“Thinking…thinking...”

      For my birthday, my granddaughter, Avery, drew a lovely 9x6” watercolor card. In the foreground the scene was a jumble of leaves, flowers, and stalks of shrubbery. In the middle distance was a cottage, and a garden by the sea. The farther distance was cliffs and rocky headlands reaching out to the horizon.

   I looked at the meticulous detail of the cottage windows and the doorway, and the chimney at each end of the roof. Avery had imagined all these shapes and colors, and placement of items in the scene. Then she executed every element of her plan. As I absorbed these features, I suddenly realized that I was going over thoughts that had already run through her mind— I was thinking her thoughts, after her!

    And this is a little picture of what the astronomer, Johannes Kepler, said about creation. When he looked at the earth and the stars above, he exclaimed, “O, Almighty God, I am thinking Thy thoughts after Thee!”

       Yes, the Creator thought out every detail as He put the universe in place. When we look at the beauty of a mountain or a tree, a flower or a butterfly, we are “thinking God’s thoughts after Him.” How wonderful to know “God has been here before— I’m just following the track He blazed in creation.”

       But are there lines of thought down which He has gone, that we can never follow? Creation is a done deal, but where is it going? Specifically, where is humanity going? What are God’s thoughts about the future? It’s impossible to think God’s thoughts about that. We can’t take a microscope or a telescope to get them. If they are available, He must have given them to us somewhere in writing.

       This is where we come at last to the Bible. This, Christians believe, is where we find God’s plan for humanity. To put it simply, when creation was done, God said, “It’s good!” Then mankind rebelled against Him and wrecked all creation. Jesus died to redeem us. He rose again to prove His success, and now mankind has a simple choice—choose Him! That sequence carries our knowledge of God’s thoughts from creation (which we can read), into a future that is closed to us unless He speaks. The Bible gives His plan in one sentence: “The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.”

“A prophet does not come out of Galilee”

Oh? Says who?

Of all the foolish remarks made by the priests and the Pharisees, this may be the worst. Ordinary, common people look to “scholars” for authoritative, knowledgeable answers to questions. But this was the Pharisees’ response when the temple guards failed to arrest Jesus. They claimed that He couldn’t be a prophet because He was from Galilee, and they even claimed Scripture as proof. [1]

Going back in time a little bit, there had been discussion among the people on the feast day, as to whether Jesus could be “the Prophet” or “the Messiah”. At first, they too thought the Prophet or the Messiah couldn’t come from Galilee—he had to be from Bethlehem[2].

And what about Nathanael? About to be introduced to Jesus, even he had doubts: — “Nazareth! Can any good thing come from there?”[3]

But all of this wasn’t true—Jonah was a prophet—and he was from Galilee. In fact, he was from Gath Hepher, only 5 kilometers north of Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth.[4] And at Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the crowds seem to have figured it out: He was “the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee”.[5] Nathanael too, realized his error very quickly: “You are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”[6]

And that wasn’t all—Isaiah had prophesied that those living in the land of Zebulun and Naphtali (specifically “Galilee of the nations”) would have a great light dawn on them. This is the wonderful prophecy of “a child born…a son given” who is “Mighty God”.[7]

Going back to those priests and Pharisees—did they really not know this prophecy? Or did they lie? They shut down Nicodemus too, by suggesting that he too might be from Galilee![8] Did he not know the prophecy? Did he protest?

This whole incident could have been righted with a few quick references to Scripture. But the political elite pulled their strings and a "Good Man" went down![9]

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[1] John 7:52

[2] John 7:41

[3] John 1:46

[4] 2 Kings 14:25

[5] Mat.21:10,11

[6] John 1:49

[7] Isa.9:1, 2, 6. Also Matthew 4:13-16.

[8] John 7:50-52

[9] Further reference: “The Sigh of Jonah” in Volume 3, page 106.

The Christian Believer Is Secure Forever!

Several years ago, I sat through an “interesting” Sunday morning sermon in a very fundamentalist evangelical church. The preacher for the day introduced his subject somewhat tentatively, saying it would be different from the usual line of thinking for that church.

He then proceeded to tell us that his recent Bible studies were leading him to the possibility that true believers could still be lost. He had several verses lined up, but his main “proof” was Hebrews 6:4-6. This was, of course, the “falling-away” doctrine, and that church had always repudiated it.

When the service ended, there were a few tense moments, but one faithful elder rebuked him (semi-privately) for his teaching.

There was little reference to his sermon in the following days and weeks. Eventually it was dropped and the church carried on with its teaching of “once saved, forever saved”.

What should have happened? From a Scriptural outlook, this preacher was utterly wrong! The Reformers of the 16^th century based their faith on five things: Scripture alone, Faith alone, Grace alone, Christ alone, and the Glory of God alone.

These five “solae” lead to one conclusion: men and women have no input of merit in their own salvation—it is all faith, and grace, through Christ. “Works” do not figure in their redemption. This means, in contrast, that nothing a believer can do can “un-merit” him or her for salvation.

To put it another way, once a person is “in Christ” (used 76 times by Paul, for example in Romans 12:5) he or she becomes a ”finger” or a “hand”—they are part of His body—nothing can “amputate” them!

So, again, what should have happened in that church? The elders knew and later re-newed their commitment to “eternal security”. Ideally, the sermon should have been rebuked as false doctrine, but nobody wanted to make a fuss. The Apostle Paul would certainly not have let it go!

Jesus saves us so securely that nothing we do, can ever undo it! It is very much to God’s glory—the Church should do everything to praise Him for such a great salvation!

Invisibility

    As I sit at my ninth-floor apartment window and enjoy the park and woodland below, I am looking through something very solid, that I can’t see—a glass window. If I open the window, I now find that I’m looking through something insubstantial, that I still can’t see, namely, air. It seems unlikely that ancient man believed in a clear, flawless invisible thing like glass, or even the invisible gasses of air. How would we ever convince him that these things exist? Well, rap your knuckles against the glass and you know pretty quickly. How about the invisible gasses? This takes a little more thought, but snuffing a candle may be a clue. A better and deeper explanation takes a more investigative mind and really gets into “science’.

    Following these analogies, it seems obvious that there might be other things out there that we can’t see—perhaps another person’s spirit, for instance. To say you only believe in things you can see is very “short-sighted”, to say the least. But Holy Scripture takes us a great deal further—there are invisible living beings. And there is a God Who made them. Is that far-fetched? Is that an impossible leap? How would we ever prove their existence?

    Now we have to move from our personal experience and “scientific” experience, to the only other means of knowing, namely, “history” and human witnesses. David Hume said that: “A wise man proportions his belief to the evidence.” What he may not have included in his evaluation of belief is proper evaluation of the providers of that evidence. For our specific subject matter we turn to the Bible, especially the New Testament. Two of the main writers were the Apostles Paul and Peter—and how did they end up? Beheaded or crucified, as witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus. On another occasion, over 500 people saw Jesus alive, after His crucifixion and resurrection. Imagine an interview room set up by investigators and a great auditorium filled with 500 people. One by one they all give the same report: “Jesus died on that cross; three days later I saw him alive!” Hume wanted massive evidence for miracles—here it is! The resurrection was massively proved in the first century. There is no need to “prove it again.” All that’s needed now is to believe the witnesses.

Thank You, our Father!

        A Christian friend was driving down a US highway, enjoying some gospel radio, when a song came on that thrilled his soul. He tried to join in, but could hardly croak out the notes. In frustration and sadness, he started to weep. Then, somehow, God gave him peace—He said, “Your tears are my praise!” 

        And his story satisfied my heart, because I, too, have wept for this lack. I tell people that my singing range is not one octave but one note—how mono-tonous! But song is not the only form of worship. In recent years my wife and I have joined churches that recite the Lord’s Prayer in unison—as the use of the plural “our Father” shows Jesus intended. We also recite the creeds and some prayers in unison—how refreshing for me to be able, at last, to add my voice to my brothers’ and sisters’. 

        Praise the Lord for some liturgy!

What was that about the moon?

        I remember a poem from my high school days— I disliked it, but the imagery and alliteration were powerful: “The moon was a ghostly galleon, tossed upon cloudy seas.” Remember those fairy stories about “the man in the moon” and “the green cheese”? Well, I want to look at how the moon is viewed in the Bible, not only as a light in the night sky but often as a sign or symbol or personification of something else.

        First of all, we’re told that God put it up there. King David says, “I consider…the moon and the stars, which You have set in place” (Psa.8:3), and Asaph says, “You established the sun and moon “ (Psa.74:16). Then, because of its regularity (cycling 12 times in a year), it was used to regulate human affairs. The very word “moonth” tells us this.

        The natural 29.5-day cycle of the moon as we see it is first a tiny sliver or sickle that grows and grows (“waxes) till it reaches a full circle (the “full” moon). Then it decreases daily (“wanes”) until it is gone for 36-48 hours. In the middle of this period of invisibility, it is renewed, and the cycle repeats. It is interesting that the full moon comes at 15 days into the cycle. The first month of the Hebrew year was Nisan, so Passover comes 14 days into the month or, essentially, at full moon (Lev.23:3, Num.9:3). If it was a clear night, Gethsemane was bathed in moonlight on Maundy Thursday.

        Other Old Testament celebrations were the New Moon feasts (Psa.81:3) established by Moses in Numbers 10:10 as “times of rejoicing”. They involved sacrifices and burnt offerings (Ezra 3:5, Num.28:14), and from the tabernacle and later from the temple, the calls of trumpets and ram’s horns would resound on that day. They served as a sort of calendar for scheduling other events. For instance, in 1 Samuel 20, David and Jonathan worked out a plan and a schedule around the day of the New Moon feast.

        Sometimes the moon was personified, as in Psalm 136:9 where “moon and stars govern the night.” In Joseph’s dream (Gen.37:9), the moon bowed to him, and in Joshua’s day, “the sun stood still and the moon stopped.” (Josh.10:12, 13). When Moses blessed the Israelites just before his death, he said about Joseph, “May the Lord bless his land with…the finest the moon can yield.” (Deut. 33:14). And years later, the Hebrew pilgrims to Jerusalem could trust that “the moon…will not harm you…by night.” (Psa.121:6). The psalmist is also quoted as saying, “Praise him, moon.” (Psa.148:3). But a day was coming when the Lord would punish celestial and terrestrial powers, and “the moon will be dismayed.” (Isa.24:23).

        Sadly, the people went way beyond literary personification and endowed the moon with real personal being—they worshiped it, bowing down and burning incense to it. That was forbidden foolishness (Deut.4:19). God told Isaiah (1:13) that their New Moons had become “worthless assemblies” and that He hated them “with all His being”. (Isa.1:14) In fact, He told Hosea (2:11) “I will stop all her celebrations…her New Moons.”

        Just how did they get so off-track? Moses warned them back in Deuteronomy, “Do not bow down and worship.” (4:19, 17:3) But they did just that in 2 Kings 23:5 where “the idolatrous priests…burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon.”   Job (31:26) talks about “…homage to the moon” and Jeremiah (8:2) tells us they loved and served and worshiped the moon (also confirmed by Stephen in Acts 7:42).

        The moon was central to some real, God-given prophecy too—David was promised that from his lineage, a king would endure as long as the moon exists (Psa.72:5), in fact, forever (Psa.89:37), because Isaiah (60:20) tells us that at some point “the moon will wane no more.” This King is Jesus!

        We recognize that some of the effects spoken of the moon are, instead, effects on the observers: “The moon is not bright in his eyes” refers to God’s own greatness and brilliance—God IS light! (Job 25:5). Habakkuk talks about the days when the Lord’s anger was so intense that “the sun and moon stood still in the heavens.” (Hab.3:11) Even in our own bodies, as we age, and eyesight fails, we experience that “the moon grows dark.” (Eccl.12:2)

        Finally, Joel (2:31, 3:15) and John (Rev.6:12) tell us of a time when the moon will be darkened and will turn to blood. Is this an indication that in the end times, there will be so much destruction and debris in the atmosphere that the moon will show red even when it gets high in the sky? (Like we see even now, when the moon is low on the horizon?)

         So, we’ve looked at most of the Scriptural involvement with the moon. In a sense, it oversees nighttime activity by lighting it, by timing or scheduling it, by backing up and confirming both good and bad prophecies, by encouraging times of rejoicing, by warning us of our own mortality, and ultimately by showing the greatness and beauty of the God Who put it in place.

Pascal’s Wager Revisited: Why Seeking God Is Worth Everything

 You’ve probably heard of Pascal’s Wager—the idea that trusting in God is the safest bet, even if you’re unsure He exists. Critics argue it’s self-serving or intellectually lazy. But let’s take a fresh look, especially in light of Scripture, science, and the eternal stakes.

🧠 What Is Pascal’s Wager?

French philosopher Blaise Pascal suggested that belief in God is the most rational choice in the face of uncertainty:

“If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing.” — Pensées, §233

To break it down:

• If God exists and you believe → eternal joy and peace
• If God exists and you don’t believe → eternal separation
• If God doesn’t exist → belief costs little, while disbelief gains nothing

🚍 Dawkins and the “No God” Ad Campaign

In 2009, Richard Dawkins backed a UK bus ad campaign that read:

“THERE’S PROBABLY NO GOD. NOW STOP WORRYING AND ENJOY YOUR LIFE.”

The word “probably” leaves the door open. Dawkins even preferred “almost certainly no God,” but still acknowledged a sliver of possibility. And that’s where Pascal’s logic becomes powerful.

🎯 Breaking Down the Odds of Belief

Let’s assign probabilities:

Chance God Exists	Chance He Doesn’t	What You Gain by Belief
25%	75%	Moderate risk, infinite gain
10%	90%	More risk but still infinite gain
1%	99%	Infinite gain vs zero loss

Even with minimal odds, the eternal reward for belief vastly outweighs any perceived cost.

📖 What the Bible Says

Pascal’s reasoning echoes Scripture’s call to earnestly seek God:

• “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” — Jeremiah 29:13
• “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” — Psalm 14:1
• “People are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” — Hebrews 9:27
• “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” — Psalm 34:8

Faith isn’t just logical—it’s relational. Belief is less about hedging bets and more about meeting the One who transforms everything.

🛠 Insights from Christian Apologetics

Apologists like William Lane Craig and Peter Kreeft use Pascal’s Wager as a gateway—not a full defense:

• It appeals to decision theory: weighing outcomes when certainty is impossible
• It challenges the idea that neutrality is safe
• It invites skeptics to explore God without demanding instant faith

Even John Piper acknowledges its limitations—but urges us not to dismiss the spiritual urgency it inspires.
Read more on Desiring God →

🌱 For the Curious Seeker

If you're exploring faith but feeling unsure, check out John Stott's book BASIC Christianity.
You’ll discover:

• Questions and answers that open up the search
• How Christianity engages reason and science
• Steps for beginning a spiritual journey
• Why doubt isn’t the opposite of faith—it’s often the path toward it
• 
  

🙏 Final Thought

Pascal’s Wager isn’t about fear—it’s about urgency and love. If eternity is real, then “just get on with your life” isn't enough. The stakes are infinite. The invitation is eternal.

Don’t walk away from the possibility.
Seek until you know.