Who Is Being Naive?

     I was channel surfing the other night when I caught an interesting story on one of the "science" channels. The show was a "documentary" explaining how planet Earth was formed. Over the course of an hour, scientists and astronomers described all the "luck" (that was their term, not mine) that transpired to form earth and the world as we know and experience it.

     It related how "lucky" we are that the sun formed, the mass we call Earth was captured in its orbit, how another massive piece of inter-stellar mass collided with what would be our Earth creating the moon, how multiple millions of years transpired with multiple millions of asteroids and comets containing water crashed into Earth, how the atmosphere  formed and how small microscopic life-forms begin to develop and eventually evolved into all that we see including humanity.

     The longer I watched, the more amazed I was that these learned academics actually believed that all that exists was a catastrophic phenomenon of chance. From where I sit, the notion that everything just happened seems more and more like fool's talk. Now, I am viewed as naive because I believe God, the Intelligent Designer, created it all. I ask you, who is being naive?

     My larger problem is that this secular and atheist mindset which attributes all we see to "luck" totally dominates our world's major universities and academic communities. How did this happen? I am reminded of Psalms which states, "The fool has said in his heart, there is no God."

     I ask you, does it really make sense to believe that nothing plus time plus chance formed the universe with all of its complexity? Yet, belief in this nonsense seems to be the union card into our modern world of academia. Sad.

The Root Cause

     A lot of tragic things have happened in recent days. Mass shootings by a radical Islamist terrorist, a Christian singer murdered, a little child killed by an alligator. Each of these events is a manifestation of evil in its most brutal form. We live in a day when so many things seem to be spiraling out of control that addressing issues, multiple issues, seems to never end. What do you think is behind all of this? The healing of America and the world will never come as long as the diagnosis for what afflicts us is vague and perpetually undefined. I suggest what many may well perceive as a foolish even simplistic hypothesis: The root cause behind these things is spiritual and demonic. Why would I say something like that?

     First, recognizing the spiritual and demonic presumes a biblical world-view as the unchanging and normative reality. It views God as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, and Satan and his minions as the rebels attempting to destroy God's handiwork. It sees people as the objects of God's love and Satan's hate. It accepts at face value Jesus' statement, "the thief (Satan) has come to steal, kill, and destroy, but I have come that you might have life and that more abundantly." It also embraces the Apostle John's pronouncement that "The Son of God has appeared that He might destroy the works of the devil."

     Second, recognizing the spiritual and demonic acknowledges their intentional activity as intelligently designed to damage, if not to destroy, the human race. This comes primarily through deception convincing people that good is evil and evil is good. It attacks on a multiplicity of fronts. Satan is an equal opportunity destroyer. If he can distort sexuality, plant greed, create addictions, cultivate pride, foster religions that are destructive to humanity, distort truth, foster racial hatred, or produce power hunger, it all works for him. The goal of his end game is to destroy people and destroy the work of God.

     So, how do we fight and defeat this demonic cancer? First, pray in opposition to what Satan is doing. Prayer is more powerful than anyone imagines. In our world, it is not that prayer has been tried and then failed, rather it has been found difficult and left untried. Let me remind you that Jesus Himself said, “Whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

     Second, in your arena of influence, stand up and be counted. Righteousness is something that must be lived out, communicated, and defended. This is true of the home, the classroom, the market place, and the corridors of power. One of the great tragedies of our time is the silence of good people in the face of evil.

     Next, I challenge you to see the powers behind the activities. Our fight is not with people, but rather demonic forces influencing people. Recall James' words, "Submit yourselves therefore unto God, resist the devil, and he will flee." So, let's keep our focus where God instructed us to place it.

     Finally, I challenge you to simply put your trust in God and His power to change the present reality. I remind you of Proverbs which says, "Trust in The Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths."

     If the root cause of the world’s tragedies is spiritual and demonic, then we would be wise to embrace John's words cited earlier, "The Son of God appeared that He might destroy the works of the devil." Let's trust Him to do what only He can accomplish.

Judge Not

     Over the past week, I have heard the phrase, "Judge not that you be not judged" leveled at Christians for not acquiescing to a pro-homosexuality agenda and lifestyle. In short, the verse-quoting was an attempt to tell Christians (who some have irrationally blamed for creating the atmosphere that led to the horrific Orlando massacre) that we should not be verbalizing disapproval of their life-style. Before we Christians swallow this confused interpretation, it would be wise to consider what Matthew 7:1-4, in context, actually says and does not say.

     Before launching into a brief Bible lesson, let me relate something I heard over twenty years ago. A prominent speaker made the observation that the upcoming generation would embrace whole-heartedly this very verse, "Judge not lest you be judged." He explained that a world-view was emerging which asserted that no absolutes existed with respect to truth. When this assertion is embraced, its corollary is that no one can or should form value judgments which are universally true. The result of embracing this perspective is relativism. Relativism declares that there are no absolutes which in its nonsensical way of thinking is the only absolute. So, whenever a person takes a Biblical stand, it should be no surprise that we have this verse brought up. Now, before someone swallows this interpretation and its corresponding mind-set, it would be wise to consider what Jesus actually said and meant in context. From my understanding, these verses are some of the most frequently quoted, yet misunderstood and abused verses in the Bible. So, what does this passage really mean?

     First, if you will read the Sermon on the Mount in total (Matthew 5-7), you will discover that it is full of judgments with respect to absolutes. Jesus made judgments and declared that some things were factual, and we need both to consider and to embrace what He said. For example, Jesus resoundingly criticizes the scribes and Pharisees in 5:20 for holding to an external "appearance" of righteousness while not living righteously. Jesus said that was unacceptable.

     Second, the imperative of the verse (7:1) "judge not" has the plural "you" as the understood subject. His point is that we are not to form our own judgments with respect to right and wrong, good and bad, wisdom and foolishness. Rather, we are to submit to our Creator, the God of this universe, to communicate those things. That is one reason why He gave us His Scriptures. The point is that our human judgments are faulty, and that whenever we make up our own rules apart from God, we are inevitably in trouble.

     Third, Jesus did point out that if we judge with a faulty judgment ("I will make up my own rules and my own standards. I do not care what either God or His Bible says."), we can expect to find ourselves under the judgment of God. In fact, He warns us that if we judge by our own standards, we can expect to be judged by those very standards. Now this context points out that He is dealing particularly with those who profess a certain standard, but in actuality refuse to live by those very standards. Jesus had no patience with hypocrisy.

    Fourth, Jesus gets to the concluding point noting that people tend to judge others while excusing themselves. Human nature tends to overlook and even justify its own faults. At the same time human nature magnifies the perceived faults of those it criticizes. Jesus concludes that we should deal with our own issues first before attempting to address the issues of others. He did not say that it was inappropriate to address the issues of others. Much less did He say there are no standards of morality.

     Everyone has a right to their opinion even if it is wrong. The attempt to silence the affirmation of a Biblical standard of morality by intimidating those who embrace it is wrong, but it works. Burke was right, "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to say nothing."

Gratitude

Seventy-two years ago today, the greatest military land invasion from the sea in history was launched in the D-Day assault of the Allies on the Axis powers on the beaches of Normandy, France. Operation Overlord saw 13 different fighting forces, with over 150,000 soldiers, assault the Nazi German military machine on that horrific day. Over 4,400 allied soldiers were killed on that fateful day as the Allies initiated the liberation of Western Europe. Planning for the assault had taken over a year, and the secrecy and deception of its planning and execution was nothing short of miraculous. The amphibious landings were ushered in by overwhelming naval and aerial bombardment and an airborne assault force of over 24,000 paratroopers. Because of the winds, much of the initial assault force was blown into the heaviest Nazi gun emplacements.

     What we need to understand is that we were dragged into a war we did not want by an enemy with intentions to conquer the world and destroy our way of life. The enemy had no regard for life and was driven by an evil philosophy which was ruthless at best and pure evil at its worst. The critical factor was that the Allies, knowing that they were fighting for the survival of Western Civilization, were committed to the conquest or death in the struggle. Passivity was not an option.

     Each generation seems to face its own challenge. After winning the Second World War, the Cold War followed fast on its heels. Korea, Vietnam, Iraq... and it continues to this day. The survival of freedom and liberty comes at a high price. Continuous vigilance is the minimal requirement. Yet our caution must be both outward and inward. If our nation cannot be destroyed by enemies militarily from without, we very much can be destroyed by the corruption of our nation's foundations within. So as we look back with gratitude to those who fought and died to preserve our way of life, may we purpose in our hearts to protect and defend the principles that established our nation. The notion that Christians need not be involved in the political process is reaping a bitter fruit in this election season. Principles which made America great have been denigrated and rejected by many. Old fashioned infidelity has grown stronger but offers nothing to replace the values it has spurned. It is way past time for believers and patriots to stand up and be counted. May those who come after us also look back with gratitude at the stands we took, and the convictions we held dear. May we be willing to sacrifice our lives for the things that matter.

What I've Been Up to Lately

     I have just completed my year-long sabbatical from blogging. Needless to say, it has been an interesting year and a rewarding season of life. For those of you who have asked, I want to catch you up on what I have been up to.

     First, I have been writing. My fifth book, Lectures From The Gates Of Hell, is due to be released next month. This book presents a fictional depiction of Satan's minions and their coordinated attempts to destroy the work of God on earth. Similar to CS Lewis' Screwtape Letters, it is told from the vantage point of the demonic , primarily at the New College for Young Demons.

     The book provides a biblical analysis of how Satan intends to destroy God's work and the human race. As you read it, do not be surprised when you say, "that has happened to me." The book is instructive and carries a sober warning of Satan's schemes aimed at the destruction of the human race. In short, Satan is an equal-opportunity tormenter and his strategic plans have been unfolding for generations. No one is secure from his attacks. I will tell you more about the book in the coming weeks. I have also had a few smaller writing projects which will be published in the coming year.

     Besides writing, I have also been preaching. By the way, if you would like to have me speak for you, I can be contacted though FaceBook or at my Liberty university email, jsutton2@liberty.edu.

     Along with writing and preaching, I have also been teaching for Liberty University's School of Divinity. My primary responsibilities have been teaching an assortment of Church History courses, but I have also taught several classes in Pastoral Leadership.

     Coupled with my writing, preaching, and teaching, I have also had the privilege of working with Dr. Elmer Towns as a curriculum consultant. It has been a real honor to work with the remaining co-founder of Liberty University.

     In addition to these things, I have been able to spend some quality time with my wife, Fern, and our kids and grandsons. I can give testimony to the truthfulness of Proverbs' observation that the glory of gray haired men is their children's children!

     I have also been diligent to maintain my health. Besides a litany of shorter races, I have run two half-marathons, Richmond and Washington DC, this past year. I am looking forward to competing in more races this year.

     That is all for now. You can expect to hear from me once or twice a week from this point forward. I would appreciate any feedback. Also, if you find my blog posts meaningful or encouraging, feel free to recommend it to others.