January 20th 2019
I Can’t Trust What I Don’t Understand!
Colossians 2:8 (NIV)
See to it that no-one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
We live in a world where we are constantly bombarded with the ideas based upon the religion of humanism. The main basis of this religion is the belief that mankind came about through an evolutionary process. Those who believe in some form of a god, or even some, who believe in God, as the Creator still believe that God created mankind through an evolutionary process. Such ideas are based on a “hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” If we use the Bible as the main guide for forming our worldview, we cannot believe that a god took billions of years to create the universe. The Bible plainly reports that God created the earth, and then the rest of the universe in just six literal days. And based on the genealogies God gave us in the Bible this happened only about six thousand years ago!
When Jesus Christ walked this earth, He told His disciples many stories or parables. One of those parables is titled “The Wise and Foolish Builders.” "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. (Matthew 7:24-28). Jesus here was equating building a house to forming your worldview, and when He said, “a wise man who built his house on the rock.” The “Rock” is God’s Word, and thus, this man’s foundation for life is based on God’s Word. In the example of the foolish man Jesus said, “everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.” In this case the “Sand” is man’s ideas! Such a person is building their worldview based not on God’s Word, but on the ideas and/or traditions of mankind.
What about you do you base your worldview on God’s Word or are you convinced by “just so stories” that the Bible’s creation story cannot be correct, because man’s ideas do not match with God’s Word? No one reading this ever got to sit down and hear Jesus tell one of His parables, therefore, to believe what we read in the Bible must be related to a Jesus we have never seen, so we can cop-out and say, it is difficult for me to accept exactly what God/Jesus reports through the Bible. However, remember when Jesus did walk and talk to His disciples, even then, they had trouble believing. (Jesus) He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. (Matthew 8:26). Jesus was in the boat with them, yet they were afraid they would die. In Revelation Jesus tells us we are always just a prayer away from Him. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20). Note in this verse it says Jesus is always waiting for us to respond to Him! Jesus is seeking us!
Some people are confused by this life and their worldview is distorted so much that they have given up on making sense of why they are here on this earth and they do not see a purpose for their life. Paul wrote about avoiding an escape from life through stimulation to allow us to put off the reality of life on this earth. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:17-18). A TV sitcom ad has a woman who says something like, “parents wait until it is time to drink wine, so we can handle the fact we are parents.” The reason someone would ascribe to getting drunk or high as a means to feel good, is because they do not have Jesus Christ in their lifestyle! This is not meant to indicate that having a glass of wine is entirely a bad thing, BUT it does mean getting drunk or high to forget your problems, whatever those problems may be is wrong. Paul wrote that we need to “understand what the Lord’s will is,” then believers should be “Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” I have tried both, and believe me, and choose to take your problems to the Holy Spirit not the alcohol or drug container!
The drug over usage and alcohol problems are increasing in the USA, because people are no longer being taught about depending on Jesus and thus seeking the Holy Spirit. Why are we on this earth? Some people do not have a good answer for this question for themselves, mainly because they do not choose to accept the God of the Bible as their creator. They do not accept that God created them for His purposes. The writer of Isaiah wrote about why God created mankind. The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise. (Isaiah 43:20-21). Notice God tells us first the wild animals honor Him, because He provides for them. Then God tells why He created mankind, He says “the people I formed for myself!” God created mankind as a special creation so they would be just “for myself that they may proclaim my praise!” The animals were created for mankind, and mankind was created for God!
We can read in Genesis about when God created the animals and then mankind. Mankind was created special with an immortal soul in the image of God, and we were put in charge of all the animals, and as the caretakers of the earth. Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:26-27). Many people today cannot accept this idea of creation; therefore, they cannot understand it, because of their disbelief. They believe man’s ideas about how and why we are here on this earth, because they cannot identify with the Bible account of creation.
I recently heard a comment on a TV program, “I can’t trust what I don’t understand!” In what do you trust? Do you put man’s ideas ahead of God’s Word? Think about this question as your answer will determine your worldview. Jesus said it best, “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.” (Matthew 12:30). Are you trying to become more Christ-like every day?
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
Colossians 2:8 (NIV)
See to it that no-one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
We live in a world where we are constantly bombarded with the ideas based upon the religion of humanism. The main basis of this religion is the belief that mankind came about through an evolutionary process. Those who believe in some form of a god, or even some, who believe in God, as the Creator still believe that God created mankind through an evolutionary process. Such ideas are based on a “hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” If we use the Bible as the main guide for forming our worldview, we cannot believe that a god took billions of years to create the universe. The Bible plainly reports that God created the earth, and then the rest of the universe in just six literal days. And based on the genealogies God gave us in the Bible this happened only about six thousand years ago!
When Jesus Christ walked this earth, He told His disciples many stories or parables. One of those parables is titled “The Wise and Foolish Builders.” "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. (Matthew 7:24-28). Jesus here was equating building a house to forming your worldview, and when He said, “a wise man who built his house on the rock.” The “Rock” is God’s Word, and thus, this man’s foundation for life is based on God’s Word. In the example of the foolish man Jesus said, “everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.” In this case the “Sand” is man’s ideas! Such a person is building their worldview based not on God’s Word, but on the ideas and/or traditions of mankind.
What about you do you base your worldview on God’s Word or are you convinced by “just so stories” that the Bible’s creation story cannot be correct, because man’s ideas do not match with God’s Word? No one reading this ever got to sit down and hear Jesus tell one of His parables, therefore, to believe what we read in the Bible must be related to a Jesus we have never seen, so we can cop-out and say, it is difficult for me to accept exactly what God/Jesus reports through the Bible. However, remember when Jesus did walk and talk to His disciples, even then, they had trouble believing. (Jesus) He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. (Matthew 8:26). Jesus was in the boat with them, yet they were afraid they would die. In Revelation Jesus tells us we are always just a prayer away from Him. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20). Note in this verse it says Jesus is always waiting for us to respond to Him! Jesus is seeking us!
Some people are confused by this life and their worldview is distorted so much that they have given up on making sense of why they are here on this earth and they do not see a purpose for their life. Paul wrote about avoiding an escape from life through stimulation to allow us to put off the reality of life on this earth. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:17-18). A TV sitcom ad has a woman who says something like, “parents wait until it is time to drink wine, so we can handle the fact we are parents.” The reason someone would ascribe to getting drunk or high as a means to feel good, is because they do not have Jesus Christ in their lifestyle! This is not meant to indicate that having a glass of wine is entirely a bad thing, BUT it does mean getting drunk or high to forget your problems, whatever those problems may be is wrong. Paul wrote that we need to “understand what the Lord’s will is,” then believers should be “Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” I have tried both, and believe me, and choose to take your problems to the Holy Spirit not the alcohol or drug container!
The drug over usage and alcohol problems are increasing in the USA, because people are no longer being taught about depending on Jesus and thus seeking the Holy Spirit. Why are we on this earth? Some people do not have a good answer for this question for themselves, mainly because they do not choose to accept the God of the Bible as their creator. They do not accept that God created them for His purposes. The writer of Isaiah wrote about why God created mankind. The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise. (Isaiah 43:20-21). Notice God tells us first the wild animals honor Him, because He provides for them. Then God tells why He created mankind, He says “the people I formed for myself!” God created mankind as a special creation so they would be just “for myself that they may proclaim my praise!” The animals were created for mankind, and mankind was created for God!
We can read in Genesis about when God created the animals and then mankind. Mankind was created special with an immortal soul in the image of God, and we were put in charge of all the animals, and as the caretakers of the earth. Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:26-27). Many people today cannot accept this idea of creation; therefore, they cannot understand it, because of their disbelief. They believe man’s ideas about how and why we are here on this earth, because they cannot identify with the Bible account of creation.
I recently heard a comment on a TV program, “I can’t trust what I don’t understand!” In what do you trust? Do you put man’s ideas ahead of God’s Word? Think about this question as your answer will determine your worldview. Jesus said it best, “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.” (Matthew 12:30). Are you trying to become more Christ-like every day?
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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