What we have discussed the past few weeks is neither easy nor entertaining reading to everyone. It is controversial, theological, and, for many, a brand new way to look at the world and life in general.  However, I believe understanding clearly the subject of our discussions is worth the effort necessary to make it the object of our diligent pursuit. It is the framework for all of life, both the reason for life’s journey and the means by which we take the trip. It…

We are the children of a Father, the sheep of a Shepherd, the vice-regents of a King, the soldiers in an army, and the employees in a business. These are all metaphors that I have used in past blog postings to illustrate the “big-picture” of the relationship we have with God.  God has saved us for a distinct purpose of which many Christians are completely unaware. Contrary to popular belief, we were neither saved to escape hell, nor to enjoy eternity with God, although…

The battle raged for 33 years, from the Incarnation to the Cross, and it was there on that cross that the outcome was finally determined. On a lonely hill outside the city wall of Jerusalem, Satan killed Jesus, the very Son of God Himself, the Second Person of the Trinity, on a wooden cross.  It appeared to the disciples, and it appears to the casual observer today, that Satan had finally won the battle, and crucifying the Son of God was the most tragic…

We have seen that God’s original plan for man in Genesis 1:24-26 was to be His vice-regent on the earth—to “have dominion” over it. Under God’s authority, we were to rule for Him according to His law, on the earth that He created,.  However, through Satan’s deception and Adam and Eve’s unwillingness to exercise the leadership responsibilities of their new office, they succumbed to Satan’s temptation. They believed his lie, obeyed his instruction, became his slaves, and legally lost man’s right to rule the…

An all powerful, absolutely sovereign, creator God unconditionally loved His depraved, rebellious creatures and came to earth to save them, even though they rejected Him and His leadership to follow God’s mortal enemy, Satan.   That statement above encapsulates the answers to the first three questions which define our biblical worldview so far: 1.) Who is God? 2.) Who am I? 3.) How does God relate to me? In this blog posting, let’s investigate the answer to #4: Why am I here? Because of that…

In last week’s post we looked at the first two of four questions, the biblical answers to which form the foundation of a uniquely Christian worldview. They were: 1.) “What is God like?,” and 2.) “What am I like?” In today’s post we will deal with 3.): “How does God relate to me?”  The temptation when we first look at these questions is to think that the answers seem self-evident. “I believe those answers, so therefore I have a Christian worldview. Nothing else to…

A worldview is “The set of beliefs about fundamental aspects of Reality that ground and influence all one’s perceiving, thinking, knowing, and doing.” This is the definition of the word “worldview,” in the dictionary.  When faced with this concept, Christians today realize that their faith informs how they see and interact with the world around them—their “perceiving, thinking, knowing, and doing.” Since genuine Christian faith is based totally on the word of God as revealed in the Bible, their worldview ideally is a biblical…

Last week we looked at Jesus’ prayer for us in John 17 that we be “in the world but not of the world” as we, His disciples, fulfill God’s mission for us on the earth. This is the method we will use to attack our job with confidence—being regularly involved right in the middle of Satan’s world system, but never partaking of it. We don’t have to “be one to win one.” We are different, not because we try to be or even know…

John 17:16-18: (vs. 16) “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” (vs. 17) “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” (vs. 18) “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.”  This great truth was verbalized by Jesus in His high priestly prayer to His Father on the way to the Garden of Gethsemane with His disciples on the night He was crucified. He was sending them out, just…

What keeps us from sustained spiritual growth after we become Christians, or for some, from even continuing in the faith? Some would say a failure to “be in the Word,” or not being “faithful in church attendance,” or maybe a lack of “total commitment.” However, how many who diligently check each of those boxes, upon close examination, exhibit very little “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, humility and self-control?” Those qualities, Paul’s “fruit of the Spirit” in Galatians 5:22, 23, are a measure…