Some Reassembly Required

Are Ya Feelin’ Lucky?

July 7, 2007 is coming. For those who pay attention to numbers that represents a string of good luck. 7-7-7 or 7-7-07, it makes no difference how you write it, that sequence makes gamblers feel lucky. The number seven indicates a form of completion for believers. Three sevens, makes it triply so.

I wish all of those who “feel lucky” a great time. I hope they win their 20:1 bet. In every way possible I would will good fortune on their every dream. And then on 7-8-07 I would ask the question, “What now?”

There’s no harm in having fun with numbers. We’ve got to do something crazy, something spontaneous at odd times, just to feel alive - just to take the edge off of the seriousness of life. And in addition to spontaneous fun we’ve got to figure out how to live every day to its full potential. Why limit ourselves to lucky days or auspicious events? If there were a way to make every day like 7-7-07, wouldn’t it be worth checking it out?

Jesus taught his followers that this is exactly the case. No matter what happens in life, we win.

I can already hear the voices of the skeptics, “But what about . . ,” and they fill in the blank. Aids. Disease. Famine. Wars. Divorce. Child abuse. “If there were really a God then he wouldn’t let all these things happen.”

We make a grave mistake when we assume the truth about a situation from in the midst of our circumstances. Things always look dark in the middle of a storm. There is a way to see the truth about what is really going on in the world, and it is not with our eyes.

Thirteen men were in a boat out on the Sea of Galilee. A huge storm came up in the middle of the night and the boat was in danger of sinking. Twelve men feared for their lives and called out in terror to the thirteenth Man who was sleeping peacefully. The question must be asked, “Do the twelve men really understand the danger and the truth about what is going on?” The facts revealed so far would support the lethal fears of the twelve. But the Truth about the situation was asleep under the tarp. When He awoke, He stood and held His hand up in protest to the elements and they backed down. The storm stopped at Jesus’ command. So, what was the truth about their situation?

A widowed woman wept as she walked behind the funeral stretcher of her only son. With the loss of her husband, things looked bad. Now with the death of her son, her prospects for the future were dim indeed. Her every emotion searched for meaning in the midst of the catastrophic loss. What do you suppose she perceived about the truth of her situation? At that very moment, Truth was walking toward the gate of the city as her funeral procession was approaching from the opposite direction. They met, and Jesus placed His hand on the stretcher. The people stopped. Jesus took in the circumstances and searched the eyes of the distressed mother. He turned to the dead man and gave a command. The dead man sat up, and the tears of sadness streaming from his mother’s eyes changed to tears of laughter and joy.

Do you want to know why every day can be like 7-7-07 if you see the world as it really is?

Here are a few references from the Bible that can help you start your search for understanding in the midst of any circumstances you may encounter, and they clearly indicate that no matter what seems to happen before your eyes, you can never, ever really lose at anything when you truly know what is going on.

Never fear death.

“I tell you for certain that everyone who hears my message and has faith in the one who sent me has eternal life and will never be condemned. They have already gone from death to life.” John 5:24

A caution and a promise that lets us know how important it is to love each other.

“Our love for each other proves that we have gone from death to life. But if you don’t love each other, you are still under the power of death.” 1 John 3:14

No matter what happens to us things will always turn out good in the end.

“We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him.” Romans 8:28

You need never fear loneliness again.

“And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20

So, after the fun of July 7^th, we have something truly engaging to do on July 8^th.

Posted by Randy Knapp at 8:45 AM | Permalink | Comments  

The Price Of Justice

With the acquittal of the Duke Lacrosse players, the disbarment of district attorney Mike Nifong, and the jailing of Paris Hilton, we have been privileged to see yet another clear and convincing demonstration of the reality that in the United States we have the best justice system money can buy. It isn’t relevant whether they were guilty or innocent, deserved jail or did not, the reality is the same. Without a great deal of money and power put into play, the outcomes, without question, would have been different.

Mike Nifong was an out-of-control political predator. He chose to prey on some rich young men who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. If the men had been poor, they would have been serving big jail time right now. Nifong would be hailed as a great protector of the people, and innocent men would be paying a heavy personal price for his success.

Paris Hilton did some stupid things, but do you think for an instant that jail will rehabilitate her? Does she need to be punished to be an example that justice reigns for everyone, no matter whether rich or poor? We’ve already seen that the sheriff’s office showed undue lenience and the judge issued an especially hard sentence for her crime. All this was an attempt to show impartiality, but it accomplished just the opposite. Even in jail, it is clear that because of her celebrity, she was treated differently.

Is it possible for us to ever regain any confidence in our justice system? I seriously doubt it. Major reformation is necessary and the good old boys who run it are loathe to make any changes unless they benefit financially. You might get the idea that I’m a hopeless cynic, and you’d be right.

I’m tempted to say that if I had the power I would make Mr. Nifong walk around the Duke campus wearing a sandwich board with his condemnation clearly communicated for onlookers to see. For his gross misuse of power, he should be humiliated ten times more than the young men whom he tormented. But then, something in the back of my mind protests that if I had committed such a grievous injustice, I wouldn’t want that kind of public humiliation. Even if I were guilty of the crime, I would plead for mercy and hope to get it.

In contrast to our justice system, God’s justice seems, on the surface, to be unfairly condemning. If we sin we deserve to die. It’s that simple. There is a law. If we break it, then the only penalty is death.

It seems especially unjust because God himself is the prosecutor. How could you or I ever argue successfully against God?

The really cool thing, though, is that God is our public defender as well. On the surface, this is a bit messed up, but if you or I are the criminal on trial, it’s really good news. Before the trial even begins we get a choice: take what comes or let Jesus take the punishment for our crime. If we take Jesus’ offer, the trial is over and our criminal record shows no arrests or convictions. We do no time for our crime.

Since God is both the prosecutor, judge, and the public defender, we need have no fear of anything less than complete impartiality. It doesn’t matter whether we are rich or poor, whether we are young or old, powerful or weak. We all get treated the same.

The sentence for every crime that has been or ever will be committed has already been paid. Acquittal is offered freely for anyone who will accept it. We’ve got to want it, though. It means giving up our pride. It means trusting God with our lives. It means that we need to take the time to understand why Jesus makes the offer and then live our lives in line with our new understanding.

Will we always get justice while we live on this earth? Probably not. But we need have no fear, because we won’t get justice in heaven either. The kinds of things we have done are not deserving of everlasting life, with no more pain, no more sorrow, no more death. We may not deserve it, but every one of us can have it. For free. All we have to do is accept it. Jesus offers it freely to all who come to Him.

Now, that’s the best justice system I've heard of, and everyone in the world can easily afford it.

Posted by Randy Knapp at 11:17 PM | Permalink | Comments  

Spirituality Challenges The Scientific Method

A few days ago I published this video on Youtube. I received two skeptical responses. Because I believe that skeptics have a valid place in any discussion I have chosen to reply in length on this blog. The limit of 500 characters on Youtube would not provide space for an adequate response. I have included their comments and my reply follows.

Skeptics Reply to my video

Reply to Skeptics

I appreciate your skepticism concerning my video presentation on Youtube. I once was a skeptic as well.

As I completed my undergraduate degree in marine biology and moved into graduate work in paleontology and palynology I became convinced that everything I needed to know on earth could be explained by scientific discipline and the scientific method. It was absolutely amazing what we could explain about the most seemingly insignificant objects. I could dissolve rocks and extract the fossil pollen grains. From the distribution of species I could discern the entire depositional history, the paleoclimate, and the geologic age of the specimen. The growth of knowledge was intoxicating.

As an aside, I read widely in theoretical physics and observed, from a distance, the search for the unification theory that would bring the understanding of the strong and weak forces together under one set of laws. I observed that the limits of our physical laws could not reach back to the big bang itself. It could only explain events shortly after the singularity event. In order to understand the singularity itself the math had to reach into higher dimensions.

We exist in four dimensions. The unification theories must reach into the sixth or the tenth dimension in order to explain our physical laws under one unifying theory. The energy to explore those dimensions would require the combined concentrated output of many suns. Our particle accelerators can’t even get close. In order to get a peek into those dimensions we would have to figuratively search at right angles to reality.

We can speculate what might be up there, but science cannot test it at this time.

I was raised in a Christian home and at that time I began to remember that there were stories about things that may have happened up in those higher dimensions - the realm where God exists, if he exists at all. Many events described in the Bible cannot be explained under the limits of our physical laws. If they actually happened, then they could be seen as glimpses or momentary peeks into the power available in those higher dimensions that house the unification theory for physics.

So here’s the problem. How could I ever have confidence that the stories were true? They were certainly written by a prescientific people, so what they wrote has to be viewed through the filter of our modern understanding.

I won’t bore you with the details, but fifteen years of studying and reading the opinions of scholarly authors on the authenticity of the Bible has convinced me that the Biblical authors are reliable. What they wrote has validity.

When I finally understood that the realm of the spirit is as real as the concrete foundations that hold up sky scrapers, I began to build my understanding about the reality of God.

Through personal experience, many years of study, and everything I have learned about the use of the scientific method, I am certain of the presence of God in the lives of those who seek him. He does not force his way into anyone’s life, and he allows absolute freedom to everyone. If you want to be a Hitler, he won’t stop you. But if you want to be like Mother Teresa and you seek his help, he will aid you.

The search for the unification theory in physics started my search for higher meaning. The scientists who began the search understood that there must be something higher. The theories and laws that describe our natural world are like wooden carved statues. They are beautiful, but Michelangelo carved his masterpieces out of Carrere marble. The laws that will unite the forces of physics under one theory will be like a marble masterpiece. Wooden statues simply won’t suffice. The laws that describe the pinnacle of human morality are a masterpiece in marble as well. They were communicated to us by Jesus Christ and His apostles and they came from somewhere above our realm.

We are given glimpses into that realm in order to provide enough evidence to prove the reality of God to our own satisfaction. We have the opportunity to test that reality. If we are willing, God will meet us in the process. If we are unwilling to try, God offers us a hands-off existence while we live on this earth and then to the best understanding of our scientific disciplines we say, “That’s all folks.” If we take God up on his offer to reveal himself to us, he offers us an eternity to figure it all out.

Good luck in your search.

Randy

Posted by Randy Knapp at 7:37 AM | Permalink | Comments  

The most telling word in the American appetite is “more.” The supposition is that when we have “it” we’ll finally find happiness. When we gain “it” we’ll have arrived. When we find “it” we’ll attain the peace and relaxation for which we’ve been so long looking. The problem is that there is never enough of “it” to be had. We always want “more.”

People faithfully save money all their working lives in order to have more of it when they retire. Now they’ll have more time to spend with their kids and they’ll have more to share with them and more opportunities to relax while they do it. The challenge arises when the faithful saver remembers how hard he worked in order to accumulate more and parting with some becomes more difficult.

Self worth is often tied to that word.

I’m not the man I hoped I’d be by this time in my life. I had hoped that by now I’d have done more.

If my ex wife and I had found a way to love each other more, we’d still be together.

If I had more faith, I’d understand more of what is going on in this world.

If I had found more time to spend with my kids, they wouldn’t be so mixed up now.

From the poorest street bum to the richest man on earth, the deepest craving is for more. The street bum says that $50 a day would take care of him for the rest of his life. The working man dreams longingly of the day his salary reaches $50 per hour. Upward aspiring professionals regard $50 in ten minutes as a worthy goal. The richest people among us hold to the dream that $50 per second isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

If most aspirants are questioned when the goal is finally eclipsed they will reluctantly admit that, deep down, they had hoped for more.

This cancerous word condemns an individual to a life that will never be good enough. Disappointment lurks around the corner of each accomplishment. The unending pursuit of “more” is a terminal disease.

The whole point of the Bible is to teach people to rest from the stress of life. Learn to truly trust God. He said that He would take care of you, and He will.

It’s not what our eyes see and our senses reveal that really matters. The only elements of life that will transcend this one are spiritual, our bodies will remain on this earth after we die, just like everything else we possess.

Several passages in the Bible help to make this point.

Don’t fall in love with money. Be satisfied with what you have. The Lord has promised that he will not leave us or desert us. That should make you feel like saying, “The Lord helps me! Why should I be afraid of what people can do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6

Some people think religion is supposed to make you rich. And religion does make your life rich, by making you content with what you have. We didn’t bring anything into this world, and we won’t take anything with us when we leave. So we should be satisfied just to have food and clothes. People who want to be rich fall into all sorts of temptations and traps. They are caught by foolish and harmful desires that drag them down and destroy them. The love of money causes all kinds of trouble. Some people want money so much that they have given up their faith and caused themselves a lot of pain. 1 Timothy 6:5-10

I have learned to be satisfied with whatever I have. I know what it is to be poor or to have plenty, and I have lived under all kinds of conditions. I know what it means to be full or to be hungry, to have too much or too little. Christ gives me the strength to face anything. Philippians 4:11-13

If you are stuck in the rat race and are presently condemned to the “more” mentality, step out for a breather. If you stay in the race it will kill you before your time. Go on the internet and find a copy of Nathanial Hawthorn’s “The Great Stone Face” and read it. You’ll clearly see how to live life. Spend time reading the Bible and learn the truths God communicated to His people over the ages. If you pursue this path in your life, some day you will glance around at your surroundings and comprehend that you have become truly rich.

Posted by Randy Knapp at 6:43 AM | Permalink | Comments  

Are We Similar, Or Are We Different?

Each person is unique. A fingerprint, a retinal scan, and DNA analysis yield the identity of one individual with unarguable precision. Yet in most ways we are similar. Bill Gates shares commonalities with the poorest street beggar. Time and age are the only distinctions that separate President Bush from a young high school student body president.

People make a living by dividing society into classes. There are the rich and poor, male and female, black, white, and several gradations in between, the powerful and the weak, the beautiful and plain. Any number of distinguishing characteristics can be used to separate individuals into their constituent groups. As we divide, we are more easily analyzed. We are quantified. We are manipulated. When we are separated we feel alone.

We often use our obvious differences to distance us from the problems of others, and that insulation provides a certain amount of vain comfort.

“The proud Pharisee, (of Luke 18) stood by himself (at the temple) and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else, especially like that tax collector over there! For I never cheat, I don’t sin, I don’t commit adultery, I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.”

In the only characteristic that really matters we all share a common insoluble bond. We are mortal. Whether our income is delineated by seven figures or four, no matter if we are fat or thin, if we wield great power or none at all, our mortality is certain. The gulf that separates each of us from eternity is so vast that it makes no sense to argue who may be closest or who is farthest away. If the distance to the sun were to represent that gulf, the distance that separates us as individuals is not even a millimeter in comparison. When we finally comprehend this fact, we can begin to find unity with those around us.

The Evil One devotes his time to isolating individuals. Separate and capture is his modus operandi. In this, he shows similar characteristics to voracious predators that first separate their prey from the herd then capture it, and finally, kill and devour the lone individual. When we fall prey to the notion that we are different from those around us and thus cannot associate with them, we are only moments away from possible predation.

In Jesus’ final prayer before commencing His march toward torture and execution, He prayed that His followers would become one in spirit just as He and His Father were one.

A scene in the movie, Gladiator, illustrated that those who fight and moved as one, can snatch victory out of the hands of almost certain defeat. Those who fight alone are easily picked off, one after another, to the delight of the demented crowd.

There is power in the unity of a common bond. When we pull together, we prevail. When we focus on our similarities and not our differences we begin to find the companionship for which every human longs.

God created us because He craved companionship with us. One of His highest hopes is to form a spiritual bond with each of His creations. His dreams for us will begin to be realized when we learn to find ways to love Him back and to find common ground with those with whom we share this planet.

Posted by Randy Knapp at 7:11 AM | Permalink | Comments  

The Key To Understanding The Bible

The key to understanding every word, every chapter, and every story in the Bible is found in the Gospel of John 5:39. Once we understand the message of these words everything else makes sense.

The Bible is a record of the lives of numerous people over thousands of years who either did or did not get the point. For us the message is simple. Follow the example found in the lives of the people who got the point. Learn from the mistakes of those who came before us but didn’t get it.

Here’s the verse.

“You search the Scriptures because you believe they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me so that I can give you this eternal life.”

When Jesus made this statement, He was talking to people who probably knew the theological intricacies of the Bible better than you or I ever will. They were men who had spent their lives studying the scriptures, memorizing verses, and arguing over their meanings. They knew it all, yet missed the whole point. They didn’t recognize the prophesied Messiah when He was standing right in their midst.

So when we read the Bible and try to learn from its lessons, one thing is clear. It’s not what you know, it’s Who you know. All the stories in the Bible are just that – stories. There is no value in them except that they point toward Jesus. There is no life in the words. The only real and eternal life any of us will ever receive will be found at the feet of Jesus. In order for us to grab a hold of that life, we have to find our way into His presence. He is waiting there to reach out and touch us. When He places His hand on us a well spring of living water flows from Him into us and we are transformed from death to life for ever. With that touch we get it. We get eternal life and we will never be under the power of death again.

Posted by Randy Knapp at 6:41 AM | Permalink | Comments  

Are We Slaves Or Sons?

There are quite a few rules or beliefs with which we must agree in order to join some churches. There are a few fundamental beliefs common to most Christians, but given enough time, each denomination develops additional points of belief important to their understanding of the life of faith and obedience.

Some churches have formal services reflected in their choice of music and attire. Other churches are contemporary and relaxed in their pursuit of corporate worship. No matter what style is used, no matter what attire is common, and no matter what beliefs are closely held, there are always expectations placed on persons desiring to join in fellowship.

Expectations imply the lack of freedom. Slaves perform precisely because they are expected to. It is only the sons and daughters who are free to do as they will.

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone on earth. What do you mean, ‘set free’?” Jesus replied, “I assure you that everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free. John 8:30-36

Now, I’m sure that some people will disagree with my assertion that sons and daughters are as free as I imply. They have to obey the rules of the home just like everyone else. This may be true in some homes, but it is not true in God’s house. In His domain, everyone is entirely free to do as they will, and they are free to reap the blessings or experience the consequences of their actions.

This is a tremendously risky way to run a home, but it’s the only kind of home where love and respect are found in their purest forms. When a child comes of age as a son or a daughter, they no longer obey because it is expected of them, they obey because they understand and want to support the parents whom they love. When Christians finally come of age, we will support the kingdom of God for the same reasons.

What would Christian churches be like if they dropped the expectations of beliefs held in common and simply focused on learning to love God supremely and their neighbor as themselves? I’ve no doubt that there would be a bit of chaos at first. We are not very good with freedom. But in time as the slaves matured to be true sons and daughters of the Kingdom, Christian churches would be transformed and powerful beyond all belief.

When an individual is completely free to join a Christian fellowship, and there is an atmosphere throughout the church to truly understand that freedom, members will blossom as never before and the Christian church will finally be in a place to lead the world by example not mandate.

For further consideration of these thoughts feel free to read Paul’s letter to the Romans. He discusses these kinds of ideas at length.

Posted by Randy Knapp at 12:15 AM | Permalink | Comments