How Can a Person Know Which God Exists? by Jeff Miller, Ph.D.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=8&article=5154

How Can a Person Know Which God Exists?

by	Jeff Miller, Ph.D.

Several decades ago, the United States was overwhelmingly Christian in its religious persuasion. When naturalism and Darwinian evolution picked up speed in the U.S. and challenged the biblical story of man’s origins—the perspective most held by Americans—apologists sprang up in response, dealing a death blow to the naturalistic religion in the minds of many. Once evolutionary theory had been dealt with, both biblically and scientifically, it was natural for many Americans to recognize that they had always been right—Christianity is the true religion.

Sadly, under the banner of “tolerance,” the “politically correct” police have made significant inroads in compelling the American public, not only to tolerate, but to endorse and encourage pluralism and the proliferation of false religion in America. What was once an understood conclusion—that if evolution is wrong, then biblical Creation must be true—is now heavily challenged in America.

Nisroch:Assyrian god of agriculture

It has become a popular tactic among atheistic scoffers to mock Bible believers by sarcastically arguing that there’s just as much evidence for the Flying Spaghetti Monster as there is for any god. Therefore, if intelligent design doctrine deserves time in the classroom, so does the doctrine of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster—the Pastafarians (cf. Langton, 2005; Butt, 2010, p. 12). At the University of South Carolina, a student organization made up of Pastafarians was responsible for sponsoring the debate held between A.P.’s Kyle Butt and popular atheist, Dan Barker (Butt, 2010).

One such scoffer approached me awhile back after one of the sessions of my evolution seminar—a biology professor from the local university in the city where I was speaking. His quibble was a fair one: “Even if you’re right that naturalistic evolution/atheism is false, you still haven’t proven which God exists. You haven’t proven it’s the God of the Bible. Why couldn’t it be Allah? Or [sarcastically] the Flying Spaghetti Monster?”

It is true that many times when apologists discredit naturalism and show that the evidence points to supernaturalism, they do not necessarily always take the next step and answer how we arrive specifically at the God of the Bible as the one true God. Perhaps the main reason, again, is because the answer was once so obvious that the additional step did not need to be taken. People already had faith in the Bible, and they only needed someone to answer an attack on its integrity. Upon answering it, they went back to their faith in Christianity comfortably. But as naturalism and pluralism have eroded the next generation, and Bible teaching—the impetus for developing faith (Romans 10:17)—has declined, Christianity is no longer a given.

Jupiter: Roman god of light and sky, and protector of the state and its laws

Many in Christendom would respond to the professor’s questions by saying, “You just have to have faith. You just have to take a leap and accept the God of the Bible. You don’t have to have tangible evidence.” That reaction, of course, is exactly how scoffers want you to answer. Their response: “Aha! You don’t have proof that God exists. So why should I believe in Him? I might as well pick one that suits me better or make up my own god to serve.”

The Bible simply does not teach that one should accept God without evidence. We should test or prove all things, and only believe those things that can be sustained with evidence (1 Thessalonians 5:21). We should not accept what someone tells us “on faith,” because many teach lies; they should be tested to see if their claims can be backed with evidence (1 John 4:1). The truth should be searched for (Acts 17:11). It can be known (John 8:32). God would not expect us to believe that He is the one true God without evidence for that claim.

While there are different ways to answer the question posed by the professor, the most direct and simple answer is that the Bible contains characteristics which humans could not have produced. If it can be proven that a God exists and that the Bible is from God, then logically, the God of the Bible is the true God. It is truly a sad commentary on Christendom at large that the professor, as well as the many individuals that are posing such questions today, have not heard the simple answer about the nature of God’s divine Word.

After taking a moment to recover from the fact that he clearly had never experienced anyone responding rationally to his criticisms, the professor said, “Really? [pause] I’d like to see that evidence.” I pointed him to our book that summarizes the mounds of evidence that testify to the inspiration of the Bible (cf. Butt, 2007), and although he said he did not want to support our organization with a purchase, he allowed an elder at the church that hosted the event to give it to him as a gift.

Ganesh: Hindu god of wisdom, knowledge, and new beginnings

If you have not studied the divine qualities of the Bible, or are not prepared to carry on a discussion with others about the inspiration of the Bible, might I recommend to you that you secure a copy of Behold! The Word of God through our Web store immediately. Consider also getting the free pdf version in the “PDF-Books” section of our Web site, browsing the “Inspiration of the Bible” category on our Web site, or at the very least, order a back issue of our Reason & Revelationarticle titled “3 Good Reasons to Believe the Bible is from God” (Butt and Lyons, 2015). Consider also those friends, loved ones, and even enemies that might benefit from a copy. The professor’s question is one of the most pivotal questions one can ask today, and the Lord’s army must be armed with the truth to be able to aid those seeking it.

REFERENCES

Butt, Kyle (2007), Behold! The Word of God (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press).

Butt, Kyle (2010), A Christian’s Guide to Refuting Modern Atheism (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press).

Butt, Kyle and Eric Lyons (2015), “3 Good Reasons to Believe the Bible is from God,” Reason & Revelation, 35[1]:2-11.

Langton, James (2005), “In the Beginning There Was the Flying Spaghetti Monster,” The Telegraph, September 11, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1498162/In-the-beginning-there-was-the-Flying-Spaghetti-Monster.html.

From Mark Copeland... "A CLOSER WALK WITH GOD" Principles Of Prayer

                  "A CLOSER WALK WITH GOD"

                          Principles Of Prayer

INTRODUCTION

1. One of the greatest blessings enjoyed by Christians in this life is
   the privilege of PRAYER, by which we can approach God
   a. Through prayer, the Christian can find FORGIVENESS for sins
      - 1Jn 1:9
   b. Through prayer, the Christian can find PEACE to replace anxiety
      - Php 4:6-7
   c. Through prayer, the Christian can receive STRENGTH from God
      through His Spirit - Ep 3:14-16

2. For such reasons, Paul frequently exhorted Christians to be diligent
   in their prayers...
   a. "praying always with all prayer and supplication..." - Ep 6:18
   b. "Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanks-
      giving" - Col 4:2
   c. "Pray without ceasing" - 1Th 5:17

3. Yet Jesus knew that people would tend to become slack in their
   prayers - Lk 18:1
   a. It is out of a similar concern that prompts two lessons devoted
      specifically to "PRAYER"
   b. It is hoped that you will be encouraged to be more diligent in
      prayer as we examine:
      1) Basic PRINCIPLES of prayer taught in God's Word
      2) Suggestions concerning the PRACTICE of prayer in our daily lives

[In this lesson, then, PRINCIPLES OF PRAYER, beginning with...]

I. CHARACTERISTICS OF ACCEPTABLE PRAYER

   A. IT MUST BE OFFERED "IN FAITH"...
      1. "And all things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you
         will receive." - Mt 21:22
      2. We must have faith in God, and in His ability to answer 
         - He 11:6
      3. Otherwise, prayer will not be answered - cf. Jm 1:5-8
      4. Is our faith weak?  Then increase it with the help of God's
         Word - Ro 10:17

   B. IT MUST BE OFFERED "IN THE SPIRIT OF HUMILITY"...
      1. Notice the example of the Pharisee and the publican 
         - Lk 18:9-14
      2. Remember, "The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart,
         and saves such as have a contrite spirit" - Ps 34:18
      3. As quoted by James:  "God resists the proud, but gives grace
         to the humble" - Jm 4:6

   C. IT MUST BE OFFERED "IN HARMONY WITH GOD'S WILL"...
      1. God answers prayer that is offered "according to His will" 
         - 1Jn 5:14
      2. Jesus provided the example for us in His prayers at Gethsemane
         - Lk 22:42
      3. Too often, prayers are unanswered because they are more con-
         cerned with OUR will, rather than GOD'S will! - cf. Jm 4:3

   D. IT MUST BE OFFERED "BY THOSE RIGHTEOUS BEFORE GOD"...
      1. "For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears
         are open to their prayers; but the face of the LORD is against
         those who do evil" - 1Pe 3:12
      2. The prayers of the righteous person are effective 
         - Jm 5:16-18
      3. But those continuing in sin He will not hear! - Pr 28:9;
         Is 59:1-2
      4. To be righteous before God...
         a. Requires that we submit to the "righteousness of God"
            offered in Christ - cf. Ro 10:1-4
         b. I.e., respond to the gospel of Christ - Ro 1:16-17

   E. IT MUST BE OFFERED "IN THE SPIRIT OF THANKSGIVING"...
      1. "giving thanks always for all things to God" - Ep 5:20
      2. "in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving"
         - Php 4:6
      3. "...prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving" - Col 4:2
      4. "pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks" 
         - 1Th 5:17-18
      -- Do we think God will help us with our PRESENT BURDENS if we
         don't take the time to thank Him for PAST BLESSINGS?

   F. IT MUST BE OFFERED "WITH PERSISTENCE"...
      1. Jesus illustrated this aspect of prayer through two parables
         a. The parable of the persistent friend - Lk 11:5-10
         b. The parable of the persistent widow - Lk 18:1-8
      2. The virtue of persistence is demonstrated in the prayers of:
         a. Jesus at Gethsemane - Mt 26:44
         b. Paul, pertaining to his "thorn in the flesh" - 2Co 12:7-8
         c. The early church - Ac 2:42

   G. IT MUST BE OFFERED "IN THE NAME OF JESUS"...
      1. "Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the
         name of our Lord Jesus Christ" - Ep 5:20
      2. This means much more than simply adding a little phrase "in
         Jesus' name" at the end of our prayers!
         a. We must realize that Jesus is the only way by which we can
            approach God - Jn 14:6
         b. We must view Him as our "high priest" who intercedes for us
            - He 7:24-25; Jn 14:13
      3. Appealing to God in the name of His Son can give us great
         confidence that God will give us what we need! - He 4:14-16

[Such are the conditions that make prayer acceptable to God.  But it
might be helpful to also notice a few...]

II. OBSTACLES TO PRAYER

   A. UNCONFESSED SIN...
      1. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear"
         - Ps 66:18
      2. The BASIS for prayer rests upon our being in fellowship with
         Him; such fellowship is broken if we do not confess our sins
         to Him!

   B. IMPROPER TREATMENT OF OTHERS...
      1. How we treat others has a bearing upon whether God will hear
         our prayers!
         a. E.g., how we treat the poor - Ps 41:1-3
         b. E.g., how one treats his friend - Mt 5:23-24
         c. E.g., how a husband treats his wife - 1Pe 3:7
      2. We must correct our relationships with others (if possible)
         before we can expect God to hear our prayers!
      3. Especially if we desire to receive forgiveness for our sins!
         - Mt 6:14-15; 18:21-23

[Finally, it is important to bear in mind that God answers prayer in
various ways...]

III. ANSWERS TO PRAYERS

   A. "REQUEST GRANTED"...
      1. God may answer "YES" , and grant the petitions we ask of Him
      2. Such will be the case the more we try to do His Will in our
         lives - 1Jn 3:22

   B. "REQUEST GRANTED, BUT NOT YET"...
      1. God may grant our request, but in time and according to His
         purpose for our lives
      2. "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose
         under heaven" - Ec 3:1
      3. So we may think God is saying "NO", when He is really saying
         "YES, BUT WAIT"

   C. "REQUEST GRANTED, BUT NOT AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT"...
      1. Sometimes God says "YES", but answers it in way differently
         than we anticipated
      2. Remember, God's thoughts and methods are often much different
         than ours - Is 55:8,9
      3. Like asking God for strength and perseverance...
         a. He may give us trials to bear
         b. Which in turn develops the virtues we prayed for!
      4. We should be careful and not dictate to God HOW to answer our prayers...
         a. Limit the "HOW" and we might be limiting the "RESULT"
         b. For example, the way some pray for the sick, they limit God
            as to how He might restore them

   D. "REQUEST DENIED"...
      1. Often God says "NO"
      2. But we must trust that God, who knows all and what is best,
         would do so only if granting our request might not be for our
         good - cf. He 12:5-11
      3. We may not fully understand, but we can still fully trust Him!
         - cf. Hab 3:17-19
      4. Especially in light of the promise in 1Co 10:13

CONCLUSION

1. The ability to pray to God and receive answers in our lives is truly
   one of the greatest blessings we can have as children of God!

2. Hopefully, understanding and applying the principles discussed in
   this lesson will assure greater success in having our prayers answered

3. Our next lesson will deal with "THE PRACTICE OF PRAYER", offering
   suggestions on the when, with whom, how and what of prayer

SOME QUESTIONS TO STIMULATE YOUR THINKING...

1. Do you find it easy or difficult to pray?

2. Do you believe in the power of God to answer prayer?

3. Should you be disappointed when it appears that God has answered
   your prayer with a "NO"?

4. Are you spending time every day devoted to prayer?

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

 

From Gary... Wise or foolish?

Life is time and money (like so many other things) is a means to an end.  If you have obeyed the will of God, HE is with you-  you really don't have a thing to be concerned about.  This is true!!! However, we are only given so much time on Earth, so use it wisely!!!  

Ephesians, Chapter 5 (WEB)

 15  Therefore watch carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise;  16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore don’t be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Hebrews, Chapter 13 (WEB)

 15  Therefore watch carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise;  16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore don’t be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Now that I look a little more closely at those two verses, I see a contrast of wisdom and foolishness. How you live (which is walk in these verses) is either wisely or foolishly. The wise person listens to the Lord, and the foolish listen to something else. Be wise and not foolish- time is running out, for our days are all numbered!!!

From Gary... Demas, Mark and dreams

The pictures above are of the famous Banbo rainbow bridge in Seoul, South Korea.  I confess, I spent WAY TO MUCH TIME looking at them.  I don't really know WHY, but something about this bridge fascinated me!!!  The beauty of this world can be truly enticing and after this episode of intense viewing, I understand a bit more about one unusual character in the New Testament...

Colossians, Chapter 4 (WEB)

14 Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas greet you. 

Philemon (WEB)

 23  Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,  24 as do Mark, Aristarchus,Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

2 Timothy, Chapter 4 (WEB)

  6  For I am already being offered, and the time of my departure has come.  7 I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith.  8 From now on, there is stored up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day; and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved his appearing.  9 Be diligent to come to me soon,  10 for Demas left me, having loved this present world, and went to Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.  11 Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.

Some people begin wonderfully in life and end badly. So it is with Demas.  However, it does NOT have to be that way.  Mark, who had deserted Paul (Acts 15:38) became useful, once again.  If you have failed God in some way, there is always hope - Think of Mark and NOT DEMAS.

Somehow, this picture says it all...

For more information about Demas, I refer you to the following..

Demas

http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2013/08/15/Demas-Lover-of-This-Present-World.aspx#Article

From Gary... Bible Reading April 29

Bible Reading   

April 29

The World English Bible

Apr. 29

Deuteronomy 13, 14

Deu 13:1 If there arise in the midst of you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and he give you a sign or a wonder,

Deu 13:2 and the sign or the wonder come to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, Let us go after other gods, which you have not known, and let us serve them;

Deu 13:3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet, or to that dreamer of dreams: for Yahweh your God proves you, to know whether you love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Deu 13:4 You shall walk after Yahweh your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and you shall serve him, and cleave to him.

Deu 13:5 That prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death, because he has spoken rebellion against Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to draw you aside out of the way which Yahweh your God commanded you to walk in. So you shall put away the evil from the midst of you.

Deu 13:6 If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son, or your daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your friend, who is as your own soul, entice you secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which you have not known, you, nor your fathers;

Deu 13:7 of the gods of the peoples who are around you, near to you, or far off from you, from the one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth;

Deu 13:8 you shall not consent to him, nor listen to him; neither shall your eye pity him, neither shall you spare, neither shall you conceal him:

Deu 13:9 but you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first on him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.

Deu 13:10 You shall stone him to death with stones, because he has sought to draw you away from Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

Deu 13:11 All Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall not do any more such wickedness as this is in the midst of you.

Deu 13:12 If you shall hear tell concerning one of your cities, which Yahweh your God gives you to dwell there, saying,

Deu 13:13 Certain base fellows are gone out from the midst of you, and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which you have not known;

Deu 13:14 then you shall inquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is done in the midst of you,

Deu 13:15 you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein and its livestock, with the edge of the sword.

Deu 13:16 You shall gather all its spoil into the midst of its street, and shall burn with fire the city, and all its spoil every whit, to Yahweh your God: and it shall be a heap forever; it shall not be built again.

Deu 13:17 There shall cleave nothing of the devoted thing to your hand; that Yahweh may turn from the fierceness of his anger, and show you mercy, and have compassion on you, and multiply you, as he has sworn to your fathers;

Deu 13:18 when you shall listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, to keep all his commandments which I command you this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of Yahweh your God.

Deu 14:1 You are the children of Yahweh your God: you shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.

Deu 14:2 For you are a holy people to Yahweh your God, and Yahweh has chosen you to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples who are on the face of the earth.

Deu 14:3 You shall not eat any abominable thing.

Deu 14:4 These are the animals which you may eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat,

Deu 14:5 the hart, and the gazelle, and the roebuck, and the wild goat, and the ibex, and the antelope, and the chamois.

Deu 14:6 Every animal that parts the hoof, and has the hoof cloven in two, and chews the cud, among the animals, that may you eat.

Deu 14:7 Nevertheless these you shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of those who have the hoof cloven: the camel, and the hare, and the rabbit; because they chew the cud but don't part the hoof, they are unclean to you.

Deu 14:8 The pig, because it has a split hoof but doesn't chew the cud, is unclean to you: of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch.

Deu 14:9 These you may eat of all that are in the waters: whatever has fins and scales may you eat;

Deu 14:10 and whatever doesn't have fins and scales you shall not eat; it is unclean to you.

Deu 14:11 Of all clean birds you may eat.

Deu 14:12 But these are they of which you shall not eat: the eagle, and the vulture, and the osprey,

Deu 14:13 and the red kite, and the falcon, and the kite after its kind,

Deu 14:14 and every raven after its kind,

Deu 14:15 and the ostrich, and the owl, and the seagull, and the hawk after its kind,

Deu 14:16 the little owl, and the great owl, and the horned owl,

Deu 14:17 and the pelican, and the vulture, and the cormorant,

Deu 14:18 and the stork, and the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe, and the bat.

Deu 14:19 All winged creeping things are unclean to you: they shall not be eaten.

Deu 14:20 Of all clean birds you may eat.

Deu 14:21 You shall not eat of anything that dies of itself: you may give it to the foreigner living among you who is within your gates, that he may eat it; or you may sell it to a foreigner: for you are a holy people to Yahweh your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother's milk.

Deu 14:22 You shall surely tithe all the increase of your seed, that which comes forth from the field year by year.

Deu 14:23 You shall eat before Yahweh your God, in the place which he shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there, the tithe of your grain, of your new wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock; that you may learn to fear Yahweh your God always.

Deu 14:24 If the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry it, because the place is too far from you, which Yahweh your God shall choose, to set his name there, when Yahweh your God shall bless you;

Deu 14:25 then you shall turn it into money, and bind up the money in your hand, and shall go to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose:

Deu 14:26 and you shall bestow the money for whatever your soul desires, for cattle, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatever your soul asks of you; and you shall eat there before Yahweh your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household.

Deu 14:27 The Levite who is within your gates, you shall not forsake him; for he has no portion nor inheritance with you.

Deu 14:28 At the end of every three years you shall bring forth all the tithe of your increase in the same year, and shall lay it up within your gates:

Deu 14:29 and the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the foreigner living among you, and the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that Yahweh your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.

Apr. 28, 29

Luke 16

Luk 16:1 He also said to his disciples, "There was a certain rich man who had a manager. An accusation was made to him that this man was wasting his possessions.

Luk 16:2 He called him, and said to him, 'What is this that I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.'

Luk 16:3 "The manager said within himself, 'What will I do, seeing that my lord is taking away the management position from me? I don't have strength to dig. I am ashamed to beg.

Luk 16:4 I know what I will do, so that when I am removed from management, they may receive me into their houses.'

Luk 16:5 Calling each one of his lord's debtors to him, he said to the first, 'How much do you owe to my lord?'

Luk 16:6 He said, 'A hundred batos of oil.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.'

Luk 16:7 Then said he to another, 'How much do you owe?' He said, 'A hundred cors of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.'

Luk 16:8 "His lord commended the dishonest manager because he had done wisely, for the children of this world are, in their own generation, wiser than the children of the light.

Luk 16:9 I tell you, make for yourselves friends by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when you fail, they may receive you into the eternal tents.

Luk 16:10 He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much. He who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.

Luk 16:11 If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

Luk 16:12 If you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?

Luk 16:13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You aren't able to serve God and mammon."

Luk 16:14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they scoffed at him.

Luk 16:15 He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts. For that which is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

Luk 16:16 The law and the prophets were until John. From that time the Good News of the Kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.

Luk 16:17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one tiny stroke of a pen in the law to fall.

Luk 16:18 Everyone who divorces his wife, and marries another, commits adultery. He who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery.

Luk 16:19 "Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day.

Luk 16:20 A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was laid at his gate, full of sores,

Luk 16:21 and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. Yes, even the dogs came and licked his sores.

Luk 16:22 It happened that the beggar died, and that he was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried.

Luk 16:23 In Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom.

Luk 16:24 He cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue! For I am in anguish in this flame.'

Luk 16:25 "But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in like manner, bad things. But now here he is comforted and you are in anguish.

Luk 16:26 Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that those who want to pass from here to you are not able, and that none may cross over from there to us.'

Luk 16:27 "He said, 'I ask you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house;

Luk 16:28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, so they won't also come into this place of torment.'

Luk 16:29 "But Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.'

Luk 16:30 "He said, 'No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'

Luk 16:31 "He said to him, 'If they don't listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.' " 

From Jim McGuiggan... Leadership wisdom from outsiders

Leadership wisdom from outsiders

None of the complex questions about life have simple answers; we would just like it to be that way.

Some of the reasons Britain and South Africa down the years have dragged their feet on granting nations and peoples political power and/or independence were put something like this: "They aren't ready for it; they don't know how to exercise political power and independence." After all, "We made something out of these countries, invested our lives, toil, wisdom and made them prosperous—you can hardly expect us to allow people who know nothing about the exercise of authority or the running of a country to take over and bring it to ruin." That makes sense—of a sort.

"You should have seen this country when we came into it! You don't know the sacrifice our people made over the centuries to build this great state and nation so it's easy for you outsiders to say we should hand over the reigns of government to those who are incompetent and who benefited from us and our toil. We work to build and make it great, you tell us to hand it over?" That makes sense too—of a sort.

But nothing's that simple. How wise can we be if we don't raise up wise leaders from the people with whom we live? How shortsighted we are not to see that one day, if we don't give them a voice, in some honourable and wise manner, that they'll be sorely tempted to seize power from us? That people are not ready for independence or the honourable exercise of democratic and/or moral power may be because we did not prepare them for it.

A great leader was told he was well-intentioned but wrong and he recognised the truth of it (Ex 18:18; Deut 1:9-12). He was offered wise counsel and took it. With the cooperation of the people (Deut 1:13-15) he chose leaders who were competent, honest and devoted to God and the people. They shared the burden of government with him (Ex 18:22) and everybody benefited.

This is another section which makes it clear that Moses was no power-hungry tyrant. As soon as he realized the wisdom of the counsel, his love of the people and his recognition of his own limitations led him to implement it (18:24). He didn't feel he had to hog the power and would have been glad if the whole nation were prophets (Numbers 11:29). That wasn't just talk—which is easy—that was walk, as we can see from this section.

There's something else about this section worth noting. The wise counsel came from an "outsider". Precisely where Jethro stood with Yahweh isn't clear from these texts; but he could hardly have been an ignoramus since he would have heard from Moses down the years, since he was a descendant of Abraham and since he had heard the story of what Yahweh had done to Egypt. But he wasn't an Israelite! And what is a non-Israelite doing offering lessons on statesmanship to the leader of Israel?

God had more than one way of speaking to humans, more than one way to teach them. Sometimes it is done in what we call 'special revelation' and at other times it is done by what we call 'the school of hard knocks'. With special revelation as a basis we can then do some reasoning on and from nature (see this in Romans 1). With special revelation as background and realizing that all our good gifts come from God, we can go through life learning. The 'Wisdom' literature makes this clear to us.

Prov 1:8-9; 6:20 and other texts insist that we should listen to the teaching of our fathers and mothers. Much of what is in Proverbs is the kind of thing we learn by living. This too is the teaching of God. It is God who gives the farmer wisdom says Isaiah 28:23-29, esp.26,29. And do we think that means only Israelite farmers? Israelite fathers and mothers? When we pray for men and women in high office and ask God to bless them with wisdom, are we asking him to pour verses into their heads? Do we not pray for foreign rulers that they too might be influenced by God and his wisdom? Or do we ask wisdom only for our own? Compare 1 Tim 2:1-3.

It shouldn't surprise us that a Midianite priest (Reuel—"friend of El"), though an "outsider", had wisdom from God. Nor should it surprise us that many people in political office, though they have no personal relationship with Jesus Christ, have integrity and wisdom from God. What God would this be who is so grudging with his blessings? Everywhere we look, in every face we look, we see or have reason to believe we would see, God's gifts "strewn like sands upon the great seashore." Instead of denying their existence we ought to thank God for them and tell these gifted people who they should thank for their giftedness.

It is part of a great leader's character to acknowledge his or her debt even to those "outside". It's part of the humility of a great leader to allow himself/herself to be taught the wisdom of God by whoever has it. We have enough special revelation to work with, as a basis of judgement on what is or is not wise, but God didn't only give us a Bible, he gave us gifted people. outsiders as well as insiders.

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, theabidingword.com.