Bringing it all together

Having started this blog on February 22, 2018 with the intent of encouraging people to "get off the fence" and put their trust in Jesus, in March 2018 I started then a series of 10 blogs on "Reasons to Not Believe" in which I presented 10 arguments or excuses for not believing and I attempted to give reasonable responses to each, with the hope of maybe nudging someone off their fence. Then roughly a year later I did a second series of 10 reasons, but this time focusing on the positives of the Christian message of reasons to believe. Maybe this helped to pull someone off a fence instead of pushing? I don't know.

At the bottom of this blog are the 20 reasons listed out with hyperlinks for handy access. I'd be interested to know which ones resonated most and which really didn't click for you.  Faith is a personal thing and the ways and means by which God draws people to Himself are varied. I'd love to hear your faith story if you're willing to share it either publicly in a comment, or privately directly to me.

If you want a full life, and not be comfortably numb; if you can overcome cultural constraints and worries about missing out on what this world may offer; if you apply your mind to intellectual objections or plain ignorance; if you take the initiative and don't wait until later, overcoming peer pressure or misconceptions about Christians; if you seek the unique path God has for you and realize no-one is ever too far gone for Him to reach you... then you can leave the fence and enter into love, joy, peace, hope, restored relationships, community, logic, eternal life and a reward as a new creation in Christ Jesus.

If you're still on the fence but want to respond, check out this website from Billy Graham Ministries or drop me a note. I'd love to help you in your faith journey: https://peacewithgod.net/

10 Reasons to Not Believe

1. Comfortably Numb
2. Cultural Constraints
3. Missing Out
4. Intellectual Objections
5. Plain Ignorance
6. Maybe Later
   
7. Peer Pressure
   
8. Christians
9. All Paths Lead to God
   
10. Too Far Gone

10 Reasons to Believe

1. Love
2. Joy
3. Peace
4. Hope
5. Relationships Restored
6. Community
   
7. Logic
8. Eternal life
9. Reward
10. A New Creation

A New Creation

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”

Well done to those that have hung in there to the end!  We're now at my final one of 10 Reason to Believe, which is you will become a new creation. Of all the reasons, this is probably the toughest for me to write, not because it isn't important or very compelling, but because I became a Christian quite a long time ago and so it's tough to remember a time when I wasn't "a new creation."

The promise of the Bible and the experience of thousands and millions of people across the ages is that trusting in Jesus does make you a new creation.  It does not make you perfect overnight (I can attest to that) and it does not guarantee an easy ride in life (I can also attest to that!), but the moment you surrender to Christ something changes in you, immediately and palpably, something changes.

I wrote about my decision to become a Christian in a blog many moons ago. You can read about it here in my faith story. That was the time when everything changed for me and I did become a new creation.

If you're looking for a new start; if you want hope, faith and love; if you long to be a new creation, set free to be what God intended throughout all of the highs and lows of life, I highly recommend turning to Jesus to become a new creation. Do it!

Check out my "Engineer's Gospel" for more info on how to do it.

Treasures in Heaven

Hang on in there, I'm up to number 9 in my "10 Reasons to Believe." Only one more to go after this!

What do you treasure? 

I'm a bit of a geek, and so the things that grab my attention and captivate me tend to be new technologies, new software and new ways of applying technology.  I'm generally not impressed by expensive things or shiny things. I honestly cannot tell the difference between Gaultier and Target's own brands, Rolex and Timex, or even diamonds and cubic zirconia.  Well, maybe I can see the difference side by side, but if you presented me with one or the other (with the label removed) and asked me what it was, I'd be clueless. I for sure don't appreciate paying a whole lot more for one versus the other. I guess I don't see the value...?  BUT, paying $3000 for a MacBook Pro versus $300 for an Acer Chromebook, hmmm, yeah, I lose all common sense.

So in applying to our modern times what Jesus said on the sermon on the mount: "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth..." for me that's tech stuff.  Then he continues "...where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal." That still applies to our clothes, cars, and latest gadgets.  In our modern western world we have way more things than the folks did in the 1st Century AD. Still today they wear out, burn out or become obsolete in the blink of an eye.  And for sure, the thieves have way more stuff to steal these days than back then.  Perhaps they give us pleasure or comfort for a little while, but it doesn't last.

A Better Treasure

Jesus says there's a better treasure; a treasure in heaven, that's not affected by moths, rust, or thieves with sticky fingers. If you set your heart on that treasure you'll have something that satisfies for the long term, not just in your existence here on Earth, but beyond and to eternity.

So what is this treasure that He speaks of? He's a little vague in the sermon and I guess you could take it to mean the treasure of eternal life, or the rewards God will give someone for being faithful in using what He gives us as recounted in the parable of the talents. For sure these are some of the long-lasting treasures.

But, I think the ultimate treasure we get by believing in Jesus and trusting in Him, is God Himself, and we get this treasure in 2 installments. Firstly, when you put your trust in Jesus, He gives you the gift of the Holy Spirit to be with you and help you through this life. He comforts, guides, and empowers you as you walk with Jesus in this life. Secondly, in eternity we get to be with God in person.  That will be the ultimate gift; the ultimate treasure.

So what's your treasure?

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Jesus on the Sermon on the Mount)

Eternal Life

The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

The scriptures of the New Testament are full of references to eternal life.  The promise of eternal life after death is a central message of the Christian faith and is certainly a very good reason to believe in Jesus.

God is holy and we are not. In our basic nature we kick against God, rebelling against Him, and trying to do life our own way. Even though He created all life including us, we ignore Him, pay Him basic lip-service, or flat out turn away from Him to do our own thing. This sets us against God. This makes us His enemy. As Jesus said in the scripture above, the wrath of God remains on us.  At the end of our lives we'll face God and His wrath. That's a very scary thought.  That's bad news.

But the same scripture also has some very good news. If you believe in the Son - if you believe in Jesus and what He did through His willing death and resurrection to pay the price for our rebellion - then you have eternal life. Instead of facing God's wrath you have his favor, through His Son.  If you turn to Jesus and say that He is your Lord, then He grants you everlasting life.  That's the simple and yet profound truth of the Christian message. It's not through your own efforts, religious rituals, or good works; it's simply acknowledging your need to be rescued from God's wrath and then trusting Jesus for the rest.  Sometimes I find it hard to understand why everyone doesn't just turn to Jesus, but I guess I did post a bunch of blogs on the topic of not believing!

So, what will eternal life be like for those that trust in Jesus? I'm not a big fan of those who claim to have had out of body experiences, or have visited heaven when they nearly died. Perhaps some are genuine but perhaps some are not.  I'm not sure what the next life will be like, but I do know I want to face it with Jesus, the one who I think is worth trusting, and who said the following:

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also."

Logic

A while ago I read an interesting book by Norman Geisler (who just recently passed away) and Frank Turek, provocatively entitled "I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist." At the time I didn't think all their arguments were watertight and yet the general logic of what they presented was pretty sound and definitely logical overall.  The thrust of what they present in their book is that, of all the worldviews, ideologies and religions, Christianity is the most logical explanation for what we actually see and experience.

It has been a while since I read the book and so rather than try to pick back through all their arguments which I half remember, can I perhaps encourage you to read the book for yourself, and instead I'll focus on a different framing of the logic of Christianity presented by Ravi Zacharias in which he suggests there are four questions which must be answered by our worldview that should be tested against the three criteria of logical consistency, empirical adequacy, and experiential relevance. They are questions of (1) origin, (2) meaning, (3) morality, and (4) destiny. Let's see if the Christian perspective on these four is logical...

Origin

This is probably where the most heated discussions start and this is the topic on which I've read numerous books on creation vs evolution, old earth vs new earth etc.  Where did we come from?
OK, so I said I wouldn't focus on the book by Geisler and Turek, but this is one of their sound arguments I do remember.  The Universe came out of nothing into existence in time and space, right?  And there are scientific rules that govern the operation of the Universe. Combining these two together, it is quite logical that an intelligence outside of the Universe - outside of time and space - created it. What name do we give to an intelligence outside of the Universe? God.

If you start from the logical point that God first caused the Universe to exist, then God creating life, creating humans and interacting with them in the way shown in the Bible are all very logical. Even the existence of miracles is logical from this perspective as only the one who set up the rules in the first place can operate beyond the rules to show it.

Meaning

OK, so God creating the Universe and humans in it is logical.  But why did He do it? What is the meaning of life? (Not 42, by the way!)

The worldview presented through the Bible is that God is relational i.e. He created us to have a relationship with Him. That shows itself in the ways He loves us, we love Him and how we love each other. Jesus put it this way:

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

In other words, the meaning of life is to love God and love one-another. That's it. Simple and logical to me.

Morality

I recall reading about C.S. Lewis's moral argument for the existence of God. I think it may even have been a major reason why he moved from atheism to faith. I don't know that I see this as a strong argument personally, but it is certainly logical. If we have morals, then they must have come from somewhere or someone.

For me, the Christian explanation for the presence of good and evil is logical.  When we see the beauty of creation, or experience the pleasure of good conversation, warm hugs or one of my dogs doing something extremely cute, the world is very good.  But when I see the news stories of killings in the name of ideologies, petty theft, abuse, or cyclones wiping out villages, or people succumbing to cancer, I see that there is also grievous evil in the world.  The Bible holds these two observations together through the concept of the fall.  We live in what was meant to be a good world, but it's broken.  This isn't a water-tight explanation for good and evil, particularly if you're on the receiving end of the brokenness, but it is at least logical. To fully accept the explanation for sure requires faith.

Destiny

So now to Ravi's last point about worldviews.  What happens when we die? This is where faith really kicks in as it's impossible to know from experience until it happens! I guess you can look at the people who've had near-death experiences or had dreams and visions of heaven, but ultimately for me I have to trust that what Jesus said is true. It's logical, and - coupled with my personal experience of trusting Him in this life - that step of faith is the most compelling of all the worldviews. It's logical to trust Him because He is trustworthy.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Summary

I want to wrap up this blog by quoting directly from the article from Ravi Zacharias (link again here) as I think he has a very nice way of summarizing things in a logical and succinct manner:

There you have it. Who is God? He is the nonphysical, intelligent, moral first cause, who has given us intrinsic worth and who we can know by personal experience.

The verification of what Jesus taught and described and did make belief in Him a very rationally tenable and an existentially fulfilling reality. From cosmology to history to human experience, the Christian faith presents explanatory power in a way no other worldview does. Our faith and trust in Christ is reasonably grounded and experientially sustained.

I often put it this way: God has put enough into this world to make faith in Him a most reasonable thing. But He has left enough out to make it impossible to live by sheer reason alone. Faith and reason must always work together in that plausible blend.

Seems logical to me!

Community

I've just started reading a book by Francis Chan called "Letters to the Church" in which he talks about his own grappling with what the Christian church should be versus what it is today.  Having started a church that grew into a "Megachurch" he's now working to set up smaller churches in a network called "We Are Church." So far the book is pretty neat as he tries to get back to what the church was originally intended to be. He also touches on how in some ways some of our churches have lost their focus and maybe need to get back to basics.

I've been very fortunate to be the part of some very cool churches.  They were all places where I felt loved, encouraged and part of a community. During our time in Overland Park, Kansas we were members of Emmanuel Baptist Church. Having moved from Texas and not knowing anyone it was wonderful to get to know people there, many of whom are still lifelong friends. Similarly during our 18 months living in Perth, Australia, we were part of Subiaco Church where we joined an awesome small group that helped us grow spiritually and still today we are good friends with several people there halfway around the world!  And now here in Pearland, Texas we joined Lifepointe Fellowship just a couple of years ago and quickly got to know several awesome people who obviously love God and the people that visit there.

In my previous blog I mentioned that we are relational beings. I think we're missing this in our Western culture where many of us go to work, then go home and watch TV, or - increasingly - surf the internet on our smart devices for hours on end.  We never really connect with others except in superficial ways and it can be lonely doing life on your own.  When they function well, such as the ones I've experienced, churches have a strong sense of community. You can be part of an extended family that helps you with spiritual matters and the day-to-day stuff of life.  You can belong.

Back to Francis Chan's book and he emphasizes that God's plan to bring us together is sacred.  Beyond us simply going to a venue to experience something, or to do our duty, the idea of the church is to be Jesus's body.  His people (not the building) become His temple and somehow we connect with Him and with one another in a truly marvelous and mysterious way. I'm intrigued to read more of what he has to say (maybe a review in a future blog!!).

So, if you want to belong to a loving community, connected to one-another and connected to God, then that's another good reason to believe.

Relationships Restored

Number 5 in my "Reasons to Believe" is a tough one for me to articulate. I'm not a pastor nor a sociologist: I'm an engineer!  So talking about relationship type stuff is not my natural bent.  But, that said, the older I get, the more I realize that relationships - family, friends, coworkers - are way more important than work, titles, acclaim and almost anything else this life has to offer.

God is relational and the restoration of our broken relationship with Him is at the heart of the Christian message. Perhaps the most famous parable that Jesus told on the topic was the story of the prodigal son.  Here's my take on it with a modern twist...

Prodigal Daughter
A story inspired by Luke 15

A young woman couldn’t wait to leave home and see the world. Just days after her high school graduation, she packed up her few belongings into the car her parents had bought for her just the year before and headed off across the country to a new life, new experiences and freedom. At first things were great. She worked hard and partied harder. Boyfriends came and went; friendships too. Then came an economic downturn. She lost her job and with it the ability to pay rent. She found herself sleeping on the couches of friends when they’d let her, or in her car when they didn’t. She found part time work here and there, but nothing permanent.

One morning after a restless night trying to sleep in her car she thought “What am I doing here? Back home I had a room and food. I had friends, family and parents that loved me. I should go home and maybe Mom and Dad would let me stay with them for a while, just until I get back on my feet.”

She scraped together enough gas money to drive back home, wondering all the way what she would say to her parents. They’d had such hopes for her and here she was, a failure and big disappointment to everyone. They might not even let her through the door and she wouldn’t blame them. She’d hardly spoken to them in months and when she had she always pretended everything was fine. How could she tell them the truth? She was ashamed. Still, they loved her, right? She hoped. She drove.

As she pulled around the corner of her parent’s road, her mother happened to be in the driveway, about to get into her car.  She thought she recognized her daughter’s car approaching, but what would she be doing here? The mother’s puzzled look seemed like a scowl to her daughter as she drew closer, but as soon as she realized it was indeed her daughter, she immediately ran to meet her. The daughter could barely shut off the car and get out of her seat before her mom pulled her into her arms, crying and laughing.  Just behind her, the daughter’s father had stepped out of the house to see what was going on.  He too ran over to his daughter and threw his arms around both of them.  “Mom. Dad. Can I stay here a while, just until I get back on my feet?” she asked.

“Stay as long as you need to my love,” her Dad replied. “Welcome home. This will always be your home.”

God loves us. He loves me. He loves you. He longs to restore our relationship with Him.  That's why Jesus came to the earth: to live and die and rise again from the dead, so that we could have a relationship restored.