God and Means- The Universe

Why did God create this universe?  I don’t mean ‘for His glory,’ that’s a given.  I mean, why this one?  Why not one where we could fly?  Why not one where cars would run on Coke or Dr. Pepper (but not Pepsi!)?

More to the point- why did He make a universe that is ’cause and effect’?  There are seemingly inviolable rules governing us that boil down that that maxim.  Even the ‘first’ law of physics contains it- a body at rest or in motion will stay at rest or in motion until acted upon by another force. (Please- no physics corrections!  I know I’m dumb!).  The point is that the law is there- cause and effect.  It’s in our physical laws, our chemical laws, our energy laws, even our relational maxims.

Dwelling on this nature of the universe has lead some to despair.  Without a transcendent God it hope in, some philosophers see this cause and effect nature and determine that there is no reason to live.  Everything we do will be determined by the causes that preceded us and there is nothing we can do about it.  But it is precisely this lack of transcendence that traps them in hopelessness.

God created this universe. He created it for His glory and it will accomplish that purpose.  Cause and effect are for our good.  How?  Next time . . .

The Irrelevant Category

Excuse a sports metaphor here- but someone would look pretty stupid talking about the designated hitter in football.

The Cup of Wrath

I recently preached a sermon about the trial of Jesus in Gethsemane.  What was it about the cup of wrath that so terrified Him?  I don’t ask lightly, nor do I ask cavalierly.  My question comes from wanting to know and appreciate more what it was that He accomplished for me.  I’ll take a look at one of the passages I used to reference the OT use of ‘the cup of wrath.’  Let’s look at Isa 51:17-18-

The Idol of Love in ‘The Shack’

Humanity is constantly creating and bowing down to replacement gods.  It is part of our sin nature.  While moderns don’t make rain gods or fertility gods (or do they?), there is still quite a bit of idolatry passing around.  It all boils down to need.  Where the ancients needed rain for food, our current conundrums are psychological.

The Shack Shows It’s Spots

If you have been alive and in church for the last couple of years, you no doubt have heard of The Shack, the run-away bestseller about a man’s (fictional) encounter with God.  Critics (including me) have been warning reader that there is more than a couple of bad things hidden in The Shack, and a recent interview with the author confirmed every single fear.

Then You Aren’t a Christian

Faith.  Grace.  Confession.  Sinner’s prayer.  Baptism.  There are so many things that we say one has to do in order to be a Christian.  I am not knocking any of them (except maybe the Sinner’s prayer!) but they aren’t really the issue.  Again, don’t get me wrong here, faith and grace are center pieces in God’s dealings with humanity.  But there is one thing that Jesus mentions and Paul goes to great length to describe as the litmus for Christianity . . .

HELLO 1517!!

Just a quick note to say that if you haven’t been paying close attention, we have slipped back into the 1500’s.  What do I mean?

Luther and the Emergents

How can the Protestant Reformer and the group of pastors/theologians/coffee aficionados have anything in common?  Well, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Death to ‘Goodness’

If there is one singular thing that is going to send more people to hell than ‘goodness,’ I don’t know what it is.  I realize that sin is the ultimate reason for the punishment of the wrath of God, but what I am talking about here is the total misunderstanding of God, who He is and what He requires that so pervades the church and most of our culture.

The Gospel is for Sinners

Simple distinctions can be the most important.  In fact, often times they are ’simple’ because they are so fundamental that there can really be no other alternative.