Something Real to Celebrate

     Philosopher Walter Kaufmann wrote a book ironically titled, The Faith of a Heretic. After explaining our cosmic insignificance, he concluded: “What I want to do and would advise others to do is to make the most of life: put into it all you have got, and live, and, if possible, die with some measure of nobility.”
     I cannot help but to say that to tell us to die with nobility when there is no hope beyond the grave is farcical at best. Compare Kaufmann’s philosophy to Jesus’ words: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live.” These profound words, spoken to Lazarus’s sister Martha, were proven true moments later when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.
     This becomes so much more real when you stare death in the face, either on behalf of yourself or with a loved one. Losing my father ten years ago forced me to examine the reality of the resurrection for the first time since I committed my life to Christ. I think that most of us would have trouble finding value in this present life if we believed that this is all there really is. Yet for most of the world, they live just that way. They struggle with making the most of their lives while having no hope beyond the grave. It was for this reason that Dr. Nelson Bell said, “Only those who are prepared to die are really prepared to live.” The confidence of eternal life, which is given to us through the resurrection of Jesus, gives us added ability to not only cope, but to live meaningful and beneficial lives in the here and now; lives that end only with a passageway into a better life!
     Concluding his famous discourse on Christ’s resurrection, the apostle Paul asks rhetorically, “Where, O death, is your sting? Where is your victory?” In reference to the resurrection, the answer is obvious. Death has been overcome––in Paul’s words, “swallowed up in life.”
     We have something real to celebrate this Sunday! And it is not just the resurrection of Jesus Christ… it is the hope of eternal life passed on to all who believe!

The Great Wall of China Can be Seen from Space

    Isn’t it amazing the things people will believe? Mark Twain once quipped, “A lie can get half-way around the world before the truth can even get its boots on.” I get so tired of the emails that get forwarded around the web from one gullible enthusiast to the next, without a lot of thought given to whether they are promoting truth or lies. Many of the most common forwards are urban legends that had been proven false decades ago but gained new life with the internet….and people who are way too quick with the forward tab in Outlook.
    Just think about a couple of highly promoted claims that have become almost universally believed. First, the statement that The Great Wall of China is the only man-made object that can be viewed from space. What!? Granted, its a very large structure, but while it is really long, it is not very wide, not even as wide as a highway. If you could see The Great Wall of China from space, you could see the entire interstate system in the United States. FALSE!
    How about the myth that people only use ten percent of their brains. I think it was John Lennon who used that one to promote the virtues of LSD and how it opened up the rest of his brain. But if it were true, brain damage wouldn’t be such a worrisome thing. If we only need 10% of our brains, we could lose the other 90% and not have a problem. (I will have to admit, however, that I’ve met a few people where I’ve wondered.)
    Sadly, Christians are guilty of this all too often. I get a kick out hearing people “quote” Scriptures that are not really there, like, “As the Book says, ‘God only helps those who help themselves.’” Well, I don’t know what book actually says that, but the Bible doesn’t. It really upsets me, though, when I hear preachers make claims that are not true. The other night I was tuned in for a few minutes as a prosperity theology proponent was promising people that if they sent in “seed money” to his ministry, that God would give them a bountiful financial harvest. It wasn’t just the big diamond rings on his fingers, his expensive Armani suit and the lavish studio backdrop that upset me, it was his misuse of Scripture for personal gain that made my blood boil!
    As sincere followers of Christ, we should be lovers of truth. Are you? Or are you quick to believe juicy gossip that comes your way? Do you squelch it or pass it on? Are you the eager listener when someone comes to you with the “newest” strategy to make money off friends and family (any pyramid scheme)? Do you believe something just because you heard it in church or from a popular Christian leader?
    I hope you pay close attention to what I am teaching as I expound the Word of God. But I don’t want you to simply take at face value the things that I teach. Believe it when God’s Word teaches it. It is The Word of God that can be trusted. Everything else is open to our scrutiny and should be filtered through the principles taught in Scripture.
    So my message is this: Love the truth and learn the Bible!