Advent is a time to remember our Lord’s first coming as we look forward to His imminent return.
So, let us prepare hearts for encountering the Lord!
“If you prepare your heart, you will stretch out your hands toward him. If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away, and let not injustice dwell in your tents. Surely then you will lift up your face without blemish; you will be secure and will not fear. You will forget your misery; you will remember it as waters that have passed away. And your life will be brighter than the noonday; its darkness will be like the morning. And you will feel secure, because there is hope; you will look around and take your rest in security. You will lie down, and none will make you afraid; many will court your favor. But the eyes of the wicked will fail; all way of escape will be lost to them, and their hope is to breathe their last.”
Job 11:13-20, ESV
In the passage today, Job’s friend Zophar is offering his friendly advice. May we remember that the only way these words are true is if we turn to the Lord and let Him make us clean and righteous!
In the last few weeks, I have been hearing and reading a lot about identity.
Who am I?
In terms of identity, the major theme has been how we identify ourselves. This includes:
Identity politics — Being known by political party or with whom you most closely agree.
Job-based/Skill-set identity — Being known by what you do or know.
Relationship identity — To whom you are connected: husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend, father/son, mother/daughter, friend …
It is this last one that has the most applicability to today’s topic, especially for the Christian.
Losing myself
What happens when the ideology, job, or relationship status changes?
You see, if your identity is dependent on something external, it can lead to major confusion and even crisis-mode inside. You could be screaming, “I don’t know who I am anymore!”
This is where someone may say, “This is why we need strong self-esteem.”
I completely disagree.
Yes, I said completely disagree.
Why?
Because self-esteem focuses on the self. This is the antithesis of Christianity and relationship with God, as it says you can find peace within yourself.
Instead, you need something stronger.
So, how then should we live?
Where is your identity? How about starting with the Bible.
“Whoever receives one such child inmyname receives me”
Matthew 18:5
“For where two or three are gathered inmyname, there am I among them.”
Matthew 18:20
Whatever you ask inmyname, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything inmyname, I will do it.
John 14:13-14
“And these signs will accompany those who believe: inmyname they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues;”
Mark 16:17
Now, what does Jesus mean by “in my Name”? Does he mean “Lord, please do this for me, in Jesus Name. Amen”?
No.
I think this hearkens back to the 10 Commandments, specifically number 3:
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain …”
Exodus 20:7
Is using the Lord’s Name in vain using it as a curse word?
Partially, yes. Mostly, no. It is more like saying you are a Christian (My identity!), doing something wrong, and claiming God either approves or even commanded it. THAT is using the Lord’s Name in vain more than anything else.
But what does Jesus mean?
Literally taking on the identity of Jesus Christ.
Not just living by “What Would Jesus Do?”
It means to think, talk, and act like Christ.
It means you put yourself out of the way, and you let Jesus Christ live through you.
Then it does not matter your skill-set, job title, political affiliation, who you know … well … a little bit who you know … 😉
Whatever happens around you and in your life does not matter that much when you know you have the Lord of the Universe living in and through you!
So, how do you identify? What is your first thought when asked who you are?
I’m a Republican/Democrat/Libertarian.
I’m this or that.
I am a husband/father/wife/mother/sibling.
I know so-in-so.
Or is your first thought “I am a Christian. I am a child of the living God. I am a son (or daughter) of the Most High! My heavenly Father adopted me through my Brother, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!”
This is why it is important to study and memorize Scripture (I admit to being weak in memorization!), because it helps us better understand the meaning of life.
What is the meaning of life?
To glorify God.
This is why theology is important. (Scary, I know, but that is the big reason I make these blogs/vlogs, to give you a hand in it.)
Theology is simply the study of God: who He is, what He wants from and for us, and how we can live for Him.
We find our identity by living for him. We glorify God the Father by allowing God the Son to live in and through us by the power of God the Holy Spirit in us.
Then we can know that no matter what is going on around us and in our lives, we are good to go. Because we are in Christ.
It is who we are.
He is our identity.
And it is not by our own power. It is through our weakness that He is stronger! (2 Corinthians 11-13, especially in 12:9!)
A regular attack on those who are pro-life is that we are really only “pro-birth,” that we do not really care about the mother or child after birth.
Is this true?
We do have the biblical commands to take care of orphans, widows, and the poor and needy …
… for example:
You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child.
Exodus 22:22
He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.
Deuteronomy 10:18
(So, yes, we should also take up the cause of many immigrants. Sorry, Conservatives.)
16 “Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. Each one shall be put to death for his own sin. 17 “You shall not pervert the justice due to the sojourner or to the fatherless, or take a widow’s garment in pledge,18 but you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this. 19 “When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.20 When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over them again. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.21 When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not strip it afterward. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.
Deuteronomy 24:16-21
do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart
Zechariah 7:10
And from the New Testament:
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
James 1:27
There are more, but you get the point.
I Also Know People
People I know personally disprove the idea that pro-lifers are “only pro-birth.”
Two friends of mine – a little older, but I still call them kids from time to time – are dating. They regularly volunteer their time with ministries that serve widows, orphans, single parents (not just mothers), and foster children.
Further, she is in the process of taking care of her grandson, because this boy needs someone in his life who has not abandoned him in one way or another.
No one can claim these two are only pro-birth.
I have friends who run “alternative centers” (usually called something like Crisis Pregnancy Centers, though one of these friends changed hers to “Pregnancy Resource Center” to remove the stigma of a crisis) that do not offer abortion to mothers.
They have counselors to help young mothers before, during, and after birth. There are regular drives to get supplies needed for young parents and babies (through teenage years).
Further, they and their spouses tend to be involved in end-of-life care and counseling (especially seeing as those spouses are pastors).
No one can claim they are only pro-birth.
Other friends are adoptive and foster care parents, some of them even going out of their way to get special needs children.
No one can claim they are only pro-birth.
It is rude at best, disingenuous and flat out wrong at worst to offer a blanket statement that pro-lifers are “only pro-birth.”
I know people who are pro-abortion but anti-assisted suicide or death penalty. (That is a different argument for another time!) This tells me it is unfair to say “Everyone who is pro-choice is really pro-death!”
It is inconsistent, though, especially for the Christian.
(And to take a moment to call out situations of those like Pastor Carl Lentz of Hillsong NYC, who at first responded otherwise (and thankfully changed his answer later), abortion is sin. It is not a gray area that is dependent on each person’s conscience. That is why we need a Savior. But each sin is equally bad in God’s sight, so thanks be to God He offers salvation for those sins through Jesus Christ.)
6 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. 7 Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, 8 she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. 9 How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.
If you have followed my blog long, searched through my all of my posts, and/or know me personally, you know I do not subscribe to the modern teaching of evolution.
Do I need to mention spoilers? I mean, if you have read Genesis chapter 1, you know how it goes. If you have ever looked into Answers in Genesis, you probably know what they think about Creation. And AiG supplied many of their scientists and speakers for this film.
The Film
Genesis: Paradise Lost in 3-Dwas created largely on a computer to show an idea of what the creation of everything looked like based on the Bible – specifically Genesis 1. The stylized rendition was punctuated with “live commentary” of scientists and speakers about what the Bible and science have to say about the origins of everything and, especially, us – humans. Much of this cast consisted of people who work for AiG, but it included other scientists, professors, evangelists, and pastors. While focused on Genesis chapter one, other passages were included, and a lot of science was included throughout.
And, yes, dinosaurs make appearances!
My thoughts
Overall, I really enjoyed the film. The imagery was awe inspiring, and the science was clearly explained mixed in with good theology.
I do not completely agree with everything that AiG teaches (I differ slightlyon the age of the Earth and therefore the historical timeline of humanity, but only slightly), but by and large the science and logic seems reasonable from them and those associated with this film.
They make fairly solid arguments against evolutionary theory, with some humor and compassion thrown in, and it is presented in a compelling way.
My biggest complaint against the film is with the 3-D. There are times that effect is not as accurately applied, causing some blurriness and/or ghosting (double-imaging). On a smaller screen, it might not be as noticeable, but when 30 feet tall it is jarring.
However, when you consider that this was not a James Cameron or major Disney production (the filmmaker, Ralph Strean, did work for Disney at one time, though) with a relatively small, crowdsourced budget, and only a few dozen people working on it, it is amazing what they did accomplish.
There are many elements of this film that the 3-D makes amazingly beautiful and engaging. At one point, I even felt the impulse to attempt to wipe water off of my glasses! And when you consider that
Therefore, if you easily suffer from motion sickness or get headaches from 3-D movies, avoid the 3-D showing.
That being said, I would suggest checking this movie out, if you get the chance.
Even if you completely disagree with their premise, the imagery alone makes it worth it.
I realized late that I forgot to click “Schedule” on this, so it is appearing a day late!
As we are in the midst of my pro-life themed-videos, I thought it fitting to share THE pro-life psalm in its entirety, with only minimal commentary.
Psalm 139 English Standard Version (ESV)
Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
139O Lord, you have searched me and known me! 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. 5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.
7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! 9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” 12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.
13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.
19 Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me! 20 They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain. 21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? 22 I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
My only commentary today is for verses 23-24:
For any who is involved with a sin in which they struggle – and, for the main purpose of this week’s topic, especially those who have been involved with [an] abortion[s] – the best place to start is by asking God to search you.
“Please, God, look into my heart and my mind. You understand everything I am thinking and feeling! Help me! I know I messed up – that I am messed up! I know have done something horrible and wrong, and it is tearing me up! I can’t handle it!”
And He is faithful and true. He will judge your heart, yes, but if you trust that He is truly Lord and the source of salvation, He will “lead [you] in the way everlasting!”
God will forgive you and help you to move forward, if you trust in Him and His sacrifice and the mercy and grace that it afforded.
Trust in the risen Savior, Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. The lover and forgiver of your soul.
Today, I am looking at something a little different. (And I am a little hesitant to share this theory, as I do not actually believe it but it could take hold …)
We know why Christians are pro-life. The biggest reason being we believe we were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27, 5:1) and that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, knit together in the womb (Psalm 139:13-16).
Well, I want to argue for why atheists, or rather evolutionists, should be pro-life … or at the very least anti-abortion.
Seeing X-Men played out
In the X-Men comics, cartoons, and movies, we see an ongoing battle between regular, ol’ humans and mutants. The mutant humans are being fought because their mutant genes have given them super-human powers. They are the next evolutionary step, and the current strain of humanity is trying to keep them from taking over.
What if we are seeing this in real life?
The teaching on evolution is that there are missing links between different types of creatures. Such led to the rise of humans from an ancient ape-like creature (not to be confused with current monkeys and apes that would have come from the same ancestor). This takes several generations if not hundreds of thousands to millions of years.
There is a theory that the missing links may never be found, because perhaps evolution happens in bursts, virtually overnight (in the grand scheme).
Another theory running around is that perhaps human evolution has stalled or stopped.
What if that is not the case?
In Iceland, it is being claimed that they have nearly eradicated Down Syndrome. In truth, they have not, instead they have been aborting pregnancies in which Down Syndrome is detected.
My question centers on this: What if Down Syndrome, Autism, and other such anomalies in humanity are not so much defects as the “missing link” in the next stage of evolution?
What if we are seeing the evidence of evolution, those hiccups that evolutionists tell us could happen, and as a people we are wiping them out …
… we are literally living out the X-Men solution?
Think about it: many of these people tend to be savants at something or many things. There could be a jump in intelligence and other qualities of humanity.
If this were true, evolution has stalled due to our own decisions.
If this were true, perhaps evolutionists should be just as pro-life as Christians … or at least anti-abortion!
What do you think?
Is my responding thought experiment a valid option?
Am I being just as silly as others?
While this is a very serious question and dialogue to have, this is a somewhat silly approach. But it is worth asking.
At the very least, I may help the pro-life cause just a touch.
Regardless, and before I knew these tidbits, I could not help but think:
Is this the post-Christian America we have been promised for years?
Here are some of the reasons I ask:
The usual call for stricter controls on guns and people began immediately.
Groups like Antifa (Anti-Fascists) are calling for stricter laws across the board.
There have been calls for how this is Christians’ fault, anyway, and to see how obviously their prayers were not being answered so how could there be any god.
First, Atheist and other non-religious groups have been calling for all forms of religion to be abolished and for “true human freedom” to reign, but without solid examples of how one must live. Now people wonder why our society seems to be going down the toilet. We removed moral absolutes, and they wonder why we act more like animals. It seems that without the Christian God to help teach us how to be self-controlled (Galatians 5:22-23), we rely on outward control. (i.e. More and stricter laws.)
Finally, Christians and our God get mocked and blamed when this kind of violence erupts. Am I complaining about this as other prominent Christian leaders have been doing, perhaps calling for more protection for our religious beliefs\?
Actually, no.
This is what I expect to happen. Especially if we truly are a “post-Christian nation” … and if I believe the Bible.
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Matthew 5:11
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also.If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’”
John 15:18-25
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
As we see society move farther away from God, I expect to see more people shooting at God — through shooting and otherwise attacking His people, the Church.
These things are crazy, stupid, and sad, but in a fallen world that lashes out at the very idea of God I expect it.
This should push us to pray all the more for peace, repentance, and the swift return of our Lord.
If you are not in Hawaii or Arizona (where I am!) – or a few small pockets – then you are waking up to Daylight Savings Time adjusting your clocks back an hour!
Now, if you are grumbling about being an hour early for church, here is some advice:
If there is any silver lining to DST beginning and ending every 6 months-ish, it is that it serves as a reminder to live out another biblical teaching:
So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12 (ESV)
This author feels that pro-lifers (or, as he calls them, anti-abortion) reveal they are not really pro-life, or perhaps they are inconsistent in their beliefs. And, after years of asking this question, not a single pro-lifer has truthfully and adequately answered this question.
My first thought is, “Who has he been asking?” Because I find this relatively easy to answer. And I know I am far from alone.
However, here is his question:
For some unimportant reason, you are in a fertility clinic, when the building catches fire. As you are about to run out, you hear screaming.
You run back in and find the room where the screaming is emanating. When you open the door you see a 5-year-old child on one side, fire in the middle, and a container holding 1000 viable embryos. (Just assume the container is able to preserve the embryos indefinitely.) You know you only can save one.
Which do you choose?
His argument is that if you choose the child, you prove you are not really pro-life, because you allow all of those embryos – potential humans – to die. If you choose the embryos, you are a monster for letting a child burn.
My initial response is this: Thanks for admitting those embryos are alive!
In connection with this, he and others assert that scientists and politicians can not agree when life begins.
However, all embryologists and many biologists agree that life begins at conception.
There is DNA for a distinct human life.
Check any biology textbook: a cell is a living thing, so they are alive.
The debate then becomes, “But does it have a soul?”
I would argue, yes! Based on:
Psalm 139:13-16 — We were formed in the womb and are fearfully and wonderfully made;
Jeremiah 1:5 — This prophet was chosen before he was even conceived, demonstrating his soul already existed at fertilization. This can be applied to all humans.
As to my answer:
I would save the 5-year-old child.
Does this prove I am not pro-life?
Not at all. In fact, I mourn the loss of those embryos, and I trust God to take care of those lost embryos in His way. But as Christians we also are called to ease suffering.
This child was screaming. Further, being a fertility clinic, this child probably has parents who were there, so I am also helping those parents not to lose a child they already have.
If we change the scenario, maybe my response would be different.
What if I was on a space station above earth or on ship to a new human colony, and the future of the human race depended on those 1000 embryos. I would probably save the embryos.
But this shows the major issue with this question: It is avoiding the point, and it does not show whether a person is truly pro-life.
It is one of those impossible situations in which any choice is not ideal.
If I were on a bus about to go over the edge of a bridge, I would save the first person closest to me. I would not look over the other 36 people on the bus and try to decide who to choose, I would just grab who was closest. I am not responsible for those others, especially if I only have time to save one. No one would question my convictions (except perhaps loved ones of the others on the bus, but most would understand).
Likewise, being in such a situation as this question suggests does not demonstrate that someone is not truly pro-life. It is the complex question fallacy, begging the question. It is basically asking, “Why do you want to let innocents die?” without properly considering other options that are clearly available.
Do we truly love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths? Maybe I can help with the mind part, at least! This is Daniel M. Klem, apparent poet, reluctant yet passionate Disciple (Peter?), and foolish man attempting to understand theology!
a simple man of God 