West Sands Beach, beside St. Andrews Golf Course, stretches for almost 2 miles. This where a famous scene from the movie
"Chariots of Fire" was filmed, where Olympian Eric Liddell ran along the beach. Eric was a devout Christian who said
"when I run, I feel His (God's) pleasure". I could almost hear the theme song from the movie "run" through my mind as we
strolled the beach. It is beautiful!

The Scottish countryside is beautiful. This is in the lowlands, southwest of Edinburgh.

Broomhall Castle, at Menstrie, which is near Stirling, Scotland. We stayed for one night. It was a fun experience!

We flew via Icelandair, landing at Keflavik, Iceland, on our way to and from the UK. This was the view out the window as
we were descending to land in Iceland.

Finally, this is northeastern Canada, with ice floating offshore in the ocean (left). We also flew over Greenland, which
had many snow-covered peaks, too. I think it would be fun to visit some of these remote places someday!

Hidden Figures

noreply@blogger.com (Dale Bremer) — Sun, 19 Feb 2017 22:56:00 +0000

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere"
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The movie "Hidden Figures", set in the early days of NASA in the 1960s, does a great job of illustrating the blatant racism so prevalent in American culture at that time. Some of the scenes seem shocking by today's standards; for example, having a "colored bathroom" or "colored coffee pot". Thankfully there were people courageous enough to take a stand against racism and in so doing, changed our culture.

"Hidden Figures" was thought provoking and afterwards I pondered: Are there significant issues in our culture that we may be blind to today? As I prayed about this, the words of the Psalmist came to mind: "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.Your eyes saw my unformed body." (Psalm 139:13-16, italics mine)

Alternate Hidden Figures

Dr. Alveda C. King.

Psalm 139 answered my question, revealing a different angle to the term "hidden figures". Unborn children may be hidden to us, but not to God. This brings up a very controversial topic in our culture: abortion. I am uncomfortable with controversy and would rather keep a low profile on such things. But I am immediately challenged by scenes from the movie, where people had the courage to confront racism, even though it was scary and uncomfortable for them.

Interestingly, Dr. Alveda King, the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., views the pro-life movement as a continuation of the civil rights struggle. She had two abortions that she later regretted, but testifies she now has peace through God's forgiveness and healing. (1) She is Director of Civil Rights for the Unborn.

Abortion has been called a modern-day holocaust (2) by none other than Norma McCorvey. You may know her as "Jane Roe" in Roe v. Wade; Roe petitioned for abortion rights in that Supreme Court decision. Norma McCorvey later regretted her role in Roe v. Wade and spent the rest of her life trying to overturn it. Her life was also transformed after coming to faith in Christ.

Truth and Grace
The topic of abortion needs to be discussed truthfully but with compassion towards persons in crisis. Dietrich Bonhoeffer addressed it well:

Destruction of the embryo in the mother’s womb is a violation of the right to live which God has bestowed upon this nascent life. To raise the question whether we are here concerned already with a human being or not is merely to confuse the issue. The simple fact is that God certainly intended to create a human being and that this nascent human being has been deliberately deprived of his life. And that is nothing but murder.

A great many different motives may lead to an action of this kind; indeed in cases where it is an act of despair, performed in circumstances of extreme human or economic destitution and misery, the guilt may often lie rather with the community than with the individual. Precisely in this connection money may conceal many a wanton deed, while the poor man’s more reluctant lapse may far more easily be disclosed.

All these considerations must no doubt have a quite decisive influence on our personal and pastoral attitude towards the person concerned, but they cannot in any way alter the fact of murder. (3)

Protect the Hidden Figures
Unfortunately the rhetoric surrounding the pro-life v. pro-choice debate is often harsh and divisive. However, as a Christian my conscience tells me abortion is wrong. Should I be silent about this? I think not. As Bonhoeffer wrote: "Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act."

As a Christian I also believe that people facing difficult decisions about (or consequences of) abortion deserve compassion and help. In Manhattan, Kansas I am happy to support (along with my church) Life Choice Ministries (4), which "exists to serve the needs of women & families dealing with issues of sexual activity and pregnancy crisis". If you find yourself in such a crisis, I encourage you to contact them or someone like them in your community (Note: Please do NOT go to Planned Parenthood).

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Footnotes:
(1) http://www.priestsforlife.org/staff/alvedaking.htm
(2) Since Roe v. Wade there have been more than 59 million abortions in the US.
(3) Dietrich Bonhoeffer, as quoted in Eric Metaxas, Bonhoeffer, 472, paragraphing added.
(4) www.lifechoiceks.org/

Lament for a Pet

noreply@blogger.com (Dale Bremer) — Sat, 31 Dec 2016 17:14:00 +0000

And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.
Genesis 2:19

Shay always laid on my suitcase whenever I was packing to
travel. It was her way of protesting and saying she didn't
want me to go! I didn't want her to go on her last day either.

Last week I lost my cat of 17 years. About 10 days earlier we had noticed she was losing her appetite. By the end, she wasn't eating at all, and was struggling to walk. Our neighbor, who is also a veterinarian, examined her and said it was time to put her down. Although it was the compassionate thing to do, it was also one of the most difficult decisions I've made.

I spent the last morning of her life working at home with her by my side. The vet came over in the early afternoon to euthanize her at our home, laying on her favorite rug in front of the wood stove. She went peacefully. But watching her die and seeing her lifeless little body on the rug afterwards was hard to endure.

One of my sympathetic friends said the death of a pet is harder for him than the death of most people, simply because pets are so loyal and accepting. A pet is always happy to see you no matter how cruel the world may have been to you. Through this I have been wondering what happens to our beloved pets when they die, especially in view of our faith in a loving and good God.

Do Pets Go to Heaven?
The Scriptures are silent about animal immortality. However, as C.S. Lewis wrote, this silence 'would be fatal only if Christian revelation showed any signs of being intended as a système de la nature answering all questions. But it is nothing of the sort...If animals were, in fact, immortal, it is unlikely, from what we discern of God's method in the revelation, that He would have revealed this truth." Lewis' gave an excellent discussion about this topic but concluded that it certainly seems possible that certain animals (e.g., pets) have immortality. (1)

The Scriptures, Animals, and the Redemption of the Earth
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth....Then God said, “Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind...And God saw that it was good. (2) God spoke animals into existence and called them good.

My daughter Erin holding Shay
many years ago. Shay brought
much joy to our family.

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time...[but that] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. (3) Pets are a part of God's creation, which is at present groaning under bondage to decay.

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth...God will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. (4) C.S. Lewis certainly had these verses in mind when he stated his belief that the destiny of our animals is: "part and parcel of the new heaven and new earth, organically related to the whole suffering process of the world's fall and redemption." (1)

In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all. The cow will graze near the bear. The cub and the calf will lie down together. (5)
This indicates there will be animals in the new earth. And as John Eldredge noted (after the death of his beloved dog), if there are lions and lambs in the kingdom, why would God stop there? (6)

Whither, Little Shay?
The morning after Shay's death, I stood looking out of my third story window at work. Towards the east were dark storm clouds. Suddenly the sun broke through and turned the trees and buildings of the K-State campus a golden color that was strikingly beautiful against the dark sky. God was so present and comforting in that moment.

I believe I will see Shay again, and I hope that she will be on my greeting committee when I arrive at heaven's shore.

Goodbye little Shay, but only for now!

Footnotes
(1) Lewis, C.S. Animal Pain, a chapter in "The Problem of Pain".
(2) Genesis 1:1, 24-25
(3) Romans 8:21-22
(4) Revelation 21:1,4
(5) Isaiah 11:6-7a.
(6) Eldredge, John. "Walking with God".

The Arrival

noreply@blogger.com (Dale Bremer) — Mon, 28 Nov 2016 00:59:00 +0000

Advent: the arrival of a notable person or event

Advent is the season leading up to Christmas. A time when Christians celebrate God coming to earth in human form (Jesus Christ) to save his people from their sins (1). An incredible act of love and humility (2).

The Humanity of Christ
Near the end of his earthly life, Jesus was hailed by people as a king as he entered Jerusalem. Yet as he approached the city, he wept (3).

Earlier, Jesus wept as he stood at the tomb of his friend Lazarus, who had recently died (4).

Jesus' weeping is a powerful example of his humanity. But the reasons why he wept may not be as apparent as you think.

For example, as he approached Jerusalem he wept not for himself even though he knew he would be tortured and crucified within the week.

As he stood by his friend's tomb, he wasn't weeping for Lazarus, for he knew that within minutes he would raise Lazarus from the dead! (5)

'And Jesus Wept' Statue at the national memorial for the
bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

The Divinity of Christ
Jesus' tears reflect his humanity, but they also reflect his divinity. Throughout the Bible, God expresses grief over the condition of humanity. (6)

At the tomb, Jesus wept when he saw the people sobbing and grieving the death of Lazarus, and a deep anger welled up within him. (7) He wept because he was saddened by their pain and sorrow, but why was he angry? I believe he was angry at death and sin (8), which are the cause of suffering and grief. His response was to exercise his power over death by raising Lazarus.

Jesus also knew that many didn't understand, and some even rejected who he was and why he came. As Jesus approached Jerusalem weeping he said "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—". (9)

The Prince of Peace (10) was entering into their presence, but they knew it not despite his constant attempts throughout his life to explain it.

"—but now it is hidden from your eyes.", he continued, "The days will come upon you when your enemies will encircle you and...dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls...because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” (11)

Who Do You Say That I Am?
This is a question each of us must answer about Jesus Christ.

When Jesus asked his disciples that question, Peter correctly answered “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (12).

This advent, I urge you to reflect on the arrival of the 'Son of the living God', who came to rescue you from the power of sin and death. (13)

My prayer is that you will recognize the time of God's coming to you, before his weeping stops.

Footnotes

1. Matthew 1:21: She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.

2. Philippians 2:6-8: Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

3. Luke 19:41: As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it

4. John 11:35: Jesus wept.

5. John 11:43-44: Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” ⁴⁴The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

6. Genesis 6:5-6: Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. ⁶And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. Genesis 6:5-6 NKJV

Hosea 11:7-8 My people are determined to turn from me. Even though they call me God Most High, I will by no means exalt them. But how can I give up on you, Ephraim? How can I turn you loose, Israel? How can I leave you to be ruined like Admah, devastated like luckless Zeboim? I can’t bear to even think such thoughts. My insides churn in protest.

7. John 11:33: When Jesus saw her sobbing and the Jews with her sobbing, a deep anger welled up within him. (The Message).

8. James 1:15: Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

9. Luke 19:42.

10. Isaiah 9:6.

11. Luke 19:42-44.

12. Matt 16:15-16

13. Rom 8:1-2: So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. ²And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

Politics and a Prayer for our Country

noreply@blogger.com (Dale Bremer) — Sat, 10 Sep 2016 23:19:00 +0000

"Come set our hearts ablaze with hope..."
Rend Collective

Toxic Politics
The U.S. presidential campaign is in full swing with elections only a few weeks away. If you have been following them, you are probably aware things are a little unusual this year. Indeed, the country seems strongly divided and the atmosphere seems toxic at times. Without going into detail or promoting my opinion, I would rather encourage you to join me in a prayer for our nation in the form of a lively song.

Come, Show Your Mighty Hand...Heal our Streets and Land
Last year an Irish band called Rend Collective performed at Kansas State University. My wife, mother, and I attended and enjoyed their performance. My mother was already well into the throes of Alzheimer's (an awful disease affecting the brain), but she loved their music and sometimes stood up to dance in the bleachers! It was fun to see her heart so filled with joy as they sang.

When I heard their song "Build Your Kingdom Here", I knew I had to share it with you all. It is a fun video and song that I think you will enjoy. As you listen, I encourage you to pray along - and maybe even dance!

Unleash your kingdom's power
Change the atmosphere
No force of hell can stop
Your beauty changing hearts
You made us for much more than this
Fill us with the strength and love of Christ!

Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy - My Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Dale Bremer) — Mon, 30 May 2016 18:10:00 +0000

"Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Growing up Lutheran, I knew Bonhoeffer was a German Lutheran pastor who courageously conspired against Hitler and was eventually executed by the Nazis as a result. And I had also read his famous book "The Cost of Discipleship".

But I didn't know much else about him. The biography by Eric Metaxas is a lengthy but fascinating book about Bonhoeffer's life, and a brief history about the rise of Hitler and Nazi Germany during the 1930s and 1940s. It held my interest right to the end.

A Christian Pastor Joins an Assassination Plot against Hitler
How could a committed follower of Jesus Christ like Bonhoeffer justify engaging in deception and plotting to assassinate a national leader? The answer is complicated but it illustrates the Christian faith is much deeper than many think. God and His Truth are more than the simple religious legalism of "never telling a lie". Jesus constantly confronted the religious legalists of his day about following the "letter of the Law" but failing to follow a deeper "Spirit of the Law" behind the Scriptures. (1)

Bonhoeffer was an active participant in the
conspiracy to assassinate Hitler in the Valkyrie

plot, portrayed in this 2008 movie.

Bonhoeffer was brilliant and had a respect for "the truth that was so deep"; he did not have a cavalier attitude towards the truth. He was aware of the danger of a belief that "how one tells the truth depends on circumstances", but legalistic religion was being shown to be utterly inadequate against the Nazis and the atrocities they were unleashing against the Jews and others. He believed that to be true to God in the deepest way meant that one's actions could not be separated from a relationship with Jesus Christ; guidance and discernment of one's actions had to come from God. (2)

Religionless Christianity
Apparently some in the modern-day "God is dead" movement have regarded Bonhoeffer as a kind of prophet, given Bonhoeffer's views about religion. However, Metaxas eloquently illustrates that Bonhoeffer was greatly misunderstood in this respect. As a Christian myself, Bonhoeffer teachings on this topic seem completely compatible with Christianity.

For example, given the bleak situation of his time, Bonhoeffer wondered if modern man had moved beyond religion. What Bonhoeffer meant by "religion" was not true Christianity, but rather the "religious" Christianity that had failed Germany and the West during the Nazi crisis. Bonhoeffer preached that Christianity was not about religion at all, but about the person of Christ. Religion is a dead, man-made thing, and at the heart of Christianity is something else entirely - God himself, alive.

In fact, Bonhoeffer taught that "religion" is opposed to Christianity and to Christ because it presents the false idea that somehow we can reach God through our moral efforts. He differentiated between Christianity as a religion like all the others and following Christ, who demands everything, including our very lives. He wondered if it wasn't finally time for the lordship of Jesus Christ to move past the "religious" corners of Sunday mornings and churches and into all aspects of our lives...into the whole world; God is bigger than most have imagined. (3)

A Good Read
There is much more interesting in Metaxas' book. For example:

Churchill was unwilling to cooperate with a Resistance movement inside Germany (of which Bonhoeffer was a part) that was plotting against Hitler and the Nazis.

Site at Flossenburg Concentration Camp
where Bonhoeffer and others were executed
at dawn on April 9, 1945, only days before
the camp was liberated by Allied Forces.
It reads: "In resistance against dictatorship
and terror, they gave their lives for freedom,
justice, and humanity.

After the war, many in England were surprised that there were actually "good" Germans in Germany who had paid with their lives for conspiring against Hitler.

In 1930-31, Bonhoeffer spent a year at Union Theological Seminary in New York but was disappointed by their liberal theology. He finally heard the Gospel preached and its power manifested at Abyssinian Baptist, an African American church in Harlem. He noted the only real piety and power he witnessed were in churches where there were a present reality and past history of suffering; he had traveled in the southern U.S. and was shocked at the racism he witnessed there. The powerful preaching of the Gospel at Abyssinian Baptist was life changing for Bonhoeffer.

Bonhoeffer was engaged to be married but was imprisoned and executed before his marriage.

Facing the End
In the end, Bonhoeffer faced death with courage. Years later the doctor of the concentration camp who had witnessed his execution wrote:

I was most deeply moved by the way this lovable man prayed, so devout and certain that God heard his prayer. At the place of execution, [Bonhoeffer again] said a short prayer and then climbed the steps to the gallows, brave and composed...In the almost fifty years that I worked as a doctor, I have hardly ever seen a man die so entirely submissive to the will of God.

A fitting tribute to this man of God.

Footnotes:
(1) For example, see Jesus' sermon on the mount in Matthew chapters 5 to 7; see also chapter 23.
(2) A great discussion of this in on pp. 365-367 in the hardback version of Metaxas' book "What is Truth"?
(3) Excerpts from pp. 82-85 and 465-468 (ibid).

Risen - The Movie

noreply@blogger.com (Dale Bremer) — Sat, 27 Feb 2016 00:26:00 +0000

“I have seen two things which cannot reconcile. A man dead without question. And that same man alive again”
- Clavius, Roman Military Tribune

The Resurrection from a Skeptics Perspective
If you haven't yet seen the movie "Risen", I highly recommend it. With a great cast, impressive production budget, and of course a great story line, you will be entertained and find yourself pondering the events surrounding the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.

This movie isn't just for Christians. The producers worked hard to maintain Scriptural authenticity while balancing it with cinematic creativity. They had a broader cross section of cultural society in mind for an audience (rather than Christians only) as they produced the movie, and I believe they hit their mark.

A Personal Journey
The movie is the story of a man's personal journey. Clavius is a military leader assigned with the task of ensuring that three criminals being crucified are dead before sunset, even if he has to hurry it along. He apparently is aware that one of them claimed to be a king of some kind, but he is indifferent. By the time he arrived at the site of the crucifixion, Christ had already died.

To me, the scene of the crucifixion is amazingly haunting and thought provoking. And of course as a Christian I was moved by the depth of love that Christ exhibited for me (and all his followers) by suffering and dying that way. Later in the movie I was also moved by the tenderness of the resurrected Christ towards Peter and Thomas as they wept over their earlier denial and doubt, respectively, of their leader Y’shua (Jesus). It is a beautiful picture of Y’shua's posture towards all of us who follow him, yet are imperfect.

But I get ahead of myself! After Christ's body disappeared from the tomb, Clavius was ordered to find the body at all costs in order to put down a rumor beginning to circulate that the man Jesus had risen from the dead. So Clavius began a relentless search, which required him to play the role of detective. He aggressively chased down and interrogated anyone who had spoken of Christ being alive again, and also searched for his disciples and close followers who may have known where the body was. But the evidence he found was not what he expected, and eventually it led him to write down the words quoted at the top of this post.

The Implications of The Resurrection
This movie is not preachy or cheese ball as some Christian-themed movies of the past have (unfortunately) been. But it does explore a historical event that is foundational to Christianity. For as the Apostle Paul himself said: "...if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith" (1). But he then went on to say: "But the truth is that Christ has been raised up, the first in a long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries." (2) If that is true, then the implications of the resurrection are profound for your own life and is at the very least worth serious consideration, including an examination of the strong historical evidence for the resurrection of Christ. (3)

However, regardless of what you think of the resurrection story, this movie is worth viewing.

Footnotes:
(1) 1 Corinthians 15:14
(2) 1 Corinthians 15:20
(3) William Lane Craig wrote an excellent article on the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ at this link: http://www.reasonablefaith.org/the-resurrection-of-jesus

Below is a lecture by William Lane Craig on the same topic, presented at Yale University.

Why I Write This Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Dale Bremer) — Sun, 14 Feb 2016 21:49:00 +0000

...they continually say to me, "Where is your God?
Psalms 42:3

My high school graduation
picture, 1978, a few months
before leaving for the
university.

My University Experience
When I started attending the university in 1979 I was exposed to ideas that challenged my beliefs as a Christian. The secular worldview was strong, especially in some of my biology and physics classes, and I began to assume that most "educated" people probably didn't believe in God. I certainly doubted if any professors did. The atmosphere was stifling and it was a bewildering time for me.

But there were a couple of professors who I learned did believe in God. Dr. Richard Ikenberry and Dr. Glenn Underhill at Kearney State College (now the University of Nebraska-Kearney), where I started college, were Christians. There is a certain irony in the fact that one of them was a biologist and the other a physicist!

Now, many years later and as a professor myself, I suspect that some students at my campus and other college campuses may experience similar circumstances and feelings as I did. However, I don't want them to assume as I did that "educated" people don't believe in God. In fact, many PhDs and professors have strong faith in God, and I am fortunate to personally know a number of them.

Dr. Glenn Underhill, one of my college
physics professors, who was also

a Christian.

Is Your University Experience Challenging Your Faith?
If you are a college student and your faith is being challenged by the secular environment of the university, you are not alone. As a college student and even afterwards, I wrestled with the claims of secularism/atheism/agnosticism/naturalism firsthand. But my faith in God is now stronger than ever.

It is not all bad to have one's faith challenged. As Timothy Keller said, “Believers should acknowledge and wrestle with doubts... It is no longer sufficient to hold beliefs just because you inherited them.” The evidence for the Christian faith is amazing (1), and God is big enough to handle your questions. You can make it your own!

It is another thing to have your beliefs maligned or diminished. C.S. Lewis, who was an atheist before converting to Christianity, knowingly said "Atheists express their rage against God although in their view He doesn't exist." That can be confusing to a college student, especially if the criticism is coming from a professor. However, you don't have to take their word for it! I would encourage students to use this as an opportunity to critically examine for yourself the claims of and evidence for Christianity (1).

Why I Write This Blog
Therefore, I write this blog largely to encourage students (and others) who may be facing doubt and unbelief in the face of the dominant secular environment of our western universities and, increasingly, in our culture. Many of my blog posts address this topic.

I also write for those who may not believe in God - or perhaps haven't even considered it. I sincerely believe if they examined with an open mind the evidence for the existence of God and the truth of Christianity, they may be quite surprised.

Footnote:
(1) There is much information available about evidence for the existence of God and the truth of Christianity. For example, the authors William Lane Craig (www.ReasonableFaith.org), John Lennox (http://www.johnlennox.org/), Lee Strobel (e.g., The Case for Christ), C.S. Lewis (e.g., Mere Christianity), Timothy Keller ("The Reason for God" and many of his sermons at http://www.gospelinlife.com/), Frank Turek (http://crossexamined.org/), to name a few, all address this in their books and websites.

Is There Any Evidence That God Exists?

noreply@blogger.com (Dale Bremer) — Sun, 19 Apr 2015 19:48:00 +0000

"To the majority of those who have reflected deeply and written about the origin and nature of the universe, it has seemed that it points beyond itself to a source which is non-physical and of great intelligence and power. Almost all the great classical philosophers - certainly Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Leibniz, Spinoza, Kant, Hegel, Locke, Berkeley - saw the origin of the universe as lying in a transcendent reality. They had different specific ideas of this reality, and different ways of approaching it; but that the universe is not self-explanatory, and that it requires some explanation beyond itself, was something they accepted as fairly obvious."
Keith Ward (1)

Dr. William Lane Craig (2) has developed an excellent 4-minute video that addresses the question of the existence of God through a combination of logic and scientific evidence ("The Cosmological Argument"). Cosmology, which is the science of the origin and development of the universe, has in recent years discovered compelling evidence that the universe is not here by accident (click YouTube video at left or on this link: https://youtu.be/6CulBuMCLg0).

There is more evidence in cosmology that indicates the existence of God, but I will address that in another post!

Footnotes:

(1) God, Chance and Necessity, Oxford, One World Publication, 1996 p.1.

(2) Reasonable Faith with Dr. William Lane Craig (http://www.reasonablefaith.org/)

Japan

noreply@blogger.com (Dale Bremer) — Sat, 04 Apr 2015 20:19:00 +0000

I recently had the pleasure of visiting Tokyo, Japan, to present at a conference sponsored by the fine folks at Toyo Green Co., LTD (1), a company that sells products for turfgrass maintenance (golf courses, sports fields, lawns, etc). They also invited Dr. Bert McCarty, a turfgrass scientist and professor from Clemson Univ. They kept us busy most of the time, but we did visit several sites around Tokyo.

Japan is another amazing example of God's beautiful creation. I would love to visit this country again. Below is a sample...enjoy!!

Nijubashi Bridge, entrance to inner grounds of the Imperial Palace, in Tokyo. It was cold and snowing when we visited. The public isn't allowed into the main grounds except for Jan. 2 and Dec. 23 (we were there on Jan 30). The Palace is where the Imperial family resides, and is surrounded by walls (left) and a moat. Photo by Shutaro Akishino.

A view of Tokyo from the Kokyo Gaien National Gardens,which surround the Imperial Palace. The backdrop of the city across the black pines and snow-covered lawns was breathtaking!

The black pine trees in the Kokyo Gaien National Gardens had very interesting shapes, and provided a beautiful and stark contrast to the snow! Photo by Shutaro Akishino.

This sign indicates how close the famous bridge on the Imperial Palace grounds is to Tokyo Station.

We caught a subway at Tokyo Station, which is the busiest in Japan in terms of number of trains per day (over 3000). It is in the Marunouchi District in Chiyoda, Tokyo, within easy walking distance from the Imperial Palace.

Our first meal in Tokyo, at the Purana Barca Pizzeria and Bar. Very nice restaurant and friendly staff! Bert McCarty is on the left, with our wonderful Japanese hosts from Toyo Green (left to right): Shoichi Kimura, Taro Fujiwara, Yuichiro Tsuchida, and Shutaro Akishino.

Bert McCarty (left), Mika Seta (center), me (right), and Taro Fujiwara (facing away from camera), visiting on the grounds of Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, in Tokyo. The buildings in the background were built after the stadium was already there, and have caused a severe shade problem for the turfgrass (bermudagrass) growth. Photo by Shutaro Akishino.

A view down the bustling, shop-lined street named Nakamise that leads to the main gate of Sensoji Temple, which is a famous Buddhist Temple. This is in the Asakusa district, where an atmosphere of the Tokyo of past decades survives. Bert McCarty stands a bit taller than the average Japanese! It was raining just enough to need the umbrellas.

This many-tiered pagoda came into view as we walked down Nakamise street towards Sensoji Temple. Japan is about 71% Buddhist, 84% Shinto, and only 2% Christian; many people belong to both Buddhism and Shintoism.

The famous Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, Tokyo. The snow, which had been falling all morning, had built up on the steep roof and was sliding down and falling in huge chunks onto the sidewalk and steps leading into the temple (at far left). The police were trying to keep people from walking under the eve so they wouldn't get hurt!

Narrow streets in the Asakusa shopping district, near the Sensoji Temple.

Shin-Nakamise, or "New Nakamise", a covered shopping archade in Asakusa. The covered street was a welcome reprieve from the cold rain that was falling outside. Many Japanese wore surgical masks when out in public, apparently to protect themselves from sickness (or maybe to protect others if they were sick).

We saw several two-wheeled rickshaws in Asakusa, which were pulled by a person!

We were excited to go up into the Tokyo Skytree, which is the tallest tower in Japan and second-tallest structure in the world. Unfortunately it was cloudy, so we didn't go. But it was amazing to look up and see it disappear into the clouds!

Assortment of fish, squid, and shellfish at the famous Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo.We got up at 4:30 am to see the fish auction but were too late. Admittance is strictly regulated and you had better get there earlier than we did (maybe 3 am) if you really want a spot. We were disappointed, but enjoyed walking around and looking at the fish and bustling activity as shop owners prepared for a busy Friday at the Market.

A shopkeeper slices product in preparation for the day, while a tuna appears to look on from the icebox!

Shutaro (center left) and me walking the narrow streets of the Tsukiji Fish Market at 5:30 am on a Friday. These shopkeepers get up very early and work hard to make a living!

I couldn't resist stopping by this tuna along the street. I love tuna and had no idea they were this big! I was told this wasn't even a large tuna. Shutaro liked to ham it up for the camera, and here he proudly presents the tuna!

A view of the Tokyo Tower from the nearby Zojoji Temple (Buddhist) in Tokyo. Tokyo Tower is 1,093 ft tall and is the second tallest structure in Japan.

The shadow of Tokyo Tower falls across this nearby soccer stadium on a beautiful Saturday morning in Tokyo.

This colorful and delicious sushi was definitely authentic. It was in a nice restaurant near the Tokyo Tower. Most of the sushi was raw (not cooked), which is something I wasn't use to. I ate more raw meat in my 6 days in Tokyo than I ever had before, but it was good to expand my culinary horizons!

My debut with the audience at the Toyo Green conference for golf course superintendents. They were very gracious and I really enjoyed presenting to them. Photo by Shutaro Akishino.

This was immediately after the 2-day conference. From left to right: Kibow, who translated our talks into Japanese; Bert McCarty, me; and Takao (Tak) Yamada, the president of Toyo Green Co. I am so grateful for their invitation to present at their conference! Photo by Shutaro Akishino.

A view of the Tokyo Skytree from the Tokyo Tower. We wanted to go to the Skytree but it was closed because of high winds. Nevertheless, we weren't disappointed by the views from Tokyo Tower! Photo by Shutaro Akishino.

A stunning view of Tokyo Bay from the Tokyo Tower. It was very windy on the day we went up in the Tower, and we could feel it sway in the wind! The Zojoji Temple Grounds are in the foreground (bottom).

Footnotes:
(1) Here is Toyo Green's website for the conference: http://www.toyo-green.com/english/turf-seminar.html

Jesus and Joy

noreply@blogger.com (Dale Bremer) — Fri, 26 Dec 2014 03:42:00 +0000

At Christmastime, we Christians celebrate Jesus' birth as a real baby 2000 years ago. God comes to Earth in human form. (1) (2)

But why did he come? There is a lot more to it, but we are given a clue in Hebrews 12:2:

Because of the joy awaiting him, [Jesus] endured the cross, disregarding its shame.

And what was the joy awaiting him? (Sorry, as a professor I can't help but to ask questions!)

A little background is required here. At the Fall of Man in the Garden of Eden (3) (hinted at at the beginning of the video in this post, or at this link: http://youtu.be/gmnSnNC8UJk?list=FL54WMG1VODIB2lLnCmBkn5w), something profound was lost. We lost our ability to commune with our Creator - God.

But God lost something too...

He lost us.

And losing us was more than He was willing to bear. He loved us too much to not offer a rescue, even though such a rescue would be costly.


Adoration of the Lamb, painting by Jan van Eyck (1432). More information at: http://www.artbible.info/art/large/187.html

Jesus Christ, the Son of God and perfect Lamb (4), would have to die an atoning death on the cross in our place. It was the only way.

He came to pay a debt he didn't owe, because we owed a debt we couldn't pay.

Back to the question: What was the joy awaiting Jesus by enduring the cross?

The joy awaiting him was relationship with US...our restoration with God for eternity, for those who receive him! (5)

He finds JOY in making us whole! (6)

No wonder the Bible is about Him, that so many songs have been sung and so much has been written about Him, and that so many lives have been transformed by Him throughout the centuries.

What a comforting truth to hold onto at Christmastime and throughout the coming year!

Footnotes:

(1) Matthew 1:18 to 2:12.

(2) Philippians 2:6-11:
Though [Jesus] was God,
    he did not think of equality with God
    as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
    he took the humble position of a slave
    and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
    he humbled himself in obedience to God
    and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
    and gave him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

(3) Genesis 3

(4) For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. 1 Peter 1:18-21

(5) Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12

(6) Isaiah 61:1-3
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
    and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
    and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.

The Problem of Pain, Suffering, Loss

noreply@blogger.com (Dale Bremer) — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 03:13:00 +0000

“Pain is unmasked, unmistakable evil; every man knows that something is wrong when he is being hurt.” C.S. Lewis

My wife Jannis (right) and her sister Carol at their mother's
graveside a few months after their mother died of a brain
aneurism. Jannis was 6 years old.

After the 2004 tsunami, one of my good friends in Indonesia returned home to find his home swept away along with most of his family...his wife, only son, and father...and they were never found.

What are we to do with the suffering caused by the twin problems of: 1) seemingly random natural forces (earthquakes, brain tumors, etc); and 2) moral failure (crime, genocide, etc.)? It all seems so cruel and unjust.

One thing we don't need is pat answers. Yet, as theologian Tim Keller notes, when suffering hits there are two basic ways that people respond: secularism and moralism. Neither are satisfactory.

Secularism: There is No God
The existence of pain, suffering, and loss is a problem for the Christian. Many people conclude that because of suffering there can be no God. After all, why would he allow it? But the existence of pain is a problem for the atheist too.

I can understand why a person could conclude God does not exist when faced with suffering, at least to a point. It does seem to solve the immediate, intellectual problem, although it does little to help the emotional problem. That is just the way it is, and nothing more. As atheist Richard Dawkins put it:

“In a universe of electrons and selfish genes, blind physical forces and genetic replication, some people are going to get hurt, other people are going to get lucky, and you won't find any rhyme or reason in it, nor any justice. The universe that we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but pitiless indifference.”

If that is true, then we must, as atheist Bertrand Russell stated, build our lives on a firm foundation of unyielding despair.

Implications of Secularism
Although the conclusion that there is no God may seem to solve the immediate question of "why suffering?", it does not make the pain go away.

In fact, it could be argued that it intensifies suffering. Because the atheistic worldview believes death is the end, it removes all hope for anything better to come.

It also removes justice, as noted by Dawkins above. After all, if there is no God, no good, and no evil, and morality is only an illusion set in place by our selfish genes to perpetuate our species, then our sense of injustice is an illusion too, at best our own opinion. Yet most of us have strong reactions to injustice in the world. But if there is no evil and justice is illusory, then as former atheist CS Lewis noted, the argument against God collapses too—for the argument depends on saying the world is really unjust, not simply that it is my opinion it is unjust. Lewis concluded that consequently, atheism is too simple; it can't explain our strong sense of morality, injustice, and the existence of evil.

(Listen to Tim Keller contrast what Christianity, other major world religions, and atheism have to offer the suffering person - click on YouTube video above left or click here:http://youtu.be/IwH_6uDWnl8).

Are There Grounds for Believing There is a God?
Despite the grim implications of secularism, it could be our reality and we just have to face it. My wife may have to just accept that her mom has been snuffed out of existence and she will never see her again. But because the implications of this worldview are so stark, I'm not prepared to accept it until I also face whether there is any evidence for believing God is real.

To me, the solid historicity of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, as evidenced by the empty tomb, more than 500 witnesses, and the explosive growth of the early church even in the face of severe persecution, offers astounding evidence for the existence of God (see my post on the Resurrection). The Resurrection of Jesus tells us that death is NOT the end, and offers us hope for a new body and future in which all pain will be removed. (1)

But Why Would God Allow Evil?
Couldn't God have created a world in which there was no evil or suffering?

CS Lewis argued that God could not create a world of love and goodness without also creating creatures that could freely give or withhold such love. (2) To eliminate free will, God would have had to make us robots instead of people. Blaise Pascal called it the "dignity of causation", the freedom to do good or to do bad.

Moralism: Why is God Punishing Me?
What did I do wrong? Maybe if I had more faith, prayed more, or lived better, then I wouldn't be suffering. Accordingly, the religious moralist responds by striving to improve the way he/she lives. It is based on the belief that if we live a good life, then good things will happen to us, and vise versa.

Job was told as much by his religious friends after he lost his children and possessions to raiding marauders and natural disaster. He also became very sick. (3) But Job's friends couldn't have been more wrong, because earlier in the story it was made clear that Job was a righteous man. His suffering had nothing to do with the consequences of his own behavior, but rather was caused by the enemy of our souls, Satan. This point is extremely important, because even Christians often blame themselves ("I blew it") or God ("God is punishing or holding out on me") when they suffer. Christians often forget the Bible teaches we have an enemy who wants to kill, steal, and destroy our lives. (4) This also helps explain why it appears as though the world is under assault, where we have a mixed picture of human nobility and depravity, beauty and evil.

Jesus also addressed this moralist viewpoint when he asked his disciples whether some worshipers who were massacred in a local temple were worse sinners than their peers. Or if 18 people who died when a building collapsed on them were worse citizens than their peers. Jesus, with the full authority of the Son of God, answered his own question with an empathic "I tell you, no!" (5)

That makes it pretty clear we are not to jump to conclusions when we or someone else is suffering. It is indeed cruel to tell the mourning and brokenhearted that they are worse than others.

It is important to note that Jesus didn't say we are not sinners at all. We know that sometimes we bring suffering on ourselves by the way we live (such as consequences for not taking care of our health, or other poor choices). But sometimes we just don't know the cause of suffering.

Perhaps the real question is whether there is any evidence we can trust God in our suffering.

Jesus went on to tell his listeners: "But unless you repent, you also will perish". God gives each of us a finite life span and along with it, opportunity to respond to Him. I encourage you to consider Jesus' warning.

Trusting God With the Ragged Edges of Suffering
Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, or God in human form. (6) His crucifixion on the cross has a solid basis in history. (7)

It is worth contemplating what God was doing on the cross. There is much more to it, but at the very least it tells me that God has not remained distant from human suffering, but has become part of it.

This is a crucial point that is utterly unique among world religions. Only with the cross can we even begin to comprehend how God can help us endure suffering. It is a window into the heart of God (8) (Watch John Lennox discuss this powerfully on the YouTube link to the left or here: (http://youtu.be/tmP5WfEiOe0).

As Christians we believe that because Jesus is God Incarnate, he rose from the dead, which tells us death is not the end. We also believe Jesus will be the righteous judge of all people, and that justice is real. (9) This also addresses the twin problems of moral and natural evil. The terrorists who blew up the twin towers, and those who murdered school children in shooting sprees will not get away with it - there is to be a final judgement; this is a moral universe. We also have the promise of restoration. There will one day be a new heaven and a new earth, where all pain will be abolished. (10)

The Scriptures tell us that each of us exists because God wanted us. (11) And that includes those who have perished, whether due to moral evil or natural causes. Such as my friend's family who died in the tsunami, my wife's mother, and my older sister whose heart stopped beating two weeks before she was to be born. Perhaps John Lennox summarized it best when he said: "Even though on the one hand I have major intellectual problems with many questions [of pain and suffering], I think there is enough evidence to believe that when we see what God has done [in heaven] with the innocents who have perished, we will have no more questions." (8)

Footnotes:
(1) 2 Corinthians 4:14; Romans 8:11; Revelation 21:4.
(2) Mere Christianity, CS Lewis, in the chapter "The Shocking Alternative".
(3) Job, Chapter 1.
(4) John 10:10.
(5) Luke 13:1-5.
(6) Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 2:9.
(7) Matthew 27:32-50; Mark 15:21-37; Luke 23:26-46; John 19:16-30; see also the book "The Case for Christ, by Lee Strobel.
(8) Much of this blog post was derived from John Lennox's discussion of this topic on YouTube (http://youtu.be/FyfR6tDnSvc?t=54m44s between 54:44 and 1:04:37); see also his amazing talk given in New Zealand after a devastating earthquake: (http://vimeo.com/howickbaptist/john-lennox).
(9) Revelation 20:11-15; Romans 14:10; and many other verses.
(10) Revelation 21:1-7; 2 Peter 3:10-13.
(11) Revelation 4:11.

Our Cigarette-Smoking Angel

noreply@blogger.com (Dale Bremer) — Sun, 28 Sep 2014 19:49:00 +0000

"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels." Hebrews 13:2

Santiago, Chile!

Sweeping view of Santiago from Cerro San Cristobal, a huge park in the city.

"I can't believe we're lost already!", I told Steve (1) as we drove through the streets of Santiago. We had left our hotel only minutes ago and almost immediately got lost. Our plan was to drive north to the Portillo ski resort high in the Andes mountains near the Argentina border, and then drive west across the country to the coast by nightfall. But it was already mid-morning and we could feel precious minutes ticking away. Suddenly my spirits lifted as I saw come into view...a Starbucks coffee house! True, this wouldn't necessarily help us find our way, but we both loved coffee and we reasoned we could study the map whilst sipping on fine coffee and finding our way back on track.

Our First "Angel"
As we hurriedly studied our map at Starbucks, it wasn't immediately clear which way to go. Finally, Steve asked a fellow coffee drinker for help. After hearing our plan, this gentleman grabbed a pen and started scratching a map on a napkin. "You can get there faster if you take the bypass north out of Santiago. It will cost you a little but it's worth it."

The road north out of Santiago. The beautiful Andes mountains were on the
horizon and traffic was light.

In a short while we were on our way. There was very little traffic on the bypass and we made good time. "Maybe this will help us make up lost time", Steve said as we motored through the beautiful Chilean countryside towards Los Andes. "I hope so", I sighed, trying not to think that by now it was late morning and we still had a long way to go.

We made it to Los Andes without a hitch, but as we approached our intersection where we were to turn towards Portillo we ran into road construction. Unfortunately a detour took us off the main road in the opposite direction we needed to go. We soon realized we had no idea how to get to the road we needed. We tried to ask the construction workers directing traffic how to get to our road, but with little success. Steve knew a little Spanish, and I knew even less. They seemed amused at our attempts to communicate and I couldn't tell if they really couldn't understand us or if they didn't want to.

Road construction on the way to Portillo. Lots of big trucks, and progress was
slow. The scenery was spectacular though!

Here we were nearing Portillo. In the distance is a series of switchbacks in the
road, which made for harrowing driving because the snow made the roads
slick.

Our Second Angel
"Great, we're lost again. This is beginning to feel too familiar!" I said. "Pull over here and I'll ask someone for directions", Steve directed as we approached a gas station. He exited the car and went to a couple of motorists before one seemed willing to speak with him. I couldn't tell what they were saying, but soon Steve came back to the car and said to follow the guy to the next intersection, where he would turn left but we were to turn right. "Are you sure he understood you?" I asked as we pulled out of the station behind our new guide. "I think so", Steve answered as we came to a halt again behind a long line of stalled traffic due to the road construction. "He didn't know any English, but seemed happy to help us". Our progress was slow as we inched our car along, and after what seemed like an hour (but was probably only 20 minutes), we saw we were approaching an intersection. "Do you suppose this is our intersection?", I asked? "Apparently so!" Steve answered as he noted our guide was holding his arm high out of his window and gesturing towards the right. Relieved, we both waved back heartily in gratitude and turned right towards Portillo.

Steve Keeley at the Portillo ski resort high in the Andes mountains.

Portillo At Last!
Traffic was heavy and there was a considerable amount of road construction along the way to Portillo, but the drive was beautiful. It turned much colder and began to snow as we climbed higher and higher. Soon we saw what looked like a military checkpoint along the road, with a tunnel through a mountain just beyond. We soon realized we had missed the ski area and had apparently arrived at the Argentina border. We pondered driving through the tunnel just to say we had been in Argentina, but the military presence made us a little uncertain, and we were running late, too, so we turned around before we got to the checkpoint and headed back to the ski area. We were a little concerned they might get suspicious and try to pursue us, but that didn't happen (phew!).

The Aconcagua Valley is an important wine-growing valley in Chile; here we
are driving past a vineyard with stunning mountain scenery in the background.
I wish we would have had time to stop and enjoy it!

Rising Apprehension
Traffic was also heavy and slow going back down, and it was late by the time we got to the Aconcagua Valley, just west of San Felipe. "Maybe we should find a place to stay around here", I said as the sun sank towards the horizon, "It will probably be well past dark by the time we get to the coast, and finding a hotel then may be difficult"; we hadn't reserved a room anywhere. But as the miles passed, we didn't see anything resembling a motel, hotel, or bed and breakfast. We even detoured into the town of Catemu (I think), but didn't see anything we felt comfortable with.

As we left the town and pulled back onto the main road, my mind started racing about our options...could we find our way in the dark to Con Con, our destination on the coast? What would we do if we couldn't find a hotel? I knew there was a Radisson Hotel there, but we had no way of knowing if it had any rooms or even if we could find it. Would we have to sleep in the car that night? If so, how could we find a safe place? Steve was probably thinking the same things but neither of us really wanted to talk about it. We were still holding out hope.

Do We Have a Prayer?
But hope soon vanished as we came upon more road construction and a long line of stalled traffic. Tired, hungry, and discouraged, I finally breached the silence and asked Steve what he thought about our situation. As we talked, it dawned on us to pray. PRAY!! Steve and I are both Christians, and we were surprised we hadn't thought of praying about this before now. So we prayed. We asked Jesus to help us find our way to Con Con, that he would help us find a place to stay, even a nice hotel to stay in. Even as we prayed I was fearful we would end up sleeping in the car somewhere. I mean, clearly we deserved it, right? Since we didn't plan better. Oh me of little faith.

Our Third (Cigarette-Smoking) Angel
When we finished praying, we noticed the driver of a small tour bus directly in front of us get out to smoke a cigarette. Written across the back of the bus was "Con Con", which seemed almost to taunt us. We sat there for a few moments when Steve suddenly jumped out of the car and ran over to the bus driver. I was surprised by Steve's sudden exit from the car and wondered what he was up to. But he soon returned to our car and said "The bus driver is going to Con Con and said we could follow him". I was skeptical about whether we could keep up with or not get separated from him since it would be dark soon, but decided we had nothing to lose. Soon the traffic started moving and we followed him. At first it was easy to keep up with him. But then we entered a series of turns that ended at a toll booth. As we stopped to pay the toll, I could see the taillights of bus start to fade into the distance.

One of the few pictures we shot of the cigarette-smoking angel's bus.
Unfortunately we didn't get a picture of him!

"Dang, I really don't know where we are Steve. I have no idea how to get to Con Con from here". But Steve was pointing ahead and shouted "Look! He's waiting for us and is flashing his hazards so we know it is him!" Sure enough, the driver had slowed for us, and then continued to take great pains to make sure we stayed behind him, flashing his hazard lights and using his turn signals to alert us well before exits or turns were approaching. As we drove, Steve said "I think there is something going on here. I think the Lord is answering our prayer". It was then he told me that while we were stalled in construction, he had felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to go ask the bus driver for directions to Con Con. At first he (Steve) had resisted the Spirit's promptings, but then relented and went over to ask the bus driver. As he said this my spirits started rising, although I knew we weren't out of the woods yet.

Our cigarette-smoking angel was the antithesis of the cigarette
smoking man, who was the main villian on the X Files TV
series.

Con Con
I could tell from the road signs that we were approaching Con Con. Traffic was heavy on the four lane road we were traveling when, amazingly, the driver pulled over to the shoulder, jumped out of the bus, and came back to make sure we understood this was the Con Con exit. We thanked him profusely and tried to give him money as an expression of gratitude. At first he refused to take any money, but finally relented after we insisted. I was so thankful for that man's help that I could have hugged him! We called him our cigarette-smoking angel, and realized that following him gave us tremendous assurance we were going in the right direction.

Sleep in the Car After All?
By then it was pitch dark, and as we drove towards Con Con we knew we still didn't have a place to stay. After what had just happened, we agreed we should pray. So again we asked God to lead us to a safe, even nice hotel. I even uttered "the Radisson Hotel" under my breath. I knew it seemed almost selfish to request that, and maybe somewhere in my mind I felt God may expect us to sleep in the car or somewhere else uncomfortable. Suddenly Steve said "There's the Radisson, right there!" I almost couldn't believe my ears, but I could see he was correct...it was directly alongside the road we were traveling! So we pulled in to see if they had any rooms.

Me standing by the window of our hotel room with the mighty
Pacific Ocean just outside the window.

Extravagantly Answered Prayers
The clerk behind the counter was friendly, but told us that this was a busy time of the year, and especially on weekends. Since this was a Friday night, my apprehension began to rise again. Gosh, I thought, after after all of this we still might end up sleeping in the car. "This must be your lucky night", he said as he checked the roster, "we have one more room left."

The view outside our second-story window. I could have jumped directly
into the ocean, it was that close!

"I'll take it!", I exclaimed almost before he had finished speaking. Relief began to flood over me, and already I was thanking God for his provision. But God wasn't finished answering our prayers yet. While the clerk was preparing the paperwork, Steve had wandered over to the window and came back to report that the ocean was right outside the hotel. Cool, I thought momentarily before the clerk spoke again. "The room is on the ocean side". Double cool. But all I could really think about was hauling our baggage up to the room and go find something to eat. We were both famished after the day's adventures. It wasn't until we got up to the room that we realized the hotel was indeed right beside the ocean, and the windows could be opened to see the ocean, hear the surf, and smell the salt air! This wasn't a small answer to our prayer, but an extravagant answer.

My love note to my wife from the southern hemisphere.

...oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him...! Ephesians 1:19

We headed back out and soon found a nice seafood restaurant right beside the ocean, with a beautiful view, friendly waiters, good food, and even a local resident playing the restaurant's piano. His music wasn't professional but it sounded beautiful to us! After calling our wives back in the States to assure them we were okay, we headed back to the hotel. It was an incredible ending to an incredible day.

Epilogue
We left the window cracked open all night so we could hear the surf. In the middle of the night I got up and stood gazing for awhile out the open window. The southern stars were blazing, and a crescent moon was setting over the Pacific Ocean. I could sense God's presence and I praised him for his amazing creation, answered prayers, and the many "angels" he had sent to help us that day.

Footnotes:
(1) My friend and colleague Steve Keeley and I took this trip after attending an international conference in Santiago, Chile, in July 2009.

Visiting Ireland: The Emerald Isle

noreply@blogger.com (Dale Bremer) — Sun, 31 Aug 2014 23:04:00 +0000

"...the Irish saved civilization." Thomas Cahill

"If I have any worth, it is to live my life for God so as to teach these peoples; even though some of them still look down on me."

Saint Patrick, 5th century

After reading Thomas Cahill's fascinating book "How the Irish Saved Civilization", I was excited to visit Ireland. In Cahill's book I was surprised to learn that St. Patrick, who is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland, was not Irish. Rather, as a teenager he was kidnapped by marauding Irish raiders and forced into slavery as a shepherd in remote Ireland where he was bitterly isolated and spent months at a time alone in the hills. It was during that time that Patrick began seeking a relationship with his heavenly Father.

Six years later Patrick escaped his captors, which is an amazing story in itself. However, despite his harsh treatment and the fact that the Irish of his day (fifth century) were violent, pagan, and barbaric, and human sacrifice was commonplace, Patrick felt God's call to return to Ireland as a missionary. He wrote: "I am ready to be murdered, betrayed, enslaved -- whatever may come my way."

Cahill's book is more than about Patrick only. It is a brief history of the dark ages, after Rome fell and the barbarians ransacked the European continent...and learning, scholarship, and culture nearly disappeared. However, the monks and scribes of Patrick's unconquered Ireland preserved the West's written treasury, from the Greek and Roman classics to Jewish and Christian works, which would have otherwise been lost. With the return of stability to Europe, these Irish scholars moved into the continent, evangelizing and bringing learning wherever they went. An amazing story and worth a read!

Recently (mid to late August) I visited Ireland with my family, to attend a destination wedding of my step-daughter Sarah and my new son-in-law, Colin. Below are a few photos of the beautiful land and its beautiful and friendly people. Enjoy!


The Cliffs of Moher, rising more than 700 ft. above the ocean, south of Doolin.

You can't visit Ireland without visiting a pub! We grabbed lunch at a famous Doolin pub and it was a great experience!

A beautiful view of a valley on the Ring of Kerry near sunset, northeast of Sneem.

My family (left to right) Colin, me, Jannis, Josh, Lindsey, Sarah, and Erin, at Ross Castle in Killarney National Park.

Josh in Killarney on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in August!

Fuchsia (fuchsia magellacina) flower, known in in Gaelic as ´Deora De´ ( the tears of God). This flower was common along roadsides in County Kerry.

Skelling Michael (right) and Little Skellig (left) islands. This was one of the highlights of our trip! Little Skelling is home to 70,000 Gannets, making it the 2nd largest colony of that bird species in the world; the white on Little Skelling is guano. Skelling Michael is home to a Christian monastery established sometime between the 6th and 8th century and abandoned in the 12th century. The sea was rough on our boat ride out, and several of our group got sick!

More than 600 harrowing steps lead to the monastery, which sits at more than 600 feet above sea level. A misstep during this climb (or descent) could easily lead to serious injury or death. There were no guard rails!

The groom, Colin Smith, giving a friendly wave outside one of the "beehive cells", where the monks resided. The stones are laid with no mortar and yet they still shed water after ~1500 years!

A view of Little Skelling Island from a window in one of the oratories on Skelling Michael.

Driving in Ireland is not for the faint of heart! The roads are narrow and car insurance is high...most credit cards won't cover rental car insurance in Ireland. In fairness, this scene may be a bit extreme even for Ireland. It was on the north side of Conor Pass on the Dingle Peninsula. Note that driving is on the left side of the road, which takes some adjustment!

My daughter Erin poses beside an "erin" gift store in Sneem, Ireland. Erin is a Gaelic word for Ireland.

Panoramic view of a ring stone fort, Cahergall, near Cahersiveen, on the north side of the Ring of Kerry.

Jannis and me giving a friendly wave to our group, who were up on the wall of Cahergall stone fort.
(Photo courtesy of Lindsey Myers)

My daughter Erin and me at a beach on the west side of the Dingle peninsula.

Beautiful and typical view of the western Irish countryside, here on Valentia Island.

Jannis emerging from our abode, Westcove Farmhouse. We had our own private courtyard!

A view of the cove out of our bedroom window. We could hear sheep and a resident goose every morning and evening!

The bride and groom, Sarah and Colin at their wedding on a beautiful Irish afternoon (August 19, 2014). Sister Lindsey stands to the left. I had the honor of officiating their ceremony! (Photo courtesy of Allison Gerli)

The sun shines through an opening in the tower of Ballinskelligs Priory, where the monks settled after abandoning the monastery at Skelling Michael Island. Although the priory is in ruins I was encouraged by words from the prophet Isaiah: "For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland." Isaiah 43:19. God isn't finished with Ireland or any of the world. The world needs more "St. Patricks" through which God will move to change the nations. Who knows, maybe God is calling you!

Resurrection from the Dead

noreply@blogger.com (Dale Bremer) — Mon, 26 May 2014 01:55:00 +0000

“Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here...‘He has risen from the dead...”
―Matthew 28:5-7

“The resurrection of Jesus Christ and Christianity stand or fall together”
― Professor Josh McDowell

As a child my family attended church at sunrise nearly every Easter Sunday. Although I didn't like getting up early when it was still dark, over the years the significance of the Easter message began to 'dawn' on me. Namely, that this God-man named Jesus conquered death, returned to life from the grave, and promised us that we too could have this hope. (1) (see 1.3 min youtube scene of the resurrection from "The Passion of the Christ" at left, or click here). But can this really be true? If it is, it changes everything.

Literal Resurrection?
Many modern people have trouble believing in this aspect of Christian teaching. One objection is that the early Christians were a primitive, pre-scientific people who were ignorant of the laws of nature and therefore, more prone to believe in miracles. However, a physician named Luke wrote two books of the Bible that included an account of the resurrection. Luke was trained in the medical science of his day, and wrote that the first objections to the resurrection came not from atheists, but from Sadducee high priests in Judaism. These were highly religious men who believed in God, but they had embraced a worldview that did not allow for the resurrection of the dead. Indeed, theirs was a widespread conviction. Historian Tom Wright explained: "Ancient paganism contains all kinds of theories, but whenever resurrection is mentioned, the answer is a firm negative: we know that it doesn't happen." Therefore, the ancient world knew as well as we do that dead bodies do not get up out of graves. Christianity won its way because of the sheer weight of evidence that one man had actually risen from the dead. (2,3)

A second objection is that today we know the laws of nature and therefore, we also know that miracles are impossible. However, as Oxford mathematician John Lennox explained: "It is important to grasp that Christians do not deny the laws of nature...The scientific use of the word 'law' is not the same as the legal use, where we often think of a law as constraining someone's actions...Newton's Law of Gravitation tells me that if I drop an apple it will fall towards the centre of the earth. But that law does not prevent someone intervening, and catching the apple as it descends. In other words, the law predicts what will happen, provided there is no change in the conditions under which the experiment is conducted. Thus, from the theistic perspective, the laws of nature predict what is bound to happen if God does not intervene. To argue that the laws of nature make it impossible for us to believe in the existence of God, and in the possibility of his intervention in the universe, is plainly fallacious. It would be like claiming that understanding of the laws governing the behaviour of internal combustion engines makes it impossible to believe that the designer of a motor car, or one of his mechanics, could or would intervene to remove the cylinder head. Of course they could intervene. Moreover, this intervention would not destroy those laws. The very same laws that explained why the engine worked with the cylinder head on would now explain why it did not work with the head removed...When a miracle takes place, it is our knowledge of the laws of nature that alerts us to the fact that it is a miracle." (2)

The Explosion of the Early Church
Clearly the resurrection or any event in history cannot be proven in a scientific laboratory. However, the resurrection of Jesus is a historical fact much more fully attested to than most other events of ancient history that we take for granted. The explosive growth of the early church was centered around the resurrection, and was striking evidence that it (the resurrection) happened. (2,3,4) (listen to NT Wright on youtube at right, or click here).

From the beginning the early church had a resurrection-centered view of reality. For example, one of the first accounts of the empty tomb and eyewitnesses was recorded by Paul only 15 to 20 years (possibly as little as 5 years) after the death of Jesus:

"I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died."
1 Corinthians 15:3-6.

It is also noteworthy that nearly all of the apostles and early Christian leaders died for their faith. It is hard to believe that this kind of powerful self-sacrifice would be done to support a hoax. As Pascal put it "I [believe] those witnesses who get their throats cut." Consequently, as stated by Tim Keller: "Most people think that, when it comes to Jesus' resurrection, the burden of proof is on believers to give evidence that it happened. That is not completely the case. It is not enough to simply believe Jesus did not rise from the dead. You must then come up with a historically feasible alternate explanation for the birth of the church." (4)

Mary at the Empty Tomb, a stained glass
reproduction of a painting by German artist Bernhard
Plockhorst (1825-1907).

The Resurrection and You
At the age of 50, Leo Tolstoy faced an inward crisis and asked the question lying in the soul of every person, a question that brought him to the verge of suicide. "Is there any meaning in my life that the inevitable death awaiting me does not destroy?" The resurrection of Jesus Christ answers that question with a resounding yes.

Consequently, I believe the significance of the resurrection warrants your serious consideration. Namely because if it really happened, Christianity teaches that our resurrection can be guaranteed as well. As NT Wright said (in the youtube video in this post), if your worldview doesn't allow the possibility of miracles and you simply won't believe it, then this is as far as I can take you. However, if you are open to changing your worldview to believing that maybe there is a God who is involved in sorting out this sad world, then you will find the evidence overwhelming for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Personally I find enormous comfort in this belief and desire the same for everyone-including you!

Footnotes:

(1) After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” Matthew 28:1-10.

(2) John Lennox, God's Undertaker: Has Science Buried God?, in the chapter entitled "Violating nature? The legacy of David Hume.The discussion in the section "Literal Resurrection?" was based on this chapter/book.

(3) Other excellent references on this topic include Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ; and Josh McDowell, Evidence that Demands a Verdict.

(4) Timothy Keller, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, in the chapter entitled The Reality of the Resurrection. The discussion in the section "Explosion of the Early Church" was based on this chapter/book.

Has Science Disproved God?

noreply@blogger.com (Dale Bremer) — Sun, 16 Feb 2014 23:54:00 +0000

"Science and religion cannot be reconciled.”
Peter Atkins

“All my studies in science… have confirmed my faith.”
Sir Ghillean Prance FRS

Wearing my new glasses!

Recently I picked up a pair of glasses for distance viewing, which for me is the first time ever. I was amazed at how sharp my vision was. The definition and clarity in road signs, trees, and buildings was astounding! It literally took me back almost 35 years to when my vision was much better!

Origins of Complex Life

I began to think about the different explanations for the existence of something as complex and functional as the human eye. A theist (one who believes in a deity) would say the eye was designed and created by God, while an atheist would say the eye emerged automatically out of matter through a mindless, unguided process. As I marveled at the sharpness of my vision, I couldn’t help but wonder whether atheism really requires more faith than theism (1). Why, if something as marvelous as vision simply emerged from the primordial soup, would vision be so sharp? Why, for example, wouldn’t it be sufficient for the eye to evolve just to the point of my present vision without glasses, which is still overall quite functional? (2) This question is similar to, although not as potentially damning as what has become known as Darwin’s Doubt. Darwin wrote: ‘With me, the horrid doubt always arises whether the convictions of man’s mind, which has been developed from the mind of the lower animals, are of any value or at all trustworthy.’

Mathematicians have calculated that it is highly improbable that the eye could have evolved by numerous small mutational changes since the available time was simply not available. Even so-called new atheist Richard Dawkins, author of “The God Delusion” stated: ‘You don’t need to be a mathematician or a physicist to calculate that an eye…would take from here to infinity to self-assemble by sheer higgledy-piggledy luck.’ Dawkins’ explanation, in a nutshell, is that natural selection is a law-like process that finds a faster pathway through the space of possibilities, which will increase the probabilities to acceptable levels over geological time. There isn’t space in this post to delve into the nuts and bolts of his explanation, but Oxford mathematician Dr. John Lennox dissects it brilliantly and concludes that Dawkins’ explanation turns out to be a guided process after all (3).

Science has Disproved God?

The new atheists such as Richard Dawkins and Peter Atkins also claim that science has eliminated the justification for believing in God. As a scientist who believes in God, I resoundingly reject that claim. A poll published in Nature in the mid-1990’s revealed that about 40% of all scientists believe both in a God who answers prayer and in immortality (4). There have also been and are some very prominent scientists who do believe in God – Francis Collins, Director of the Human Genome Project, Professor Bill Phillips, winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1997, and others (5). The scientist Sir John Houghton FRS wrote: ‘Our science is God’s science. He holds the responsibility for the whole scientific story… (6) This reflects the belief of many scientists.

Even the late Stephen Jay Gould, who was not a believer in God, wrote: ‘Either half my colleagues are enormously stupid, or else the science of Darwinism is fully compatible with conventional religious beliefs – and equally compatible with atheism.’ Gould also said that ‘science simply cannot (by its legitimate methods) adjudicate the issue of God’s possible existence. We neither affirm it nor deny it; we simply can’t comment on it as scientists’ (7). Prominent atheist Thomas Nagel goes even farther, criticizing the new atheists by saying their conception of nature, which is unable to account for mind-related features such as consciousness, meaning, and value, flies in the face of common sense and is almost certainly false (8).

War of the Worldviews

In his book God’s Undertaker: Has Science Buried God? (9), Dr. John Lennox points out that, in light of some of the points made above, the real conflict isn’t between science and God at all. If that were true, the vast majority of scientists would be atheists, which simply isn’t so. No, the real conflict is between two opposing worldviews: theism and naturalism. Naturalism is opposed to supernaturalism, and naturalism insists there can be no incursion into nature from outside of nature (such as God, angels, etc.). Therefore, naturalists have no other option than to insist that matter and energy must have the potential to organize themselves in such a way that eventually something as complex as the eye, or the human mind with its inherent hunger for meaning and purpose, will emerge.

Dr. Lennox concludes his book by noting that all of us must choose essentially between one of two presuppositions that will form the basis of our worldview. He wrote: ‘Either human intelligence ultimately owes its origin to mindless matter; or there is a Creator.’

As I drove into my driveway after picking up my glasses, I got out of the car and looked up into the starry sky. The ‘restored’ clarity of my vision truly enhanced the beauty of the moon and stars in the night sky. As I stood there I thought of the Psalmists words: ‘The heavens declare the glory of God’ (10). And I thanked God that he gave me the ability to see with my eyes and comprehend with my mind even just a small glimpse of his glory!

Footnotes:

(1) There is actually an astounding amount of evidence, historical and otherwise, to support the claims of Christianity. See the book The Case for Christ, by Lee Stobel.

(2) Even evolution to that point would be quite remarkable!

(3) God’s Undertaker: Has Science Buried God? Chapter 10: The Monkey Machine. 2009, Lion Books, Oxford, UK.

(4) Survey results reported in Nature, 3 April 1997, 386:435-6. Note that believing in a God who answers prayer and in immortality is much more specific than simply believing in some kind of divine being.

(5) See my earlier post: Scientists Who Believe in God.

(6) He went on to say: ‘The remarkable order, consistency, reliability and fascinating complexity found in the scientific description of the universe are reflections of the order, consistency, reliability and complexity of God’s activity (The Search for God – Can Science Help?, Oxford, Lion, 1995, p. 59). Houghton is the former Director of the British Meteorological Office, co-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and Director of the John Ray Initiative on the Environment.

(7) As quoted in God's Undertaker: Has Science Buried God, 2009, p. 92 and 93. Original source: Impeaching a Self-Appointed Judge. Scientific American 267, no. 1, 1992, 118-121.

(8) Mind and Cosmos: Why the Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature is Almost Certainly False, by Thomas Nagel. 2012, Oxford.

(9) Much of the material in this blog post is from this book by Dr. Lennox.

(10) The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. Psalm 19:1-4

A Star to Steer By - Revised!

noreply@blogger.com (Dale Bremer) — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 00:00:00 +0000

The beautiful Portland Head Lighthouse on the Maine coast.

It was the flash from this lighthouse I could see from the

balcony of my hotel in Ogunquit, far to the south.

No finite point has meaning without an infinite reference point.

Jean-Paul Sartre

I am the light of the world.

Jesus Christ (Matthew 5:14)

I stood outside on the deck of my hotel listening to the surf quietly lap the beach. It was a beautiful Maine evening, with stars blazing overhead and a gentle breeze blowing warm for early October. Out in the darkness my eyes traced a dim line of lights running along the shore of the peninsula that jutted far out to sea. Where the lights ended, I assumed, was lands end and where the open sea began. I was curious then, when I saw a light flash much farther out to sea. It didn't take long to realize that the flash was from a lighthouse, which marked the true end of land. It was plain to me then how a lighthouse could make the difference between life and death to a ship sailing off the coast.

My friends and I had to laugh when
we saw this sign in Beijing, China,
north of the Forbidden City. It reminded
us all about the perilous journey of life.

A Point of Reference
As I thought about a ship sailing along the coast in rough waters without a reference point to warn it where it could run aground, it occurred to me how similar this is to navigating through life. Who could argue that life is not perilous? And how many lives have been shattered on the rocks of despair, meaninglessness, alcohol and drug addiction, bitterness, anxiety, etc.

How helpful it would be to have a point of reference to warn us of the dangers in life.

Even John-Paul Sartre (quoted above), a famous atheist existentialist, recognized that we finite human beings need an infinite reference point in order to have meaning. However, because Sartre didn't believe there was an infinite reference point (God), he concluded that life is meaningless. "Man is absurd", he said, "but he must grimly act as if he were not". Sartre had worked through the implications of life without God, and his conclusion perfectly illustrates the hopelessness of the atheistic and secularist worldview.

The flash of the lighthouse interrupted my thoughts. Each time I saw it, I was amazed at how far out the shore really ran.

Worldview
All of us have worldviews that, consciously or unconsciously, guide us through life and affect our daily decisions...decisions that could move us closer to or farther away from dangers that could destroy our lives. Francis Schaeffer noted that our worldviews are based on "presuppositions" (1). For example, the presupposition that is championed at the secular university (and widely in our culture) today is the "uniformity of natural causes in a closed system". Because, it is believed, the system is closed, then there can be nothing outside the system (i.e., God) and therefore, intervention from the outside (miracles or revelation from God) is impossible. With this presupposition, as Oxford mathematician John Lennox so eloquently stated, "we can’t even answer the simple questions of a child: Why am I here? What’s the meaning of life? And so on" (2). This is why Sartre, who believed in the closed system model, concluded that man is absurd.

If, on the other hand, you believe in the "uniformity of natural causes in an open system", into which God can act, then revelation and miracles are entirely possible. We can receive answers to the simple questions of a child because there is a God who can speak into our system (such as through the Bible). He is our lighthouse.Then the statement by Jesus Christ that he is the light of the world (quoted above) makes sense.

View from my hotel balcony on the coast of Ogunquit, Maine.
At night I could see the Portland Head Lighthouse flashing in
the distance at the far right.

A North Star
Francis Schaeffer went on to say that the Bible gives us an adequate reference point, a North Star for our lives in the infinite-personal God. God is infinite (and thus, provides us a needed infinite reference point), and at the same time personal. How was he personal? The apostle John wrote that God came into the world as a human, a person, whose name was Jesus Christ (3). Jesus reached out and touched the lepers (4), which everyone else was afraid to do because they didn't want to catch leprosy! He restored the lame (5) and even brought the dead back to life (6). Its hard to imagine getting more personal than that. In fact, read the New Testament and you will learn of many broken lives that, when touched by him, were healed and restored. Truly his mission had profound implications for those whose lives had been shattered on the jagged rocks of life.

Amazingly, the good news for us is that Jesus is still at work, healing and restoring life to all who accept him! (7)

The lighthouse flashed again. Its no accident that Jesus described himself as the light of the world, or that John called him "the true light that gives light to everyone" (8).

It was getting late and I was growing tired. But I went back into my hotel room with a supernatural assurance that God was with me. As John wrote about Jesus: "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (9)

Footnotes:

(1) He is There He is not Silent, by Francis Schaeffer
(2) An interview with John Lennox, Professor Lennox discusses Christianity, atheism, and science
(3) John 1:1,14,17.
(4) Matthew 8:1-3.
(5) Mark 3:1-6.
(6) Mark 5:21-43; John 11:1-44.
(7) Romans 8:10-11.
(8) John 1:9.
(9) John 1:5.

This is Your Life

noreply@blogger.com (Dale Bremer) — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 02:04:00 +0000

Yesterday is a wrinkle on your forehead.
Yesterday is a promise that you've broken.
Don't close your eyes, Today is all you've got.
This is your Life, Are you who you want to be?
Is it everything you dreamed that it would be,
when the world was younger and you had everything to lose?

-Switchfoot

This song by Switchfoot is inspiring and perhaps a bit haunting. It causes a person to ponder their own life (listen at left or click here to listen to the song on YouTube). When was the last time you've thought about yours? Given the fast pace of life in our culture, or perhaps because we are afraid of what we might find, we probably don't do it nearly often enough.

Think About Your Life
What were your hopes and dreams when you were younger? Who are you now? What are you becoming? Where are you going? These are just a few questions to consider, and others may come to mind as you read this. Are you living from your heart...from the core of your being? Are you passionate about the things you do? What are your relationships like? Do you have close friends, or do you feel alone? Most of us want to make a difference in the world and know that our lives matter.

Existential Angst
There is a general sense of angst running throughout humanity that may tend to discourage us from thinking too deeply about our lives. This existential angst is an intense feeling of apprehension, anxiety, inner turmoil, or even dread and despair about our future. Solomon, whom God blessed with exceptional wisdom, put it this way: Laughter can conceal a heavy heart, but when the laughter ends, the grief remains. (1) Solomon actually wrote this to describe every one of us, that one day all of our joy will end in grief. Think about it: Eventually you and I are going to lose everything our heart wants out of life...our health, our loved ones, our very life...everything will be taken from us. Solomon is saying that deep down inside we all know this, even if we try not to think about it, and it causes an underlying sense of sadness.

This is my life: My wife Jannis and I on the deck of
the aircraft carrier USS Midway in San Diego, CA.

Secularism addresses this angst by explaining that we just have to create our own meaning during the brief time we are here. But let's be candid, if we are really here by chance alone, and nothing we ever do in this life will be remembered across the vast oceans of dead time, long after man is gone, then there can be no significance to our lives and no hope. Consequently, unless we have a way of ascribing REAL meaning to our daily activities and to our lives - a meaning that death won't steal - we will live with this chord of sadness. (2)

Loneliness
Solomon recognized something else about human beings too. He wrote: Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can fully share its joy. (3) What he means is that each of us is unique, and the inner motions and movements of our hearts are so complex, so inward, and so hidden that there is an unavoidable solitude about human existence. In the end, nobody, not even your closest friends, will ever completely understand you. Nobody will be able to walk with you everywhere you go. In that sense, you are alone in the world. And we can all sense this too. Maybe its no wonder we don't ponder our lives too often!

Christians have a powerful remedy for the dilemma of loneliness. Namely, we can have an intimate ally in God. Jesus told us that he considers those who put their trust in him to be his friends. (4) Furthermore, God knows us better than we know ourselves, and he is always with us. (5) However, if God is only an abstract concept to you, or if you don't believe in him at all...if he isn't an intimate friend to you, then you are utterly alone in this world. With this kind of isolation, none of us can live the "rich and satisfying life" that Jesus offers. (6) We are men and women created in the image of God, and we are made for relationship with him. (7). As John Eldredge put it: "our deepest need as human beings [is] to live intimately with God." (8)(2)

This is my life: My daughter Erin and I.

A Living Hope

The Apostle Peter explained why followers of Jesus also have an answer to the dilemma of the "angst" mentioned above, and to the problem of death eventually stealing from us all that we hold dear. Peter wrote:

What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole. (1 Peter 1:3-5)

Do I really believe that Jesus rose from the dead, and that I and all who put their trust in him will eventually rise from the dead too, into an eternal life where we will have it all - life healed and whole? You bet I do. In fact, to the Christian, that hope is the "anchor of the soul, firm and secure". (9) The evidence for the truth of this claim, which is beyond the scope of this post, is much more than you might think. (10) If you haven't taken the time to ponder your life lately, or to investigate the claims of Christianity, then why not start now? It could be a life changing...and a life saving experience!

Footnotes:
(1) Proverbs 14:13.
(2) I credit Timothy Keller for much of the content of the sections on existential angst and loneliness, from his podcast entitled "The Wounded Spirit".
(3) Proverbs 14:10.
(4) I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn't confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. John 15:15
(5) God knows us intimately and has promised to always be with us. See these verses below:

Where can I go from your Spirit?

    Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast. Psalms 139:7-10

Jesus said: And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20

God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5

(6) The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. John 10:10.

(7) So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27.

(8) Quote from "Walking With God", by John Eldredge.

(9) We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. Hebrews 6:19.

(10) There are many good books on the topic of apologetics. I recommend the books: “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis, “The Reason for God” by Tim Keller, "He is There He is not Silent" by Francis Schaeffer, and “The Case for Christ” by Lee Strobel, which have excellent, in-depth discussions from the ground up about why the authors chose the Christian worldview; Lewis and Strobel were atheists before converting to Christianity.

Experiencing God

noreply@blogger.com (Dale Bremer) — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 22:44:00 +0000

If I were a preacher, I should, above all other things, preach the practice of the presence of God. Brother Lawrence

The continuous and unembarrassed interchange of love and thought between God and the soul of the redeemed man is the throbbing heart of [the] New Testament. A.W. Tozer

The Normal Christian Life?
There are Christians today who seek and experience God's presence on a regular basis. But in my past, experiencing the presence of God was a topic seldom (if ever) spoken about, even in the church. Converting people to Christianity was an important topic. But what life was supposed to look like as a Christian after conversion was less clear. One of my friends put it best when he said that in some ways we were given a sort of "hold on until heaven" mentality. Just do our best to manage our sins and endure life's hardships until we die, and THEN all will be well. As John Eldredge noted, in many churches the Christian life has seemingly become a dutiful life of following the rules, proper church attendance, and good manners. (1) But is that really authentic Christianity? A.W. Tozer criticized the modern church for rejecting what he called an "experiential heart theology" in favor of a smug interpretation of Scripture that implies we are not expected after conversion to crave any further revelation of God to our souls; that if we have found him, we need no more seek him. (2) However, as John Eldrege wrote: "our deepest need as human beings [is] to learn to live intimately with God. It is what we were made for." (3) I agree, and believe it is something worth pursuing passionately even after we become Christians.

My wife Jannis. I'm glad I know
her personally rather than simply
from reading about her in a book!

Knowing About God versus Knowing God

"That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection..." (4)

Reading those words from Philippians a few years ago literally stopped me in my tracks. The implications are what struck me...that we can actually KNOW Christ, and that knowing him is something worth pursuing. I already knew a lot ABOUT God from reading the Scriptures, involvement in Bible studies, learning church doctrine, etc. But you can know a lot about someone without really knowing them. A good analogy is this: Suppose you read a book about your spouse but never met them in person. How does that compare with actually meeting and experiencing...knowing him/her! The difference is huge.

When I read that verse above (in Philippians) I realized I didn't know him on a consistent, experiential, deeply personal level. But I knew I wanted to.

The Presence of God
Experiencing the awesome, glorious presence of God is not peripheral, but essential in the life of a Christian. This is actually very good news! Consider these statements from some of the great saints of the Christian faith:

"There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God. Those only can comprehend it who practice and experience it. Brother Lawrence (5)

"When Jesus is by us, all is well and nothing seems difficult, but when Jesus is away everything is hard." Thomas A Kempis (6)

"You have made us for yourself, Oh Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you." St. Augustine (7)

[Life eternal is] "nought other than that blessed regard wherewith Thou never ceasest to behold me, yea, even the secret places of my soul. With Thee, to behold is to give life; 'tis unceasingly to impart sweetest love of Thee; 'tis to inflame me to love of Thee by love's imparting, and to feed me by inflaming, and by feeding to kindle my yearning, and by kindling to make me drink of the dew of gladness, and by drinking to infuse in me a fountain of life, and by infusing to make it increase and endure." Nicholas of Cusa (8)

I love this brief (1.2 minute) clip from the movie "The Book of Eli". Denzel Washington (Eli) is citing the first 3 verses of the bible (click on the youtube picture or here: http://youtu.be/BBMrkW8DYgk). I had read those verses many times but as I listened, the words came alive for me as never before. The reverence in Eli's voice and posture are illustrative of someone who knows God personally.

Practicing the Presence of God
There is much more to be said about this topic than I have space for in this post. If you really want to experience the presence of God, I have cited from several books (see footnotes) that I encourage you to read to help you in this pursuit. The bottom line is that you will need to ardently seek it. Brother Lawrence, who was said to have lived a life abundantly in the presence of God, gave this advice: "That we might accustom ourselves to a continual conversation with Him, with freedom and in simplicity. That we need only to recognize God intimately present with us, to address ourselves to Him every moment..." (5)

As an example, Hudson Taylor, famous missionary to China in the 1800's, was said one evening to go into his room and spend time talking to God and trying to listen to Him. He experienced a sense of the presence of God and a feeling of joy quite unlike anything he had known before. After this time, he experienced an unmistakable awareness of just how God wanted him to spend the rest of his life. Namely, that he was called to be a missionary to China. (9)

Is it worth it? I'll give Paul (who wrote much of the New Testament) the last word on that:

"Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness." (10; emphasis mine)

Question: Do you experience God's presence on a regular basis?

Footnotes:

(1) Wild at Heart and other books by John Eldredge
(2) Following Hard After God, a chapter in The Pursuit of God, by A.W. Tozer
(3) Walking with God, by John Eldredge
(4) Philippians 3:10
(5) The Practice of the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence
(6) On Familiar Friendship with Jesus, a chapter in The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas A Kempis
(7) Confessions, by St. Augustine
(8) The Vision of God, Nicholas of Cusa, quoted by A.W. Tozer in The Pursuit of God
(9) J. Hudson Taylor: A Man in Christ, by Roger Steer.
(10) Philippians 3:8-9

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A Christian Case for Trump

Determined to Believe?

China

The Secret of Life

If You Can Keep It: The Forgotten Promise of American Liberty

Peace on Earth?

Scotland, Freedom, and Turfgrass

Hidden Figures

Lament for a Pet

The Arrival

Politics and a Prayer for our Country

Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy - My Book Review

Risen - The Movie

Why I Write This Blog

Is There Any Evidence That God Exists?

Japan

Jesus and Joy

The Problem of Pain, Suffering, Loss

Our Cigarette-Smoking Angel

Visiting Ireland: The Emerald Isle

Resurrection from the Dead

“Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here...‘He has risen from the dead...” ―Matthew 28:5-7

“The resurrection of Jesus Christ and Christianity stand or fall together” ― Professor Josh McDowell

Has Science Disproved God?

A Star to Steer By - Revised!

This is Your Life

Experiencing God

“Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here...‘He has risen from the dead...”
―Matthew 28:5-7

“The resurrection of Jesus Christ and Christianity stand or fall together”
― Professor Josh McDowell