On Tuesday morning at a trade show associated with my work I was privileged to hear a genuine American hero speak about his experiences in the heyday of the American space program. He was none other than Gene Franz whose NASA career spanned the days from the Mercury program to the present day Shuttle system. Many of these space pioneers were and still are household names whose bold work inspired a generation to greatness and led the nation to one of the greatest accomplishment of mankind, man landing on the moon. Many of the technical innovations that we take for granted some 50 years later have a direct lineage back to space motivated research.
While Gene’s career has consisted of many highlights, including being awarded the Presidential Freedom Medal, He is known primarily for being the Flight Controller for the ill fated Apollo 13 mission. Many younger Americans were exposed to the heroic efforts to bring home three Apollo astronauts when their spacecraft was badly damaged while en route to the moon, via the Tom Hanks movie, Apollo 13. In a rather dramatic moment during the film, which mimicked history, Franz uttered his signature phrase, “failure is not an option.” Per his description of the moment, the mandate was clear, there was no other option, and these astronauts were dependent on his team to get them home.
So here I was listening to a recounting of the circumstances and unimaginable challenges faced by Franz and his crew when a slight miscalculation would have led to the deaths of three men and the humiliation of the nation who was locked in a space race with the arch enemy the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War. One of the most surprising facts shared by this great American was that the average age in Mission Control during this trying time was 26. Hundreds if not thousands of decisions were being made in the fishbowl of live media coverage as a nation held their breath by young men who were just a few years removed from college performed superhuman feats to develop procedures and design makeshift equipment to nurse the heavily damaged spacecraft around the moon, back to earth and through the tricky reentry of earth’s atmosphere.
There was one rather poignant point in the story when Gene was faced with two options, either one which in theory would have resulted in bringing the astronauts home but the one which would track the shortest route required the firing of the spacecraft’s motor. With nothing to go on other than a gut instinct Gene chose to slingshot around the back of the moon which would take a couple of days longer to execute. Now as I sat glued to my chair hanging on every word of this story, I was fascinated to here this no nonsense, tough as nails, old schooler explain that at the point when he made the gut call he sensed that all we can do is go with the best information we have to work with, and then be content with turning the results over to a higher power.
To cut to the chase, under immense pressure, with lives on the line, and a world looking on the mission was accomplished. But it was not until the astronauts jettisoned their service module prior to earth reentry that they were able to get a look at the magnitude of the damage. As providence would have it, the intuitive call made days earlier was dead on. You see, if he had chose to take the shorter route, which as he reminded us would require firing the spacecraft motor, it would have resulted in the spacecraft bouncing off the gravitational influence of the moon and being irretrievably lost in space. The view of the damaged spacecraft revealed that there was no rocket motor left, it had been blown off. The final picture he painted was the sight of adult men in Mission Control weeping over the site on the big screen monitor of the three parachutes that gently guided the men and their craft back to earth.
Now what does this have to do with Christianity? As I listened to the story I was blown away by the parallels. Mankind is heavily damaged by a sin nature that is propelling us toward a sure doom. The Designer has assembled and equipped a crew in Mission Control and has given the mandate; let’s save these people. Lives are on the line as the rescue plays out in the fishbowl of public scrutiny. Will the mission be accomplished? Failure is not an option!
“God our Savior, . . . desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:4.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Thursday, October 04, 2007
The Exclusive Life
The kind of travel that I’ve done the last four years has yielded a few very nice perks via airline, hotel, rental car and charge card customer loyalty programs. The premise is simple. If you give them business, they will do things like let you first in line at boarding airplanes, let you pick up your rental car right at the front door, give you free airline tickets, give you access to airport lounges, setup special concierges to help you rebook flights in case of interruptions; and on and on.
I’ve walked right past long lines of people who were waiting in the “regular” customer service line trying to rebook a flight after a cancellation because I had access to that special person who helped me rebook via phone. I can tell you it’s been several years since our family has “paid” for a vacation. Wow, special treatment like this will make you feel like a king. The way I looked at it I deserved every perk I received; I earned it. Unfortunately that privilege treatment did not extend to my return home. As soon as I walked through the door at home, I was just “Joe the garbage man.” But that’s a story for another time.
My point is that I like the special treatment. I got used to it. It made me feel special. I earned it. But you know what. Since I’m not traveling as much anymore, I soon will lose my special status and all the privileges that go with it. The fact is, I’m special as long as I’m spending money. The reality all along was that these perks are factored into the price of the services and I was actually purchasing these perks a few dollars at a time as I spent money with the service providers.
The other day I was listening to one of my favorite Christian radio stations and the DJ was telling of an occasion where Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of Billy Graham was being interviewed on television. The interviewer was quizzing her about the exclusive nature of Christianity. The question went something like, “Are you one of those people who believe that Jesus is exclusively the only way to heaven?” he added, “You know how mad that makes people these days!” Without blinking she replied, “Jesus is not exclusive. He died so that anyone could come to Him for salvation.”
One of the greatest perks that a human being can receive is to spend eternity with the creator of the universe. And the interesting thing is that this is not reserved for a privilege few. Billy Graham’s daughter got it right. Eternal life is freely offered to all who will receive it. You talk about a life of privilege. And this time you’re not actually paying for it bit by bit with the illusion that you’re getting a free ride. Jesus paid the price for your perks.
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13
I’ve walked right past long lines of people who were waiting in the “regular” customer service line trying to rebook a flight after a cancellation because I had access to that special person who helped me rebook via phone. I can tell you it’s been several years since our family has “paid” for a vacation. Wow, special treatment like this will make you feel like a king. The way I looked at it I deserved every perk I received; I earned it. Unfortunately that privilege treatment did not extend to my return home. As soon as I walked through the door at home, I was just “Joe the garbage man.” But that’s a story for another time.
My point is that I like the special treatment. I got used to it. It made me feel special. I earned it. But you know what. Since I’m not traveling as much anymore, I soon will lose my special status and all the privileges that go with it. The fact is, I’m special as long as I’m spending money. The reality all along was that these perks are factored into the price of the services and I was actually purchasing these perks a few dollars at a time as I spent money with the service providers.
The other day I was listening to one of my favorite Christian radio stations and the DJ was telling of an occasion where Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of Billy Graham was being interviewed on television. The interviewer was quizzing her about the exclusive nature of Christianity. The question went something like, “Are you one of those people who believe that Jesus is exclusively the only way to heaven?” he added, “You know how mad that makes people these days!” Without blinking she replied, “Jesus is not exclusive. He died so that anyone could come to Him for salvation.”
One of the greatest perks that a human being can receive is to spend eternity with the creator of the universe. And the interesting thing is that this is not reserved for a privilege few. Billy Graham’s daughter got it right. Eternal life is freely offered to all who will receive it. You talk about a life of privilege. And this time you’re not actually paying for it bit by bit with the illusion that you’re getting a free ride. Jesus paid the price for your perks.
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Delicious Leftovers!
There is a great Bible Story that seems to illustrate the fallacy of thinking that church is always about getting something. Think for a few minutes about the story of the Feeding of the Five Thousand found in John 6. What normally is the focus of our attention in this story; why it’s the miracle of multiplication. Jesus took five loaves and two fishes from a little boy and blessed it. The disciples dutifully started passing it around to feed the hungry masses who had chased after Jesus. To their amazement they never seemed to run out of food and furthermore they collected twelve baskets of leftovers after the people were satisfied.
What does that story have to do with the attitude of the Sunday morning parishioner? Let’s examine this story a little closer. Who is never mentioned in the story? The person who labored to prepare the loaves and the fishes to begin with, probably the little boy’s mother. Out of five thousand people at least one person was proactive and made preparations to go see the Savior. An act of motherly love is the first and unseen essential element of this story. The next act that appears in the story is the unselfish nature of the little boy. I’m sure he was hungry. Don’t you think he thought about quietly slipping away to the sideline and consuming his meal? But that was not his response. He gave all he had that others would benefit.
Now don’t you think its funny (i.e. interesting funny not humorous funny) that Jesus gets all the attention for this “miracle.” Rightly so that the Savior gets the attention but the primary role of Jesus was to bless the gift and honor the preparation. At this instance He wasn't passing out something that He brought with Him.
Let’s relate this to our weekly worship. What do you think it would be like if we would spend the week before preparing for the time? Maybe the preparation is acts of service or kindness to others or maybe it’s simply making our personal quiet time a time of daily worship. Wouldn’t it be great if the Holy Spirit could during our corporate worship look around to see who came prepared, and collected the unselfish gift, and presented it to Jesus so that He could bless it. Can you imagine what worship time would be when God’s instruments (e.g. the Preacher, the singers, the musicians, etc.) passed out the shared blessings so that everyone was stuffed? You know the neat thing about that way of worship? The leftovers! What do you think happens with the leftovers? Why we take that with us and share it with those who weren’t there.
Here’s our challenge for the week. Will you be the one to prepare for worship this week? Will you be the one to bring something that can be a blessing to someone else and unselfishly offer it up for the benefit of everyone? God will be there. He wants to bless something. Will we have anything to offer?
When you think about this story in the future I want you to remember two components that hardly ever get mentioned; 1) somebody prepared the meal, 2) the satisfaction didn’t end with the meal; the leftovers kept on giving. These are not everyday leftovers. Leftovers from the master are better than the finest human cuisine that has ever been prepared.
See you in worship Sunday. Let’s bring something with us!
What does that story have to do with the attitude of the Sunday morning parishioner? Let’s examine this story a little closer. Who is never mentioned in the story? The person who labored to prepare the loaves and the fishes to begin with, probably the little boy’s mother. Out of five thousand people at least one person was proactive and made preparations to go see the Savior. An act of motherly love is the first and unseen essential element of this story. The next act that appears in the story is the unselfish nature of the little boy. I’m sure he was hungry. Don’t you think he thought about quietly slipping away to the sideline and consuming his meal? But that was not his response. He gave all he had that others would benefit.
Now don’t you think its funny (i.e. interesting funny not humorous funny) that Jesus gets all the attention for this “miracle.” Rightly so that the Savior gets the attention but the primary role of Jesus was to bless the gift and honor the preparation. At this instance He wasn't passing out something that He brought with Him.
Let’s relate this to our weekly worship. What do you think it would be like if we would spend the week before preparing for the time? Maybe the preparation is acts of service or kindness to others or maybe it’s simply making our personal quiet time a time of daily worship. Wouldn’t it be great if the Holy Spirit could during our corporate worship look around to see who came prepared, and collected the unselfish gift, and presented it to Jesus so that He could bless it. Can you imagine what worship time would be when God’s instruments (e.g. the Preacher, the singers, the musicians, etc.) passed out the shared blessings so that everyone was stuffed? You know the neat thing about that way of worship? The leftovers! What do you think happens with the leftovers? Why we take that with us and share it with those who weren’t there.
Here’s our challenge for the week. Will you be the one to prepare for worship this week? Will you be the one to bring something that can be a blessing to someone else and unselfishly offer it up for the benefit of everyone? God will be there. He wants to bless something. Will we have anything to offer?
When you think about this story in the future I want you to remember two components that hardly ever get mentioned; 1) somebody prepared the meal, 2) the satisfaction didn’t end with the meal; the leftovers kept on giving. These are not everyday leftovers. Leftovers from the master are better than the finest human cuisine that has ever been prepared.
See you in worship Sunday. Let’s bring something with us!
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
A New Way of Fishing
It’s the only life they had known. They had learned the trade at the foot of their fathers who had learned it from their fathers. It was reinforced by the geography of the land where they had lived perhaps for generations; a region dominated by one of the natural geographic wonders of the world; a large fresh water lake that sits over 200 feet below sea level. Simon, Nathanael, Thomas and the Zebedee brothers were commercial fishermen working amongst a fleet of over 200 boats that derived a livelihood from a seemingly never-ending supply of fresh fish. The only interruption to this idyllic existence was the last few years when they left to join nomadic lifestyle of a charismatic leader.
The allure of this Leader had enticed them away from the only life that they had ever known. And then as suddenly as He had appeared on the scene, He was violently taken from them. In a panic they scattered – probably because the government was the culprit behind the disappearance. Most gravitated back to their prior existence. That’s why these four soon found themselves on the Sea of Tiberias in the middle of the night; when fishing was best. But this was no normal night. Every trick of the trade had been tried; yet no results.
Can you imagine the frustration as some guy on the beach seemed to be taunting them; “Catch any fish? Try the other side of the boat!” How ludicrous, that’s not the way fish work. They knew this lake like the back of their hand. They knew what worked and when it worked. Change sides of the boat, who is He kidding. I don’t know what motivated them to give it a try but soon they pulled up their nets and sunk them on the other side of the boat. Their indignation turned to surprise when the net immediately began to fill with fish. Not only was the net full but it tore as they attempted to haul the catch into their boat because it was so full. As they turned their gaze back to the Taunter on the beach, a huge smile covered His face. Wait, could it be? Yes, it is. . . No it can’t be. Why hadn’t we noticed? It was their Leader.
Many of you by now recognize this story as a contemporized paraphrase of John 21. The Leader is Jesus and the fishermen were the disciples. Now let’s cut to the chase. Jesus was not trying to help them catch fish. He was probably disappointed that they were even back on their old job. He had recruited them and poured His heart into preparing them for a much more important role. Jesus was masterfully using their old life and their old skills as an object lesson to yank them back to the reality of their new life. Jesus intended for them to passionately pursue their newly appointed life of “fishing” for men and women. The lesson from John 21 is that fishing for men is a God thing. We’re called to it but there is absolutely nothing within us that we can call on to know how to do it. The instruction manual for “man fishing” comes from God. He knows where the catch is; all we do is follow instructions.
What a celebration that morning when they realized, probably for the first time that everything Jesus told them was true. He really was “the Master.” Once you meet the Master your life is never the same. Wanna have that experience for yourself? Jesus extends the same invitation to you that He extended to His early gang.
“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matt. 4:19
When’s the last time we saw a bumper catch? Maybe we’re fishing on the wrong side of the boat!
The allure of this Leader had enticed them away from the only life that they had ever known. And then as suddenly as He had appeared on the scene, He was violently taken from them. In a panic they scattered – probably because the government was the culprit behind the disappearance. Most gravitated back to their prior existence. That’s why these four soon found themselves on the Sea of Tiberias in the middle of the night; when fishing was best. But this was no normal night. Every trick of the trade had been tried; yet no results.
Can you imagine the frustration as some guy on the beach seemed to be taunting them; “Catch any fish? Try the other side of the boat!” How ludicrous, that’s not the way fish work. They knew this lake like the back of their hand. They knew what worked and when it worked. Change sides of the boat, who is He kidding. I don’t know what motivated them to give it a try but soon they pulled up their nets and sunk them on the other side of the boat. Their indignation turned to surprise when the net immediately began to fill with fish. Not only was the net full but it tore as they attempted to haul the catch into their boat because it was so full. As they turned their gaze back to the Taunter on the beach, a huge smile covered His face. Wait, could it be? Yes, it is. . . No it can’t be. Why hadn’t we noticed? It was their Leader.
Many of you by now recognize this story as a contemporized paraphrase of John 21. The Leader is Jesus and the fishermen were the disciples. Now let’s cut to the chase. Jesus was not trying to help them catch fish. He was probably disappointed that they were even back on their old job. He had recruited them and poured His heart into preparing them for a much more important role. Jesus was masterfully using their old life and their old skills as an object lesson to yank them back to the reality of their new life. Jesus intended for them to passionately pursue their newly appointed life of “fishing” for men and women. The lesson from John 21 is that fishing for men is a God thing. We’re called to it but there is absolutely nothing within us that we can call on to know how to do it. The instruction manual for “man fishing” comes from God. He knows where the catch is; all we do is follow instructions.
What a celebration that morning when they realized, probably for the first time that everything Jesus told them was true. He really was “the Master.” Once you meet the Master your life is never the same. Wanna have that experience for yourself? Jesus extends the same invitation to you that He extended to His early gang.
“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matt. 4:19
When’s the last time we saw a bumper catch? Maybe we’re fishing on the wrong side of the boat!
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Tension - A Good Thing?
DateLine (9/13/07)
I hate pressure but it seems that I can never escape it. Whether its schedule or responsibility or relationships or life in general I’ve never had the opportunity to live on “easy street.” A few weeks ago I was in the middle of one of my DIY projects which involved using a skil-saw. Since the work was finish work that would be seen by others I was concentrating on making sure that the cut was straight. Now I don’t know if you’re ever tried doing finish work with a skil-saw but it does require a slight amount of skill. And since I don’t do this type of work on a routine basis it took a few cuts before I regained the “touch” required.
One of the tricks that came back to me in the midst of my project was the need for tension. If ones applies just a little bit of downward force on the base of the skil-saw with the other hand it’s easier to keep a straight line and the rate at which the saw slices through the wood can be maintained more consistently. Right in the middle of one of my cuts it dawned on me that life is a lot like making those tricky cuts.
While I detest the pressure that occurs when too much tension is flooding into my life, a little pressure (i.e. tension) is a good thing. For the bodybuilder or health enthusiasts tension is what builds muscle. Tension is the feedback that tells us the undertaking is working.
Got doesn’t promise us a life free of tension. He doesn’t even promise us that we won’t have pressure at times that tempts us to faint and draw back. What He does promise is that there is a purpose to the pressure; it makes us stronger. Want to get stronger? Don’t give up; push back.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4
I hate pressure but it seems that I can never escape it. Whether its schedule or responsibility or relationships or life in general I’ve never had the opportunity to live on “easy street.” A few weeks ago I was in the middle of one of my DIY projects which involved using a skil-saw. Since the work was finish work that would be seen by others I was concentrating on making sure that the cut was straight. Now I don’t know if you’re ever tried doing finish work with a skil-saw but it does require a slight amount of skill. And since I don’t do this type of work on a routine basis it took a few cuts before I regained the “touch” required.
One of the tricks that came back to me in the midst of my project was the need for tension. If ones applies just a little bit of downward force on the base of the skil-saw with the other hand it’s easier to keep a straight line and the rate at which the saw slices through the wood can be maintained more consistently. Right in the middle of one of my cuts it dawned on me that life is a lot like making those tricky cuts.
While I detest the pressure that occurs when too much tension is flooding into my life, a little pressure (i.e. tension) is a good thing. For the bodybuilder or health enthusiasts tension is what builds muscle. Tension is the feedback that tells us the undertaking is working.
Got doesn’t promise us a life free of tension. He doesn’t even promise us that we won’t have pressure at times that tempts us to faint and draw back. What He does promise is that there is a purpose to the pressure; it makes us stronger. Want to get stronger? Don’t give up; push back.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
A Fourth of July Story
Thought you might appreciate a different perspective on one of our most popular national holidays. Read this and remember our servicemen and their sacrifice. This comes from the wife of Harriett’s nephew:
Hey everyone. I was thinking about this Fourth of July and realized that most people view this day as a celebration of freedom, however there are those who view it quite differently, so I decided to share this story with you. I hope you enjoy it.
Well, it was Sunday night of this week and Robert and I were driving down our street and someone in our neighborhood decided to test out the fireworks early. As one went off he slammed on the breaks and panicked. The firework was certainly less frightening than the sudden halt of the vehicle to me. As soon as we got in the house he searched frantically for his MP3 player and headphones so he didn't have to hear them again. After the fireworks had stopped for quite some time, I told Robert that he needed to try and get use to them. I explained that he had to face his fear.
So, now that it’s July 4th and a million fireworks are going off around our house, I realized, after pondering, why Robert freaked out. The noise places him in war! It's not just the sounds that really bother him, it’s the memories and flash backs that come along with it. He feels like he is in the midst of a firefight in his own house.
He has told me stories of different situations and missions he has been on. I have heard of his friends being killed, the fire fights he has been in, and the most terrifying situations which he has experienced. The war on terror is much more than what you see on TV. This country should be a heck of a lot more focused on finishing this war the "right way" rather than contemplating on the next election.
I guess this 4th I want you to realize how the men and women serving this country are spending this Independence Day. Some like my husband are wandering from room to room in their house trying to escape the never-ending noise of fireworks so they can stop remembering war. There are also those like my brother Chris who are just beginning to serve this country and are not yet haunted by the sound, but someday may be. And last but not least there are those like my brother-in-law who are in the midst of war and are hearing the sounds of fireworks too- the fireworks of war. I want you to take a minute and listen to or remember the sounds. Picture yourself running for your life, or your best friend along side of you dying. Picture how frightened you would be. Take a moment to think about what our husbands, brothers, sons, daughters, sisters, mothers, fathers, cousins and friends are going through this day so that we can grill out hamburgers and watch the sky light up.
I realize now that Robert may never adjust to the 4th of July celebrations. I realize that I can't make him okay! I realize that Robert will always hear the sounds and his heart will pound and he will remember the dozens killed in his group when he was deployed. He will celebrate his freedom in pain.
I am sorry that this was quite long, but I hope that you are able to gain something from it. I felt like sharing, so I did. May God Bless America and our Troops!
Heather Baker
P.S. - If you ever doubt God’s presence in your life or just want to hear an amazing story, talk to Robert about his experiences in war. He is living proof that there is a God. His testimony is himself. Ask him to share with you how God showed He is always there for us, even when he seems so far away.
Hey everyone. I was thinking about this Fourth of July and realized that most people view this day as a celebration of freedom, however there are those who view it quite differently, so I decided to share this story with you. I hope you enjoy it.
Well, it was Sunday night of this week and Robert and I were driving down our street and someone in our neighborhood decided to test out the fireworks early. As one went off he slammed on the breaks and panicked. The firework was certainly less frightening than the sudden halt of the vehicle to me. As soon as we got in the house he searched frantically for his MP3 player and headphones so he didn't have to hear them again. After the fireworks had stopped for quite some time, I told Robert that he needed to try and get use to them. I explained that he had to face his fear.
So, now that it’s July 4th and a million fireworks are going off around our house, I realized, after pondering, why Robert freaked out. The noise places him in war! It's not just the sounds that really bother him, it’s the memories and flash backs that come along with it. He feels like he is in the midst of a firefight in his own house.
He has told me stories of different situations and missions he has been on. I have heard of his friends being killed, the fire fights he has been in, and the most terrifying situations which he has experienced. The war on terror is much more than what you see on TV. This country should be a heck of a lot more focused on finishing this war the "right way" rather than contemplating on the next election.
I guess this 4th I want you to realize how the men and women serving this country are spending this Independence Day. Some like my husband are wandering from room to room in their house trying to escape the never-ending noise of fireworks so they can stop remembering war. There are also those like my brother Chris who are just beginning to serve this country and are not yet haunted by the sound, but someday may be. And last but not least there are those like my brother-in-law who are in the midst of war and are hearing the sounds of fireworks too- the fireworks of war. I want you to take a minute and listen to or remember the sounds. Picture yourself running for your life, or your best friend along side of you dying. Picture how frightened you would be. Take a moment to think about what our husbands, brothers, sons, daughters, sisters, mothers, fathers, cousins and friends are going through this day so that we can grill out hamburgers and watch the sky light up.
I realize now that Robert may never adjust to the 4th of July celebrations. I realize that I can't make him okay! I realize that Robert will always hear the sounds and his heart will pound and he will remember the dozens killed in his group when he was deployed. He will celebrate his freedom in pain.
I am sorry that this was quite long, but I hope that you are able to gain something from it. I felt like sharing, so I did. May God Bless America and our Troops!
Heather Baker
P.S. - If you ever doubt God’s presence in your life or just want to hear an amazing story, talk to Robert about his experiences in war. He is living proof that there is a God. His testimony is himself. Ask him to share with you how God showed He is always there for us, even when he seems so far away.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Rotten to the Core
DateLine (6/7/07 – Nanuet, NY)
Six million European Jews died as part of a program of deliberate extermination planned and executed by the National Socialist regime in Germany led by Adolf Hitler. It is likely that the number of deaths for the current conflict in Greater Darfur is higher than 200,000 individuals, and it is possible that the death toll is much higher. Estimates vary as to how many people were killed by the Khmer Rouge regime in the Killing Fields of Cambodia. Depending on whether or not one includes deaths from starvation and subsequent deaths in refugee camps, estimates range anywhere from 1.7 million to 3 million. Rwanda is a country well known to the outside world for the infamous 1994 genocide that resulted in the deaths of up to 800,000 people. Columbine, Virginia Tech; once idyllic islands of academia, now symbols of unbridled evil. December 6, September 11; once unremarkable dates on the calendar, now burned in the psyche of living generations. WWI, WWII, Desert Storm; wars that resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths.
“In order to define sin, one of the most frequently used terms in the New Testament is the Greek word hamartia, literally translated ‘to miss the mark’. It suggests that humans have missed the mark that God has intended for them.” (www.comparativereligion.com) While mankind has many admiral qualities and noteworthy accomplishments, it’s easy to grasp the Biblical concept of missing the mark when one contemplates the checkered history of mankind through the examples listed above. In spite of such a history, some people would deny that sin resides deep within the human soul. What motivates a human to foist such unspeakable acts upon fellow humans? There is nothing that satisfies the question like that Biblical concept of sin. We tend to characterize sin as acts; ranking them by priority; some even priding themselves that their sin is not as bad as others. God has revealed that there is no hierarchy of sin. In a sense God is saying that sin is not necessarily the act, it is a state; our nature.
“We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.” Romans 7:14-21.
Is there hope? Fortunately we are not doomed to a dark existence. While we do suffer this malady there is a cure. God, our original creator, has made a way for us to be recreated (i.e. re-birthed) and this time with a pure nature. It is a curious thing that while we live on earth after our rebirth we continue to behave like the old nature is still within us. That’s clear from the scripture quoted from Romans above. But here’s the clincher. When God looks at us after our rebirth He only sees the new nature not the old sin habits that still linger. By the time we catch up with Him when we move into His place (i.e. heaven) all that nasty stuff will be stripped away leaving nothing but a shiny new core. Now that’s something worth looking forward to.
Six million European Jews died as part of a program of deliberate extermination planned and executed by the National Socialist regime in Germany led by Adolf Hitler. It is likely that the number of deaths for the current conflict in Greater Darfur is higher than 200,000 individuals, and it is possible that the death toll is much higher. Estimates vary as to how many people were killed by the Khmer Rouge regime in the Killing Fields of Cambodia. Depending on whether or not one includes deaths from starvation and subsequent deaths in refugee camps, estimates range anywhere from 1.7 million to 3 million. Rwanda is a country well known to the outside world for the infamous 1994 genocide that resulted in the deaths of up to 800,000 people. Columbine, Virginia Tech; once idyllic islands of academia, now symbols of unbridled evil. December 6, September 11; once unremarkable dates on the calendar, now burned in the psyche of living generations. WWI, WWII, Desert Storm; wars that resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths.
“In order to define sin, one of the most frequently used terms in the New Testament is the Greek word hamartia, literally translated ‘to miss the mark’. It suggests that humans have missed the mark that God has intended for them.” (www.comparativereligion.com) While mankind has many admiral qualities and noteworthy accomplishments, it’s easy to grasp the Biblical concept of missing the mark when one contemplates the checkered history of mankind through the examples listed above. In spite of such a history, some people would deny that sin resides deep within the human soul. What motivates a human to foist such unspeakable acts upon fellow humans? There is nothing that satisfies the question like that Biblical concept of sin. We tend to characterize sin as acts; ranking them by priority; some even priding themselves that their sin is not as bad as others. God has revealed that there is no hierarchy of sin. In a sense God is saying that sin is not necessarily the act, it is a state; our nature.
“We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.” Romans 7:14-21.
Is there hope? Fortunately we are not doomed to a dark existence. While we do suffer this malady there is a cure. God, our original creator, has made a way for us to be recreated (i.e. re-birthed) and this time with a pure nature. It is a curious thing that while we live on earth after our rebirth we continue to behave like the old nature is still within us. That’s clear from the scripture quoted from Romans above. But here’s the clincher. When God looks at us after our rebirth He only sees the new nature not the old sin habits that still linger. By the time we catch up with Him when we move into His place (i.e. heaven) all that nasty stuff will be stripped away leaving nothing but a shiny new core. Now that’s something worth looking forward to.
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