Just A Thought

Imagine the ramifications of a just a “slight”, politically-correct change in the 2012 World Olympics. The change: afraid that we might hurt a contestant’s feelings or violate their sense of fairness we allow the contestants to adapt the rules to what they feel is fair. So, while running the 2,000 meter race, one of the contestants cuts across the center of the track instead of going all the way around, another sprays a competitor with mace, and a third runner takes steroids. Each of them has their reasons. Each of them feels justified. What if, in the name of tolerance and open-mindedness, the judges decide that anything goes and let them get away with such behavior? Suppose this kind of behavior was allowed in every category; how would that change the event? In short, there would be no Olympics. Because, when anything goes, you got nothin’.
The above scenario is no more ludicrous than our current trends in world culture. For example, in the name of tolerance and political correctness, many voices are suggesting that there may be a God but that everyone is free to decide who that God is and what his or her rules are. We are being counseled by many to define morals and values according to our preferences. Rules and absolutes are considered passé. It’s been my observation that those who encourage such thinking are usually people who deal in the realm of politics, philosophy or religion. People who have to manage companies, or help people heal, or teach children are usually forced to stick with much more practical philosophies - they understand that when anything goes, you got nothin’.

Here’s the problem with the “God is whoever you want him to be” approach: If baby Jesus, whose birth we just celebrated, is just another good teacher… if Christmas is just a winter holiday… if, in an effort not to offend anyone, we change the primary rule Jesus laid down when he said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. (John 14:6 NLT) or the rule St Peter declared when he said, “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 (NLT), then everything changes and you got nothin’.

But when you stick with the truth and live according to Scripture, you got everything. For example, in the past few months at the church I oversee, we have seen people filled with the Holy Spirit just like happened in the book of Acts. We’ve also seen many people healed, physically and emotionally – verifiable miracles. But it’s a package deal. You can’t throw out the rules and still have the miracles. You can’t steal into heaven. You can’t run a race if there are no rules and anything goes.

The universe has rules. Life has rules. Marriage has rules. We all have a Judge. But He is a benevolent King; so benevolent that He became one of us. There is a God, who laid down the rules. But then He came to earth, was born in a manger, and lived life according to His rules in order to demonstrate how much good could be accomplished by living life God’s way. I’m so glad Jesus came to show us the way. I’m so glad he is patient with us as we learn to accept His way of life. I am so glad He gives us power to believe and to live an abundant life. I’m glad He helps us understand that not just anything goes, because when anything goes, you got nothin’.

Few things seem harder for self-sufficient or hurting mankind to accept than the idea that God is the originator of life. So God, in His wisdom and kindness gives us evidence of creation – evidence that even satisfies the scientific method. He provides repeatable, measurable and observable mini-creations. I’m talking about scientifically-provable miracles.
Recently a guest minister told our church about a woman who had no eyeballs in her eye sockets. When he prayed for her God created eyeballs that could see -- not over millions of years, but within seconds. Several years ago a missionary from the Ivory Coast told us about a boy who was born with no legs. The missionary prayed a simple prayer and the boy grew legs and feet. The boy’s entire village converted to Christianity as a result. Another evangelist was present at a church service in which seven blind people received their sight. These and thousands of other incidents such as these are clear evidence of God’s creative ability.
In the debate between creationists and evolutionists the point is often made that neither side has proof of the origin of life because no one saw it happen. While it is true that no one but God was there when He created all things, He has conveniently provided proof of his creative ability by doing things that only the Creator could do. For example, while on earth He walked on water, turned water into wine, healed the sick, raised the dead, raised himself from the dead, walked through walls and ascended into heaven. Then Jesus commissioned the church to keep demonstrating, and millions of additional miracles have been witnessed up until this present day. Just within the past year at least a dozen people who attend the church where I pastor have experienced observable, provable (before and after x-rays) creative miracles. I must caution that God does not jump through hoops for the skeptics, but He does provide millions of experiments proving the legitimacy of the creation story for those who seek truth.
In Ben Stein’s excellent expose,“Expelled”, (a video that some people don’t want the public to see), he interviews some well-known unbelievers. One can’t help but notice the arrogance and bitterness that accompanies their view that there is no Creator. I am so thankful that God does not respond in kind. Instead, he responds with kindness. He gives scientific demonstrations on every continent and in every culture and economic group. He even reaches into academia and leaves creative evidence; evidence that He is real, that there is life after death, that he still works creatively and that even the most adamant unbelievers can have a life-changing new-birth experience.
While theorists frantically write textbooks conjecturing how life could have spontaneously appeared, God is giving personal demonstrations to those who are humble enough to believe. Ask around, it won’t take long to find someone who has had such an experience. Their miracle or healing is recorded in the true annals of history as one more patient reminder that there is a God who spoke the world into being… a God who loves His creation… a God who has prepared a better place for those who will pay attention to his creative evidence and accept His plan of salvation. Eventually those believers will enjoy heaven -- a creation that will make this one look like child’s play. Go ahead, embrace the evidence.