4/22/14

From Jim McGuiggan... Miracles and the Christian Faith


Miracles and the Christian Faith

For good or ill, the Christian faith embraces miracles. A miracle is not easy to define because it’s one of those big rich words which, if you define it loosely—it’s too loose to be useful. If you try to define it rigidly, to crowd it into a circle of words, there are aspects of it left sticking out. Even those philosophers that deny that a miracle can be defined presume they know (without definition) what it is that can’t be defined. But these are issues that must be dealt with in other literature and there’s a mass of it.

By a miracle I mean an act of God, an act which by its timing, context, nature and character leaves us in no doubt that supernatural power is at work and that that supernatural power comes from the God revealed in the biblical witness.

But here we’re dealing with actual and biblical miracles rather than discussing their “possibility” on philosophical and theoretical grounds. This means I’m taking the biblical texts at their face value. Whatever the theological purposes of the narratives, I’m following countless thousands of intelligent, competent and trusting people down the centuries in accepting that the writers recorded miraculous happenings in and connected with the life of Jesus of Nazareth.

Some of the miracles are not as startling as others are. You know what I mean, there are some events in Scripture that get our attention and then there are others that make our eyes go big and round.

Christ’s healing Peter’s mother-in-law (Matthew 8), just by touching her calls for attention but Lazarus’ coming from the tomb makes your jaw sag (John 11).

The raising of Lazarus helps us (because it is so starkly miraculous) to get a hold on what miracle means. He’s been dead long enough to be in a state of decay, Jesus looks to heaven and addresses someone he calls “Father,” asking him to raise Lazarus. A mere man, one like the rest of us, couldn’t have done what was done to Lazarus so someone heard the words of Jesus, someone invisible, and that someone instantaneously brought life and health back to Lazarus.

Now, not all the miracles are as stark and clear as this one. This event bore its own indisputable witness to the existence, presence and working of the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Some events could be debated if they were looked at as independent events. But when they’re allowed their place in the whole Story, in the development and context of the life of this Jesus of Nazareth, something is added to them and makes them more than acceptable as miracles—makes them, in some ways, fully expected.

Whatever else is true, the Christian faith has miracles at its heart.

It isn’t the Christian Faith as the NT presents it if we strip it of all its supernatural elements and offer Jesus as a fine man and the NT scriptures as a source of some outstanding ethical teaching.
It isn’t uncommon to hear people say it would be easier to believe in the Jesus of the NT if it didn’t speak of miracles. I don’t believe that. I believe if we’re fair with the NT record we cannot believe in a non-miraculous Jesus. Nor could we make sense of the NT record itself for so much of the speech in the mouth of Jesus would be inexplicable—it depends on his having worked miracles (see, for example, John 6, the whole chapter).

But maybe, just maybe, if we doctored the text, it would be easier to believe; but would it be worth believing?

From Dave Miller, Ph.D. ... The Universe—A “Waste of Space”?

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=1207

The Universe—A “Waste of Space”?

by  Dave Miller, Ph.D.

“The cosmos is all that is or ever was or ever will be” (Sagan, 1980, p. 4). So begins Carl Sagan’s immensely popular book and PBS television series, Cosmos. A more atheistic, humanistic, materialistic declaration could not be spoken. Sagan (1934-1996), who was an astronomer at Cornell University who lived his entire life resistant to the possibility of God and an afterlife, maintained his unbelief—in the words of his third wife—“unflinching” to the end (Sagan, 1997, p. 225). She, herself, finds comfort after his passing “without resorting to the supernatural” (p. 228).
When people reject or avoid the implications of the created order—i.e., that it is logically the result of a Supreme Creator—they have inevitably “exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:25). Skeptical of the survival of the Earth at the mercy of Homo sapiens, Sagan turned his attention to an almost obsessive dedication to finding answers and solutions from life forms beyond Earth. In his own words: “In a very real sense this search for extraterrestrial intelligence is a search for a cosmic context for mankind, a search for who we are, where we have come from, and what possibilities there are for our future—in a universe vaster both in extent and duration than our forefathers ever dreamed of ” (Sagan, 1973, pp. ix-x).
Less than a year after his death, Hollywood released a movie (on July 11, 1997) based on Sagan’s novel, Contact (1985). The film’s central character, Dr. Eleanor Arroway (played by Jodie Foster), is surely the embodiment of the formative experiences, philosophical perspectives, and spiritual beliefs of Sagan himself. On three separate occasions in the film, a pseudo-intellectual remark, obviously designed to defend the naturalistic explanation of the existence of the Universe while ridiculing the Christian viewpoint, is offered up to viewers. As a child, “Ellie” asks her father if life exists out in the Universe, to which he responds: “Well, if there wasn’t, it’d be an awful waste of space.” As an adult, she converses with Palmer Joss (played by Matthew McConaughey), and, staring up at the starry Puerto Rican sky, expresses her confidence in the evolution of other life forms elsewhere in the Universe: “If just one in a million of those stars has planets, and if only one in a million of those has life, and if just one in a million of those has intelligent life, then there are millions of civilizations out there” (as cited in Bohlin, 1998). [Of course, the scientific evidence does not support this conclusion—see Bohlin, 2002]. Ellie is pleasantly stunned when Joss repeats the same line that her father uttered to her when she was a child. Near the close of the film, Ellie speaks the line again to a group of school children when asked if life exists in space.
This triple declaration was obviously intended to offer a “logical” proof that, rather than looking to some supernatural Being Who is transcendent of the Universe, humans had best recognize that the only life beyond planet Earth are those life forms that have evolved (like our own) on other planets in far off galaxies. The materialist is forced to follow Sagan’s presupposition: life must exist elsewhere in the Universe since there is no God. If there is a God Who created life only on Earth, then He was guilty of poor teleological design—creating a vast physical realm that serves absolutely no purpose—and thus producing a nearly infinite realm of “wasted space.”
But wait! The Bible long ago anticipated the skepticism of the materialist astronomer. At the creation of the Universe, God said: “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth” (Genesis 1:14-15). The luminaries that God made included the stars: “God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night” (vss. 17-18). One very specific function of the stars that occupy space far beyond our solar system is illumination (cf. Psalm 136:9). They are “light-bearers” (Keil and Delitzsch, 1976, 1:56; Leupold, 1950, p. 71).
Another very specific purpose of the vastness of space is seen in the multiple declarations regarding the infinitude of God and the evidence that points to His existence, His glory, His eternality, and His power. Paul affirmed very confidently that “since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). It is absolutely incredible—and, according to Paul, inexcusable—for a rational human being to contemplate the magnitude of the Universe and the vastness of space, and then to reject the only logical, plausible explanation for it all: God. Indeed, atheism, evolution, and humanism are simply more sophisticated forms of the polytheism that has plagued humanity for millennia. Moses warned the Israelites of this very thing: “[T]ake heed, lest you lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which the Lord your God has given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage” (Deuteronomy 4:19). Evolutionary astronomy assigns an inflated value to the vastness of space by postulating that it can provide mankind with an alternative explanation for the existence of life—an explanation that absents God. Any such postulation ultimately amounts to idolatry.
David, too, paid homage to the glory of the Creator, as evidenced by the eloquent symphony of the majestic Universe that is played perpetually—twenty-four hours a day:
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat (Psalm 19:1-6; cf. 74:16-17; 136:7-8).
Separate and apart from the latest evidence that confirms the movement of the Sun through space (see Thompson, 2001, p. 46), these verses reaffirm the fact that the created Universe loudly announces the existence of the Universe-Maker. David also declared: “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth, You have set Your glory above the heavens! …When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him?” (Psalm 8:1,3). God “stretched out the heavens like a curtain” (Psalm 104:2). No wonder even a philosopher on the order of Immanuel Kant observed: “Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe, the oftener and more steadily we reflect on them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me” (as quoted in Geisler, 1983, p. 59).
A third biblical explanation for the creation of the vast Universe was hinted at by God Himself in the attitude-adjusting lecture He delivered to Job: “Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, or loose the belt of Orion? Can you lead forth a constellation in its season? Or can you guide the Great Bear with its cubs? Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you fix their rule over the earth?” (Job 38:31-33). Notice the action terms that are used to refer to the movement of the constellations: bind, loose, lead forth, and guide. Observe also the “laws of the heavens” and their relationship to “ruling over the earth” (see Gaebelein, 1988, 4:1037,1042). These verses imply that the heavenly bodies have been deliberately orchestrated, modulated, and regulated by the Creator to serve a purpose or purposes far beyond our present understanding. The text seems to hint that Earth’s status, with its living beings, is somehow affected by the phenomena of the cosmic bodies. Even as the comprehension of scientists has been lacking through the centuries on many features of the physical realm, only eventually to discover the meaning that lay behind observable phenomenon, even so our present comprehension of space is woefully inadequate to justify passing judgment on the intentionality and teleology that lie behind many astronomical phenomena.
Evolutionists have far better arguments with which to attempt to prop up their atheistic stance (the “problem of evil” being the strongest, though refutable—see Warren, 1972). The “wasted space” argument is anemic, pitiful, and hardly worthy of rebuttal. However, since they brought it to our attention, the Christian is once again reminded of the unfathomable attributes of the great God Who stands above and beyond this vast physical realm. The immensity and vastness of the Universe only spurs the rational mind to marvel at the One whose own metaphysical transcendence surpasses the visible. In the words of the psalmist: “I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, and I will declare Your greatness (145:5-6). “He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite” (Psalm 147:4-5). Isaiah agreed: “Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things, who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, by the greatness of His might and the strength of His power” (40:26).

REFERENCES

Bohlin, Ray (1998), “Contact: A Eulogy to Carl Sagan,” [On-line], URL: http://www.probe.org/docs/contact.html.
Bohlin, Ray (2002), “Are We Alone in the Universe?”, [On-line], URL: http://www.probe.org/docs/lifemars.html.
Gaebelein, Frank E., ed. (1988), The Expositor’s Bible Dictionary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan).
Geisler, Norman L. (1983), Cosmos: Carl Sagan’s Religion for the Scientific Mind (Dallas, TX: Quest).
Keil, C.F. and F. Delitzsch (1976 reprint), Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans).
Leupold, Herbert C. (1950 reprint), Exposition of Genesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker).
Sagan, Carl (1997), Billions and Billions (New York: Random House).
Sagan, Carl (1985), Contact (New York: Simon and Schuster).
Sagan, Carl (1980), Cosmos (New York: Random House).
Sagan, Carl, ed. (1973), “Introduction,” Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence [CETI] (MIT Press).
Thompson, Bert (2001), In Defense of the Bible’s Inspiration (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press), second edition.
Warren, Thomas B. (1972), Have Atheists Proved There Is No God (Jonesboro, AR: National Christian Press).

From Mark Copeland... The Promise Of The Father (Acts 1:4-5)

                          "THE BOOK OF ACTS"

                  The Promise Of The Father (1:4-5)

INTRODUCTION

1. Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He gave His apostles
   instructions...
   a. Not to depart from Jerusalem - Ac 1:4
   b. But to wait for the Promise of the Father - ibid.

2. The apostles had heard of this Promise before...
   a. From Jesus Himself - Ac 1:4; cf. Jn 14:16-17,26; 15:26; Jn 16:12-13
   b. Related to their being baptized with the Holy Spirit within a few
      days - Ac 1:5
   c. Of which John the Baptist spoke - Lk 3:15-16

[But even long before John and Jesus, God began making promises about the
Spirit...]

I. THE PROMISE OF THE SPIRIT IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

   A. THE PROPHECY OF JOEL...
      1. The Spirit would be poured out on all flesh - Joel 2:28-29
      2. Sons and daughters would prophesy, young and old men see
         visions, dream dreams
      3. God's Spirit would be poured out on His menservants and
         maidservants

   B. THE PROPHECIES OF ISAIAH...
      1. God would pour His Spirit on Israel's descendants, like water
         on dry ground - Isa 44:3
      2. Another prophecy related to the promise of the Spirit - Isa 32:15-17
         a. Found in a section with Messianic implications - cf. Isa 32:1
         b. The result of this pouring of the Spirit:  justice,
            righteousness, and peace - cf. Ro 14:17

   C. THE PROPHECIES OF EZEKIEL...
      1. One recorded in Eze 36:26-27
         a. God promises to put His Spirit "within you" (an
            indwelling?)
         b. Who will cause (enable) one to walk in His statutes and
            keep His judgments
      2. Another prophecy that might relate to the promise of the
         Spirit - Eze 39:29
         a. A prophecy that looks beyond the captivity and restoration
            of Israel
         b. One that might not have been fulfilled until the coming of
            the Messiah

   D. THE PROPHECY OF ZECHARIAH...
      1. The Spirit of grace and supplication to be poured out on the
         inhabitants of Jerusalem - Zec 12:10
      2. Prompting people to look upon Jesus whom they have pierced,
         and mourn because of Him - cf. Ac 2:32-37

[Whether the prophecies of Ezekiel and Zechariah have reference to a
promise that would be fulfilled in the age of the Messiah may be
questionable, but certainly the prophecies of Joel and Isaiah demonstrate
that God promised an "outpouring" of the Spirit in a special way.  Let's
now return to...]

II. THE PROMISE OF THE SPIRIT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

   A. THE PREACHING OF JOHN...
      1. He spoke of One coming who would "baptize you with the Holy
         Spirit" - Mt 3:11; Mk 1:7-8; Lk 3:16; Jn 1:33
      2. While he himself administered a baptism in water, there was
         One coming who would be the administrator of a baptism with the
         Holy Spirit
      3. The promise was made to large crowds; its nature and full
         extent revealed in its fulfillment 
         a. We know that it is somehow tied to the events of Pentecost
            in Ac 2:1-4
         b. Because of Jesus' comments in Ac 1:4-5

   B. THE TEACHING OF JESUS...
      1. The Spirit would be given to those who ask the Heavenly Father
         - Lk 11:13
      2. The Spirit would be given as "living water" to all those who
         thirst and come to Him in faith, and drink - Jn 7:37-39
         a. Might this "living water" be "the gift of God" Jesus
            alluded to earlier? - cf. Jn 4:10-14
         b. Note again the comparison of the Spirit to water in
            Isaiah's prophecy - Isa 44:3
      3. To His apostles, Jesus promised the "Spirit of truth" who
         would...
         a. Be a Helper, and abide with them - Jn 14:16-17
         b. Bring to their remembrance all things Jesus taught them 
            - Jn 14:26
         c. Bear witness of Christ, together with the apostles - Jn 15:26-27
         d. Convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment - Jn 16:7-11
         e. Guide the apostles unto all the truth, including things to
            come - Jn 16:12-13
         f. Glorify Jesus, by taking of what is His and declaring it to
            them - Jn 16:14
      4. Jesus told His apostles to wait in Jerusalem until they
         received the "Promise of the Father" - Lk 24:49; Ac 1:4-5
         a. Which He clearly connects to the baptism of the Spirit
            spoken of by John
         b. In which the apostles would receive power, and be
            eyewitnesses - Ac 1:8

   C. THE PREACHING OF PETER...
      1. On Pentecost, Peter connects the Spirit's outpouring to Joel's
         prophecy - Ac 2:14-16
      2. Then, in the course of his sermon, Peter...
         a. Speaks of the outpouring of the Spirit as a promise Jesus
            received from the Father - Ac 2:33; cf. Ac 1:4-5
         b. Offers the gift of the Spirit to all who repent and are
            baptized - Ac 2:38
         c. Says the promise is to them and others - Ac 2:39
            1) What promise does Peter have in mind?
            2) What promise would have come to mind to his hearers?
            3) Would it not have been the promise he just alluded to?
               a) The promise received by Christ, and poured out by
                  Christ - Ac 2:33
               b) I.e., the Spirit which Jesus Himself promised to
                  believers - Jn 7:37-39
               c) Which Peter would later say was given to those who
                  obey God - Ac 5:32
            4) "That we are right in referring the word promise, in
               this sentence, to the promise of the Holy Spirit just made
               by Peter, is evident from the fact that this is the only
               promise made in the immediate context." - J. W. McGarvey
            5) "For the promise... - Of pardon, and the gift of the
               Spirit." - B. W. Johnson
            6) "Acts 2:39 shows that the gift of the Holy Spirit is to
               all, Jews and Gentiles, who accept that call of God." 
               - David Lipscomb

   D. THE TEACHING OF PAUL...
      1. Regarding those who have been saved - Tit 3:4-7
         a. Have experienced a washing of regeneration and renewal of
            the Holy Spirit
         b. Have benefited by the Spirit poured out on us abundantly
            through Jesus Christ
      2. Regarding those who have been baptized - 1Co 12:13
         a. Have been baptized by the Spirit into one body
         b. Have been made to drink into one Spirit
      3. Regarding those in whom the Spirit dwells - Ro 8:9-13; Ep 3:16; 1Co 6:18-19
         a. Their mortal bodies will be given life
         b. No longer debtors to live according to the flesh
         c. Are able to put to death the deeds of the body
         d. Are to flee immorality because their body is a temple of
            the Holy Spirit
      4. Regarding those who have believed - Ga 3:14; Ep 1:13-14; 2Co 1:22; 5:5
         a. Have received the promise of the Spirit through faith
         a. Have been sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise
         b. Have received the Spirit as a guarantee (deposit) of our
            inheritance
      5. Regarding those walk after the Spirit - Ga 5:16-25
         a. Will not fulfill the lust of the flesh, the works of the
            flesh
         b. Will produce the fruit of the Spirit, because they live in
            the Spirit
 
CONCLUSION

1. In this lesson we have seen the following...
   a. Old Testament prophets promised a special dispensation of the
      Spirit to come
      1) One that would include the manifestation of special gifts
      2) One that would enable the people of God to keep His will
   b. John and Jesus promised a baptism of the Spirit, administered by
      Jesus
   c. Peter in his first gospel sermon...
      1) Proclaimed this promise to be fulfilled with the outpouring of
         the Spirit - Ac 2:16,33
      2) Offered the Spirit as a gift to all who obey the gospel - Ac 2:38-39
   d. Paul in his epistles...
      1) Wrote much about the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of
         the Christian
      2) Referring to the Spirit as "the Holy Spirit of Promise"

2. In view of "The Promise Of The Father" related to the Holy Spirit...
   a. We should not be surprised to read more of the work of the Holy
      Spirit in Acts
   b. In both the life of the church and in the lives of Christians

To what degree and in what way the Spirit continues to work today can be
ascertained by a careful study of the New Testament (please see my
series, "The Holy Spirit Of God"). 

Have you experienced the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy
Spirit, made possible because the Father kept His promise to pour out His
Spirit abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior?  Let Peter show you
how...

   Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be 
   baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins;
   and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise
   is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as 
   many as the Lord our God will call." - Ac 2:38-39

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2012

From Gary... The beauty above us...



































No idea where this is, but it looks warm and inviting (notice the man wearing shorts). My guess is that the use of all the umbrellas is associated with some sort of festival because they don't seem to be there  at the top of the picture. Whatever is going on here, the umbrellas provide comfort from the sun, shade and beauty to this street. The idea of protection seemed to come to the forefront of my thinking and for some reason, I thought of the book of Ruth...


Ruth, Chapter 1 (NASB)
Rth 1:11  But Naomi said, "Return, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
Rth 1:12  "Return, my daughters! Go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said I have hope, if I should even have a husband tonight and also bear sons,
Rth 1:13  would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters; for it is harder for me than for you, for the hand of the LORD has gone forth against me."
Rth 1:14  And they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
Rth 1:15  Then she said, "Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law."
Rth 1:16  But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.
Rth 1:17  "Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the LORD do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me."

Ruth, Chapter 2 (NASB)
Rth 2:8  Then Boaz said to Ruth, "Listen carefully, my daughter. Do not go to glean in another field; furthermore, do not go on from this one, but stay here with my maids.
Rth 2:9  "Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Indeed, I have commanded the servants not to touch you. When you are thirsty, go to the water jars and drink from what the servants draw."
Rth 2:10  Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?"
Rth 2:11  Boaz replied to her, "All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know.
Rth 2:12  "May the LORD reward your work, and your wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge." 


Ruth was a gentile, of the Moabite persuasion, who married one of Naomi's sons. When all of the men in the family died, Naomi decided to return to Israel and the announcement of  that decision brought about the famous statement of Ruth. Later on, Boaz (kinsman to Namoi) recognized her actions and praised her for them.  I think verse 12 is very important here, as it reminds me that God is a God of refuge; one that protects those who seek him.  Even those who we would not normally think God would protect (Moabites in general were disliked by the Jews). The thing is God not only takes care of those who come to him, but HE does things in a way that ultimately is entirely wonderful.  Like the picture at the top, HIS shelter is beautiful, colorful and very, very memorable. Boaz and Ruth were eventually married and she became the great-grandmother of one of the greatest kings in Israel, David.  Seeking God is worth it and not just for Ruth, but for anyone who earnestly desires God!!!