DON’T SIT IN MY PEW

By Dr. M. R. Dowler

I’m going to try to maneuver through a spiritual minefield this week---so here’s goes! Sometimes it funny how we worship God at home and in church. In some aspects we tend to do things differently than others, and yet, many times we do the same things as a collective group in church. What I’m talking about today is of course, traditions, which can be good or bad. For example, many evangelical churches have a Christmas play in which the children act out the parts of Mary and Joseph, the Wise Men and the Shepherds (Jesus is usually a doll baby in the manger). Nice, sweet, harmless and totally traditional. You may have participated in such an activity as a child, and now enjoy watching your children or grandchildren carry on the tradition.

But what about, for example, the family pew? Some older churches still have them. Generations of the family have sat in the same pew, and God forbid that any visitor would mistakenly sit in the family pew, as Southern Gospel singer Tim Lovelace sang about in his humorous song Don’t Sit in My Pew. Silly? I’d say so, and yet an old tradition has now become an unwritten (and unscriptural) rule in church. Or what about an object in church purchased generations ago that needs to be replaced or discarded…well good luck with that tradition! Again, not all traditions are bad. So how can you tell the difference between a good tradition and a bad one?

The word tradition is used fourteen times in the Bible; all in the NT. Jesus referred to traditions eight times; Paul, five times, and the Apostle Peter, one time. Interestingly, every time Jesus spoke of traditions, He criticized them, stating they were pointless and unscriptural (Matthew 15:3, 6; Mark 7:7-9). Paul spoke positively of traditions three times, and negatively twice (Colossians 2:8; Galatians 1:14). However, despite Jesus’ harsh criticism, there was one tradition He used as a theological object lesson---the traditional lighting of the giant menorahs in the temple during Hanukah (John 8:12). There He called Himself the “light of the world” while perhaps pointing to the bright light of the menorahs.

The theological rule about traditions is that they are doctrinally-safe when they are validated by the scriptures (Acts 17:11; 2 Thessalonians 2:15); in essence, “the Bible is the mother of tradition” (not the other way around). The Pharisees hated Jesus when He refused to approve their “traditions of the elders” (Matthew 15:2) because they were man-made rules and not scripturally-mandated means to worship God. In closing, no one has a right to criticize or condemn any other person’s manner of worship, traditionally or otherwise (Colossians 2:16). So enjoy good family and church traditions. And you can sit in my pew. Think about it.

A VERY LARGE DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY

By Dr M R Dowler

October 12, 1999 marked a milestone in human history---the earth’s population reached six billion. That number seems large (and it is), but it’s paltry compared to the world’s population as of ten minutes of this posting---7,416,534,110 and growing. In fact according to statistics, 25 babies are born every five seconds, while four people die. The UN says our population doubles about every forty years; twelve billion by 2040; twenty-four billion by 2080. And if those figures are hard to wrap your mind around consider a couple of strange but true facts.

Interestingly, the entire population of the world could easily fit into the state of Texas, provided of course there were no roads, farms, buildings or trees, and that thirty-five people lived in an one-acre space. But that’s not as crowded as if today’s seven billion population were to stand within the largest city in the United States…Jacksonville, Florida. Yes, you read it right! Jacksonville, Florida became the world’s largest city (by land mass) in 1968 when Duval County consolidated with its county seat, creating enough room (874 square miles) that every person on earth could stand within a two-foot by two-foot square. You would have get rid of every vestige of civilization (like Texas), but the population could fit within its city limits.

Scientists and historians suggest that some 90-110 billion humans have lived on this planet from the time of creation. And every one of us (past and present) share a common problem; separation from our Creator because of sin. Theologically, the doctrine of sin is called harmartiology, derived from two Greek words that describes our universal predicament; “harmatema” meaning to miss the mark (Romans 3:10, 23), and “parabasis” meaning to cross a forbidden line (Acts 1:25; James 2:11; 1 John 3:4).

It is important to understand that how we view sin is a reflection of our understanding and perception of God. If we view God as high and holy (Psalm 99:9; Isaiah 6:1-3), then sin is as repugnant to us as it is to Him. If on the other hand, God is viewed as a doting and indulgent grandfather type, then sin is often flippantly viewed as no big deal. However, despite how we view God doesn’t change the fact that we all are members of a very large dysfunctional family. Some try to placate their sin with good works and reform (Ephesians 2:8-9); however, Jesus is the only source of total and complete forgiveness (Titus 3:3-7). Our doctrine of sin does indeed reflect our doctrine of God. Think about it.

WE’RE STILL HERE (FOR NOW)

By Dr. M. R. Dowler

We’re still here. Yeah! For us in the evangelical camp who believe in the rapture of the church, the fact that we’re still here means the rapture hasn’t occurred. Why is that important? Anyone remember all the hubbub over Edgar Whisenant’s four million copy book 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988? But when Jesus failed to return for His own in September 1988, Whisenant merely followed-up with his not-so-award-winning sequel, 89 Reasons Why Jesus Will Return in 1989. Or what about Harold Camping’s outlandish false claims that the end of the world would occur on October 15, 2011.

Date-setting of Christ’s return is nothing new. People have been trying to calculate when Jesus will return ever since He left. The liberal media tried to make evangelicals look foolish when Harold Camping predicted on his nationwide radio program the rapture would occur in September, 1994, and then in May, 2011, and then in September, 2011. Even popular Bible prophecy author and speaker Hal Lindsey ended up with egg on his face when he incorrectly predicted Christ would return in 1988. Pride is a dangerous sin. There is something gratifying (and dangerous) about seemingly having special insight no one else has.

Theologically speaking, the word “rapture” is not in the Bible; it is an applied word from the Latin word “rapere” found in the expression “caught up” in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. The rapture of the church is the source of some theological debate, usually falling within three different opinions. The pre-tribulational rapture is the most biblically sound view. Simply stated, Jesus will rapture, or catch up all believers, dead and alive in a moment of time (1 Corinthians 15:51-53; John 14:1-3) before the terrible wrath of the tribulation.

Interestingly, the mid-tribulational rapture occurs, as the name implies, in the middle of the tribulation. The post-tribulational rapture advocates believe the church must endure the entire seven-year tribulation. Evangelical theology teaches a pre-tribulational rapture for two reasons based on Christ’s relationship with the church: first, the church is not appointed to the punishment as the world during the tribulation (1 Thessalonians 5:9) and lastly, the church is not mentioned during the tribulation. The church does not reappear in scripture until Revelation 19 at the Second Coming of Christ. While we are to rejoice in the promise of His return, we are not allowed to set a date when He will arrive (Matthew 25:13). Think about it.

HERE I STAND, I CAN DO NO OTHER

By Dr. M. R. Dowler

The Christian life for most of us is one of ordinary routines, what the Apostle Paul referred to as that “peaceful and quiet life” (1 Thessalonians 4:11; 1 Timothy 2:2), interrupted occasionally with trials and tribulations, personal and family celebrations and sometimes a need to stand up for Christ with holy boldness (Proverbs 28:1). October 31, 1517 marked one such moment of boldness in the annals of Christian History. It was on that day that a German Catholic theologian named Martin Luther nailed his famous Ninety-Five Theses, or complaints against his denomination to the door of his church.

Martin Luther is credited with starting the Protestant Reformation that swept Europe in the sixteenth century. But Luther’s personal transformation came slowly. He was extremely troubled with his church’s practice of selling indulgences; a spiritual “get-out-of-hell” pass available only to those who could afford it. This wicked practice led Luther to do an intensive theological study of the doctrine of justification. Through the process, one verse, found four times in the Bible changed his life and the history of the Protestant Church; that verse is “The just shall live by faith” (Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38).

Theologically, justification is a legal principle. Justification, like grace, is completely undeserved, and wholly the act of God. It is, as theologian Millard Erickson wrote “not an achievement, an obtainment, not an attainment.” Simply stated, the moment a sincere repentant sinner accepts Christ as Savior they are declared sinless (AKA “just”); made righteous by imputing their transgressions to the account of the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 4:5-6). Justification does not reform, renovate or renew. Our nature is changed through regeneration (2 Corinthians 5:17); our relationship with God is changed through justification (Romans 5:1).

When Martin Luther faced the leadership of his church, he was given a chance to recant his actions. After contemplating their threats and what he had learned about the justification of the believer, Luther had no choice. On April 18, 1521 Martin Luther, as the apostles of old (Acts 4:29) stood in defiance of their false doctrine. His words speak to us today, “Here I stand, I can do no other.” May we who stand justified in the court of heaven have holy boldness to stand for the Lord in this world. Think about it.

WHEN HARVARD HEARD THE GOSPEL

  By Dr. M. R. Dowler

At the age of sixty-nine, Simon Greenleaf died on the day I would be born 103 years later. He came from good stock; his maternal grandfather was a godly preacher in colonial America. Simon had an inquisitive, detail-oriented mind; he graduated from college at age sixteen and became a lawyer at age twenty-two. But the legacy of Simon Greenleaf is summed up in two sterling achievements---he was one of the founders of the Harvard Law School (1817), and more importantly, he produced one of the earliest defenses of the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, entitled An Examination of the Testimony of the Evangelists by the Rules of Evidence Administered in Courts of Justice (1846).

Despite his godly heritage, Simon Greenleaf came to faith in Christ late in life. As an agnostic professor of law at Harvard, Greenleaf was challenged one day by one of his law students about the validity of the resurrection. Being no stranger to evidence, Greenleaf plunged into a passionate mission to prove once-and-for-all the ridiculous myth of Christ’s resurrection. But a funny thing happened---surrounded by thousands of pages of evidence (historical, cultural, scientific and biblical) that proved the resurrection to be absolutely true, Simon Greenleaf came to realize he was sinner in need of the Savior he was trying to disprove. Dr. Simon Greenleaf, renown legal scholar humbly bowed his head and accepted Jesus as personal Savior and Lord.

The resurrection of Christ is the very foundation of Christianity (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) that sets it apart from every other religion in the world, because no other religious founder than Jesus arose from the dead. Christ’s resurrection fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies (Psalm 16:8-11; Acts 2:24-31), the prophecies by Jesus Himself (Matthew 16:21), and is pictured in the story of Jonah (Matthew 12:40). The church itself was founded on the resurrected Messiah.

Theologically, we cannot be saved without a belief in His resurrection (Romans 10:9). Our spiritual justification is guaranteed because He arose (Romans 4:25), and our own resurrection is guaranteed because of His (2 Corinthians 4:14). The Bible is very clear that anyone who denies the truth of the bodily resurrection of Jesus denies the definitive truth of all the scriptures. For many years Simon Greenleaf unwittingly did that, but a funny thing happened on his way to disproving the resurrection. He had a personal encounter with the risen Lord and he was never the same. None of us ever are. Think about it.

FORGIVENESSS COMES WITH A CATCH

By Dr. M. R. Dowler

The Boy Scouts was founded in 1907 by Baden-Powell in England. The Cub Scouts followed seven years later allowing younger boys to participate in scouting. Cub Scout and Boy Scout badges were awarded by completing a designated activity outlined in their respective manuals. One such activity is Compass and Map Reading. The Cup Scout manual teaches basic compass and map reading, while more advanced instructions are presented in the Boy Scout manual.

Anyone who has ever held a magnetic compass knows the four points N, S, E and W (called cardinal directions) stand for north, south, east and west. Geographically, the north and south poles are the only two fixed points on the map, exactly 12,430 miles apart. East and west have no fixed points. The reason for this anomaly is that when one travels east or west no distance can be measured, they ultimately interchange (east becomes west; west becomes east).

God resides in the north (Isaiah 14:13; Psalm 75:6) from which His glory descends (Job 37:22). However, all four cardinal compass directions are mentioned together eighteen times in the scriptures. One of the most significant references is a description of the gates in the glorious future New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:13). But it is the east-west direction that we focus our attention today. King David wrote of the wonderful promise of God concerning forgiveness, “As far as the east is from the west, so far as He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9) your sins (past, present and future) have been forgiven.

Although there are many dimensions of forgiveness, the fundamental purpose of forgiveness is reconciliation. Interestingly, the Bible tells us that God forgives both nations and individuals, but He never forgives without genuine repentance (Luke 13:2-3; 2 Chronicles 7:14). And hell itself is proof that God does not forgive everyone. Conditional forgiveness is a theological principle taught throughout the scriptures. Jesus explained conditional forgiveness in the Sermon on the Mount; simply stated, conditional forgiveness is---forgive and you will be forgiven (Matthew 6:14-15). So look toward the east and thank God your sins are gone never to be found, and then look around to forgive others who have wronged you. Think about it.

DID ADAM HAVE A BELLY BUTTON?

By Dr. M. R. Dowler

Today we address the silly and inane. The theological and physiological question is---“Did Adam and Eve have a belly button? You may be thinking who cares; and if you are, you may be right. Adam and Eve’s navel (or lack thereof) is certainly not the world’s greatest imponderable, but there may be more to this silly question than meets the eye.

Logically, why would Adam and Eve actually need a belly button? Neither had a mother, therefore they wouldn’t need a navel. But think about this---Adam and Eve were perhaps the world’s first tourist attraction. Adam lived 930 years (Eve’s longevity is unknown); can you imagine how many wanted to see this strange phenomenon? And what a wonderful opportunity for Adam and Eve to tell others of the consequences of sin and the story of creation itself. Adam’s lack of a belly button is also a testimony of the impeccability of God. Because it is impossible for God to lie (Numbers 23:19), He would not have implied that our first parents came from a mother’s womb.

Mankind, male and female is the crown jewels of God’s marvelous creation (Psalm 139:14), created with intricate detail and design in the very image of God (Genesis 1:26-27) with infinite worth, dignity and moral uprightness (Ecclesiastes 7:29; Ephesians 4:24). Interestingly, the word “image” in the original Hebrew is “tselem” meaning likeness or resemblance. So does man look like God? Hardly; the Bible tells us God is a spirit (John 4:24). But we can (and should) resemble Him in grace, goodness, mercy and holiness.

Theologically, the image of man is somewhat of a mystery in that part of God’s image is in all people (saved and lost) and can never be destroyed (Genesis 9:6; 1 Corinthians 11:7; James 3:8-9). It is quite a compelling thought that the unrepentant lost will take a portion of their Creator’s original image with them to hell. For us, Adam and Eve may have used their uniqueness to the glory of God. The lesson for us is---Find out what’s unique about you and tell others about how God made you special. Think about it.