The Apocalypse?

I just viewed pictures from last night's tornadoes that ripped through Joplin, MO.  This picture caught my eye more than the others.  The simple word "apocalypse" came to mind.  The word itself refers to "an unveiling, or revealing" as in "The Revelation," referring to the last book of the Bible.  However, the word is often used and understood as referring to "the end of time" or to "some cataclysmic, end of the earth" scenario. 

During the last few weeks there has been quite a bit of talk about "end times," primarily stemming from Harold Campings foolish prediction that May 21 would be the day of the return of Christ.  Obviously, he was wrong.  But it has caused people to think about this important future event.  Others are discussing the unusual weather and proliferation of natural disasters (tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc.) and wonder if these are signs that the end is near.  Speculations are abundant.  But are they valid?  Consider a few things.

The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus will come again and that no one knows the day.  Any predictions that Christ will return on a certain day indicate a failure to understand what the Bible says about this important event.  Likewise, those who declare that there will be no return of Christ are foolish and ignorant of what the Bible clearly teaches.

The Bible reveals that in the last days there will be major catastrophic weather-related events.  The New Testament speaks of an increase in earthquakes, of hail storms, lightning flashes, and more.  Do the recent natural events that have impacted the world indicate that we are in the last days?  Are they are fulfillment of prophecy?  I am not ready to suggest that these are a direct fulfillment of specific prophecies.  However I do want to make a few observations.

We are living the last days.  Jesus will come again, as surely as night follows day.  The important thing is to be prepared for his coming.  I'm ready . . . are you?

Natural disasters which kill, injure and destroy are reminders that we live in a fallen, sinful world that needs to be redeemed.  And it will one day be redeemed.  This world in which we live is not Heaven.

In spite of how it must appear to many, God really does love us.  Though His love is often questioned in the wake of devastating disasters, it can clearly be seen in the voluntary death of His son on a cross outside of Jerusalem two millenniums ago.  He died as a demonstration of His great loved for us.

The Apocalypse?  Not yet.  But one day . . . maybe sooner than we think.

Bird Watching

For the  third time in five years a momma Robin has built a nest in my carport.  Like the previous momma birds in previous years this one was not happy about our invading her space.  At least that is how she looks at it.  She has no clue who really owns that space. 

For weeks each time we opened the door to leave the house she would fly away in absolute disgust at having to leave those eggs.  I few minutes after we were out of sight she would make her way back to her spot.  The next time the door opened or a car pulled into the carport off she would fly.

Then a few days ago I began to see little beaks poking above the edge of the nest.  Those three little feathery friends have only one thing to do at this stage of their young lives; open their peaks and wait.  Mom is sure to bring them food.  And she does. 

Now, I admit that this is not the most exciting entertainment that I have experienced.  However, it is sort of fun to watch this little slice of nature working its magic.  How does that Robin know how to build that nest?  How does she know to sit on those eggs day after day until they hatch?  How does she know that they need to be fed?  How does she know what to feed them?  How does she know where to get the food?  How do they know to open their beaks and point them skyward?

Mother nature?  Instinct?  Luck?  Genetics? 

Not me.  When I watch this little, insignificant drama unfold day after day I see a tiny part of an amazing creation, the product of a Master Designer overseeing the smallest details of his world.     

Rob Bell and Love Wins

Rob Bell is a pastor of a megachurch in Michigan.  His book, "Love Wins," has caused a heated debate not only in Christian circles but also in the non-Christian community.  The recent Time Magazine story about his book and beliefs has further fueled the debate.  At the heart of the debate is the question of whether or not Hell exists and whether or not Jesus is truly the only way to get to Heaven.  These are not insignificant issues.  Therefore, I want to share a thought or two.  Let me acknowledge from the start that I have not read the book.  However, I have listened to a number of interviews with Rob Bell and read a number of reviews which include quotes from the book.  Based upon those, I am extremely concerned about his views and the impact they will have.

He questions the historic, Christian understanding of Hell.
He emphasizes the love of God, while minimizing the judgment of God.
He leaves open the possibility of the salvation of all people, regardless of their faith in Christ.
He denies a belief in universalism, while his words seem to indicate just the opposite.
He believes that God's love will eventually win out, seemingly leading all people to Heaven.
He claims that universalism has always been found in some parts of main-stream Christianity.

If I understand correctly what he is saying, I believe Rob Bell is not only wrong, but his beliefs are dangerous.  Universalism demeans the the sacrifice of Jesus, misunderstands the charater of God, makes evangelism irrelevant, and condemns the souls of people through a false sense of security. 

Now, a few things to consider:

A person can pastor a megachurch and be theologically wrong.
A person can write a book and be theologically wrong.
All books sold in Christian bookstores are not equal.  Some are downright dangerous.
All Scripture is inspired by God, not just isolated verses quoted to prove a desired belief.
Some theological tensions (God's love and His judgment) do not need to be solved. 
Teaching one aspect of God's character while ignoring another is dishonest and leads to confusion.

Finally, let me encourage you to be cautious of any teaching that questions historical, mainstream, evangelical Christianity.  This is especially important when it involves the core, fundamental, truths related to salvation, the nature of God, Heaven and Hell. 

The One More Project

This past Sunday morning the HDBC family heard a report from our Small Group Vision Team.  At the heart of the report is The One More Project.  This is a project designed to help us reach one more person, one more family, one more neighborhood with the great news that God loves people and wants to bring them into His family through Jesus.  As Rick pointed out in his report, we are currently out of room.   Therefore on August 14, 2011, we will launch a new Sunday morning schedule which will instantly give us 70% more space, enabling us to reach 178 more people than we are currently reaching.  For details on the schedule please go to http://www.hdbc.org/ and click the One More Project button. 

We are in the process of finalizing the campaign that we get us from here to there.  We anticipate a 4-phase campaign.  Phase One: Spiritual Preparation.  Phase Two: Recruitment of Workers.  Phase Three: Information and Publicity.  Phase Four:  Launch.

I am so thrilled with the positive responses that I continue to get from the HDBC family.  It will require some changes, some choices and in some cases sacrifices.  But we are up to it . . . because we do it all for the sake of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 9:23).  May God richly blesses this decision to make room for One More.

It's a Small World After All

This past week I joined eleven other individuals on a road trip to the Crescent City.  We were not motivated by the historic French Quarters, though we did visit that part of the city.  Our goal was not to get a glimpse of the famous Super Dome, though we traveled by it daily.  We were not enamored by the Garden District nor drawn to the fabulous cajun cooking.  Curiosity about how well the city has rebounded after Katrina would not have been enough to lead us that far south.  So, what motivated us to travel to New Orleans?

Simply . . . the world.  We went to New Orleans to find the world, and we did.  The world is coming to the U.S. in more ways that you can imagine.  Cruise and cargo ships routinely dock in New Orleans for hours at a time.  Most of the workers on those ships are from countries other than the United States.  Global Maritime Ministries seeks to share the love of Jesus with those workers.  That is why we went to New Orleans. 

In the course of two days I met people from the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Bulgaria and a host of other nations.  These hard workers typically are away from their families for eight to ten months at a time.  Global Maritime Ministries offers a free ride to its center where they can call home, check with family members through the internet, enjoy some snacks, play pool and ping pong, or just hang our.  Bibles are available in most of their languages. 

We went to New Orleans to find the world.  We found genuine, hard-working individuals who just happened to be from other countries.  We found individuals for whom Christ died.  We found individuals who are looking for the same things that Americans are looking for.  We saw pictures of their children, listened to their stories, laughed at their jokes, and prayed for their needs.

It is indeed a small world.

Rumors, Confusion, Conflict

I've been reading through Joshua the last few weeks.  There are some great principles that are absolutely relevant to us today.  This morning I read chapter 22.  It recounts the relocation of the tribes of Reuben, Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh to the opposite side of the Jordan River from the other tribes of Israel.  Just to be clear, this was not some banishment or punishment.  This was the land they had requested and which was granted to them by Moses.  However, before possessing the land and settling down, they were required to assist their fellow tribes in the conquest of the land.  In chapter 22 that process is virtually completed.  Therefore these two and a half tribes were sent to their new homes with the blessing of Joshua.  So far so good.

Verse 10 reveals that when they arrived at the Jordan river, they decided to build a massive altar.  That's when the problems began.  Word drifted back to the other tribes, and the Bible tells us that they were immediately motivated to go to war against their brothers.  However, rather than rushing into battle they decided on a more rational approach.  They sent a delegation to ask a few questions and get a few facts.  Upon doing so they discovered that the rumor-mill had totally misrepresented the facts.  The rumor was that the altar was built as a substitute for the true altar of God and as an act of rebellion against the nation and against God.

After a few questions and a non-emotional, level-headed discussion, the truth was revealed.  It was not intended as a sign of division and separation, but actually as a sign of unity.  Their actions and more importantly the reason for their actions had been totally misunderstood.  Wow . . . the actual truth was the opposite of what had been rumored.  If you want the entire story, read Joshua 22:10-34.

Now, what is the takeaway?  Simply this . . . rumors lead to confusion which leads to misunderstanding which leads to conflict.  Never a good thing!  Level-headed, non-emotional dialogue leads to the truth, which leads to understanding which defuses conflict even before it can start.  That may be the most important point of the story.  They were motivated to fight.  They were planning to fight.  They felt justified to fight.  But then the light of truth was revealed and no blood was shed, no limbs were maimed, no grief was felt.  All because they were willing to dialogue, listen, trust and understand.

Sounds like a good plan.

Lost Keys and a Free Lunch

Late Wednesday morning Shay and I decided to have lunch together.  However, when I went back into the office to grab my keys they were not on the desk where I normally leave them.  So, I looked in the next probably location, the top draw of my desk.  No keys.  I casually checked around the office thinking I would soon spot them.  No luck.  So, I retraced my steps throughout the church that morning and still did not find them.  Then it dawned on me.  I had spent an hour of so with two couples in my office.  I thought maybe one of them had picked them up by mistake.  So, I called and asked them, but they checked and did not have them.  At that point I was becoming a little concerned.  Most keys can be easily replaced at a minimum cost, but I had two vehicle remote controls on the ring that are fairly expensive to replace. 

Finally, after searching for half and hour I gave up so Shay and I could go to lunch.  We decided on Subway.  We had planned to go early and beat the crowd, but the search for the missing keys changed those plans.  We arrived right at noon and there was a line already formed.  When we walked into the store I saw that the last person in line was a friend.  So, we chatted while going through the line, ordering our sandwiches and picking our chips.  When he got to the check out he asked what we were eating and said he wanted to buy our lunch.  After some half-hearted attempts to resist, we said ok. 

As we sat down to eat, I mentioned the fact that I was still wondering where those keys were and even shared that I had prayed about them.  Here is the content of that prayer.  "Lord, you know where those keys are, and it would please me greatly if you would let me in on it."  When I shared that with Shay, he simply smiled and said, "we got a free lunch."  What a guy.  Always looking at the situation through the eyes of God's sovereignty.  But I had to admit that he was right.  Had we not searched for the keys we would have arrived much earlier and would not have been in line behind that generous friend.  God truly is a marvelous God.  We praised Him for His goodness . . . but I still wanted to find my keys.  Within five minutes of getting back to the office I thought of a place in the building that I had gone early that morning . . . and sure enough, there were the keys. 

So, praise the Lord for lost keys that lead to free lunches.