T.C. of an O.J.

I had an insight to what Paul calls the “mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past” a few days ago while preparing to teach on the topic. You can read an essay written by Dennis McCallum on “the mystery” here for more background on what I taught, but it is easily one of the most amazing concepts in the bible, the greatest secret ever kept, a most ingenious plan, and probably the most amazing plan and story ever.

The realization I had was something I’d always understood about the way God works through the persecution of Christians, at least in the abstract, but had one of those “see the light” moments where the dots just seemed to connect for me in a way they never really had before.

In 1 Cor. 2:7 Paul writes,

“but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory”.

God’s plan hinged on the fact that the “ruler of this age”, Satan, did not know that Christ’s goal on earth was to be crucified and die for our sins. In Satan’s ignorance, he willingly participated in leading the charge against Christ, only to realize after it was too late that as Jesus says in John 12, “the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” By crucifying Christ, Satan wasn’t defeating the messiah-king as he hoped; rather he was sealing his own destruction and assisting God’s suffering-servant in making salvation available to all men.

Satan’s huge blunder was the catalyst in a situation that at a passing glance seems to be loss for God, but turns out to be extraordinarily victorious.

But, Satan still continues to err. The evil one’s method of persecuting Christians should also always be a huge mistake, alas, some Christians give up or give in when persecution occurs. However, in a mysterious way, persecution should always be embraced by Christians and become a blunder on Satan’s part because it will always be used by God for the advancement of his kingdom. In Rome, as Christians were persecuted and were dying in the Coliseum arena, many more spectators were being converted in the stands. In communist China, underground churches grew rapidly despite severe government persecution.

Cimetière américain au nord de Verdun, Meuse, France photographed by Yann Arthus-Bertrand

While Christians in the United States won’t be threatened with their lives, we do have a unique opportunity to be persecuted in a culture that despises the Christian stance on truth and the exclusive message of forgiveness and love through Jesus Christ. Universities, the media, and even “The Simpsons” make Christians out to be idiotic and uneducated fools. The only Christians deemed worthy enough for the news are those who are raving lunatics and/or questionably Christian, ultimately discrediting the message of Christ.

The few Christians who do stand against the tidal wave of post-modern thinking and American culture are accused of being weird, going overboard, being extremists, or participating in a “cult”. Rather than back down and cower at these accusations, Christians should embrace the great opportunity naively presented by Satan. The first rule of public relations is there is no such thing a bad PR. Cries of “cult” should be viewed as a gift-wrapped opportunity to talk about what the body of Christ is and to share the good news of Jesus Christ with people who have never heard it. When this happens, Satan is defeated!

…We should never respond in anger to those who oppose us. We respond by telling the truth, sharing the gospel, and then taking what comes with grace:

“If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you…if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.”

Politics makes me so sick. I’m tired of hearing about “change” and Joe the plumber, how the opposing party’s nominee is not qualified, and who is best equipped to handle America’s current economic crisis.

The question of “Obama or McCain” is sure to spark a heated debate between family, co-workers and friends. You’re an ignorant idiot if you vote for McCain according to some, while in the opinion of others is that you’re stupid and naïve to vote for Obama.

Both candidates promise it, but no matter who is elected, what will really change? Policies and programs can be enacted, but the harsh reality remains – people’s love for one another grows colder by the day. As Americans we mistakenly believe that it is our right to be more comfortable and rich than the rest of the world. While other countries suffer under famine, basic human rights violations, civil wars, tyranny and oppression; it seems to pale in comparison to what the U.S.A. is facing after the price of gas went up and the credit crisis began.

The new president can hang a new banner across the façade of the system, but the system will continue to be a system. The cold, steel, bureaucratic underbelly is eager to chew up and grind people down. Politics is a game of appearances and deception. Across the country, people have deeper problems than job security and economic woes.

Jasper Johns, Three Flags

Biblically, nothing except God can cause real and lasting change:

So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away – look, what is new has come!

I’m not saying we should abolish the government, but as believers in Christ, what good is it involving ourselves and investing in a phony and flawed political system? Aren’t we citizens of heaven first and foremost? George W. Bush, as a believer, should know this! As Bush tries to solve the problems of America and the world, he has to be politically correct and he has no biblical base to stand on. Changes to programs of education, taxes, or economy will not solve man’s fundamental problem. Only a relationship with God will.

Jesus Christ came to lead a revolution of love that takes place in people’s hearts! We were created to live life with meaning; therefore, Christians can take part with him in this “heart” business that has eternal ramifications. Long after the United States ceases to exist, Christ’s revolution will live on forever.

What a slow news day! I saw the new Will Farrell/John C. Reilly movie “Step Brothers” over the weekend and thought it was hilarious. I can’t remember when I laughed harder in a movie theater. The movie has been getting so-so reviews, which matter bubkiss because fact is, I was entertained.

• Bob Dylan – Did you realize Bob Dylan recorded 3 Christian albums from 1979 through 1981? Slow Train Coming was his first and was introduced to me by none other than Keith. It begins with the song “Gotta Serve Somebody”, to which I say, true that, Bob Dylan.

Unsurprisingly, Dylan’s Christian recordings alienated his secular fan base to the point a casual music fan like myself never even knew they existed until I unearthed a dusty copy of Slow Train Coming a few years ago from a neglected music collection.

You have the voice of an angel. I mean, it’s like Fergie meets Jesus.

While I’m not the biggest Bob Dylan or Christian music fan, Dylan is a masterful musician who made a few meaningful and spiritual albums before dropping Christianity. I do like the gospel/blues feel of Slow Train Coming. I also like the song “Saved” off the 1980 album bearing the same name. I think I could get into Christian music every now and then, after all, I did love singing along to “I Wanna go to HEAVENNNN!” in Buffalo.

• Where Are They Now? – A few of my former schoolmates have been in the news this year, however, they have been making headlines for shocking, disappointing, and frightening circumstances. As the events and naive optimism of my youth become vintage memories, more and more I’m convinced that depravity and tragedy are inevitable outcomes in this fallen world apart from God. I hope to write more in the future, but 2008 has not been a good year for Bearcat alumni.

• 2 Year Anniversary – Yesterday marked my 2 year wedding anniversary. It’s cliché to say, but it’s hard to believe I’ve already been married for two years. The most shocking thing is, as time goes on I get to know my wife more and more. To think, we thought we were really close when we said “I do”, but today we laugh about how little we really did know about each other.

It is exciting to build a deeper relationship together, although at times it can be challenging. For me, I know the hardest part is fighting the temptation to just vegg out on the couch instead of taking full advantage of the time we have together.

While most high-school students look towards the summer as a time to relax, earn money, and get a tan, a small group of students from Stow, Ohio started their summer very differently: They paid money and sacrificed part of their own vacations to go to Buffalo (of all places) and serve others.

Through an old friend, Jim Swearingen, who is currently the acting Executive Director at the Buffalo Christian Center (BCC), the students learned of the missions trip opportunity at the summer camp currently being held at the center. The BCC is an impressive facility, complete with a huge theater, roller skating rink, swimming pool, Christian bookstore, putt-putt course, and basketball court. The impact the facility could potentially have on the city of Buffalo for Christ is enough to keep the Christians who want to use the center up at night thinking about it.

This week, the students had the opportunity to work as camp counselors at the BCC. They stayed at “The Mans” while they prepared bible teachings for the children, who ranged from kindergarten through sixth grade, and heard Jim teach on poverty and God’s call to help those less fortunate. During the camp, they helped out in the kitchen, with recreation and swimming, arts and crafts, and drama.

For some, the real spiritual experience was the pilgrimage to the birthplace of the buffalo wing

Hanging out with the kids attending the BCC’s summer camp was a blast! Although I was only able to stay in Buffalo for two days, I met many kids, like Sterling, Ahmad, and Karmella, that I’ll remember for a long time. I’ll even remember Morgan, but only because she rolled her eyes at me more times than I could count. While the kids in kindergarten through second grade were eager to play games and learn, the fourth graders had already developed “too cool for school” syndrome. I can’t help but wonder what all of these kids will grow up to be like and more importantly, will they know Christ?

The trip did start out with a bang (or a pop), as yours truly changed a tire on the side of the road in New York, but it was well worth it. As a reluctantly drove home Tuesday night leaving the group to stay until the camp’s conclusion on Thursday, I wished I could stay longer. On the trip home, my stomach was full of buffalo wings from the Anchor Bar, better known as the birthplace of buffalo wings (yes, they’re called buffalo wings because they were invented in Buffalo).

Although director Julian Schnabel took some liberties adapting Jean-Dominique Bauby’s tale to the screen, the result is still impressive and thought-provoking.

Despite maybe being a little too artisy-fartsy for some, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is a must-see French language film. It tells the story of Bauby, known as “Jean-Do” to friends, the Editor of Elle magazine that wakes up from a coma with “locked-in” syndrome. Due to a major stroke, at 43 years old, Bauby is left paralyzed and unable to speak.

All Jean-Do can do is see and think. As observers, we’re able to hear his thoughts and see almost exclusively what he sees for the first portion of the film. After the shock and horror of his situation sets in, Jean-Do pities himself. His only communication with the outside world is his ability to blink his left eye.

With the help of his determined nurse Henriette, he develops a method of communication and rediscovers his imagination. Henriette works her way through an alphabet ordered by frequency of usage and Bauby blinks when she arrives at the letter in the word he wants to spell.

Let's write a book.

To the shock of his publisher, Bauby decides to make good on a book deal arranged before his sickness. Claude, yet another beautiful woman in Bauby’s life, is sent to take the dictation.

Bauby is trapped inside his body, a prison of flesh and paralysis. This suit is an inescapable “diving bell” for Bauby. But, with his blinking eye and his mind unaffected, he is still able to imagine vivid fantasies and dreams. As Jean-Do struggles to keep from drooling out of a disfigured mouth, as viewers we also see his “butterfly” or escape - an endless stream of imagination and memories including a wild dinner at an expensive restaurant with Claude, sex on the beach with an old flame, and life as the editor of fashion magazine.

However, the film’s conclusion is abrupt and the movie is devoid of spirituality. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly was by no stretch trying to invoke comparisons to Christianity, but some parallels to Christ did exist. Jean-Do’s paralyzed state must have been something like Christ felt when he was stripped of his divine attributes in order to come to earth and die for our sins.

In order to die on the cross for our sins, Jesus left the comfort of the Trinity and came to earth.

…although [Jesus] existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

What it must have been like for Christ on earth? Talk about leaving your comfort zone - Christ went from being all-powerful and omnipresent to confinement in a fleshly prison. While on earth, Jesus had no divine attributes and instead was doing his ministry through God’s power. Although obviously not God, Bauby also faced the limiting reality of “locked-in syndrome”, reduced to a prisoner in his own body.

Bauby’s prison, his “diving bell”, symbolized his extremely limited state and approaching death. On the other hand, his butterfly, or his imagination allowed him to be reborn in a sense and live in a fulfilling way he never experienced before his illness.

In goes almost without saying that Jesus’ death and rebirth are central to our life as Christians. As we undergo spiritual growth, our natural man dies while Christ starts to shimmer through. The older we grow in Christ, the more we realize that we’re depraved sinners only capable of doing good things through Christ. Is it too much of a stretch that Bauby’s figurative death and rebirth bring to mind this passage?

So death works in us, but life in you.

The theme I liked most from The Diving Bell and the Butterfly was that the mind and the ability to choose are the most powerful things a human being “owns”. Reduced to vegetable state, Bauby could still choose to accomplish something amazing. Instead of wishing for death or making excuses based on his circumstances, he wrote his memoir – the bestselling The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

God also places extraordinary value on choice. The one thing we have sole control over, our heart, is the one thing God uses to establish a relationship with us. No one can force us to choose anything we don’t want to. We have the free will to enter into a relationship with God at any time. But, even the creator of the universe can’t make the choice for us. We have to make it for ourselves.

The movie also touches on things we take for granted. We live like we deserve things like our right eye and the ability to walk, yet sometimes we don’t appreciate them until they are gone or are sewn shut.

What did you think of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly? Do you make excuses for yourself because of circumstances or what you don’t have? Do you take what you have for granted?

Here’s a little known fact: I got involved in youth ministries with the church because I wanted to do the same thing my wife was doing (who was my girlfriend at the time). As an extremely young Christian, I was blatantly unconcerned with the actual ministry part of my being involved.

Somehow, I stayed on as a leader, though I wasn’t a good one. I stumbled and bumbled through years of junior high ministry failures, most of which were caused by my own selfishness. I didn’t prepare for teachings or spend any substantial amount of time prayerfully considering the kids God had entrusted me with. I wrongly reasoned that the way to win over the kids was to play the part of a cool older brother and this idea crashed and burned in many spectacular ways. Some of these disasters make for good stories, but the end result was tragic: my cell group outgrew the need for a chauffeur and instead turned away from God and turned to everything else the world offered.

Despite all of these horrible offenses, God used me and my half-assed, immature leadership for his glory. He also used the experience to mature me. Although there are things that I should have done differently, the boys that walked away from the Lord made their own choices.

The Bedford cell I once operated is now nothing more than a memory. The group was full of potential and possibility, but was derailed by seductive things - girls, drinking, drugs, and the pursuit of money and career. My heart does hurt for them almost daily.

As Paul puts it in 2 Corinthians, these guys were “written in my heart” and will remain there forever. It’s truly heartbreaking, especially when I meet up with them today and see the destructive choices they’re making. Yet, despite all of the miles I racked up driving across town, the countless “thwaps” I took to the nuts (I gave some out too), and years of time invested in; the endeavor was anything but a waste of time.

In spite of the best efforts of the “cooler” kids in my group, one boy did miraculously receive Christ during those old times and remains in the body to this day. That’s right, Bryan got saved!

As I talked with him years later on the McCallum’s screened-in porch, memories came rushing back into my head. I looked out on that old swingset in the backyard and could hardly believe that when I started in youth ministries the kids would actually go out and play on that thing after our teachings!

Bryan has his own cell group now and his success in the body of Christ is very exciting and fills me with tremendous joy. Although I had no clue what I was doing in Bedford all those years, God knew exactly what he was doing: now B has learned to love and care for his group of JHQ kids.

When I visit my mother at the house I grew up in, she will occasionally talk about the things I used to do when I was just a little boy. I know she is happy that I have started a life of my own with my wife, but I also know part of her is sad her kids have grown up.

I can only imagine it must be bittersweet to be a parent. Mom invested so much time and love into us, so we could grow up. The memories are great – times spent at the art museum, reading together, and singing songs. Part of me wishes I could go back too, but it’s painfully obvious that we can’t. Things change and kids don’t stay young forever.

I’m a few years away from children of my own, but I have a feeling that it might be something like this.

So, yes B it is heartbreaking to see these kids grow up and lose their innocence. It is sad because you will just the have memories of JHQ, but it is also sweet because you will make even more of them as you build the kingdom of God in Chill.

Bryan, you are doing a tremendous job loving them! I’m amazed by you and your love, compassion, and care for them. They are written on your heart. It is inevitable, that you will see some go into the world and it will be heartbreaking, but you will also see some kids that had no chance miraculously be rescued out of the world!

I thank God for you- you’re awesome, B!

So, excuse me. I have to go tell my Mom I love her.

They were just asked to explain what grace meant and now the room of teenagers was struggling to come up with an explanation. Maybe you could blame it on the impending heat wave or the fact that the adolescent brain effectively shuts down for the summer beginning in June, but the answers given were of the mark.

“What is grace?” seems like an easy enough question, especially for a group of young evangelical-minded Christians. One suggested grace might be “forgiveness”, while another offered the kind of incoherent rambling answer you’d expect to hear if the student had slipped into a daydream during world history class and had just been unexpectedly called upon by the instructor and was now trying to answer without really knowing the question. Most just tried to quietly blend into a wall or a couch, hoping they wouldn’t be asked to answer. After minutes of failing to produce an adequate response to a seemingly simple question, a more knowledgeable older Christian stepped in after the students naively challenged him to come up with a sufficient answer.

“Grace is getting something you don’t deserve from someone who doesn’t have to give it to you”, he responded, quieting his young critics. Of course this older Christian knew the answer to this elementary question. Grace is all over the bible - it is what makes Christianity different from all other religions, gives us eternal life, and makes our Christian life work! In fact there’s a nifty little acronym to remember what grace is: “God’s riches at Christ’s expense”.

Grace is the gospel message, God’s plan to save us from ourselves. As Paul puts it in Romans, “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Grace isn’t about what we’re doing or did, rather it’s about the fact that we can’t do it and need God to do it for us. As the book of Ephesians famously says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

On this level, it is easy to explain grace. But, grace is still hard to understand. As humans, we’re programmed with pride and the feeling like we deserve certain things. Surely, if I was in God’s position, there’s no chance I’d send my son to die for a bunch of ungrateful, obnoxious creeps who are just going to spit on and mock his sacrifice anyway.

When I received a large, flat-screen television from my parents this past Christmas, I struggled with the gift. There was no denying I wanted what was in that huge cardboard box, but there was no way I could have afforded to purchase it myself. Worse, there was no way I could possibly repay my parents back with a few measly “thank you’s” and the much less-expensive gifts I would soon be embarrassed to give them. It was a humbling experience, much like God’s free gift of grace. There’s no way we can afford to purchase ourselves out of death, yet Christ comes along and pays the price for us. When we accept it, it with the knowledge that there’s no chance we’ll ever repay him.

There's always a catch, right? Illustration titled Lucky Find by Graham Roumieu

Some refuse to accept God’s grace because it feels so humiliating to admit inadequacy. Others spend the rest of their lives feeling obligated to try to reimburse God for his free gift, a notion that makes no sense, but happens anyway. After all, if it’s free, there’s no cost, right? Maybe we’re just used to our culture where “there’s no such thing as a free lunch” and there’s always a catch. It’s absolutely puzzling – along comes God and offers eternal life with no strings attached, yet most humans flat out refuse his offer! Why?

Grace is hard to handle for most; even the Christian “saved by grace” faces the seemingly constant temptation to live the Christian walk based on his or her own righteousness, not on God’s grace. In this vein, Paul rebukes the church in Galatians asking, “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” We read that spiritual growth is by God’s grace, just like salvation was.

Phillip Yancey wrote a good book called “What’s So Amazing About Grace?” In it, Yancey struggles to explain grace, instead relying on examples of what grace looks like in action. When I read, I felt completely inadequate to practice grace in my life. More often I operate like a bank’s general ledger: keeping track of the wrongs and rights I perceive people doing to me, and then writing out my own actions in payment to the corresponding person accordingly. So, in a lot of ways, I’m in the same “confused about grace” boat as the perplexed teenagers I was sitting in the room with.

Grace is a radical idea straight from God. Based on grace, we are able to walk directly into the throne room of God himself confidentially. As the writer of Hebrews, who I again surmise to be Paul, says:

Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water…

Due to Jesus’ sacrifice and his blood we are able to have direct access to God, which happens “through the veil, that is, His flesh”. As Christians, we’re baptized into Christ, and God sees us exactly as he sees Christ. We enter the throne room of God clothed in Jesus, essentially as Jesus. On one level, grace is so simple - without it we can’t have salvation, sanctification, or glorification. All three of these are the result of letting God work in our lives, not our own works. Why does God want to take us to eventual perfection? Why does he save us from death and give us a lasting purpose? The answer is he loves us, but why does he love us so much? It is hard to fathom. One thing is for sure: without grace, we’d never even get close to God’s throne, with it we can approach it with confidence.

Although their wedding day was filled with much drama and more than a few headaches, most in attendance didn’t realize it (that’s the work of an excellent wedding planner and many hard-working friends). More importantly, Eric and Andie were married and their wedding was a fantastic celebration of marriage and the Body of Christ.

I hope I’m not invading the privacy of the happy couple, but I was in the wedding and did want to write about it.

Every time I attend a wedding that takes place in the Body of Christ, I’m struck by it. They’re really fun! As I talked to Chloe, I high-school student attending her first Body wedding, she too was overwhelmed by how much fun these things could be!

People are dancing and celebrating and the guest list is full of people you know really well. It’s a big party for two people, in this case Eric and Andie, who’ve chosen to make a life together with dependence on God. I think this is why ultimately these kinds of weddings are so fun – everyone knows the marriage is going to be a success!

Leading up to the wedding, things were tense. As Melanie called to see were the late-arriving car of groomsmen was in relation to the hall, I played a mean joke at the most inappropriate time. “Where are you guys?” she asked, the weight of pulling off a wedding in the face of a reception hall that had made many errors resting on her shoulders. “We’re just about to leave Eric’s house”, I replied with a fib casually. Melanie and I both knew Eric’s house was almost an hour away from the hall, which we were supposed to have arrived at minutes ago. As soon as I had said it, I could sense Melanie about to have a heart attack despite prolonged silence coming from her end of the phone. It was a horrible trick to play and even though I quickly came clean and admitted we were minutes away, I imagined Melanie wanted to reach through the phone and strangle me, a feeling which later she positively confirmed.

The groom was nervous too. While everyone else could walk unencumbered around the hall and grounds, Eric was confined to a bench at the far end of the hall. If he moved, 20 screaming women would no doubt shriek and claw his eyes in order to preserve the tradition and ensure he would not see his bride before she walked down the aisle towards him.

So, we arrived at 1:30pm and took pictures for 20 minutes. Then Eric sat on a bench in his tuxedo until 5pm, all the while getting more nervous by the minute.

I have to admit, all this nervous waiting was making me nervous too! I would say it later in my best-man toast, but I was more nervous for this wedding than I was for my own. We knew Eric was making the right decision in marrying Andie, but that didn’t stop me from extending my obligatory “There’s still time to get out of here – just say the word and we’ll drive to Mexico” offer I give to all the grooms that select me as best-man. It’s just something a good best-man has to do. To Eric’s credit, he elected to proceed with the wedding, a righteous and godly choice.

Never gonna give you up! Photo (C) Neil Brooks 330-592-0924

The wedding was a blur: Grandmothers and mothers were escorted to their seats, bridesmaids paraded in. Andie made a beautiful bride – she looked like a glamorous 1920’s movie star! Eric tried like a champion to hold in a trickle of snot from a runny nose, but it elicited giggles from Andie and the bridesmaids who witnessed him trying in vain. Dr. Hughes performed the ceremony like an old pro, mixing in the right amount a humor and heartfelt direction for the new couple on top of a clear gospel message of love. The newlywed Mr. and Mrs. Schoofs looked like a photo spread right out of wedding magazine or that ridiculously good looking couple posing for the photo that comes with the photo frame.

Amy and I gave our toasts and although we were both nervous, I have to say those are some of the best toasts I have ever heard (although I’m biased!). Amy’s was hilarious – I mean “Beefcake Schoofs” are you kidding me? Afterwards, we both would have numerous people telling us how great those speeches were, although we didn’t get “rickrolled” which was awesome.

When it came time for the dancing, everyone was ready to boogie down. The DJ played all the hits and everyone was out on the floor moving, grooving, and singing along. I was hoping the party would last all night because everyone was having so much fun. But Eric and Andie needed to get out of there and get on with their lives (and get it on) – together!

More “closet cleaning”…

In the movie Mean Girls, a backstabbing, cut throat clique of glamorous teenage girls ruthlessly run their high school’s popularity contest. Regina George, the “Queen Bee” controls the other Plastics using manipulation and intimidation. When her status is challenged by Cady Heron, played by Lindsay Lohan, both girls go after each other as only adolescent girls can: disgustingly nice to each other’s faces, yet diabolically evil and merciless behind each other’s backs.

It’s a hilarious and seemingly a little over-exaggerated, but if you’ve had to live through high-school you know it can actually be like Mean Girls. In the halls and classrooms, there’s an endless competition going on to be accepted and loved by others. Most will either stop at nothing to achieve acceptance or submit to the realization they’ll never have it. One day you’ve got a best friend and the next you have a worst enemy, inevitably someone you’ve found out is gossiping about you behind your back.

Xenos' Mean Girls

But things get better after high school, right? In some ways they do, boys and girls become men and women. They dress more grown-up, becoming refined in the stealthy art of co-worker bashing, all-around gossiping, and general making their way to the top of the heap. There are some that naively believe the popularity competition stopped in high school, but in reality the power struggle is greater in the office and the suburbs than it ever was. If you can make the company money, you will advance. The rules of the game may have changed a little, but the most adept quickly adapt to stay on the top.

Graduating to the Office

In workplaces across America, there also exist countless groups of Plastics who seek to control the way things happen and decisions are made. Disappointingly, they aren’t nearly as attractive as Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams. Instead, their bloated and weathered exteriors more accurately match their filthy insides, yet their game is the same. They have the management’s ear while they play a game of appearances, acting naive, polite, and kind on the surface, but gossiping and backstabbing behind the scenes to orchestrate events to their liking. The corporate culture is a game of appearances, politics, and popularity. If you listen closely, you can hear the whispers. Things haven’t changed at all since high school.

People believe that as they grow older, they mature and leave behind the pettiness of their childhood. Yet, a quick glance around the workplace and the household shows the contrary. People are still playing games, putting on facades, and stabbing friends in the back to get what they want. Relationships still fall apart at an alarming rate, and where they still do exist, they’re held together loosely by circumstances like a job or a crumbling marriage.

Change

How then does real change happen? The daytime self-helpers teach us that we’ve got to do what’s best for ourselves. The TV judges and talk show hosts decree that only we have the power to make positive changes in our life. The message of the culture is clear: If we want to be better people all we have to do is wish it and it will magically happen.

Yet, the bible presents a viewpoint that is in stark contrast with the Dr. Phil’s and Oprah’s of the world.

According to the bible, people can’t just be good. In fact, at their very core, from a biblical perspective, humans are rotten- incapable because of our very nature of doing anything good. This view is as politically incorrect and offensive as it comes and it shocks the naive optimist in most of us that likes to believe “we’re pretty good”.

Forgotten Depravity

Even as Christians, how soon after receiving God’s grace do we start to forget how undeserving we were of it originally? Recently, I was arguing with someone about the Prom of all things. The topic of conversation was really trivial; the point was I had painted a picture of myself that was far off from how things really were back in my high school days. Even then, I liked to fancy myself as a decent guy and a great catch for the ladies, but the ugly truth was that I was no better than any other guy at the Prom that night: I was essentially a predator with selfish motives, albeit more devious and refined in method.

Even now, years removed from the prom experience, I tend to view myself in a highly esteemed regard compared to those around me. It’s an utterly selfish and narcissistic view from inside my head that I actually could think anything I’ve done in the years between makes me any better than I was back then. In fact, when I’m truly honest with myself, I see infinitely more cracks and blemishes today then I saw back then as a non-Christian.

If we’re involved in ministry, there’s a temptation to start complaining about the younger Christians we’re overseeing. They aren’t changing, they’re constantly sinning, and they haven’t lived up to expectations yet again. There’s no doubt these characters have problems, but for all of their short-comings, the wrong way to approach them calling for change is from atop our high horse. They despise the spittle that rains down from our nagging lectures, so they tune them out.

The sobering truth is, “the heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick”. This passage from scripture refers to all human’s hearts: yours, mine, and everyone’s. Here’s another: “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. So, just because we’re ’saved’ and have been a Christian longer than someone else, doesn’t mean we have any grounds to get self-righteous and feel we’re better, mightier, or somehow more acceptable in God’s eyes. Maybe we have God’s grace, but it is through no doing of our own.

Superstars

The apostle Paul always had this in the forefront of his mind, which helped him remain humble during ministry. Just as thankfulness was the key to Paul’s contentment, humility was behind his ability to successfully reach people for God. As Paul explains in Ephesians:

you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you…to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,

of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.

To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ…

How often do we feel like “the very least of all saints” as Paul called himself? Maybe there’s times we feel down or guilty for making a mistake, but more often than not it is easy, especially if we’re older as Christians, to view ourselves self-righteously. A wise Christian leader once said emphatically that “There’s no superstars in the body of Christ”! At the time, his statement felt more powerful than a blow to the gut because I loved to think of myself as many notches above most of my Christian contemporaries.

Paul was a prime example of “no superstars”, because of anyone deserved to be treated like the “LeBron James” of Christendom, it was him. However, Paul was more than happy to slog away in jail for years, work as a tentmaker, and deal almost incessantly with Christians who probably “didn’t seem to get it”. It would have been easy for him to complain or hold out for a more glamorous detail, but he didn’t. Instead, his encounter on the road to Damascus with Christ was burned into his memory. Paul deserved to die, he knew it, and he never forgot it. Anything other than death had to be attributed solely to God’s grace.

Read how Paul states this in 1 Timothy:

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor, Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.

The problem is that we’d like to distance ourselves from Paul. We weren’t dramatically blinded by God, so it’s easier for us to forget that we too were headed straight for death before God saved us. We’ve learned a few things from God and studied the bible a little, so all of the sudden we start walking the halls like the popular girls.

The people we are working with in Christian ministry need discipline, direction, rebuke, and correction. But before we mount our steeds to administer it, keep in mind we struggled through similar problems too. Most of all, remember that we’re only here because God allowed us to be.

Here’s something that always baffled me: even the most mediocre, painful to watch, disgustingly bad movies have that requisite “this is an amazing movie” quote plastered on their DVD case. It seems as though movie studios can dig up a, or if you remember this story from a few years back fabricate a fake, critic who’s more than willing to gush praises all over their not-so great films. Just once I’d like to pick up a movie and see “Wesley Snipes, Martin Short and Sandra Bullock are atrocious…so bad it’s good!” and “watching Mickey Rourke try to act will give you a dull headache…by the time ‘Bullet’ is over you’ll be reaching for the Advil” or “at least you waited for the DVD release and saved a few bucks…Ben Affleck goes through the motions and is forgettable.”

If someone recommends this movie to you, they hate you.

Because I Said So had “lots of heart and plenty of laughs” if by lots of heart and laughs you mean that you wanted to beat Diane Keaton and then yourself over the head with a lead pipe upon seeing the movie.

So often we scan the DVD cases looking for a movie that will interest us, but can we really expect an honest appraisal from the very people who want us to buy what they’re selling? Films routinely promise us mind-boggling entertainment and excitement, citing phrases like “action-packed thrill ride” or “the most memorial film you’ll see this year” but more often than not fail to deliver.

Bold Claims

Another bold claim maker, Jesus Christ, was acutely aware of the inherent skepticism he’d raise. In John 5 he reasons, “If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true.” In that ancient day, a Jewish court wouldn’t even bother calling the defendant to the stand. The reasoning: of course the charged would claim innocence, so why even bother?

However, Jesus did make huge claims, which if true, would profoundly affect the entire human race. Christ said things like “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” Jesus claimed God had given him the authority and responsibility of guarding the pathway to heaven and according to Christ our entrance into eternity is based solely on our relationship with him. Christ “also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God,” a claim that infuriated the religious leaders of the day and quickly lead to his death.

The statements Christ made are serious and therefore need significant validation for us to consider them. Thankfully, God anticipated this dilemma. He gives us 4 distinct witnesses to the fact the Christ is who he says he is:

John the Baptist is the first witness Jesus calls to the stand on his behalf.

“There is another who testifies of Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is true…John…has testified to the truth. But the testimony which I receive is not from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved.”

Jesus cites John the Baptist because his “street cred” was extremely high with the people of that day. Most thought of John as highly religious and some even concluded he might be the messiah. However, John deflected these speculations and instead pointed to Christ as the fulfillment of the messianic prophecies and the symbols of substitutionary sacrifice, saying, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

The next witness Christ cites are the miracles he has performed.

“But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish–the very works that I do–testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me.”

Jesus is, of course, referring to the amazing supernatural wonders he executed in order to show he did have the kind of power he was claiming. Jesus often performed these in public so all could see the power of God working through him. At the time, there would have been many witnesses to these wonders; men like the paraplegic he healed would be walking around telling everyone he encountered about the person who had made it so he could walk again.

Yet, Christ doesn’t stop there. He’s also been validated by the Father.

“And the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form. You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent.”

Here Jesus refers to the witness given to Christians when they receive Christ and become believers indwelt by the Holy Spirit. In Romans we read, “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God…”

This is a significant and power witness and it is more powerful than any external sources Jesus could cite. As Christians, the Holy Spirit, God himself is inside of us, powerfully validating that Jesus’ claims were true.

However, this witness only operates fully after a person receives Christ. A true skeptic would need more evidence than this.

That’s when Jesus pulls out the big guns…

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me”

Its obvious Jesus wanted us all to listen up regarding this final witness, as his statement feels pretty abrasive.

He’s referring to the Old Testament scriptures, a source all of the day knew well and trusted. Any good Jew could recite miles and piles of scripture; meanwhile, God had been orchestrating a paper trail that big to authenticate his coming messiah. Jesus points to these ancient scriptures, almost sarcastically asking, “It’s me- don’t you realize who I am?”

Amazingly, this authentication of Christ is as convincing and powerful as it was back then.

In Isaiah 42:9 God says, “Behold, the former things have come to pass, Now I declare new things; Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”

God is omniscient, all knowing, and has the ability to look at time like a news reporter hovering over a massive interstate traffic jam in a helicopter. God can see the future clearly and he uses this to separate himself from other would-be idols, gods, and deities while at the same time authenticating his son, the messiah.

In Isaiah 44, God puts the challenge on the table:

“Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me. ‘Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it; Yes, let him recount it to Me in order, From the time that I established the ancient nation. And let them declare to them the things that are coming And the events that are going to take place. ‘Do not tremble and do not be afraid; Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses Is there any God besides Me, Or is there any other Rock? I know of none.’”

To predict and declare the future is the unique ability of our creator God. No one else has this dramatic ability because it requires an infinite being to accomplish. God is such a being, saying, “If you’re God, let’s see you do this! How come your God can’t predict the future like I can? That’s right, only I can do this and only I am God!”

In Luke 24, Jesus gives his disciples a thorough bible study: “Now He said to them, ‘These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures…”

And we complain when the sermon gets close to an hour long? This must have been a long, intense bible study!

“and He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.’”

Jesus took them through the entire Old Testament to show them passage after passage of predictive prophecy that referred to his life. There was no way Jesus could fake all these prophecies. Some scholars estimate there are over 300 distinct messianic predictions in the bible foretelling every aspect of his life and death hundreds of years before his appearance on earth. No one has control over things like where they will be born and how people will react to them.

Scriptures like Isaiah 53 eerily and accurately predict specific details of Christ’s life and demise, down to the fact that “He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities…by His scourging we are healed.”

Two types of pre-authentication are built into the bible regarding Christ:

The type John the Baptist referred to, which were the Old Testament symbols the people practiced in ritual. Ancient people often didn’t have the ability to read, however they could discern the significance of an animal sacrifice. The priest would place his hands on the scapegoat’s head and symbolically transfer the sins of the people to that animal. The symbols acted out as drama in front of the people later pointed to the same person who John pointed to: Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.

The second type of pre-authentication employed by the bible is direct predictive declaration from God.

As we’ve seen, in effect God says, “You know this is me because I’m telling you what’s going to happen before it happens.”

For a Christian plagued with doubt or a skeptic filled with cynicism, direct predictive declaration is very compelling.

One of the most mind-blowing prophecies is found in Daniel 9 concerning the coming of the messiah. God not only says that Jesus Christ will come, he tells us exactly when.

Daniel 9’s Messianic Prophecy

Imprisoned for 70 years in Babylon, Daniel starts praying to God for Israel’s release. According to Daniel’s calculations, it’s getting to be close to the time that God promised he and his people could finally get out of captivity.

An angel visits Daniel in 9:24-25, telling him,

“Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress.”

In the context of Daniel 9, the “weeks” the angel refers to in the prophecy are actually years, or more specifically “sevens” or Sabbath years. The prophecy seems complicated, but it’s actually easy to calculate. The time from the decree to rebuild Israel to the coming to the Messiah is, according to angel Gabriel, 7 sevens and 62 sevens until the Messiah’s coming. So, (7×7) + (7×62) = 483 years.

However, in Daniel’s time they used lunar years, which consisted of 360 days per year. We use a slightly different measure, the Solar year, which are comprised of 365.2425 days, or less nerdly - 365 ¼ days. When we convert, 483 lunar years comes to 476 solar years.

So, 476 years from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah comes. Now, when was that decree exactly?

In Nehemiah 2:1-8, Nehemiah is employed as the King’s cupbearer or wine-taster, a job that’s easy and painless most of the time, but dangerous and necessary because of the possibly a dissenter might try to poison the King. It was Nehemiah’s job to get poisoned first if the wine was poisoned, thus saving the King.

One day, wrapped up in Israel’s plight, Nehemiah looked especially downtrodden. Of course, the King was highly sensitive whenever the person responsible for protecting him from wine-poisoning was looking a little under-the-weather. Therefore, King Artaxerxes asked Nehemiah, “Why is your face sad?”

Nehemiah explained why he was so sad and because God was with him, the Emperor of the biggest Empire in the world at that time granted him his wish that Jerusalem be rebuilt.

This is useful because we know through biblical and extra-biblical sources exactly when King Artaxerxes’ reign began, 465 B.C. We can add 20 years to this in order to find the date when the decree was issued because verse 2:1 tells us all this “came about in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes”. The Ancient peoples dated their calendar from the fall, so because the reign began in spring, the decree was issued in the year 444 B.C.

As we previously determined, 476 years later would take us from 444 B.C. to 32 A.D. But wait, because there’s no “year zero” on a timeline, we add one year to date the prediction’s result to be 33 A.D.

This is an astonishing prediction and validation of God’s Messiah, as it corresponds with exactly when Jesus announced himself as the Messiah. Again, remember the Daniel 9 prediction was given over 530 years before its fulfillment, so it pre-dates Christ. It would have been impossible for either Jesus or his followers to fake its fulfillment, especially because they did not keep a precise calendar in that day.

Are there any other possible explanations to brush away the significance of this prophecy? I’ve presented only a quick and dirty run-down of it here. If you’re still skeptical, why don’t you take up God’s challenge and delve further into the details of Daniel 9, or more importantly, ask God in your own heart if he’s really who he says he is.

God’s Challenge

God is waiting to respond to you if you’re seeking him earnestly and he’ll verify himself to you personally if you check him out.

Later in the book of John, “Jesus answered them and said, ‘My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself’”.

When you have an encounter with the real God, the one who is able to foretell and predict the future and who created you, God himself witnesses to you regarding Christ’s authenticity.

Today, there is no doubt in my mind that Christ is real because I’ve experienced him personally, just like there’s no doubt in my mind that my wife is real. I sit and talk with my wife in the same way that I’m able to have a personal relationship with God because of his Messiah, whom he pre-authenticated and then sent to die for our sins to make that relationship possible.

Healthy skepticism is fine and in fact, God anticipated it and built evidence and validation right into the bible. As Christians, our faith isn’t blind, rather based in part on real, substantiated evidence.

Just as you could only determine whether or not a movie is excellent or a flop by actually watching it yourself, you must make a determination for yourself regarding God. With eternity at stake, why would you leave it up to some other critic’s opinion? While movie tastes vary from person to person, Jesus’ claims are absolute and encompass the entire human race.

If you’re skeptical why don’t you take your search to God? Do you want to know him in a personal way? After all, Jesus makes outrageous claims that if true, will impact us for better or worse, regardless of whether or not we ever believe them. Due to the evidence God provides, these claims are plausible enough that should at least investigate them further!

Adopted from a teaching by Dennis McCallum.