Socialism has become the latest fad of the day.  It has always been with us but is becoming more popular, especially among the younger set who may be just entering into their earning years.   You probably already know the politicians who are espousing this form of government.  According to a recent Gallup Poll Democrats have a more favorable view of socialism than capitalism.  That’s not to say that perhaps some Republicans also might also favor this type of system……despite the historical fact that every socialist country in the last few centuries has turned into a cultural and  economic sinkhole.  

A brief explanation  might be in order.  Basically as I understand it, the base of socialism is the involuntary, redistribution of wealth by a strong central government.  And since government has the power to punish, in reality, it is the involuntary redistribution of wealth or confiscation of your property or earnings! Just try not paying your taxes one  year!!  

As economist Walter Williams says “no matter how worthy the cause, it is robbery, theft and injustice to confiscate the property of one person and given to another to whom it does not belong.

So how does the Bible come into this situation?  God says exactly the same thing in the Eighth Commandment.  “Thou shall not steal.”  (Ex 20:15) He enshrines here the sacred right of private property.  Our Founding Fathers recognized this as a great gift from the Creator as one of the inalienable rights of our country.  It’s simply wrong to forcibly take a man’s property to give it to someone else.   

As Williams goes on to say,  “The so-called right to health care, food, or housing, whether a person can afford it not, does impose an obligation on another.  There is no Tooth Fairy, or Santa Claus in order for government to give away one American dollar.  The government through intimation, threats, and or coercion confiscates that dollar from some other American. ” 

We as Christians do not believe in the redistribution of wealth.  We do believe in the voluntary redistribution of wealth, where, out of compassion and generosity, we dig into our own wallets to help someone with a genuine need.  If the government is demanding and distributing the  charity, there is nothing voluntary,  biblical or even constitutional about any part of it.  

Not only is this “stealing” but Socialism violates the Tenth Commandment as well:  “Thou shalt not covet your neighbor’s house…..or anything that is  your neighbor’s.”  (Ex 20:17)

Some of our lawmakers have itchy fingers and just waiting  and trembling with anticipation of coming up with another way of confiscating more of the wealth of productive Americans.  There is nothing moral about that!

Good old Benjamin Franklin said……” I am for doing good to the poor, but……I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading them of out it. ……….the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves and became richer” . 

Of course we know there are many people  living  below the poverty level.  These people need help.  There are in fact many cases where the city/ or county governments need to step in with financial aid/housing and health care.  Notice I didn’t say central government.  How much of the money would actually go to helping the poor rather than getting bogged down in the bureaucracy of the system?

The early believers had it figured out…..”There was not a needy person among them for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them brought the proceeds of what was sold and it was laid at the apostles’ feet and it was distributed to each as any had need.”  Acts 4:34-35)

As in all cases, the Bible is not the problem but the solution.  Our Founding Founders knew how to implement the solution.  Is that possible for  us today?    

Several years ago I remember a book that took the world by storm. It was called “Left Behind” by Tim LeHay. There were a series of these books plus a movie. I didn’t’ read any of them or saw the movie. However, many people believe that the good guys in this world will be taken away before the Apocalypse and those who refused to become believers were left behind for destruction.

If you are afraid of being “left behind” when the “rapture” comes then study the story of Noah and find out why you might prefer to be left behind after all!

Our Lord, Jeshua (Jesus) compared the generation of Noah to the generation that will witness the day of the Lord and the coming of the Son of Man. When the Messiah returns He will usher in a Day of Judgment. In that day, some will be taken away in judgment and others will be “left behind.”

40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left.41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. (Matthew 24:40-41)

34 I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. 35 There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.(Luke 17:34-35)

Christians today often interpret these words to mean that when Jesus comes, the one taken will be whisked away to meet Him in the sky. Since the spouse left lying in bed is not a believer (he/she) will be left behind. Likewise, the one left working in the field is not a Christian, so he is left behind. You get the idea.

Contrary to popular teaching, however, the one “taken” is not raptured to join Jesus in the air. Just as the flood came and took people away in the days of Noah and fire and brimstone came to Sodom in the days of Lot, “taken away” refers to people taken in judgment!

The disciples ask Him, “Where will they be taken Master?” He answered, “Where the body is, there also the vultures will be gathered. (Luke: 37) In other words, the corpses of those taken away will be food for the birds. With these words, our Lord invoked the dire apocalyptic predictions of the prophets Ezekiel and Jeremiah. This would fulfill the prediction of a time in Israel’s future; the Jewish uprisings and the destruction of the temple at the end of the 1st c.

The horrific massacres of the war with Rome that engulfed the Jewish people of Yeshua’s generation fulfilled His prophecies. They would leave the dead bodies to rot under the sun, and they bestowed the same punishment to anyone who buried the body!! The people of the generation became food for the vultures. The Roman’s used the eagle (type of vulture) as the symbol of their empire. The Lord saw it all.

Those “left behind” in Matthew 24 and Luke 17 are the righteous not the wicked. Those left behind can be compared to Noah and his seven family members who survived the flood.

The thrust of the passage calls upon us as disciples to remain vigilant as we await the coming of the day of the Son of Man. Yeshua’s disciples must not be like the complacent generations of Noah and Lot that were caught unawares. The Messiah will come suddenly, like a flash of lightning, like a thief in the night.

“Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.” (Matthew 24:42)

Have You Got a Double Mind?

The Scriptures warn us that we must not be “double minded.”   James 1:8……” a “double minded person is unstable in all his/her ways.”  James here is stressing a spiritual condition of having or wanting two things at the same time.  It is a state of inner contradiction….. of having two separate minds holding contradictory thoughts..

“You shall be whole hearted with the Lord your God.” (Deut. 18:13) In Hebrew the word “whole hearted” might translate to be perfect or blameless…….but actually a better translation would be made “complete”.  God doesn’t expect us to be perfect or never to make a mistake but rather to be “fully engaged.”  Our minds wander during the sermon; in our prayer time; or failing to be “fully engaged” in our devotion.   Could this be part of being double minded as well?

Likewise when Jesus (Yeshua) said “Be therefore perfect as your Father who is in heaven is perfect” (Matt 5:48), He meant that we should be complete, finished, and made whole by knowing and receiving the overflowing love and light of God.  He knew that being perfect could never be a quality of mankind….because all of us are sinners!!  So how can we even come close to being “perfect”?  I suggest that Lord wanted us to be fully aware of who God is and what He can do to and for us.  Having our lives centered on Him.  Not easy to do of course when we are all “doubled minded.”

Turning to our Father in times of doubt and failure will keep us focused on Him.  We are made whole or “perfect” by putting our complete faith in Him.  We can’t do this by ourselves. However by submitting to His will for our lives, repenting of our neglect of Him or others, we will be rewarded despite our double minds!

“Now may you know the love of the Messiah that surpasses knowledge so that you may be made whole and filled with all the fullness of God”  (Eph 3:19)

Praying the Psalms.

Living in a retirement community as we do, there is always a list of those needing prayer.  Most of those are for healing.  Whoever coined the phrase “The Golden Years” never got there.  They really aren’t so golden after all!

So often we don’t have the words of comfort that are needed during our prayer time.  That’s when we should turn to the Book of Psalms.  Though most were penned by King David hundreds of years ago, they each take on a new meaning when reading them today.

Scriptures in our Bibles aren’t just for reference purposes.  As the sacred words of God they deserved to be read and studied.  But have you tried reading them aloud?  According to the Jewish rabbis, both reading and the study of Scripture is an expression of worship in and of itself.  It pleases God to hear His words when read aloud to Him in an audible, human voice.  The rabbis in any synagogue sing their praises as well as the scriptures.  Lately in our congregation we have been reciting Biblical verses together.  It somehow seems as if all of us are praising God with one voice.

The Psalms are special in this regard, because even though they are undoubtedly God’s Word, they are prayers.  They are expressed in the voice of humanity.  How much more so, then is it appropriate for humans to utter them in prayer!  The Psalms, then, are a powerful source of guidance.  They make it possible to pray in alignment with God’s will even when words fail us.

In the days of the apostles, the book of Psalms constituted the hymnal of the Levites, who recited these passages in the Temple as a musical accompaniment to the sacrifices.  Undoubtedly Jesus and his followers would sing these songs also, perhaps under their prayer shawls which formed their “wings”.  They were under God’s wings.

The Psalms make up the bulk of the traditional prayers in the Siddur, which is the Jewish daily prayer book.  Most of them were probably memorized which makes them more personal in the heart. The Psalms are expressions of praise, mourning, supplication, thanksgiving, hope and devotion.

Today there are many Christians who pray through the Psalms and often from memory as well.  The Puritans believed in repeating these songs to their children and they were expected to memorize most of them.  I’m afraid most of us today don’t take the time to learn them “by heart.”

Since many of the Psalms are messianic in nature, we can come closer to our Lord knowing that He also recited these songs.  As such, praying the Psalms affords us an effectual and transformative opportunity for an intimate connection with our Lord.

Whenever you or a loved is in distress, in need of healing or comfort, or if one is overflowing with thanks, the Psalms are there to put eloquent words to our thoughts.

When you are too distressed to pray…………pray the Psalms.

Poor in Spirit or Just Plain Poor

Jesus was always preaching and teaching others.  That was His mission.  He spoke in the context of 1^st century Jewish thought.  His theology today is still the same as it was during His lifetime.  We quote many of His teachings and with our modern mindset try to figure them out.

When we quote the saying of the Lord about being “poor in spirit”(Matt. 19:23) or Luke (6:20) we only think of being meek in our attitude and of having a humble nature. True enough.  Jesus tells his disciples that the poor will inherit the Kingdom of God.  That is, in the world to come they can count on being there.

In this new kingdom, the first will be last and the last will be first.  The kingdom reverses the value system of this present age.  The kingdom will satisfy those who once suffered in want.  That’s good news for the poor but not such good news for the wealthy.  “Woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort now in full” (Luke 6:24) “It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of Heaven” (Matt 10:23).  The rich have failed to store their treasure in heaven; they have stored up treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy.

We don’t see ourselves as rich but compared to third world countries we are wealthy.  That’s why people are crowding our borders to get in!

If having wealth is a blessing for most of us, then what should we do about the words of Jesus and being poor?

So then it’s not the money that can destroy us but it’s the desire for money.
1 Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

So the poor in spirit might mean people of wealth, but they conduct themselves with the lowly attitude of the poor.  They do not rely upon their riches or live according to the extravagances of the wealthy.  A rich person who is also poor in spirit does not conduct himself/herself with the haughtiness and pride that their wealth affords.  They live modestly, humbly, and below their means.  They use wealth for the benefit of others.   We are thankful for the wealthy who support our churches, our museums, our musical activities, our mission work, children’s homes……the list goes on.

By the same measure, a poor person who lives extravagantly and at the expense of others is not poor in spirit. Paul writes…..”He who doesn’t work, doesn’t eat.”  Well said.  Of course this excludes those who are unable to earn or beset with problems that prevent them from working.

James, the brother of the Master, explains the “poor in spirit“as those who refuse to glory in their wealth but adopt the attitude of the humble, remembering that their lives are fragile and quickly fleeting (James 1:10-11) Paul warns those who are rich not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.  He urges the rich to be generous in good deeds and sharing in order to “lay up” that treasure for the future.

In the Jewish mindset, doing acts of charity (tesdaka) provides us with an outlet to use our riches in a meaningful way.  That beggar in the street might be richer than you are but God judges him.  Just put a five in his bucket, give him a smile and a “God bless.”  I think that counts.

Grace from the Ark

Bob and I just returned from a wonderful  trip visiting our daughter and husband in Dallas.   Not only fun visiting our kids but the Creation Science Research people will be opening a grand new exhibit center, based on creation science……and not the evolutionary ideology that pervades our society.  It promises to be a wonderful exposition, refuting the false claims of “suppositional” science that our earth is billions of years in the making and that you and I have descended from lower life forms.  Really??  Now that thinking requires faith.

One of the exhibits will feature Noah’s Ark.  I’m sure there will be all sorts of wonderful and creative animals, birds, and other species but all within the concept of a Divine Creator.

When teaching children about Noah’s Ark and the great Flood, we paint cute animals on  church walls, and perhaps an oversized boat with Noah looking out the window!  However, the real Flood event was horrific. “And all flash died that moved on the earth” Peter wrote, “The world that then existed perished, being flooded with water.” Scenes of such carnage would terrify children.

The Flood was God’s judgment on a wicked world.  It might seem a drastic action for a loving God, but much good came from it.  It’s like having surgery.  Nobody enjoys their body getting sliced and stitched but a skillful operation can restore health and extend life.  Let’s count some of the many graces that Earth’s ancient watery surgery extends to us.

What fuels trains, planes, buses, and cars?  Petroleum products, of course.  And all that oil and gas came from Noah’s Flood.  It buried massive amounts of algae beneath and within sediment layers.  It doesn’t take millions of years to make oil!  That has already been proved.

The same goes for coal.  Pure coal deposits don’t form today.  It took the Flood to dismember and bury whole forests across thousands of miles where heat and pressure caused decayed matter to become useable for us.  Coal burning power plants help make our electric gizmos go.  So, we should thank God for His wisdom whenever we turn on the lights.

How about rainbows?  Don’t we all thrill to see one?  Dorothy even sang a song about “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. However, God promised that He would never again destroy the world by water.

How about the Grand Canyon and the many of our National Parks? The pressure from huge amounts of water caused layer after layer of sediments, deep gorges and striking valleys. All from Noah’s Flood.

Dogs and cats and pets were all saved because our Creator knew what joy they give to us.  (soft purring here). Have you ever savored an apple or bread from grains?  God was thinking of us when He commanded Noah “and you shall take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and you shall gather it to yourself and it shall be food for you and for them.”

Finally, the Ark points to our Savior, Jesus.  Just as the eight people escaped judgment by entering the Ark we can escape from future judgments by trusting through our faith and obedience that the Lord will be our Ark of salvation.  Jesus descended from Shem who God preserved on Noah’s Ark.

The Ark of Salvation comes through our Messiah and Savior.

Joseph and Jesus

This is not the Joseph of the New Testament.  This Joseph however, is part of the story of the Messiah. Where does he fit in?

Most of us know the story of Joseph and his coat of many colors; his dreams of being given primacy over his siblings as well as his parents. Plus, his rather brazen attitude of being his father’s favorite son.  His brothers decided to teach that kid a lesson, selling him to some passing traders and telling his poor father Jacob, he was killed by an animal.  They pulled out that hated coat, now covered with an animal’s blood, and showed Jacob proof of his death.  Of course we know the real story…..and how God was working to assure the survival not only of Joseph but his whole family.

Although Joseph is highly regarded both by Jews and Christians Joseph is not without his own “dark” side.  Wouldn’t it have been  much better for Joseph, after revealing his true identity to his brothers, just to send the supply of food back to Judah instead of requiring the whole family immigrating to Egypt?  He also enslaved the Egyptians themselves to Pharaoh by giving them food in exchange for their bondage.  And after 400 years the people required a Moses to lead them back home!

However, God in His wisdom used this man to bring about a new nation of people, bound together by His commandments and laws.  They were a special people, and they were to be dependent upon God.  In His own knowledge and foresight the Messiah would come through these people.   God himself was to take the form of a perfect sinless Adam and that His coming was to remove the curse that had fallen on all mankind so many years before…..the sin nature that prevails in the all human beings.

God chose the new Adam to be a replica of man himself.  He would not come full blown in a man’s body but would come as a human baby!  Really? Seems that this new man/God would better come upon the scene as an earthly prince, ready to combat the evils of society and show the world how God wanted them to behave.  A new super hero!

No, God had other plans.  He brought the Messiah to the world’s stage, through a young, virgin Jewish girl.  She was given the role of mother which was not of her choosing…. but she was God’s chosen.

So, as much as I am not a fan of Joseph, he indeed played his role in God’s plan. All the pieces of the puzzle fall in place.  The twelve tribes, the enslavement, the exodus, the kings, the prophets, the young virgin mother……..all leading up to the birth of God’s “design” and revealing of His plans for mankind. A Savior that would be the ultimate sacrifice for sin, and ushering in the kingdom where there would be no more death.

Yes, the Angels did sing to those shepherds in the fields.  “Glory to God in the Highest and peace on earth to all mankind.” Joseph played his part.

Worth More than Sparrows

Yeshua knew that the disciples and the generations to come after them would face times of intense persecution.  At those times, it might seem as if HaShem had lost control of events or forgotten about them.   Unlike those early believers, we here in America, do not face physical persecution.  However, we do face hostility in the form of indifference, ridicule, or perhaps even attacks on our character.

But, Yeshua encouraged His disciples by saying, “Are not two sparrows sold for a cent?”  Perhaps He had in mind the pigeons and turtledoves that the poor brought for offerings in the Temple. Archaeologists have uncovered numerous dovecotes from the Second Temple Era, which evidence pointed to a large pigeon and dove industry during those days.  The Jewish people raised the birds primarily for food……a poor man’s meat.

No one regarded the small, inexpensive birds as valuable, “Yet not one of them is forgotten before HaShem 12:6) “Not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father” (Matt. 10:29). Yeshua reasoned that if HaShem remembers even an inexpensive bird and takes note of its fall to the ground, how much more so will He remember and take care of you who are more valuable than many small birds.

His consolation sounds similar to the words about our daily provision: “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not worth much more than they?” (Matt 6:26) The bird-comparison does not guarantee invulnerability.  He did not say that sparrow will not fall to the ground or that believers will not face tragedy and sorrow!!  If HaShem allows the birds to fall to the ground, He may also allow the disciples to face mishap, ill circumstance, and death……..but not apart from His concern, care and wisdom.  Yeshua’s words assure us that HaShem is mindful of our suffering and His hand directs our course.  Therefore, the Master’s disciples should be fearless and confident.

Don’t we wish we could have heard those words directly from the Master’s lips?  However, James’ letter to the believers tells them not to be amazed that these things will come upon them. “Count is all joy my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness………that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

The Master assured the disciples that even “the very hairs of your head are all numbered.”
(Lk. 12:7) Therefore we can be assured that everything is under His control.  Even those of us who are losing our hair!!

Jesus and the Fig Tree.

It was morning and Jesus was hungry.  He was looking for something to eat when he came upon a fig tree. The fig tree had only leaves and no fruit.   You might review the story found in Matthew 21 and Mark 11. He told the fig tree……”May you never bear fruit again!”  The tree died!   This has caused Christians to scratch their heads trying to figure out just why Jesus cursed this tree.  After all, it was not the right time of year for figs.  The non believer would say that this was an example of a petulant man not getting what he wanted.  It seems to indicate that the Lord had neither wisdom, or virtue in His curse of the tree.  So say the unbelievers.

Christian theologians have also added their ideas.  Most seem to think that the fig tree is symbolic of Israel and that Jesus is criticizing faithless Israel for not recognizing Him as the Messiah.  We don’t actually know why the Master said these things to the tree but we also know that He never wasted words or actions.  Perhaps we are overlooking a deeper meaning here.

Although the two accounts in both Matthew and Mark vary slightly, they both record this incident which I believe must have been rather important and was written for a specific reason.  There is nothing in scripture to suggest this was an off handed remark to be taken lightly.  That both men recorded this incident means that there was some significance attached to both the fig tree and the Messiah’s reaction to the lack of fruit.  We must then look beyond the incident itself to what lies behind his reaction to the barren fig tree.

Let’s dispense with the notion that Jesus was angry and frustrated with the tree.  This is our reaction to the incident……not what we read.  It wasn’t recorded that Jesus was angry at the tree.  If Jesus could turn water into wine and feed five thousand people with a five loaves of bread and two little fish……then He certainly could have found a few figs on this tree regardless of the season.

As for interpreting this as a curse on Israel, that seems to take dangerous liberty with God’s intentions, affections and promises that we find all throughout the Hebrew Scriptures…….. especially since Jesus equates His curse of the fig tree and the resulting withering of the tree as a demonstration for  faithful disciples. (Matt.21:21)

We need to look beyond the tree episode and read the story in its context.  Jesus has just made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, sandwiched between two visits to the Temple.  Therefore perhaps the temple and what it represents is central to the fig tree incident.

God had ordained the Temple to be a place where He himself would meet with His people, hear their prayers and forgive their sins.  But that was about to change.  The corrupt priesthood had so polluted the temple itself that God provided His own Messiah to come and bear the sins of the people.  No longer would the Temple be necessary and no longer would people need to bring their sacrifices to obtain forgiveness.

Jesus used the fig tree as a symbol of the temple.  He didn’t curse with fig tree in anger.  He was pointing to the judgment of God.

As the cursed fig tree would no longer be a source of food, so the Temple would no longer be the place for redemption. God always desired repentance from his people and it was offered to them through the sacrificial system.  Now … Jesus’ sacrifice became the one true source for redemption and therefore the system that had been in place for thousands of years was at that point, not necessary.  The brick and mortar of the Temple symbolized the place that God would meet His people.   Now that one place was no longer fit to serve God’s purposes.

No, Jesus wasn’t being ill tempered when He pronounced a curse on the fig tree.  He was announcing both the judgment and mercy of God!  Both the fig tree and the temple would no longer serve useful purposes.

It would be in 70 A.D. that the temple did fall and the curse of the fig tree would be remembered.

Is The Bible For Real?  Why Do We Need It?

In this age of Skeptics, New Agers, Millennials and the general disbelief in God, Jesus or the anything biblical, I decided to find some answers that might help me and perhaps others in facing the skepticism of our world.  Let’s face it.  Christians are becoming the minority group in the world.  Facing the truth of the Bible and the principles found therein are becoming as obsolete as that old black and white TV.

The real issue of accusations against the Bible can be summed up rather easily.
Why do you submit to the Bible’s authority?  Why do you allow it to dictate how you live? Why should anyone give allegiance to a book that discourages looking out for number one?

When people ask, “How can you believe the Bible?” some Christians mistakenly respond with a history lesson.  They display charts, manuscripts, statistics, quote some unknown archeologist, cite historical verification, etc.  The questioners remain unmoved, because historicity isn’t the issue.  Authority is the issue!  Here are a few answers that might help us to come to grips with this problem.

There are basically four factors of unbelief.  I am not the author here but quoting my source from a book called “Questioning Evangelism” by Randy Newman.  Highly recommended.

1. Plausibility. Isn’t it reasonable to believe that a God who created us could, if He wanted to, communicate with us?  Just how would He do that?  The most likely way would be to give us a collection of inspired writings.  So isn’t it possible that a god would connect with us through a written verbal form?  If it was only to teach each person singularly then it would be difficult to come to any conclusions.  But our God wanted to teach all humans about who He is and what He wanted from humanity.
2. Messiness . The Bible is messy.  The Bible isn’t easy to read. It is long and repetitious and was written by forty different authors.  It contains a diversity of locations, languages, genres, and literary styles.  The authors seem to invite contradictions and unbelievers are quick to point these out.  If God is the author one wonders why He wasn’t clearer in making His point.  But these are the very qualities that  give credence in making scripture correspond to our own complex nature……..the intellectual, emotional, social and physical components of our unique personhood.  The Bible challenges us into seeing our lives as unique and a created humanity.  Despite our all of our efforts in solving the problems of life around us, we still face the ultimate reality of death.  Man must face his destiny and he will never solve that dilemma  on his own.
3. Reality. Perhaps now is the time for the history lesson. The multiplicity of manuscripts, the historical and archeological support from without and the presence of authenticating material from within the Bible point to accurately recorded history.  However, we must declare What the Bible says rather than how the Bible says it.  Let’s tell the story……the Bible’s story. The Bible’s story is actually our story.  It’s what we need in our life to carry us through the trouble times that will come to all of us.
4. Need..There are a variety of ways of reading Scripture.  Many people prefer the narrative approach which means telling the gospel as a story.  Everyone has a story to tell, in one form or another.  Jesus used parables in relating the truths of God.  Just how God wants us to relate to Him and to others.  However, we must not get bogged down in storytelling. Otherwise the Bible becomes just another narrative.  Man has always wanted to find meaning in life…the Bible has the answer.  We were made to have an intimate relationship with this all loving and powerful, sovereign God.  Something within each being cries out for intimacy with a “higher power”.   People are looking to find this “higher power” through Buddhist teachings, spirits directly speaking to them, or New Age thinking.  The storyline of all mankind should connect people to their roots, beginning with Creation and realizing how much man has fallen from intimacy with God.  By making ourselves into little gods we are designing our own path and yet that path leads nowhere.  By telling others that they bear the nature of God and that by reading the Bible they will find the Good News they have been searching for all along.

 The Bible story line awakens within us a God- implanted desire for a happy ending! We can assure people that the dread of death makes sense.  However, we can declare to them that each and every human being has eternal significance.  By reading the Bible in its own completeness they will find their very lives are of great value……because they were meant for something better, something eternal.

Even in these skeptical times, when the Bible is tossed into a pile of irrelevant books it is there to be read and studied.  It will always be there.  Ready for those who realize their great need of finding the true meaning to life.