Does God Have Me?

The title of this post was not the title of last Sunday’s message at Ranch Community Fellowship, but it was the question we were asking. Does God have me? Have I truly surrendered myself to him and trust him with my life? We’re looking at our use of money to answer those questions.

What does our giving say about our relationship with God? People give many reasons for why they do not give to God and others generously. At the root of almost every reason one can imagine there are two issues that cannot be ignored.

First, some of us don’t believe God is capable of providing for us with what is left after we give to Him. Admittedly, many of us have either mismanaged our money. We have used credit way too freely to get what we can’t really afford. Some of us have had a staggering, unexpected crisis of some sort that has shaken our financial footing. Still others of us have been struggling with our financial stability for so long that we don’t know what it’s like not to always be worried about there being more month than money. Of course, it takes more faith to give in the face of these situations, but it always takes faith to give to God. With God’s multiple promises to take care of us couple with his directives to give, what does it say about us when we don’t give. Does it say we don’t trust God to do what he says he will do; that we don’t trust him to provide for us when we give to him?”

The second reason can sometimes, but not always, be related to why we find ourselves in these situations. As a result of the sin infection we all carry, most of us tend to view life as if we were the center of the universe. We’re what matters, and as long as our desires, wants, and needs (real and imagined) are met, that’s what’s important. While it may sound harsh and we might not want to admit it, we’ve clearly determined that what God wants is not as important to us as what we want. Does this mean we have not surrendered our lives to God?

A popular passage on tithing, Malachi 3, is often quoted simply to encourage people to tithe, that is, give ten percent of their income to God. However, that is not the main point of the passage. While I have no doubt God wants us to give ten percent and more (tithes and offerings) to him and that he will pour out blessings so great we cannot contain them, this is not the most important thing here. In Malachi, God is bothered the people are not fully embracing and following him. He points to their lack of giving, among other things, as evidence that they neither fully trust him nor are they fully surrendered to him.

“I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." (Malachi 3:6-10, NIV)

Generous giving indicates our trust in God and the full surrender of our lives to him. As harsh and as crass as it sounds, when God does not have our money he does not have us. There is no such thing as mature Christ-follower who is not a generous giver.

Proving God Exists, Part 1, Introduction

Recently a friend asked me, “How do we KNOW, other than something we feel in our heart, that there is a God?” So far the only answer she had been given by anyone was, “When you know God, and he is in your heart, there is no doubt.”

I was bothered that my friend had not been given a better answer. Essentially my friend was told, “If you want to be sure God exists, you just need to know God.” That’s a bit circular.

Is It Possible to Prove the Existence of God?

How does one definitively answer that question? Is it even possible to “prove” the existence of a supernatural being? My well-worn copy of Webster’s dictionary defines the supernatural as “an order of existence beyond the visible, observable universe.” The same dictionary also states the supernatural departs “from what is usual or normal, especially so as to appear to transcend the laws of nature.” If something is not visible or observable and is not confined by the “laws” that customarily govern our understanding of the world, how can we “prove” that which is beyond our ability to observe or to fully understand?

The Subjective Nature of Proof

Another challenge we face is the subjective nature of proof. Consider a criminal trial by jury. In our system of justice, twelve people are asked to judge the proof presented by an attorney to judge whether or not a person is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. My extensive legal education, obtained from watching way too many reruns of Law and Order, has taught me there are trials that end in hung juries, where the jurors have an irreconcilable difference of opinion as to guilt or innocence. In other words, the evidence that was presented was enough for some to KNOW the defendant is guilty, but not enough for others to KNOW the same thing.

Why We Call It Faith

With these challenges in mind, perhaps this is why we refer to any system of thought that acknowledges a belief in the supernatural as a “faith” system. That same Webster’s dictionary to which I referred earlier offers the following as one definition of faith, “firm belief in something for which there is no proof.”

Does Proof Matter?

I guess these are just a couple of the problems we encounter as we try to answer this question. Perhaps that is why my friend got the answer she was given. Perhaps it is impossible to “prove” that God exists according to the laws of evidence in a courtroom, by scientific method, or by mathematical equation. However, I’m not sure how much that matters.

While there are many who are honestly seeking proof of the truth, for most, I suspect proof is irrelevant. Most of the discussion I am finding on this topic is put forth by those on one side or the other seeking to bolster what they already believe. No matter what proof is offered, they will cling to their predetermined belief. After all, even today there are people who believe, in spite of all scientific data to the contrary, the world is flat. (See International Flat Earth Society.)

In some ways I fall into that camp. I clearly believe in the existence of God. More specifically, I believe in God as revealed to us through the Christian Bible, and because I find so much benefit through what I believe, I want others to believe as well.  Even though I personally feel no need to bolster my belief with an effort to construct data and philosophy that would support it, I understand how such efforts might be helpful to others.  Therefore, I am willing to make the effort.  

If I am unable to prove the existence of God in a way that would satisfy standards accepted in a court of law or in a scientific laboratory, it does not mean God does not exist. It only means I was incapable of proving it by standards generally accepted in our culture.  However, I hope to add enough “evidence” that it will help move some closer to accepting this vital truth.

Walking in the Shoes of Others

That being said, I hope to set myself apart from those who do not make an honest attempt to put themselves in the shoes of those who struggle with believing in the existence of God; those who may even want to believe in God’s existence. I hope my views are sensitive to their concerns and not condescending. Too often honest seekers with questions have been dismissed because their questions were hard to answer. Sometimes they were even ridiculed. Such responses were, and are, harmful rather than helpful.

Join Me in the Journey

Over the next few weeks, as I think and research this topic, I hope you will be patient with me. This is not easy writing for me to do, since I have not given much thought to proving the existence of God. Having always accepted the idea that God is real, I’ve never felt the need to “prove” it.

I am looking forward to this process, and I invite you to join me with your thoughts, even if they run counter to mine. Our honest opinions and responses will help us to sharpen each other’s thinking, and I am sure you will think of things I have not considered.  Your questions are also welcome.  I cannot promise I will always be able to provide an answer, but you will get an honest, genuine response.

Technorati Tags: bible,God,atheist,agnostic,apologetics

Fulfilling the Heart of God: Growing Through Relationships

Ranch Community Church is in the second week of a series of messages, small group discussions, and personal reflection on what each of us need to do तो be in alignment with God’s vision for our church – thus fulfilling the heart of God. Below are my reflections, not my finished thoughts, on this week’s passage and questions.

As I read through Romans 16, this week’s passage in our “Fulfilling the Heart of God” journal, three things caught my attention.

Personal Relationships

First, I noted the large number of people to whom Paul was personally connected or knew about. In this one chapter I counted twenty-nine individuals or groups to whom Paul sent greetings or in some way praised. (That does not include the eight people mentioned as having been with Paul when he dictated this letter.) This is astonishing since, as far as I know, Paul had not previously visited Rome. In fact, it was only one of two churches in Paul’s letters that were not “planted” by him. I’ve never thought of Paul as a “people-person,” but it seems clear he was.

Hard Work

Second, more than once I saw phrases that involved the words “worked hard.” I also saw the words “tested and approved,” in his references to individuals. I am not exactly sure how these people worked hard or how they were tested, but it is interesting to note that hard work was a part of church life even in that first generation of Christ-followers. We sometimes choose not to do things as a church, because we feel it is asking too much of people. It’s almost as if we are trying to orient ourselves around all the other stuff that goes on in our lives rather than orienting our lives around what’s truly important, a life with God. We would never want to become insensitive to what’s going on in people’s lives, but there does seem to be some truth in the idea that we squeeze our life with God’s people in around everything else, effectively giving it a much lower priority than we should. I’m not sure we should ever apologize for expecting people to work hard for the benefit of the rest of the church.

Unity of Thought

Third, I noticed an emphasis on unity. Beginning in verse 17 Paul warns them to be on the lookout for people who “cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned.” Obviously the warnings about division are about protecting the unity of the Christ-followers. However, the encouragement to not stray from what they had learned about the Gospel could also be seen as protecting the unity of the group. Obviously, knowing what we believe and bringing our lives into compliance with those beliefs is important for what it brings to us in terms of eternal and full life. However, striving to maintain the integrity of the truth they have learned was also important in maintaining their relationships – their unity. If they began to differ in what they believed, it would certainly have an impacted in their relationships with each other.

Their Connectedness

The theme I see, if I am not working too hard to “force” several paragraphs into one theme, is about the connectedness of these early Christ-followers to each other. They had strong personal ties, they worked hard for the benefit of the church which is the same as saying the worked hard for each other’s benefit, and they had integrity as a group as they sought to remain true to what they had learned – letting no one disrupt their unity.

Answering the Questions

None of this is possible without a relationship with Christ. Only in Christ can we put to death our selfish, prideful desires that would cause us to be only about our selves than to be about each other. Only in Christ can I become the kind of person who seeks to benefit others rather than to simply be benefitted by them. I suppose that would be my answer to the question posed for the week and the one I added last Sunday. How do we benefit from our relationship with God, and how do others benefit from their relationship with us. At the very least, it’s a start to answering the questions.

When God is Silent

Any disciple of Christ who has followed Jesus for some time will confess times in their journey when they felt God was nowhere to be found. For whatever reason, there was no sense of God’s presence in any of their endeavors to draw near to Him. Philip Yancey, in Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference, offers the following “survival strategies” for those times when God is silent, those times when our prayers seem not to connect. (pp. 202ff)

First, Yancey runs through a checklist of what might be blocking the communication.

1. Is there deliberate sin or callous inattention to God? If so, the channel must be cleared through confession.
2. He examines his motives. Am I seeking particular feelings? Am I pursuing God on my own terms rather than His? Perhaps I am seeking new revelation, when, instead, I should be focusing on the revelation that God has already given.
3. Have I been pursing results from my prayer, rather than companionship with God?
   

Second, if he finds no reason for God’s silence from his checklist, he begins to treat the silence in prayer the same way he treats suffering. Saying it does little good to ponder the “Why?” questions of suffering, he points out that the Bible moves the emphasis from the past to the future. The Bible, particularly the New Testament, talks of the future benefit of present suffering: character, hope, perseverance, etc. In like fashion, Yancey asks God to use this time of spiritual dryness for future growth.

A final survival strategy he uses is to rely on the faith of others. Pointing out that the Bible gives strong emphasis to the practice of praying with others, he talks about the help he has gained by praying with others who are currently not experiencing the dryness he is experiencing. “At times, when I have no words and my faith falters, I find solace in listening to the prayers of others and realizing that not everyone is sharing my sense of desolation.” The most meaningful prayer in many churches is prayer like this, prayer that happens in the context of a small group when someone takes the vulnerable step of confessing to the group a recurring failure and asking for help. Everything else is pushed to the side while the group lovingly lifts up “a friend” to the One who cares most.

When God is silent, we often assume there is fault on our end, rather than realizing there may be purpose or something else on God’s end. Yancey speaks of a pair of red foxes on the hill behind his mountain home that raises a litter of kits each spring. They have become accustomed to his roaming the hill and occasionally stopping in front of their den. Sometimes the young ones poke their faces out at him. Sometimes he can hear them scurrying around in the den. Sometimes there is only silence.

In taking a friend to see them, he reminds the friend that there is no guarantee they will see anything. “They are wild animals, you know. We’re not in charge. It’s up to them whether they make an appearance or not.” (p. 207) Weeks later his friend wrote him about that moment and how it helped him understand God. His friend had just gone through a long season of depression. Sometimes God felt very close, and at other times he had no sense of His presence at all. His friend wrote of God, “He is wild, you know. We’re not in charge.”

Personally, I believe we often want to tame God. We would never say it this way, but we act as if God were a service animal trained to perform on command. After all, it is in our sinful nature to subjugate God and raise ourselves to the position of “master of all.” When I take time to pray and intentionally enter into God’s presence, how dare He not show up in ways I expect and can understand. Yancey says, “When I am tempted to complain about God’s lack of presence, I remind myself that God has much more reason to complain about my lack of presence.” (p. 208) That sentence is self-explanatory; but in case you missed it, God never neglects us, but we often neglect Him.

A Matter of Trust

John 8:31-32 (NIV)31 …Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”[1]

Which comes first, understanding or obedience? A positive response to authority is always easier when we agree with what we are being asked to do. However, the real issue is not agreement, but trust.

Picture the child who is about to run out into the street and a loving parent yells, “Stop!” If the child obeys, trusting his parent’s view, then serious injury or even death is averted. However, if the child subconsciously says to himself, “I don’t see why I need to stop,” and runs into the street, trusting his own view of the situation… You get the idea.

Michael Slaughter, a pastor in Ohio, tells of an experience in Germany. In a discussion with German Christians, Slaughter discovered they have no word for “lord.” They refer to Jesus as Herr Jesus – Mr. Jesus. In the conversation they said to him that American Christians might as well not have the word “lord,” for we refer to Jesus as Lord without really making him Lord.

Sadly, I think this is more true than we want to believe. All too often he is Lord only as long as we agree with him. Is that trust? Absolutely not! Yet, placing our trust in Jesus, as opposed to anyone or anything else, including ourselves, is not just foundational to receiving God’s blessing it is a prerequisite to everything that God wants to give us and do through us. True trust demonstrates itself in obedience which more often than not, leads to understanding.

According to the verse above, the mark of discipleship is obedience to the teachings of Jesus. The by-product of that trust displayed in obedience understanding and freedom. The old hymn had it right. “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

[1] The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

The Passionate Focus of Jesus

John 19:28 Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”[1]

It was only after Jesus knew his work was completed that he turned his attention to his own needs to say "I am thirsty." I am so stunned by the insight from this one verse, this glimpse into the single-minded desire of Jesus, that I don’t know what else to say. No wonder Jesus’ movement toward his own crucifixion is often referred to as “the passion.”


[1]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Jn 19:28). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

She Left Her Jar: Questions Every Heart Asks

John 4:4-29, 39-42

A few days ago, I posted some thoughts on John 4. Having given it some more thought, there were four subconcsious questions driving the women's interractions with Jesus. These four questions are in the heart of every person as they move toward a life with God. I shared my thoughts with the New Life Alamosa congregation this morning. If you find the outline below intriguing, you may want to go to www.newlifealamosa.org where podcasts of the messages presented on Sunday mornings will soon be available.

Why Would You Have Anything To Do With Me?
She was a Samaritan
She was a woman
She was an outcast

Can I Trust You?
She wondered about Jesus' motives.
Are you greater than Jacob?
Jesus was focused on the spirtual while the woman was mired in the physical.

Where Can I Find God?
Jesus confronts her with the truth of her situation.
In response, she wants to know where she can go to connect with God.
She is still rooted in the physical
Jesus helps her move to the spiritual

Can You Help Me?
She speaks of the Messiah
Jesus reveals that he is the Messiah.

A Woman Transformed
The woman makes the leap from the physical to the spiritual
She leaves her jar
She moves from being someone who goes to draw water when no one else would normally be there to one who is intentionally engaging others.

As the people of God we not only ask these questions, we must embody the answers.

Why Would You Have Anything To Do With Me?
Is your life an open invitation?
Are you assertively building relationships?

Can I Trust You?
Are you a safe person?
Will you be shocked by my sin?
Will my sin illicit grace or judgement?
Will you see past my insecure behavior?

Where Can I Find God?
Is Jesus alive and well in you?
Is Jesus alive and well in your church?

Can You Help Me?
Will you invest time with me?
Will you help me connect with other Christ followers?
Will you tell me about Jesus?

One of the most interesting visuals in this encounter is the woman's jar. She brought it to the well with a focus on meeting her physical needs. Her encounter with Jesus causes a shift in her focus from the physical to the spiritual, from the temporal to the eternal, from the mundane to the transformational. What's in your jar? What are you so focused on that it is distracting you from the truly imporant? Maybe it's time for you to leave your jar behind.