CAN GOD FORGET?

By Dr. M. R. Dowler

Today is Memorial Day an American holiday celebrated on the last Monday in May since 1971. Originally known as Decoration Day and credited as beginning in Waterloo, New York, Memorial Day was borne out of the Civil War by Army General Order Number 11 designating May 30^th as the day to decorate the graves of fallen comrades. For many, Memorial Day has lost its commemorative traditions; today it is more a work day off for cookouts and culturally recognized as the unofficial start of summer.

Several days ago over a thousand soldiers of the Army’s Third Infantry placed American flags on 228,000 graves in the 624-acre Arlington National Cemetery in anticipation of Memorial Day. The Third Infantry, also known as the Old Guard has been the US military’s official ceremonial unit at Arlington since 1948. The annual Flag-In Project involves each soldier carrying dozens of flags in their pack and setting a flag one foot in front of each gravestone. One day next week all the flags will be removed before Arlington is opened for visitors.

Memorial Day is all about remembering, lest we forget. Our English word “remember” focuses entirely on recall; “forget” is a failure to bring memories to mind. Both words are a mental activity. On a human level, forgetfulness is a flaw brought about as a product of the fall (Romans 5:12). But consider this---the Bible tells us that God does not remember the sins and iniquities of all repentant believers (Isaiah 43:25; Hebrews 10:17). So how can God, in His infinite wisdom, power and perfection (Psalm 18:30) forget anything?

Theologically speaking, the key to this conundrum is the Hebrew and Greek meaning of remember and forget. Because God knows the past, present and future (Isaiah 46:10), He has no need to engage in mental activities. To Him memory (or failure to remember) is an action. Thus, when God says He does not remember our sins, it means He decides not to act upon; as in to punish us (Ezekiel 33:15-16). God’s “memory” is a demonstration of His mercy (Psalm 25:6). Think about it. Happy Memorial Day.

AN APPLE A DAY AND A CHAPTER A DAY

By Dr. M. R. Dowler

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away” sounds like one of Benjamin Franklin’s ageless proverbs. While ole Ben gave us many pithy maxims, this one wasn’t one of his. The apple-a-day idiom can be traced back to 1866 Welch proverb. And there’s a lot of truth to it. Researchers continue to find medical and physiological benefits of eating apples. Apples have properties no other fruits contains; low in calories and high in Vitamin C, apples can lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and the risk of heart disease, just a few of the many health benefits of apples.

Here’s another interesting detail about the apple. For centuries the apple has been associated with the fruit of temptation, although interestingly, the Bible does not mention a specific fruit as the fruit Adam and Eve partook of (Genesis 3:6). So where do we get the idea that it was an apple? The Latin word for evil is the word “malum” which is also the same Latin word for apple. And in 382 AD Jerome used the word “malum” in his Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible. From that time people began associating the fruit of temptation with the noble apple.

Perspicuity is a big fancy-spanzy theological word which means clear in its meaning. It is hardly disputed that there are portions of the Bible that are difficult to grasp, however, taken as a whole the most rudimentary teachings of the scriptures can be easily understood by children and adults. The Flesch-Kincaid (FK) formula was developed in 1975 to determine age/grade level of books, magazine and manuals. According to FK, the Bible (in all legitimate versions and translations) has a readability range from 5.6 to 8.5 grade levels. Simply stated, the Bible is shallow enough for children to wade in and deep enough theologians to swim in for a lifetime.

Perspicuity has nothing to do with the division within Christianity by the many different denominations; perspicuity speaks of the clarity of the central message of the scripture itself---God loves you (John 3:16). The Bible was written so that parents (and grandparents) can explain the scriptures to children (2 Timothy 3:14-15) and is profitable to anyone who reads it (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The theological parallel to the apple-a-day proverbs is---A chapter of the Bible a day keeps the devil away. So just read it, everyday. Its good for you. Think about it. 

THE CONTINUITY OF SCRIPTURE

By Dr. M. R. Dowler

Of all the hundreds of jobs on a movie or television production set, there is one job of utmost importance, yet few probably know little about it. A Continuity Supervisor is the person responsible for everything being in its proper place, and it has become a sport for some to find continuity mistakes in the movies. As the film industry has advanced, so has the equipment of the Continuity Supervisor, from Polaroid cameras to now digital cameras, hundreds of photos are taken of each scene so that the ashtray and the lamp is placed precisely in its original location.

Few movies or TV shows are shot in scene order. Actor schedules, lighting, building or remote location availability all contribute to a film being shot out of sequence. One exception is the making of the 2005 movie, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Director Andrew Adamson deliberately kept the young actors away from day’s set because he was looking for a genuine awe and wonder from his young actors. The character of Lucy, played by ten-year old Georgie Hensley was blindfolded and carried to the set, so that her wide-eyed reaction we see on screen upon seeing Narnia for the first time was not acting.

The continuity of the Bible is a miracle often overlooked. Despite what some may think, there are no contradictions and inconsistencies in the scriptures. Theologically, the Bible was written by forty different authors of various occupations, backgrounds and cultures over a period of 1,500 years in three different languages. Simply stated, the Bible is a single story with many characters and plot lines all telling the story of God’s love and grace toward all mankind (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9). 

Historically, the thirty-nine books of the Old Testament were arranged and accepted as authentic by 300 BC; the twenty-seven books of the New Testament were decided around 150 AD after many doctrinal tests. In conclusion, the young man playing the role of Edmund in the Narnia movie grew six inches during the eight months of principle shooting. The Holy Spirit, the divine Continuity Supervisor puts all the pieces together, while God the Director weaves a story of awe and wonder into a cohesive flow that makes us grow (2 Timothy 3:15-17). Think about it. 

YURI GAGARIN GOES TO HEAVEN

By Dr. M. R. Dowler

Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin will be remembered for two things; what he did and what he supposedly said. On the morning of April 12, 1961 Yuri Gagarin became the first human in outer space. His 108-minute flight made him a hero in the Soviet Union, but it was a quote from Gagarin that was widely-circulated worldwide. Gagarin’s supposed quote was that while in space he “did not see God.” Problem is, from credible information acquired decades later, Yuri did not say it---Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev did. The Soviet leader concocted the quote to further his (and the government’s) atheist views.

Yuri Gagarin was a humble man who was uncomfortable with his fame. He died tragically in March 1968 while test piloting a Soviet fighter jet. But there was a side to Gagarin that has only come to light in the past several years. A 2007 magazine article reported that Yuri was a baptized believer in Jesus Christ. Although Gagarin’s kept his spiritual life to himself, friends say he always confessed his faith in Christ whenever asked. Gagarin’s Christianity did not sit well with the atheist Soviet leadership, who found it difficult to suppress a national hero.

The Bible tells us that God created three heavens. The first heaven is the breathable atmosphere where the clouds rest and the birds fly (Genesis 1:6-7). The second heaven is what is commonly referred to as outer space, the place where the sun, moon, stars and planets reside (Genesis 1:14-19); while the third heaven is the eternal home of the saints and the place where God resides (Psalm 115:3). The Apostle Paul once wrote of a man who had an after-death experience. Many Bible scholars believe that Paul was speaking of himself as the one who died, went to heaven and then returned (2 Corinthians 12:2-4).

Theologically, the third heaven is the only one that is eternal in nature (John 3:15-16; Psalm 23:6). But what will we do there? The Bible speaks of at least three activities; we will sing (Hebrews 2:12; Revelation 14:3); we will serve (Revelation 7:15; 22:3); and we will learn (1 Corinthians 13:9-10). Heaven is a place of joy (Psalm 16:11), beauty (Psalm 50:2) and eternal unity (Ephesians 1:10). If the story is true, Yuri Gagarin lived under the first heaven, rocketed into the second heaven and is now living in the third heaven. What a neat legacy! Think about it.

ORDINANCES VS SACRAMENTS

By Dr. M. R. Dowler

Steps away from the Muslim Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is an ornate circular fountain with benches carved into the stone platform. The fountain, named al-Kas was built in 709 BC and enlarged in 1327 to accommodate more Muslim pilgrim worshipers. The purpose of the fountain is to cleanse Muslims before they entered into their holy places. Not far from the al-Kas fountain and outside the southern wall of the Temple Mount is the ruins of the ancient Jewish mikvah pools. These pools served the same purpose as their Muslim counterparts; to ceremonially cleanse the Jewish pilgrim worshipers before the entered into the holy confines of the temple.

Acts 2 gives us a small glimpse of everyday life of the Jews in Bible times. According to the Old Testament Law there are seven holy days (festivals) the Jews have celebrated since days of Moses. Jewish men were commanded to travel to Jerusalem three times a year to observe the holy festivals (Leviticus 23). The Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1) was one of the three holidays in which pilgrims had to pass through the water of the mikvah (baptismal) pools on the southern steps of the temple.

The theological terms ordinances and sacraments are sometimes used interchangeably, however, there is a vast difference between the two. A sacrament is defined as a symbolic, outward act done in an effort to achieve salvation. An ordinance is a symbolic representative memorial of the act of salvation by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). There are two ordinances of the evangelical church; baptism and partaking of the Lord’s Supper, while interestingly, there are seven sacraments in the Catholic and Episcopal Church (baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist, penance, ordination, matrimony and the last rites).

The ordinance of water baptism is a public expression of one’s faith; simply stated, it is a picture of the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), the Trinity (Matthew 28:19), and salvation itself (Galatians 3:26-27). Evangelical doctrine teaches that only born-again believers can and should be baptized. Baptism does not save and always follows conversion. 3,000 Jews were converted and immediately baptized on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41). In conclusion, you will never grow in the faith until you follow the Lord in believer’s baptism. Think about it.