I was watching a video on climate change where the scientist wrote that the research of his opponents made Intelligent Design advocates appear rigorous. This raised the question in my head, is Intelligent Design a rigorous science? And for that matter are their opponents rigorous scientists? I was reminded of the documentary Ben Stein made called “No Intelligence Allowed” where Ben Stein asked various Darwinists how life began. The answer from all of them was that we don’t know. This tells us not only is there no evidence for life beginning by Darwinian processes, but that there isn’t even a theory on how that would have happened. This leaves us with no conclusive theories on either side of the argument.
Do we then have to throw up our hands and say we can’t know anything scientifically about how life began? I don’t think so. There are all kinds of definitions of what science is, but however you define that word I believe that probability should be included, if nothing else to tell us the likelihood of something being true. As I’ve said before in this blog, calculating the likelihood of design or life by random mutation is relatively easy. The chance of something happening is 1 minus the chance that it didn’t happen. Therefore, the probability that life was the result of design is 1 minus the probability of it happening by chance, since that number is so small let’s use 0. 1 – 0 = 1. That means that, mathematically, the likelihood of intelligent design being true is 100%. So although we can’t say with scientific certainty that life was the result of design, we can say that it is by far the most likely option open to scientists.
This Thanksgiving I’m thinking quite a bit about my Grandparents who passed away in the last few months. In the past on holidays we have been overwhelmed with the number of places we were expected to go. But now that that is over we are really missing it. It has made me think that I shouldn’t take people who truly care about me for granted. It is so important to know that there are people out there who truly love and accept me no matter what. With friends I am tempted to worry that they might not like me as much if I say certain things or if I truly open up. But with family it is different. I am thinking about my Grandma Eubanks who was always delighted to see my family when we came regardless of my political views or whether we said a couple of stupid or annoying things or even if the kids were cranky. So if you have people who truly care about you don’t take them for granted. In this life that is a very precious and rare thing.
The Holy Spirit is moving at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City so I’ve been thinking about revival over the last week. There’s a lot of confusion over the subject of revival in the church so hopefully I can clarify what revival is and why we want it.
Revival is simply the Holy Spirit acting in a tangible way among a group of people. During revival the Holy Spirit
convicts of sin
saves, heals and delivers people
brings joy
creates love for God, for ourselves, and for others in the church
gives the church a desire to read the Bible and to pray
creates a passion for worship
gives people a tangible sense of his presence
does strange things (I would call them fun things)
equips the saints for ministry
Basically revival is Christianity functioning. Christians are dependent on the Holy Spirit’s power for almost every aspect of our lives. Christians, in our own power and unbelievers for that matter, can use the teachings in the Bible to make us live better lives. We are totally incapable, however, of changing ourselves or other people without the power of the Spirit. We can’t heal. We can’t deliver. We can’t even believe or love without the power of the Spirit.
This is why I get so upset when I hear people say that they think Christianity is more powerful without revival. To me this smacks of humanism. To believe we can get more accomplished in a “purer” way by trudging through the desert in our own strength is disastrous. They may counter “we are going through the desert by the power of the Spirit,” to which I would reply “how can you tell?” If what you call the activity of the Spirit looks, feels, and gets the same results as you doing things through your natural abilities, how can you tell which is which? Shouldn’t you be able to tell? Shouldn’t the world be able to tell? The New Testament makes it appear that you can tell a difference.
The Church needs revival. Revival needs to be normal. We can’t force God’s hand, but we can ask a God who hears our prayers to send revival and to remain with us. In the New Testament there is no indication that a powerless life is the normal Christian life. I see in the Bible that God answers prayer. I see in the Bible that Christians have joy unspeakable. I see in the Bible that Christians are people who are full of love.
Here is a great quote that Michael Bird put in a blog post today. Totally agree.
“The purposes of God are reducible to his will, a will that initially appears equally set to harden or to save, but turns out on closer inspection, and in the end, to harden only in order to save, to hate only in order to love, and to consign all to disobedience only in order to have mercy on all. What has twisted Paul’s theology into this strange shape is his understanding of a “gift” that has redefined the meanings of charis and eleos and defies explanation or rationale. That gift is the Christ-event which reconciled the world “while we were enemies” (Rom 5:6-10) and justified the ungodly (4:4-6)”
- John Barclay
This article has been birthed out of my desire to find out what is really true about Christians in regards to sin and our natures. I’ve heard so many different accounts of the power that sin has over believers from none to irresistible that it’s difficult to know where to stand. Then, of course, there are my own struggles over the last decade with various temptations and seasons of giving in and seasons of not giving in. I recently went to a Christian school hosted by John Crowder where he focused heavily on the death of our old man and our freedom from sin. I came back determined to figure out the truth. Although I love John Crowder, I always want to check out what people are saying to see what is true and what isn’t.
From reading this article you should have an understanding of where your battle with sin actually lies and what the cross has actually done for you. This will help us in our struggles with sin, because if we feel the situation is hopeless than we won’t fight very hard to resist.
Safety Dance by Men Without Hats – When life gets you down listen to this song and it will turn your frown upside down.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcOZ6xFxJqg
Sing from Sesame Street – I don’t know what it is about this song but it really moves me. This is my favorite version.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pwr-zib2gIc
Sesame Street Theme by Stevie Wonder – Staying with Sesame Street, for you true music aficionados, here is Stevie Wonder doing it like it’s meant to be done.
Here is a great quote from one of my favorite Bible scholars Michael Bird from his new book – Introducing Paul: The Man, His Mission and His Message.
“Paul is not given the thirty-nine lashes by his fellow Jews because he asks them to ‘try’ Jesus in the same way one might try a kebab (2 Cor. 11:24). He is not executed for suggesting that Roman citizens may wish to invite Jesus into their hearts. No, Paul has the courage and conviction to proclaim that the one who is to come again, the Messiah, is Jesus, who has fulfilled Israel’s hopes by being cursed on a cross and raised from the dead. Jesus is the deliverer Israel had hoped for and desperately needed (2 Cor. 1:20; Acts 13:32-34; Rom. 11:26)” (pp. 28-29).”
When I first started following Christ I was extremely depressed with the Christian music situation. But over the last decade things have gotten much better. Below is a list of some of my favorite songs, most of which can be downloaded for a buck or less. Format below is song – album.
Songs you can get here – http://www.ihopmp3store.com/
Misty Edwards
Pledge – Immersed
Stir Up the Flame – Immersed
I Will Return – Immersed
See the Way – Always on My Mind
Eternity – Eternity
All that I Want – Eternity
Light of Your Face – Relentless
Strings – Relentless
Merchant Band
All I Want – Merchant Band
Justin Rizzo
Gift of God – EP
Glory Covers the Earth – EP
Matt Gilman
Holy – Holy
Songs you can get here – http://www.morningstarministries.org/Shop/Sections/Section.aspx?section_id=1000000954
Suzy Yaraei
Come Let Us Go Up to the Mountain – Braveheart
We Love to Worship You – Braveheart
New Wave – Braveheart
Inner Court – Simple (My Favorite Song Ever)
New Wave – Simple
Other wonderful songs
Scott Brenner
We Cry Holy – Draw Near to Me
Having just been to a Christian Mystical School I’ve been thinking quite a bit about the place of pleasure in Christianity and life in general. When I first started following Christ I heard about the pleasures of loving God and how the joy of the Christian life was superior to all the world had to offer. I was sharing that with a friend who replied that he had heard that as well, but the trouble was he had never known anyone who that was true for. I had to agree.
The trouble is how does one mesh what the Bible says about the pleasures of Christianity with the mundane lives and church services that are the typical experience. How does Christian life compare to the pleasures of sex, alcohol, and drugs? Of course, there is the cop out that if you do those things long enough it will mess up your life and that is probably true, but I still think that’s a cop out. The question for me is at any given moment what is the most pleasurable experience I can have? The reason this is important is that most of us naturally rebel against the mundane. If life is boring than we want to add some spice to it, particularly if you are a teenager. So how does a teenage boy consistently resist looking at a one in a million girl naked online or having sex or drinking? The answer is a superior pleasure, but where is that to be found.
Now we come back to the title of this post, I think I have the answer – ecstatic Christianity. By ecstatic I mean Christianity that is marked by intense encounters with the Holy Spirit that often lead to physical manifestations, trances, and the like. When the Holy Spirit comes on you in a tangible way you may feel intense joy, pleasure, weeping, or any number of emotions. The one emotion you will not feel is boredom. When you experience the Holy Spirit you feel not only pleasure but there is the added dimension of the eternal that adds a whole nother layer.
What I am not talking about here is an intellectual excitement in Christian doctrine. I’ve heard many people take these pleasure verses this way. I can only speak for myself, but I’ve never had an intellectual thought so euphoric that it can be compared to a heroin trip or even sex and I don’t think we should limit Christianity to the intellect.
If you are a Christian thinking all this stuff is weird than I would remind you that Christianity is weird from a human standpoint. Christians believe that God lives inside us. That’s pretty out there if you stop and think about it. We believe that Jonah lived inside a fish for a while, Elijah called fire down from heaven on people, God picked Ezekiel up by the hair and took him places. Freaky stuff. You wouldn’t put naked Isaiah in charge of your children’s Sunday school ministry. Why not just accept that Christianity can be a little freaky sometimes and have fun with it? Plus it turns out that when the Holy Spirit comes on you you become a better person and more fruitful.
I’ve read tons of Christian books since I became serious about Christianity ten years ago. Since not everyone has the time to read all the time I thought I would share the ones that I think are the most beneficial. This first post is my top ten (in no particular order).
1. The Final Quest by Rick Joyner – this is the one that really got me excited about Christianity. I’ve probably read it 10 times.
2. The Torch and the Sword by Rick Joyner – the follow up to the Final Quest; lots of important stuff.
3. The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence – classic book on how to pray continually. takes about an hour to read and should be read every 6 months or so.
4. Praying the Bible by Wesley Campbell – excellent book on learning how to pray
5. Be a Hero by Wesley Campbell – now the you’ve learned how to pray this book will help you be the answer to your prayers.
6. Marketplace Christianity by Robert Fraser – for the 97% who work outside the church on how to be a blessing in your workplace.
7. Our Father Abraham by Marvin Wilson – important guide to understand the Jewish roots of our faith, which should be understood since they affect how we view everything.
8. When Heaven Invades Earth by Bill Johnson – good introductory book to doing the stuff Jesus did.
9. If Jesus were a Parent by Hal Perkins – I haven’t read all the parenting books out there but I doubt there is one as good as this one. If you are a parent or have grandkids buy this book!
10. The Ecstasy of Loving God by John Crowder – A new favorite. Wonderful introduction to happy living and deep prayer.
