Pastor Steve's thoughts

Expelled: No Intelligence Required

Expelled is a documentary playing in movie theaters. The movie was produced by Ben Stein who has a colorful background. Stein graduated as the valedictorian of Yale Law School, practiced law, writes about economics, and eventually appeared in movies. Stein has hosted television game shows and worked as a Hollywood consultant.

The major premise of the movie is that Intelligent Design theories have been expelled from discussions about Darwinian theories. He cites numerous examples of suppression such as the firing of Richard Sternberg from the prestigious Smithsonian. Stein rings the alarm bell. Instead of science questioning everything, the scientific community has quashed opposing opinions by labeling opponents as idiots and simple minded oafs.

The second premise of the movie (perhaps a sub-premise would be better) is that Darwinian evolutionary thinking has profound implications for society. If people are mere animals with no moral compass, then what prevents such genocide? Stein uses the holocaust and Adolph Hitler as an example.

Essentially, Stein maintains that freedom of inquiry does not exist in this context. Scientists who have brought up the arguments of Intelligent Design have been ostracized, fired, and so on. This atmosphere limits freedom of discussion.

What is Intelligent Design? ID contends that the design of the universe (stability, complexity, and irreducibly complex systems) is best explained by as intentional design and thus a designer at work. This is hardly an unreasonable conclusion.

ID is different than the strict Creationist view. Creationism argues that the world was created in 24 hour days and is very young (Usually thousands of years old and not billions of years). Creationists are often opposed to the views of Intelligent Design and the debate is lively (i.e. This is seen in the writings of Hugh Ross, Norm Geisler, Ken Ham).

Yet, many of the film critics have called the film a creationist, fundamentalist campaign. These reviewers have labeled ID as a fundamentalist doctrine which is incorrect.

Here’s my own experience with the quashing of the discussion. While I was a Mechanical Engineering student at Kansas State University, I took a class called Fundamentals of Thermodynamics. Entropy was a major portion of the curriculum. During the class, I asked the professor to talk about the ramifications of the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics (Entropy) upon the discussion of origins. Then I quoted from the class text book,

“The final point to be made is that the second law of thermodynamics and the principle of the increase of entropy have philosophical implications...If all processes known to us have an increase in entropy associated with them, what is the future of the world as we know it?...Quite obviously it is impossible to give conclusive answers to these questions on the basis of the second law of thermodynamics alone. However, the authors see the second law of thermodynamics as man’s description of the prior and continuing work of a creator, who also holds the answer to the future destiny of man and the universe.” (page 248 of Fundamentals of Classical Thermodynamics)

The professor did not want to discuss the statements. In fact, the professor scorned me for bringing up religion.

A local college science teacher commented to my wife, “You can’t even bring up the issue. It can’t be discussed.”

The critics have labeled the movie as a source of bigotry and have called it bad science. Most of the reviewers only confirmed Ben Stein’s point. No one really desires to discuss the issues and a wall of suppression exists.

Go see it and take your kids with you. Discuss it with your friends and use the movie to have conversations with people about spiritual issues.

When cultural preferences are confused with biblical values, our mindset mimics the Pharisees. Jesus condemned the traditions of the Pharisees. Why? Because their emphasis upon their traditional preferences kept people from the Kingdom of God. As I read through the gospels it is clear that Jesus had little tolerance for this mindset. In Matthew 12, Jesus dared heal a man on the Sabbath and the Pharisees went ballistic! Jesus stares at their tired traditions and stares at the man with the shriveled hand…and says people are more important than your preferences. People are more valuable than your traditions.

There are churches all across America who hold to their traditions instead of reaching out to lost people. In America, there are 365,000 churches. According to the Barna Research group, 80% are plateaued or in decline. The average age is increasing as younger people say no to church. Most baby boomers don’t attend church and they passed this on to their children and so on down the line. Therefore, churches are aging and in decline. Why is this happening? Could it be most churches refuse to change? Could it be they refuse to be relevant to a new generation? Could it be that people love their preferences and traditions more than they love God?

I vividly remember this comment I heard 15 years ago, “We don’t have traditions in our church but if we stop doing altar calls I’m never coming back.”

I’m so thankful that we have a church that is willing to try new things. I’m so thankful we have a church full of people who get it. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

19 Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

I like what Haddon Robinson says of this verse, “I’ll do anything short of sinning to lead someone to Jesus.”

That’s why we have a coffee shop in our church!
That’s why we have contemporary music!
That’s why we feed people under the bridge!
That’s why we serve the people at Abbie Lane!
That’s why we don’t confuse biblical values with personal preferences!

It’s the political season again. The presidential candidates are debating like ducks and beavers over football. States like Iowa and New Hampshire have been invaded by outsiders trying to catch prisoners for their cause. Campaigning for office has become a full time endeavor instead of a seasonal occupation. Quite frankly I’m already tired of it.

As the presidential race heats up and the primaries come to Oregon, all of us will be faced with some decisions. Who should I vote for? How can a Christian decide? What parameters should be used? Some people wonder if Christians even be involved in voting.

The New Testament was written in the 1st century when no one voted. Therefore the biblical writers did not directly comment on issues of voting. The more relevant verses have to do with obeying governmental authority. Romans 13:1-7 teaches us to obey authority because God has ordained them. That’s why Paul tells us to pay our taxes in verse 6 and to be careful to comply with the law. Paul explains that the authorities have the right to punish those who do wrong. Therefore, obey the law to avoid the consequences and to keep your conscience clear. I find it ironic that Paul is in jail for causing a riot in Jerusalem at this time!

Paul wrote to Timothy, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Tim. 2:1-2) A clear responsibility for Christians is to pray for those in authority. In the next two verses, Paul explains that God desires all people to know the Savior. This would include elected officials and government leaders.

I must have been 10 years old when my father took me with him to the voting booth. In those days, a voter would pull the curtain and fill out a paper ballot or flip the levers on a machine. My father took some time in the voting booth to explain how things worked. He described the candidates running for president and then voted. Perhaps you can take time to fill out your ballot with your kids. Let them see your reasoning and above all let them see you pray about your decisions. That might be more important than your vote.

Lately, I’ve seen blog after blog talking about the gospel. Blog blah blog blah blog and then blah. The more prolific bloggers have connected other words to the gospel. We have a living gospel, pure gospel, Jesus’ gospel, Paul’s gospel, gospel according to Starbucks, heath & wealth gospel, healing gospel, community gospel and the list goes on. It seems to me that Jesus and His apostles made understanding the gospel simple and bloggers have made it complicated.

As I read the current books and blogs about the gospel, I see very little biblical underpinnings. Let’s start with a simple question. What is the gospel?
What exactly is the gospel? Our English word gospel means “good news”. This needs to be further clarified by this question. Good news about what?

The Greek word for gospel is euangelion. It is found 76 times in the noun form and 54 times as a verb. The verbal form means to tell the good news. In classical Greek, the verbal form meant to announce a victory. (Classical Greek language roughly ranged between 500 bc and 100 bc. The bible was written in Koine Greek which is different. Some words kept their meaning and others changed. We see the same changes in the English language over time.)

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul summarized the gospel is basic terms.

15 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

Notice how Paul emphasized the historical details and the emphasis upon the resurrection. The resurrection is central to the gospel message. Paul later states in chapter 15 that without the resurrection the gospel is meaningless.

Paul also says that Christ died for our sins. Central in the death of Jesus is what we call penal-substitutionary atonement. Simply, Jesus died in our place so we could have eternal life.

What is the good news? The bad news is my sin prevents me from knowing God and having eternal life. How is this to be resolved? I can’t do anything to resolve the issue. Therefore, I need God’s grace through Jesus’ work on the cross. The good news is that Jesus died for my sins. This is grace because we do not deserve anything from God. I reminded of the slogan the reformers used: “Faith alone in Christ alone.”

Keeping the gospel clear is of utmost importance. Otherwise we muddy the waters and down grade Jesus and his work on the cross.

Text messaging is the newest form and fad of communicating. It’s not unusual for a teenager to have 1,000 text messages in a month. I know this first hand because I’ve seen my cell phone bill. I feel like a dinosaur because most of my conversations are face to face. I call it real person time and not chat time.

The text messaging gurus have their own language and grammar system. Only a genius in linguistics can decipher the code of text messages. Do you know what any of these symbols mean? awl, nbd, kpc, nm, asl? If you’re reading this blog I’m sure you know the answers. I had to look them up on the internet.

Communication can happen by phone, email, instant messaging, and text messaging. Is an electronic relationship the same as a real-face relationship? I have my doubts but only because I turned 45 this summer. I suppose it’s a generational thing and I’m resisting. I’ve observed that some people need electronic communication because the conversation is so uncomfortable.

Blogs are another example of communication in today’s era of technology. Anyone can put their thoughts on the internet to be read. People who read the blogs can respond with a comment. I suppose this is one way to have a conversation. Perhaps it works better because some of the emotion is removed. Is it good to remove all of the emotion?

I’m wondering if people are losing the ability to converse on about difficult topics. A friend was encouraged by her counselor to write a strong letter to her parents but it seemed like an emotional missile lobbed across the email circuitry. Tossing this hand grenade with no strings attached made it far easier to hurl negativity. I know the woman who wrote the note and the parents who received it. (This was clearly a bad idea from a counselor who had one side of a story but that is a different story.)

My overly simplistic speculation is that human communication through electronic forms ends up being shallow. But here I am typing a blog while sending 23 emails today. lol, tnt, hf

It all started with a cup of coffee and a simple question. The Comcast repairman arrived on time to do a phone installation this week. He came to the door in his uniform and my dog gave his typical greeting of loud barking. The repairman introduced himself and got right to work.

I offered him a cup of coffee and to my surprise he said, "Yes." We struck up a conversation and he asked me what I did for a living. I replied, "I’m a pastor at a church here in Eugene called Grace Community Fellowship." There was a slight pause on his end and I added, “Do you go to church?” He said, "No."

We spent the next 30 minutes talking and I found out the following:

Currently married with no kids
Married once before with a son in another state.
In the Army and a member of Delta Force
He was in Somalia and had some bad experiences
Played minor league ball for the Ems after his stint in the army
After high school he had a scholarship to Stanford for baseball and threw around 92mph. Instead he went into the Army.
I found out where his wife worked
What he likes to do for fun
He is a part time motor cycle mechanic on the side

We found some common ground. Both of us went to small high schools. His graduation class was 17 and mine was 24. Both of us finished in the top ten of our class. :) I had lived in Texas and we talked about that experience. He worked for the same company (in the same town) my brother works for currently.

I then said something like this, “I had a major change in my life when I was a teenager. My father died with I was 15. For the next few years I was angry, confused, and drank extensively. Everything changed for me when I was 17. I made some spiritual decisions that made a lasting impact in my life. I decided to commit my life to Jesus. My problems didn’t go away, but things sure changed. . .”

As he left my house that morning he asked, “Now the name of your church is Grace Community Fellowship? I might check it out. I haven’t been in a church for a long time.”

I preached about hypocrisy last Sunday and the text was Matthew 6:1-18. The proposition of the passage is in verse 1 and then Jesus uses three examples to make the point come alive for his audience (Giving, praying and fasting).

As I was pondering the topic of hypocrisy, I thought about the old cliché “the church is full of hypocrites.” I’m sure I’ve heard this from unbelievers. I think…I’m speculating…that I have heard this saying from Christians more than non Christians.

The whole hypocrisy accusation can be a stone throwing contest between people who live in glass houses. I’m not sure any of us are qualified to make the judgment call. We can’t make the judgment call because we can’t see motives of others.

We could define hypocrisy as saying one thing and doing another. But I think it goes much deeper than this. Hypocrisy is doing something spiritual for the wrong reasons.

I made up a new phrase this week. (I’m sure someone else came up with this but it was new for me.) Here is the phrase, “Functional Hypocrisy.” By this I mean that we function as hypocrites even though we renounce hypocrisy.

I think there are two reasons the world calls Christians hypocrites. First: because we did something stupid or said something stupid or we had a bad attitude. Second: it could be a defense mechanism that is used because the unbeliever feels convicted.

p.s. I find it interesting that the word hypocrite is found 20 times in the New Testament. All of them in the gospels.

Tracy told me it was my turn to blog. The only thing I could think of was this story.

My neighbor had a bad experience at a local church a few weeks ago. He was helping me move some furniture and brought up the experience. It happened when he attended the funeral of a friend. From my neighbor’s perspective (I want to be clear on this…this is his side of the story) the pastor gave a long sermon that was pressuring people to take God seriously. I listened closely to my friend explain how awkward he felt. His spiritual background is in the Catholic Church and he still attends.

The pastor asked people to raise their hands if they were serious about following God. My friend had a hard time with this approach. As we talked, I gathered three things bothered him. First, the whole thing made him like a second class person. Second, he didn’t think a funeral was the right place for this stuff. Third, the service was very different from any other experience he had.

My friend wanted to know if that was typical in churches? Is that how you do things? I didn’t want to criticize another church or pastor. So I simply explained that the church he attended came from a different tradition and his experience was typical for the tradition. Secondly, I explained how I conducted funerals. I don’t do sermons at funerals because no one is there to listen to me preach a sermon. I’ll read scripture but I don’t do sermons unless the family specifically requests one and that’s rare.

In the course of our conversation, I shared with him how I had a life change in my early twenties. In 60 seconds, I explained how Jesus Christ changed my life and that Jesus was the point of everything.

I don’t think my neighbor is soured over the funeral event or with our conversation. In fact, I’m optimistic we will have another conversation. In the mean time, I should pray for him to know Jesus in a personal way.

Some of you have asked me about my relatives in Greensburg Kansas. My mother is from this area and I have (had) 25 relatives living there. Nine of my relatives homes were damaged. Six are wiped out, two are repairable, and one is up in the air.

My 82 year old aunt was bruised up from a brick hitting her in the back. The only part of her home left standing was a hall way where she stayed during the storm.

I grew up on a farm 30 miles west of Greensburg. I spent a lot of time with my grandparents and cousins in this little town. It's been a shock to see the disaster. My cousin said, "It's a miracle we didn't die."

Sunday May 6th

Normally, I'm up at 6 and down to the church by 6:45. I spend some time praying and then I review the sermon. The slides have been prepared and emailed to me so I proof those. I spend 20 minutes praying for people. I try to picture people by where they sit in church.

Home by 12:45

Five teens invade my home and play baseball on my front yard. I love it. Even the amazing Lucas Weidenhaft shows up to hang out.

Our small group meets on Sunday nights. Tonight we meet at Bob Kintigh's home. Bob will give our group a tour of his garden and he loves every minute of it.

---I'm already thinking about Monday; appointment at 7 am with Tom Berglund and Eric Peterson and Tracy Sims to talk about missions---Then with Dan Morehouse about the building. I'll need to meet with Jason Schar on Monday to talk about Tuesday's elder meeting. I want to make the Monday list and start next weeks sermon.

Saturday May 5th

I have a counseling appointment with a couple at 9 am at the church. This is a pre-marital counseling situation. I arrive around 7:30 am to go over the sermon.

--my mind is occupied with all of my relatives in Greensburg Kansas. 95% of the town is destroyed. Through the internet, I'm watching a television station in Wichita. I can't believe the scene...I can't even recognize the town. I was just there in November to eat dinner with my some of my relatives. Everything is gone. We (my sister & brother) decided to give $1000 to my uncle to help him for the next few weeks. No phone service in Greensburg so I'm not sure what's happening with my relatives. I do know they survived.---

I wrap things up at church around 12:30 and head to a baseball game. Both my boys are playing in a double header for Sheldon...they lost both games.

Back to the church at 7 pm for the banquet. I decided to honor Bruce and Charlene at the banguet. On Friday, I had purchased a few things and wrapped a box for them.

All in all...on Saturday, I spent 8 hours at the church.

Friday May 4th

Friday the office is closed and I try to stay away. Mary works on Friday so I try to do stuff around the house and run errands. I jotted down a few notes about Sunday's sermon. I decided to explain how our church structure works.

On Friday night, Mary and I went to play pinnochle with Rodger and Lisa Terrall. Rodger and I won the match with great humility.

On another note: I received a phone call from my sister-in-law at 10 pm. This is unusual because they live in central time. She told me my aunt's home was destroyed by the tornado in Kansas. Most of my relatives live in Greensburg Kansas. In this town of 1500 people, I have 25 relatives. My uncle (age 79) had his home destroyed. My aunt (Age 82 had her home destoyed). Five of my cousins had their homes destoyed. Two other cousins had damage to their homes. As far as I know, not one of my relatives were injuried. My brother had been on business in the area and stopped by to see my uncle that evening. They rode out the storm in the basement of the house.

Thrusday May 3rd

Every Thursday I attend a men's group. Rodger Terrall leads the group and we meet from 7 to 8. We read a chapter from the book of Matthew and discuss it. I enjoy the group for several reasons. The guys are awesome to be around and we have some good discussions. I don't have to lead the group which I enjoy.

I've been sick this week which means I'm behind. Patty needs the sermon outline by noon. I had it done in time and did the small group questions in the afternoon. I met with Jon Green for nearly two hours. We reviewed his yearly goals, touched base about the worship service, and talked with Lori about teacher appreciation day.

If only I had the sermon done for Sunday. Most of it is done...so now comes the really hard part. I try to let it sink into me...I let things simmer. For the next few days, I'll content with scripture text and I'll contend with the best way to communicate it. At the bottom of my sheet it says "NOW WHAT" I need to answer this question because I believe the goal of a sermon is transformation not just information. In other words, will I challenge people to change a behavior? Or to change an attitude? or to think differently about an issue?

Here are some questions I ask myself in the sermon development process:
1. Will people believe this? (last week I said that God's purpose for our problems is not to deflate us but to inflate us. This concept is contrary to popular opinion so I wanted to show how it was true
2. Now What?
3. What does it look like?

So I'll be in prayer about this for several days...

Wednesday May 2nd

On Wednesday I feel the pressure to get a sermon completed. I need to have the outline done by noon on Thursday for the program & the small group questions finished on Thursday afternoon. I had the flu yesterday (which I didn't mention earlier) and I tried to work from home this morning. Therefore, I've lost about a day in my sermon preparation.

Communicating well on Sunday morning is a priority. So I'm staying late at the office. I've got a rough outline finished and I know the big idea of the message (Leaders connect people and they help people connect with God). I try to make sure one major idea permeates a message. The text is 1 Peter 5:1-5. I've read the passage over and over...in various translations. Usually, I print out several translations on paper. Then I take a pen and start making notes and comparisons. I pray before starting...I pray during...This sermon will be focused on the role of church leaders. The challenge will be to engage the folks who don't see themselves as leaders. They might tune me out in the first minute. "I'm not a leader and this sermon isn't for me." I have some ideas to make the message relevant to everyone.

Normally, I'll spend 10 to 20 hours a week on sermon preperation.

The good news this week is that I finished everything on my to do list from Monday.

Tuesday May 1st

Tuesday is my meeting day. Normally, I meet with Lori Keebler at 9:00 am then Tracy at 10 and Eric at 11 am. A staff meeting with everyone is held at 1:30 After this I try to grab some time with Jon Green.

Working with our church staff is a priority for me. So I expect to be in meetings all day on Tuesday. This Tuesday was a little different. I started at 6:30 am by listening to a seminar on CD then I had a meeting with Tracy at 8:30. For the past few weeks Eric and Lori have been meeting with me at the same time. We are discussing the transition of 5th graders into the youth ministry. This discussion has led to conversations about curriculum.

In the evening, we had a calendar planning meeting. About 30 people attended. I shared our vision for the future and the emphasis for the next year. We will meet again on May 15 to put events down on the calendar.

Monday April 30th

Mondays are an unusual day for pastors. I’m still tired from Sunday and you remember everything you did wrong from the day before. From talking with other pastors I’ve learned this is normal. Maybe this is the Monday morning blues.

Every Monday I make a list of things to do for the week. The first item is ‘make list’ and then I can cross it off right away. At least I did something this week. Answered emails and made a few phone calls. On Monday, I try to get some administrative work accomplished and put some study time in on 1 Peter.

On my mind is the passage I'm preaching from next Sunday: 1 Peter 5:1-4

I met with Ken Carson and talked about a variety of things from our church, a potential 3rd service, moving the institute to Sunday morning, and postmodern philosophy. Another meeting of the day lasted 3 hours. Our consultant reviewed our Growing Grace Campaign. We discussed the timing of our next campaign to increase the size of the auditorium. I left the meeting with some apprehension over the current project. Soon, our monthly mortgage paymenet will be going up as we borrow money to finish the project. However, I'm committed to the vision of building into the lives of people. The current construction is just a tool to be used. Our new facilities will be used to do ministry and this is important.

"Think outside the box" is a common cliché and I’m tired of it. I’m not sure why I’m tired of it. Perhaps the phrase is over used. Maybe people have used the phrase to criticize others or even me. It could be that I’m in a weird mood today. So I want to invite a new saying: THINK IN THE BOX. This is for all the people who like their box.

What does it mean to "think outside of the box?" I think it means to think differently and be creative. The word innovative comes to my mind. Instead of placing limits on your ideas, think beyond those presupposed definitive lines. However, some things in life have limits and thinking out of the box will not change anything.

The scripture draws limits and "thinking out of the box" will not change those things. For instance, the attributes of God will not change. God is holy, righteous, all-powerful and so on. Another example is the flood. God said He would never flood the earth again.

I think my point is this: The scripture has drawn some definitive lines and these lines should be considered when we make decisions. If someone says "think outside the box," I should remember there is a box concerning God’s absolutes and biblical values.

This is a follow up to my last blog. Frequently, I’m asked questions about which translation is best. A frequent question concerning bible translations is the use of paraphrases. Ken Taylor’s Living Bible became popular a generation ago. It was easy to read because it used everyday language to communicate God’s word. The Message is another popular paraphrase written by Dr. Eugene Peterson which came out a few years ago.

A paraphrase is different than a translation in several ways. For instance, a paraphrase will interpret metaphors and figures of speech in order to help the reader understand the biblical text. The vocabulary will not be as complicated and sentences will be short. English slang expressions might be used to help the reader. Is it okay to use a paraphrase? Yes. In fact, you might find it a refreshing change of pace.

I think it’s good to own several translations and one paraphrase. This enables you to compare and hopefully better understand the biblical text. Having multiple translations is a good way to study the bible. The New English Translation is available online and has study notes, which explains the translators thought process.

Which translation is best? That’s a very complicated question. I was going to write a lengthy explanation but I changed my mind. I’ve been around people, who translated the New International Version, New Living Translation, New King James, New English Translation, and so on. I only mention this for a simple reason. I’ve heard first hand the process they use and how serious they take their work. Here are some of the considerations for translators

1. Target Audience: The New Century Version was originally produced for children. It became so popular an adult version was published. Most translators aim for a 7th grade reading level. This is the level of most newspapers. By comparison the King James Version is at a 12th grade reading level.

2. Dynamic equivalence and formal equivalence are two different approaches to translating the bible. The formal equivalence tends to be a word for word approach. A dynamic equivalence translation tends to smooth the English so a reader has a better understanding. Here’s an example (I heard this one from a former professor of mine) that shows the difficulty of translating poetry.

Literal: Psalm 73:9,10 they set in the heavens their mouth and their tongue walks in the earth, and therefore he will return his people here and waters of fullness will be sucked up by them

Notice the figurative language of walking tongues. A translator will painfully consider how to communicate this expression. Notice that the NIV and the NASB translates the term.

NIV: Psalm 73:9 9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth. 10 Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance.

NASB: Psalm 73:9 They have set their mouth against the heavens, And their tongue parades through the earth. Therefore his people return to this place, And waters of abundance are drunk by them.

Let me get to the point. No translation is 100% literal. There are 40 English translations available today. Perhaps a hundred scholars will work on a translation project to check each others work. The bottom line is that your English translation is very reliable. You can trust your bible.

Which Translation Should We Use?

Frequently, I’m asked which translation is the best. My answer is usually the same. Does it really matter if you don’t read it? Does it matter if you don’t live it out? I think you should buy the translation that you understand or the translation that you are more likely to consistently read. I suppose that is my soap box answer. :)

If you go to a Christian book store and ask for a bible, you will find a lot of options. There are more translations, paraphrases, and devotional bibles than options on a new car. In my parent’s day, the options were limited. They could buy the following translations:

New American Standard Bible NASB
Revised Standard Version (RSV)
King James Version (KJV)

There are nearly 40 translations available today. The most popular translations are the NIV, NASB, New King James, King James, New Living, Good New, New Century, and New English Translation. Then you can find bibles with study notes. There are study notes for men, study notes for women, devotional bibles for athletes, devotional bibles for students, and so on.

Since there are so many options available, I’m not surprised that people would ask for a recommendation. I use the NIV in church because most people tend to use this translation. This translation is at a 7th grade reading level. That may seem odd but it fits our society. My understanding is that newspaper journalists shoot for the same level. The King James is at a 12th grade reading level or beyond.

The purpose of a translation is to help people understand God’s Word. Bible translators work hard to accurately translate an ancient language into contemporary English. Most scholars point to the Jewish Targums as the first example. Many Jews did not know Hebrew and the text was translated into Aramaic (before the time of Christ).

I think the following verses help us see why God’s Word is so important.

Psalm 119:9-16
9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By living according to your word.
10 I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
11 I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.
12 Praise be to you, O LORD;
teach me your decrees.
13 With my lips I recount
all the laws that come from your mouth.
14 I rejoice in following your statutes
as one rejoices in great riches.
15 I meditate on your precepts
and consider your ways.
16 I delight in your decrees;
I will not neglect your word.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.—Psalm 119:105

Selecting a bible translation is important but if God’s Word sits unused on your night stand then it really doesn’t matter. In my opinion the following translations would be fine: King James, New King James, New American Standard, New International Version, and New Living Translation. Selecting a bible with notes is a good idea. It will contain information about Bible customs, geography, and common idioms.

Two other questions frequently come up. First, which translation is the most literal? Most, if not all translators, chuckle at the question. It’s not the right question and the answer is very complicated. I’ll touch on this issue next time. Secondly, is it okay to use a paraphrase?

I’ve been reading through the book of Luke with Ryan Welch on Wednesday mornings. It’s been refreshing to read through this gospel. While reading Luke’s gospel, I remembered a principle that Dr. Howard Hendricks emphasized at Dallas Seminary. He would say something like this, “In essence, we usually read the gospels and concentrate on the message of Jesus. Don’t forget to study Jesus’ methods.” So how did Jesus do evangelism? I think it is helpful to observe Christ’s methods and to find timeless principles. Basically, evangelism is telling the good news of Christ to a dying world.

I tried to think about the methods Jesus used. Here are some that I thought of.

Asking Questions: Jesus asked people questions to guide them into truth. In Luke 10, a scribe asked Jesus what it takes to have eternal life. Jesus answered the question by telling the story of the Good Samaritan. Then Jesus asked the simple question, “who acted like a neighbor?” Good questions can help people think through spiritual issues.

Sent Out the 72: In Luke 10, Jesus sent out 72 disciples to preach the good news. Christ was not afraid to delegate.

Trained the 12: Jesus spent time with the disciples so they would be capable of fulfilling the mission. Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Jesus trained the twelve to be witnesses and they spread the good news of Christ. His training method consisted of teachable moments and on the job training.

Performed Miracles: The miracles that Christ performed validated his claim to be the Messiah. His miracles convinced some people of his claims but others rejected him.

Teaching: Jesus was a master story teller and used parables effectively. Matthew 22:33 says, “When the crowds heard him, they were impressed with his teaching.” People enjoyed listening to Him [Mark 12:37 NASB]. If we want people to listen to the gospel then we must present the message in a way that connects. Jesus was able to grab their attention.

Loving Unbelievers: Jesus loved unbelievers and spent time with them. Matthew, the tax collector, threw a party for his unbelieving friends. The purpose of the party was to introduce his friends to Christ. Jesus was criticized by the Pharisees for spending time with sinners.

Gathered Large Crowds: Jesus attracted large numbers of people and they followed him. Christ-like character attracts unbelievers. I see Jesus finding lost people and gathering enormous crowds of unbelievers. He operated on a “one on one basis” and “with the multitude.”

Meeting Needs: Through out the gospels, Jesus met ordinary needs. Obviously the most important need is salvation and Jesus offered forgiveness to those who believed. He had compassion on the large crowd following him and he provided food for them.

I read Tracy's blog about reading books on vacation. Over the last six weeks I've read the following books.

--Team of Rivals, The Political Genious of Abraham Lincoln. By Doris Kearns Goodwin: Awesome book if you like history

--How to Lead & still have a life. By Dale Burke: Good book for anyone who leads.

--Just Walk Across the Room. By Bill Hybels: Good book and very motivating

--The Archaeology of Early Christianity. By william Frend: Boring. Very Boring

--The Winner. by David Baldacci: Good Fiction Read

What books have you read recently? Good and Bad.

A pastor in Springfield asked me an interesting question. Here's the question: "Would anyone notice if our church disappeared?" If our church ceased to exist would any city officials notice or members of the community? The people who attend Grace would notice but would anyone else?

As I contemplated the question, I didn't like my answer. My fear is that we are only making a difference in our "holy huddle." Furthermore, I'm not sure anyone outside the church would be affected. I would like to say our church makes a difference in the community and the people of Eugene would miss us.

What would it take for our church to make a significant impact? Realistically, our church is more inwardly focused than outwardly focused. As a whole, we care more about our church programs than we do about spiritually lost people. It still seems to me that a large portion of people are far to content...content with this an inward focus. Okay...maybe I'm being to hard on us. Am I?

On the other hand, let me share three positive examples that I've observed recently.
1. Jason Schar is the chairman of the Elder board and he presented the gospel to one of his employees a few weeks ago. He drew the bridge diagram and explained everything. Good job Jason.
2. Bob Kintigh presented the gospel to one of our church neighbors. Good job Bob.
3. I've seen Ben & Debbie Bauer introduce themselves to new people at our church. They did more than just exchange names. They showed genuine care and concern. Ben and Debbie went the extra mile.

Back to the inward focus vs. outward focus. I suppose the key word is balance. Our purpose statement reflects this balance: TO LOVE PEOPLE WHERE THEY'RE AT AND HELP THEM FOLLOW JESUS. The first part is an outward focus and the second part has an inward focus. The statement reflects a balance between Evangelism and Discipleship.

On the one hand, I'm not sure anyone in the general community would miss GCF if we ceased to exist next week. However, I might be surprised.

The National Geographic Society is releasing a translation of a document called the Gospel of Judas. This document fits into the category of Gnostic writings which were prevalent in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. I haven’t read the gospel of Judas but I have read some of the other Gnostic writings. (This is an important issue because the foundation of Christianity is being attacked. On a popular level, the Da Vinci Code reflects the ideas of liberal scholars. My goal is to inform you of the issues.)

Many of the Gnostic materials were discovered in 1945 in the desert of Egypt at a location called Nag Hammadi. The literature eventually made its way to scholars who translated the material. The Nag Hammadi materials included 5 separate works that have been categorized as gospels: Truth, Thomas, Philip, Egyptians, and Mary. The Gnostic material claims to be written by an apostle such as Thomas. The validity of this claim will be addressed in my next blog.

Who were the Gnostics and what did they believe? Scholars often debate what Gnosticism is and who they were. However, it seems that some basic beliefs come to the surface. I will try to briefly summarize their views.

1. Some Christians (only Gnostics) have access to special knowledge that leads to salvation.

2. The universe is dualistic (Anything physical is evil and Everything spiritual is good). Therefore, God has no contact with anything physical. Gnostics believed in two gods. One god was evil and created the physical world. The other god was a good father and purely spiritual.

3. Jesus existed in two beings: the living Lord and Savior Jesus, and a human substitute Jesus. The human substitute Jesus was nailed to the cross but the real Jesus was not. The Gnostics believed that human flesh was evil and therefore the real Jesus could not have been a man.

4. The New Testament canon (the bible we have) is insufficient. Additional secret knowledge is a key to salvation. Therefore, the Gnostics added their own writings to the bible.

5. Gnostics believed that females needed to become males to enter God’s kingdom. (Gospel of Thomas 114).

The Gnostic writings were vehemently denounced by orthodox Christians. Early Christian writers are often called the church fathers. Some of the church fathers who wrote against Gnosticism included Irenaeus (130-200), Hippolytus (170-236), and Tertullian (160-220).

The Gnostic writers composed their material well after the apostles. Their beliefs stood in direct contradiction to the teachings of the apostles. Thus Christian leaders stood firm against the Gnostics and labeled their beliefs as heresy.

In “The Gospel of Judas” it is asserted that Judas was not a betrayer of Jesus. Judas helped save man kind by collaborating with Jesus to hasten the journey to the cross. Is there any validity to this idea? Not at all. The eye witnesses who wrote the New Testament stated that Judas betrayed Jesus.

Next Blog: Do the Gnostic writings belong in the bible?

I read through the book of 1 John today. It seemed that every other word John used was “Love.” I ran a quick search and found out the word “love” is repeated 68 times. John’s repeated emphasis upon loving God and others is clear in this epistle. Not only are we to love God but we should not love the world.

1 John 2:15-17 says, “15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.”

Let’s define what John means by world. John uses the phrase in a figurative way which was very common in the 1st century. Today we might say “from the sports world” or “from the world of politics.” The Apostle John uses the term in a negative sense. For the apostle, the world system of beliefs and behavior is at odds with God.

Here’s a question to ponder. What are the implications of this verse?

“Why are Christians so Intolerant?” was on the cover of the magazine I received this week. The sub-title was “and other tough questions non-Christians ask.” I must admit that I haven’t read the article yet. But the cover made me think. How did the general public gain this perspective and how pervasive is this line of thinking.

Perhaps a definition of intolerant would be helpful. One dictionary says intolerant means: Unwilling to tolerate differences in opinions, practices, or beliefs, especially religious beliefs. In one respect, I believe Christians are intolerant. We believe that the cross of Christ is the only way, that Jesus rose from the dead, and so on. Paul says that the cross will offend people (1 Corinthians chapter 1).

My assumption is that many people perceive Christians as intolerant in the sense of disrespectful. This issue at hand may not be opposing opinions colliding. The issue could be opinions discussed in a rude way…a way that is filled with anger. I think the Matthew Shepherd incident demonstrated this. A few Christians displayed signs against homosexuality. I can’t remember the exact wording but I did sense that a hatred that arose in the crowd.

On other hand, maybe an opinion concerning morality stirs up guilt. A different opinion about eternal matters can cause people grief or anger. It reminds people that they have turned their backs on God.

Here’s my thought. As a church, we want to welcome people. This doesn’t mean that we affirm their philosophical beliefs or moral choices. If a person attends our church who believes in reincarnation, we should be able to dialog with them in a respectful way.

What do you think. Are Christians intolerant or do others over react?

Saturday morning I saw a father screaming at a basketball official. The 7th grade basketball game was turning ugly as emotions reached the pre-volcanic levels of Mt. Saint Helen’s. The father in front of me criticized most of the referees decisions. His anger became evident as his blood pressure boiled and his face turned red. When the buzzer sounded his team had lost and the crowd began to disperse. You would’ve thought the Ducks lost another game. My first thought was, “I’m glad he’s not a member of our church.” lol But what if he was? I would say something like, “I understand your frustration with the basketball team. Maybe there is a better way to look at these things. I prefer to look at this from a comparative perspective. 250,000 people live in our county and they don’t know anything about this game. There are millions of people starving and dying from Aids in Africa. Perhaps the game isn’t that important.”

I don’t have kids in middle school anymore but I’m still coaching basketball at the 8th grade level. I want to be a part of instilling values into kids by using basketball as a metaphor for life. We teach kids to make good decisions on the court and after practices we talk about life decisions. We encourage kids to decide now about drugs and alcohol. Make good choices now. Maybe when you’re an adult you won’t be an embarrassment to your own children at their sporting events. Perhaps sports has become our national religion.