Scott's Blog 2/28/07

A "Slick" Evaluation of "The Lost Tomb of Christ"

Sir Isaac Newton once said, "If I have seen farther than other men, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants." There is no doubt that we are to "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."(II Timothy 2:15)

But part of being an excellent student of the Word is to identify solid sources that can deepen our understanding of God's Word and provide solid perspective on the controversies that surround it. One such excellent resource is the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry located at www.CARM.org.

Matt Slick who produces the excellent materials found on CARM, has done an outstanding job of providing a reasoned and insightful evaluation of James Cameron's soon to be released documentary "The Lost Tomb of Christ".

Has the tomb of Jesus been found?

James Cameron, the Oscar winning Hollywood director who brought us the Terminator and Titanic movies, along with Simcha Jacobovici a producer-director have made a documentary (to be aired March 4, 2007) that alleges they have found the tomb of Jesus and that the evidence therein shows Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene, had at least one child named Judah, and, of course, that Jesus did not physically rise from the dead.

In 1980, just outside of Jerusalem in the neighborhood of Talpiyot, construction workers accidentally uncovered a 2000 year old cave holding 10 ossuaries. An ossuary is a burial box used to store bones. Six of the 10 ossuaries had names on them: "Jesus, son of Joseph; Maria; Mariamene; Matthew; Judas, son of Jesus; and Jose, a diminutive of Joseph."¹ The allegation is that Jesua is Jesus, one of the Maries is his mother, the second is his wife, Mariamene is Mary Magdalene, that Matthew is a disciple, and Judas is Jesus' son.

When the ossuaries were first discovered, the bones were removed and buried.  (I could not find out what happened to them, but it appears they are lost.)  Later, scientists examined the ossuaries and found "forensic evidence" inside the containers.  They did DNA tests on the remnant biological material and found that Jesua and Mariamene are not genetically related.  This implies that they were a couple, not siblings. In other words, it would be similar to having a mother, a father, and a son buried in the same tomb.  The child would be related genetically to the mother and the father.  But, the mother and the father would not be genetically related to each other; that is, they wouldn't have the same parents.  The facts seem to be there, but what does it mean?

What should be our reaction to the find?

What I'm going to say here may surprise a lot of Christians, but we should be open minded about the evidence and not dismiss it in a knee-jerk reaction and say it is a hoax, or a conspiracy.  If the evidence is factual and stands up to cross examination, then we need to deal with it as the set of facts they are.  If Christianity is true, then it should fear no facts -- and neither should its adherents. 

However, please understand that if the archaeological evidence is verified, the ossuaries do not disprove Christianity.  They only demonstrate that there is a family tomb from the time of Christ with the same names of those found in the gospel accounts -- which can have other explanations, as you'll see below, and around which many questions need to be answered.  Remember, the gospels are eyewitness accounts and are substantially different in evidentiary value than empty ossuaries with biblical names inscribed on the outside.  There is a huge difference between them regarding their interpretive and evidentiary significance.

Examine the evidence

The evidence needs to be examined!  If it stands, it stands.  If it falls, let it fall.  But, what would be substantial evidence against Christianity is if bones were discovered in an ossuary, or tomb containing something like Jesus' name on it, stating he was the son of Nevertheless, for Christians to automatically dismiss the evidence without first examining it, is to forfeit credibility in the eyes of unbelievers, many of which already think that Christians are irrational and refuse to believe facts. Joseph, and that those bones had nail marks in the wrists.  But, without a body, it is difficult to establish Jesus' death, burial, and lack of resurrection.  In fact, not having a body is exactly what the gospel accounts say is the case and that seems to be the case with the ossuaries.  Remember, they did have bones in them, but they are lost and cannot be examined.  So, it cannot be stated which bones they were or if the bones matched the genetic material found within.  They might not since families used ossuaries to hold more than one generation.  Sometimes they held up to six.

Nevertheless, for Christians to automatically dismiss the evidence without first examining it, is to forfeit credibility in the eyes of unbelievers, many of which already think that Christians are irrational and refuse to believe facts.  We have an opportunity to present a rational, non-emotional reaction and demonstrate that our faith is not so weak that our first reaction is to dismiss evidence we haven't even looked at yet. 

Remember, looking at evidence and using logic is what Jesus taught us to do.  Jesus said to doubting Thomas in John 20:27, “Reach here your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand, and put it into My side; and be not unbelieving, but believing.” Jesus himself urged Thomas to examine the evidence and believe based on the evidence.  In other words, Jesus taught to examine evidence and make a logical conclusion based on that evidence. Of course, the Bible verse presupposes Jesus' resurrection is a fact, but still the principle to examine evidence is taught in Scripture.  Shouldn't we do what Jesus taught? 

Christians, don't make these mistakes

The initial response by a lot of Christians will be to react emotionally.  But, I have some suggestions.

1. Don't make the mistake of saying that the evidence can't be true because a Hollywood movie director made the documentary.
   1. Just because un unbeliever makes a film, it doesn't mean what is in it is false.  Unbelievers can discover truth.
   2. So, don't dismiss it outright.
2. Don't make the mistake of saying the evidence is false because it disagrees with your beliefs.
   1. Beliefs don't make something true -- for example, Mormons believe God came from another planet.  Believing it doesn't make it true.  Nevertheless, Christian beliefs are based on evidence, i.e., the eyewitness accounts in the gospels, the resurrection of Christ, etc.
3. Don't make the mistake of concluding that if the evidence is verified under cross examination, that it means Christianity isn't true.
   1. At best all it shows is that there is a family tomb with common biblical names inscribed on ossuaries.
4. Don't blow a good witnessing opportunity
   1. This will generate discussion.  You can print up this article, give it to people, and discuss the real issue of Christ's resurrection which demonstrates that he was who he said he was, God in flesh.  You can then have an opportunity to present the gospel. 
   2. Don't just dismiss it outright.  Use it.

Critics, don't make these mistakes

Likewise, I suspect the initial response by critics of Christianity will be to jump on the bandwagon and say that Christianity is proven false without examining the evidence, or considering counter arguments and questions.  So, I have some suggestions for the critics as well.

1. Don't assume that what is presented in a documentary is automatically fact.
   1. Wait until it is cross examined before making assertions.  In other words, get both sides of the argument before making judgments.
2. Make sure your conclusions are logical, not merely inferential
   1. If the evidence is factual, what does it mean?  Does it prove that it was Jesus in the ossuary?  Not at all. 
3. Don't jump on the band-wagon and start condemning Christianity because the finds can be interpreted against it. 
   1. There are important issues and questions to be raised as you will see in the next section.
4. Don't make the mistake of concluding that if the evidence if verified under cross examination, it means Christianity is false.  It doesn't. 
   1. It only means that a family tomb with ossuaries containing biblical names has been discovered.  This is evidence, which can be interpreted in different ways, but is it conclusive proof that Christianity is false?  No it isn't.

Important issues and questions

Following is a list of issues and questions that I think are worth examining in regard to this recent discovery.

1. The names on the ossuaries were very common at that time.
   1. "Charlesworth of Princeton Theological Seminary says he has a first-century letter written by someone named Jesus, addressed to someone else named Jesus and witnessed by a third party named Jesus."²  This demonstrates the commonality of the name Jesus.  Isn't it likely that other names would be common as well?  If Christianity were on the rise in the culture, it makes sense that people would adopt Christian names as they eagerly moved away from the imposing Roman Empire's rule.
   2. "'Jesus' and 'Joseph' were common names of the time, and another ossuary bearing the same inscription [Jesus son of Joseph] was revealed by archaeologist Eleazar Levi Sukenik in a 1931 lecture in Berlin.  However, this ossuary is set apart by its presence in a tomb alongside others bearing names associated with Jesus' family..."³ The fact is that "Jesus son of Joseph" exists elsewhere in archaeological findings.
   3. 25% of the Jewish women in the first-century Judea had the same name of Mary.⁴
2. The ossuaries are inscribed in different languages:  Aramaic, Hebrew, and Greek.
   1. Jesus, James, Judah are inscribed in Aramaic.  Yose (Jose, Joseph), Maria, and Matthew are in Hebrew. "Marianmene e Mara" (Mary Magdelene) is the only one written in Greek.  If the tomb is of Jesus' family, why are the inscriptions in different languages?
   2. Does this suggest that different individuals, perhaps in different times, and of different backgrounds were buried in the tomb? 
3. Families were buried in their home towns.
   1. In this case it would have been Nazareth, not Jerusalem.   Jesus was known as Jesus of Nazareth.  If this really is the tomb of the biblical Jesus, then why is he buried somewhere other than his hometown, Nazareth?  This would have gone against Jewish culture and custom.
   2. Wouldn't the burial inscription have read "Jesus of Nazareth" or "Jesus of Nazareth, son of Joseph" if it were the Jesus of the New Testament?
4. The same ossuaries were used for generations to store bones
   1. Point three is supported by the fact the same ossuaries were used for several generations to house bones, sometimes containing as many as six sets.  This would mean that the contents therein could be of family members long after the time of Christ.  It could even be of non genetically related individuals, by marriage, who get added to the tomb later on.
   2. Having similar genetics in the ossuaries doesn't prove it is Jesus' tomb.  It only proves there are similar genetics.  There is no known way to establish that the genetics in the ossuaries are those of Jesus.  At best, it can only be inferred and inferences are not fact.
5. The family of Jesus was poor, Joseph was a carpenter and couldn't afford such an elaborate burial.
   1. To have a tomb and various hostelries constructed, was an expensive undertaking.  Since Joseph was a carpenter, Jesus would've learned his trade from his father.  Carpenters were not rich.  Therefore, how is the existence of an expensive tomb with ossuary's explained in light of this information if it is supposed to be at the family of Jesus?
6. What of the existing documents (gospels).
   1. The gospels in the New Testament are excellently preserved historical documents that are consistent with the time, place, and culture in which they claim to describe.  If Jesus did not in fact rise from the dead, then what about the gospels accounts?  Are they fakes, compilations, or forgeries? Are these eyewitness accounts less valuable than names on ossuaries found in a tomb?  Surely, an explanation needs to be established to account for the claims of the gospel accounts if in fact, they were lies.
7. If the gospels are used to verify the names on the ossuary's, why are they not also used to verify that Jesus rose from the dead?
   1. There seems to be an inconsistency in using the Gospels to verify the names on the ossuaries but then deny the claim of those same Gospels concerning Jesus' resurrection.  Why  except the names but reject the resurrection when both are described in the same document?  Is it because the presuppositions of those examine the evidence do not allow for the miraculous?  If that is the case, then beliefs are forced upon evidence in the evidence is interpreted in light of those beliefs.
   2. See Since the New Testament writers were biased, can we trust their testimony?
   3. See The Christians were mistaken about Jesus' resurrection
   4. See The Disciples stole Jesus' body and faked His resurrection.
8. The Acts of Phillip
   1. In the book The Acts of Phillip is the term "Mariamene" which some scholars think it refers to Mary Magdelene.  Therefore, the inscription in the tomb which uses that term has been linked to the biblical Mary Magdelene via this old document. However, the oldest copy of the Acts of Phillip is from the fourteenth century and is a copy of a fourth century text.⁵ How reliable is the document known as the Acts of Phillip?  "The text is generally considered to have been a late 4th or early 5th century fantasy, involving miracles and supposedly clever dialogue, which it claims caused Phillip to win many converts."⁶
9. Why aren't there any accounts of Jesus having a family recorded in any reputable ancient writings?
   1. This is, essentially, an argument of silence and is not the best argument.  Nevertheless, there is no credible historical evidence suggesting that Jesus had a family.  If Jesus were that important of a figure in the area and if he had a family, in contradiction to the gospel accounts, then why are there no reliable records of this recorded anywhere?
   2. If Jesus had a son, and a wife, and was walking around Israel, it would have been around the time that the gospels were being circulated which were written anywhere from the 40's to the 60's, with John possibly written later.  See "When were the gospels written and by whom?".  You'd think that the Jews and Romans would have countered the circulating gospels by simply saying, "Hey, Jesus lives with his wife and kid over in Jerusalem."  But, no such account exists. 
10. Why didn't the critics of Christianity produce Jesus' body?
1. Since the Jewish culture as well as the Roman authorities did not want Jesus' resurrection to be believed since it contradicted both of their theological and social power structures, and if Jesus did get married and have children, then why is their no record of them producing the person and/or body of Jesus?  You'd think this would have been settled long ago if Jesus really did live and breath after the gospels' recorded resurrection and Acts account of his ascension.
11. Statistical analysis of the names
    1. How do they know which names were and were not common in those days?  Isn't this a relevant question to ask when making statistical analysis?
       
    2. Statistics can be manipulated.  We're not suggesting that these statistics were, but there needs to be an explanation dealing with how common the names were in the culture at that time and the criteria needs to be examined.
12. Counter evidence
    1. Archaeologist says it isn't Jesus' tomb.  "In 1996, when the BBC aired a short documentary on the same subject, archaeologists challenged the claims. Amos Kloner, the first archaeologist to examine the site, said the idea [of the tomb being that of Jesus] fails to hold up by archaeological standards but makes for profitable television....It was an ordinary middle-class Jerusalem burial cave...The names on the caskets are the most common names found among Jews at the time...The cave, it [Kloner's report] said, was probably in use by three or four generations of Jews from the beginning of the Common Era. It was disturbed in antiquity, and vandalized. The names on the boxes were common in the first century (25 percent of women in Jerusalem, for example, were called Miriam or a derivative)."⁷
    2. Incorrect reading of names?  "Pfann [a biblical scholar at the University of the Holy Land in Jerusalem] is even unsure that the name "Jesus" on the caskets was read correctly. He thinks it's more likely the name 'Hanun.'"⁸
    3. Alternate burial site locations.  "James Tabor, a Biblical scholar at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and the leading academic voice who lends enthusiastic, if qualified, support to Jacobovici's claims, wrote that he looked for, and found, a legendary tomb of Jesus near the city of Safed."⁹
13. Decomposition
    1. How long does it take for a human body to decay so that all that is left are bones?  This might be significant, or it might not be.  If Jesus lived a normal life and died as early as age 50, then that would mean he died in roughly 50 A.D. If he were buried in a small tomb, covered with spices, and wrapped in a cloth, how long would it take his body to decompose into only bones (or mostly just bones)?  I've been told that it takes less than five years.  If it took five years (or less)  then it would be after sufficient decomposition that the bones would be moved to an ossuary, a "coffin" designed not for body burial, but for the storage of the deceased's bones.  If it took as long as 5 years, then that would make the placement of the bones in the ossuary around 55 A.D.  The tomb has been dated to around
    2. and ossuaries dated to?  Could the relationship between the decomposition and the dating of the tomb/ossuaries thus become significant?  Did the Jews of the time move the bones A.S.A.P.?
    3. If the tomb and ossuaries are dated at 100 A.D., then that would be "generally consistent" with the claim that the ossuaries contain Jesus' family (though it is not conclusive).  If it were dated to 60 A.D., in my example here, then that would be even better. 
    4. Is this worth looking into?  Perhaps, perhaps not.
    5. Additional notes:  "According to Jewish rites, bodies would be left for a year or so to decompose in the "kokhim" before relatives came back to gather the bones and store them in ossuaries."¹⁰

End Notes
1.   http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17328478/site/newsweek/page/2/
2.   http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17328478/site/newsweek/page/4/
3.   http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/tomb/explore/explore.html
4.   http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/tomb/explore/explore.html under Maria
5.   http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/02-25-2007/0004533923&EDATE=
6.   http://www.answers.com/topic/acts-of-phillip
7.   http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/02/26/jesus.sburial.ap/index.html
8.   http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/02/26/jesus.sburial.ap/index.html
9.   http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17328478/site/newsweek/page/4/
10. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/02/24/wjesus24.xml

I think you can see why we hold Matt's work in such high esteem. I would encourage you to book mark www.carm.org on your computer. I have found it to be an indispensible resource, and I believe you will too.

Scott's Blog 2/27/07

Cameron's Documentary Sinks At the Dock

When I was in college, I was amazed at how many of my professors would take time out of class to attack Christianity. The class title could have been psychology, American Indian literature, or history of Swiss dentistry, but that didn't slow down the anti-biblical fervor. One professor even began his introduction to the class by informing us, "Oh, and if you are one of those born again types, drop the class right now, because I hate you people."

It was strange to realize I was no longer an academically qualified, tuition paying student. I had been suddenly transformed into a despised group labeled "you people".

Did I drop these classes? Not on your life! In fact, I found some of the anti-Christian rants I was exposed to some of the most faith strengthening moments of my life.

One professor took class time to inform us that Jesus didn't really rise from the dead. He had merely fainted while on the cross, and was mistakenly taken down by the Roman guard. Once interred, the cool air of the tomb revived Him. He made His way out of the tomb and back to His disciples who interpreted this as a resurrection.

This "Swoon Theory" seemed really impressive as it was shared by a man with six to eight initials after his name. But when I began to think about it, some serious faults started to surface.

As in - If Jesus merely fainted on the cross, how did He then survive having a Roman pike jabbed into His left side with such force that blood and water flowed from the wound? (John 19:34)

As in - If Jesus was placed inside a traditional Jewish tomb, how did He muster the strength to remove the 800 to 1,000 pound rock that was used to seal the tomb?

As in - If Jesus did remove the rock, how did He manage to defeat the Roman guard, a detachment of 4-20 troops, specifically ordered to protect the sealed contents of the tomb on the pain of death?

As in - If Jesus did manage to do all that, He had been savaged by the beatings, scourgings, and experience of crucifixion He had already received. Even if He made it to His disciples, this would hardly be a sight that would inspire the message of the Savior Who conquered death.

In short, I came to the conclusion that it would take more faith to believe in the "Swoon Theory" than the straightforward account of the resurrection we find in Scripture.

I couldn't help but flash back on my college experiences when I read the first scholarly reactions to James Cameron's upcoming documentary that purports to show us Jesus' family tomb and the coffins of both Jesus, His "wife", and His "kids".

Scholars, Clergy Slam Jesus Documentary Feb 26 1:04 PM US/Eastern
By MARSHALL THOMPSON Associated Press Writer

 

JERUSALEM (AP) -- Archaeologists and clergymen in the Holy Land derided claims in a new documentary produced by James Cameron that contradict major Christian tenets, but the Oscar-winning director said the evidence was based on sound statistics.

"The Lost Tomb of Christ," which the Discovery Channel will run on March 4, argues that 10 ancient ossuaries _ small caskets used to store bones _ discovered in a suburb of Jerusalem in 1980 may have contained the bones of Jesus and his family, according to a press release issued by the Discovery Channel.

One of the caskets even bears the title, "Judah, son of Jesus," hinting that Jesus may have had a son, according to the documentary. And the very fact that Jesus had an ossuary would contradict the Christian belief that he was resurrected and ascended to heaven.

Cameron told NBC'S "Today" show that statisticians found "in the range of a couple of million to one in favor of it being them." Simcha Jacobovici, the Toronto filmmaker who directed the documentary, said the implications "are huge."

"But they're not necessarily the implications people think they are. For example, some believers are going to say, well this challenges the resurrection. I don't know why, if Jesus rose from one tomb, he couldn't have risen from the other tomb," Jacobovici told "Today."

Most Christians believe Jesus' body spent three days at the site of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem's Old City. The burial site identified in Cameron's documentary is in a southern Jerusalem neighborhood nowhere near the church.

In 1996, when the British Broadcasting Corp. aired a short documentary on the same subject, archaeologists challenged the claims. Amos Kloner, the first archaeologist to examine the site, said the idea fails to hold up by archaeological standards but makes for profitable television.

"They just want to get money for it," Kloner said.

Cameron said his critics should withhold comment until they see his film.

"I'm not a theologist. I'm not an archaeologist. I'm a documentary film maker," he said.

The film's claims, however, have raised the ire of Christian leaders in the Holy Land.

"The historical, religious and archaeological evidence show that the place where Christ was buried is the Church of the Resurrection," said Attallah Hana, a Greek Orthodox clergyman in Jerusalem. The documentary, he said, "contradicts the religious principles and the historic and spiritual principles that we hold tightly to."

Stephen Pfann, a biblical scholar at the University of the Holy Land in Jerusalem who was interviewed in the documentary, said the film's hypothesis holds little weight.

"I don't think that Christians are going to buy into this," Pfann said. "But skeptics, in general, would like to see something that pokes holes into the story that so many people hold dear."

"How possible is it?" Pfann said. "On a scale of one through 10 _ 10 being completely possible _ it's probably a one, maybe a one and a half."

Pfann is even unsure that the name "Jesus" on the caskets was read correctly. He thinks it's more likely the name "Hanun." Ancient Semitic script is notoriously difficult to decipher.

Kloner also said the filmmakers' assertions are false.

"It was an ordinary middle-class Jerusalem burial cave," Kloner said. "The names on the caskets are the most common names found among Jews at the time."

Archaeologists also balk at the filmmaker's claim that the James Ossuary _ the center of a famous antiquities fraud in Israel _ might have originated from the same cave. In 2005, Israel charged five suspects with forgery in connection with the infamous bone box.

"I don't think the James Ossuary came from the same cave," said Dan Bahat, an archaeologist at Bar-Ilan University. "If it were found there, the man who made the forgery would have taken something better. He would have taken Jesus."

None of the experts interviewed by The Associated Press had seen the whole documentary.

____

If the early reactions of the scholarly community are any indication, it looks like James Cameron's theory won't make it out of the dock.

When weak attacks on the essence of the person and work of Jesus arise, I am reminded of the challenging words Paul shared with the intelligensia of his day.

Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead." (Acts 17:30-31)

Scott's Blog 2/26/07

A "Titanic" Error

We must be getting close to Easter time. How do we know? With almost clock work precision, Hollywood seizes this time of year to launch attacks on the truth of the resurrection of Christ.

Last year we were "treated" to the joys of the "Gospel According to Judas". The National Geographic Society touted this as an important new witness to the life of Jesus. Unfortunately for the credibility of National Geographic, the "Gospel According to Judas" didn't live up to the hype. When the dust of controversy settled we discovered this document wasn't new. It had been discussed, refuted and dismissed by the church back in the second century. It's message that Judas was the hero of the Gospel story, helping Jesus to shed His human body in order to achieve perfection, was the product of an early cult group called the Gnostics. The document does shed light on the attempts of this group to use Jesus and Judas as mouthpieces for their religion, but nothing more. (See Scott's Blog 4/19/06)

Of course, warming up in the bull pen was the movie version of Dan Brown's "The DaVinci Code". The combined media chorus shouted out the message loud and clear - "Forget all this resurrection stuff! You can't trust the Bible!" (See Scott's Blog 5/17/06)

Ready for another round? Next up is Academy Award winning director James Cameron's attempt to repackage old error in a new special effect laden and (supposedly) scientific package.

Jesus: Tales from the Crypt

Posted by Tim McGirk

Brace yourself. James Cameron, the man who brought you 'The Titanic' is back with another blockbuster. This time, the ship he's sinking is Christianity.

In a new documentary, Producer Cameron and his director, Simcha Jacobovici, make the starting claim that Jesus wasn't resurrected --the cornerstone of Christian faith-- and that his burial cave was discovered near Jerusalem. And, get this, Jesus sired a son with Mary Magdelene.

No, it's not a re-make of "The Da Vinci Codes'. It's supposed to be true.

Let's go back 27 years, when Israeli construction workers were gouging out the foundations for a new building in the industrial park in the Talpiyot, a Jerusalem suburb. of Jerusalem. The earth gave way, revealing a 2,000 year old cave with 10 stone caskets. Archologists were summoned, and the stone caskets carted away for examination. It took 20 years for experts to decipher the names on the ten tombs. They were: Jesua, son of Joseph, Mary, Mary, Mathew, Jofa and Judah, son of Jesua.
Israel's prominent archeologist Professor Amos Kloner didn't associate the crypt with the New Testament Jesus. His father, after all, was a humble carpenter who couldn't afford a luxury crypt for his family. And all were common Jewish names.

There was also this little inconvenience that a few miles away, in the old city of Jerusalem, Christians for centuries had been worshipping the empty tomb of Christ at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Christ's resurrection, after all, is the main foundation of the faith, proof that a boy born to a carpenter's wife in a manger is the Son of God.

But film-makers Cameron and Jacobovici claim to have amassed evidence through DNA tests, archeological evidence and Biblical studies, that the 10 coffins belong to Jesus and his family.

Ever the showman, (Why does this remind me of the impresario in another movie,"King Kong", whose hubris blinds him to the dangers of an angry and very large ape?) Cameron is holding a New York press conference on Monday at which he will reveal three coffins, supposedly those of Jesus of Nazareth, his mother Mary and Mary Magdalene. News about the film, which will be shown soon on Discovery Channel, Britain's Channel 4, Canada's Vision, and Israel's Channel 8, has been a hot blog topic in the Middle East (check out a personal favorite: Israelity Bites) Here in the Holy Land, Biblical Archeology is a dangerous profession. This 90-minute documentary is bound to outrage Christians and stir up a titanic debate between believers and skeptics. Stay tuned.
--Tim McGirk/Jerusalem

Where do we start with this one? 

* The Time Magazine heads up helpfully notes that Cameron's theory is a reach to begin with. The names on the tomb were very common. If scholars dismissed the ossuary of "James, the son of Joseph, the brother of Jesus" for (among other reasons) that such names were common in the day, why wouldn't the same objection apply here?

* If Jesus and His family were so wealthy they could afford one of these luxury family tombs, why did Jesus have to be interred in the borrowed final resting place of Joseph of Arimathea? (John 19:38) If the body of Jesus was placed in an easily identifiable tomb, why didn't the Jewish leaders produce the body and stop the church dead in her tracks on the day Peter preached at Pentecost? (Acts 2:22-24)

* If Jesus didn't die and rise from the dead, then He repeatedly lied to His disciples. (Matthew 20:19, Mark 8:31, Mark 10:34, Luke18:33) How can we square this with the fact that Jesus claimed to be the embodiment of truth. (John 14:6). 

* If Jesus didn't rise from the dead, how did 500 people see Him resurrected at one time? (I Corinthians 15:6)

* If Jesus didn't rise from the dead, and His teaching was a deception, why were the disciples willing to die for a lie? (Acts 4:5-20)

* If Jesus didn't die and rise again, why did Saul of Tarsus throw away a life times' worth of achievements to follow Jesus (Philippians 3:4-10)?

I seriously doubt if James Cameron and the Discovery Channel will touch on any of these critical issues. But like "The DaVinci Code" dust up, this program will provide a great opportunity to reach people with the message of the historical reliability of the Resurrection of Jesus. Are you ready to give a reason for the hope that is in you? If someone asks you why you believe Jesus rose from the dead, are you prepared to give a solid Scriptural answer? As you do, you will not only be able to touch others with the power of the Word of God, but you will also find your own faith strengthened and encouraged as a result!

Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,  and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.  After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.  Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.  But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.  Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. (I Corinthians 15:1-11)

Scott's Blog 2/23/07

Winning The Fame Game

Have you caught an episode of American Idol lately? 

American Idol title card

There seems to be an unusually high level of controversy surrounding the show this season. Are the judges too negative? Will the feud between Simon Cowell and host Ryan Seacrest eventually come to blows? Are the clearly untalented people who make it on the air in the early rounds merely patsies, set up for national ridicule? 

It is heartbreaking to see people who (like myself) can't carry a tune in a bucket have their dreams dashed before an intimate audience numbering in the tens of millions. 

But in watching American Idol, I get the impression that there is a greater danger posed by such programs than the high speed impact of ego and reality. What is the ultimate reward of being a successful contestant on American Idol? It's not the record contract and the money that goes with it. It is the promise of the ultimate brass ring we reach for in our culture - fame.

There seems to be an instinctive drive within us as human beings to want to be known and recognized. I believe it ties into the inescapable need for purpose and meaning that is part and parcel of being made in the image and likeness of God. We have a non negotiable desire to know that our lives count for something. This hunger and thirst for real and lasting impact is the very thing that God has used to lead many of us to a saving knowledge of Jesus.

But here's the rub. We know we are somehow created for glory. The big question is, where will we seek it? Is it from the applause and approval of men? Or from the unconditional acceptance we find through faith in God?

How we choose to answer that pivotal question will have deeper and more lasting consequences in our lives than we can imagine.

Those who pursue fame through human means usually end up in one of two places.

 Those who fail to achieve their dreams of the spot light end up going through the rest of life feeling like a failure - condemned by the constant refrain of "If only.." that plays through their minds like Muzak in an elevator. No matter how many wonderful things come their way, even the greatest blessings come off as a tasteless banquet served at "Table B". Even seeing the success of others becomes another excuse of a round of self pity and jealousy. 

But what about those who appear to win the fame game? 

The funny thing that many discover is that while at the beginning they felt they were pursuing fame, they find the tables turned. Fame, once achieved, doesn't come with an On/Off switch. People with fame suddenly discover a strange lack of freedom. An event as simple as a shopping trip can end up as a mob scene if not carefully coordinated. The famous also discover that personal privacy is a thing of the past, with every move and mistake in life dutifully examined under the media microscope. On a personal level, the famous begin to wonder if they can keep up the pace that propelled them to prominence. The words "What have you done for us lately" become a constant source of stress. Interpersonally, those who have achieved fame and all that goes with it begin to wonder if even their closest friends and even family members love them for who they are, or merely for what they can do for them.

Sounds like fun, doesn't it?

No wonder the prophet Jeremiah had these words of advice for his assistant Baruch.

And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them. (Jeremiah 45:5)

But notice in Jeremiah's warning there is also given the path to the fulfillment we seek. Instead of pursuing great things for ourselves, there is a wonderful alternative - seeking the greatest thing of all - the acceptance and approval of God.

Consider this testimony from a man who was considered one of his society's winners, clearly on the fast track to fame and fortune - until he found something better.

If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;  concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.  Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ  and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:4-11)

Paul discovered that the applause of Heaven was the only glory really worth pursuing. It doesn't corrupt - it completes us. It doesn't enslave - it frees us. It doesn't lead us to "Idol"-atry. It leads us to the true and living Savior who pursued a decidedly different pathway to glory than we see on television.

One Solitary Life - effect of the life of Jesus on mankind

He was born in an obscure village
The child of a peasant woman
He grew up in another obscure village
Where he worked in a carpenter shop
Until he was thirty

He never wrote a book
He never held an office
He never went to college
He never visited a big city
He never traveled more than two hundred miles
From the place where he was born
He did none of the things
Usually associated with greatness
He had no credentials but himself

He was only thirty three
when the tide of public opinion turned against him

His friends ran away
One of them denied him
He was turned over to his enemies
And went through the mockery of a trial
He was nailed to a cross between two thieves
While dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing
The only property he had on earth

When he was dead
He was laid in a borrowed grave
Through the pity of a friend

Nineteen centuries have come and gone
And today Jesus is the central figure of the human race
And the leader of mankind's progress
All the armies that have ever marched
All the navies that have ever sailed
All the parliaments that have ever sat
All the kings that ever reigned put together
Have not affected the life of mankind on earth
As powerfully as that one solitary life

Scott's Blog 2/22/07

Where Is God Working?

Every now and then when I feel I am too excited about the amazing things God is doing, I will dump a bucket of cold water on my heart by reading one of those dreary magazines or web sites devoted to "the state of the contemporary church".

 Wedged in between the "How To Pack the Pews with Gen X-ers" articles and soul searching essays on the Biblical implications of a personal whirlpool spa in the Senior Pastor's office, you can count on finding a hand wringing article on how we are dropping the ball on the Great Commission.

Dutifully these purveyors of gloom and doom will tell us that they just don't see people getting saved. "The age of evangelism is over!", they soberly declare.

These people need to get out more often.

Consider this observation from political consultant Dick Morris.

THE LATINO REVOLUTION

By DICK MORRIS

February 21, 2007 -- A revolution is underway among America’s Latino population that will have profound implications for the future of American politics. Of the 41.3 million Hispanics in the United States today, 37 percent identify themselves as “born-again” or “evangelical.” Just 10 years ago, the proportion that did so was about 15 percent. All told, there are now about 11 million Evangelical Protestant and 3 million Evangelical or Charismatic Catholic Latinos in the United States. In 1996, there were only 4 million.

This explosive growth in Evangelical religious affiliation among Latinos — about 1 million converts annually — portends huge changes for American politics. With the Latino population swelling from 22 million in 1990 to 41 million in 2004, any change of these proportions in the beliefs of Hispanic-Americans will have a momentous impact on politics.

I will leave the speculation on things political to the experts, but these statistics tell us something powerful - God is doing an amazing work in the Hispanic community.

How to explain it? 

I will never forget a lecture given while I was attending Talbot Seminary by professor Dr. James Christian. Dr. Christian pointed out that every great evangelical movement in church history has found its most fertile soil among the hearts of the poor. We tend to believe that if we can reach the rich, powerful and influential, then the kingdom of God is really going to go places. But Jesus never saw things that way.

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me,
      Because the LORD has anointed Me
      To preach good tidings to the poor;
      He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
      To proclaim liberty to the captives,
      And the opening of the prison to those who are bound" (Isaiah 61:1)

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "(Matthew 5:3)

Mark in his gospel makes this telling observation.

And the common people heard Him gladly. (Mark 12:37)

A good portion of the Hispanic community are immigrants who have left everything behind for the promise of a new and better life. They are the "have-nots" of our day. And almost predictably, the surveys show they are spiritually hungry.

In the history of the Calvary Chapel movement, this emphasis on the "have-nots" was responsible for an incredible move of God. Pastor Chuck Smith and his wife Kay would spend hours praying for the hippies who were overflowing the streets of Orange County, California in the late '60's.

As these young people began to get saved in numbers, a conflict arose. The church had spent a considerable amount of money to put in new carpet in the worship center. An over zealous elder put up a sign that said "No bare feet on the carpet". 

Pastor Chuck arrived early and took down the sign. He then called a meeting with the leaders of the church. He told them that if this was the kind of place that would keep people from hearing the Good News simply because they didn't have shoes, they needed to find a new pastor.

The elders rethought their position and the rest is history.

What would have happened to the Jesus Movement if some hadn't had the vision to see beyond the externals to the heart? What would have happened if that fledgling fellowship called Calvary Chapel had devoted themselves to reaching the Yacht Club set, instead of the flower children?

This is not to say that those with money or position can't be reached. They can and do come to faith in Christ. But if we really want to be in the midst of where God is really doing exciting things, it is usually to be found among the poor.

For thus says the High and Lofty One
      Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
 “ I dwell in the high and holy place,
      With him who has a contrite and humble spirit,
      To revive the spirit of the humble,
      And to revive the heart of the contrite ones." (Isaiah 57:15)

Scott's Blog 2/21/07

So Easy A Caveman Could Do It?

You've probably seen the ads touting the simplicity of an insurance agency web site. It spoofs our age of political correctness by showing some decidedly primitive looking people feeling discriminated against for being cave men.

The funny thing is, these cave men have a touch of sophistication that defies stereotypes - ordering roast duck with mango salsa at trendy bistros, pouring out their traumatized cave man psyches to therapists. In short, these cave men are pretty modern characters.

Ironically, this ad campaign might not be too far from the truth. When we think of ancient man, we do think of brutish primitives whose idea of sophistication was scratching crude images into a rock wall.

Turns out that this culturally re-enforced image is at odds with the facts.

Stonehenges all around us

Architectural relics and modern structures show that we may not be much different than our ancestors.

By Craig Childs, CRAIG CHILDS is the author, most recently, of "House of Rain: Tracking a Vanished Civilization Across the American Southwest."
February 16, 2007

ARCHEOLOGISTS recently discovered what appears to be the other half of Stonehenge, illuminating what they believe is a much larger Neolithic complex than has long been envisioned. What is coming to the surface seems strangely familiar. Looking closely at Stonehenge and other Neolithic sites, we find the formative patterns of our modern world.

Step out of your house and you might notice your street is fixed on a cardinal grid: north, south, east, west. This pattern defines many American and European cities, as well as Neolithic sites such as Anyang in China and the Mexican city of Teotihuacan.

The new discovery, two miles from Stonehenge itself, is an elaborate residential compound now being excavated. It is a site where the builders of Stonehenge may have lived and where pilgrims may have stayed while attending feasts and ceremonies. Fascinating tidbits have been unearthed: a timber version of Stonehenge, evidence of different kinds of occupations in the 4,600-year-old village and a processional "road" leading to the nearby Avon River. These finds add to the picture of an enigmatic Neolithic religion, in which stone-paved roads are aligned with celestial features and great circles frame the rising and setting sun at key times of the year.

This all has an uncanny resemblance to Neolithic sites in different parts of the world. The Big Horn Medicine Wheel in Wyoming, dating back several hundred years, is a complex celestial calendar, its 28 spokes of aligned stones pointing to risings and settings of the sun and various stars. This medicine wheel, in turn, is similar to the Nonakado Stone Circle of Japan, from the 1st millennium BC, where standing stones mark important, calendrical events on the horizon.

My friend and colleague, Kim Malville, recently discovered an Egyptian Stonehenge in the Sahara dating back more than 6,000 years. Malville believes that it acted as both a calendar and a temple for people living along the edge of an ancient lake, and it is the oldest known megalithic site in the world.

My personal favorite Stonehenge look-alike — at least in concept — is in northern New Mexico, where in the 11th century, the Chaco culture built hundreds of miles of processional "roads." Rather than rings of giant standing stones, the Chacoans erected enormous masonry temples known as great houses. Many of these great houses are aligned to view celestial events through portals and windows.

Looking at the way ancient people assembled themselves, archeologists see cults and primitive, celestial religions. But how primitive were these people's beliefs, and how different from them are we?

I once ambled around the Colorado Capitol in Denver with a compass and notebook in hand. I had come to a modern landmark to apply the same questions we had been asking at ancient sites. I found that every aspect of the building's neoclassical architecture has alignments you see at many Neolithic ceremonial centers. Every bench is symmetrically arranged around the cruciform building, which is, in turn, set to cardinal directions. It lies within an array of other government buildings and open processionals, each holding to the same cardinal patterns.

At the Chaco site, certain ruins were found swept clean, while nearby buildings were loaded with trash. The same thing was just unearthed near Stonehenge: some buildings littered with broken pottery and discarded bones — what archeologists believe to be the leavings of feasts and pilgrimage — and others remarkably clean.

Julian Thomas of the University of Manchester commented that these clean rooms near Stonehenge may have belonged to special people, chiefs or priests. He also suggested that they were possibly shrines and cult centers.

That day in Denver, tens of thousands of people were gathered in an open area at the foot of the Capitol for some kind of weekend fair. The atmosphere boomed with music and smelled of food cooking in numerous tents. What was I seeing? Pilgrims, feasts and cult centers? Were the meticulously kept buildings erected for priests and chiefs?

The same kind of architecture can be seen in Washington, where countless astronomical alignments are constructed into the Capitol and its surrounding buildings and monuments. Most recently, Gerald Ford joined a long line of presidents whose bodies have lain in state inside the majestic, symmetrical Rotunda. Will future archeologists imagine the worship of ancient leaders whose bodies were kept within circular chambers before burial?

So often we see ourselves as a lonely, cultural pinnacle, superior beyond all comparison. But if recent excavations at Stonehenge offer anything, they put our era in perspective, reminding us of an unbroken lineage shared across continents and cultures. We are simply an extension of an ancient age, living now in the next lost civilization.

The evidence is growing that the famous museum progression of man, from the refugee out of  the "Barrel of Monkeys" game at the south end, to the cleanly shaven, upright citizen leading the parade, is a myth. People have been people - even from ancient times. In many ways archeology is revealing that our ancestors may have even been more clever than we are.

This is precisely what the Bible tells us.

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." (Genesis 1:26-28)

How tragic that a philosophy based on the arrogant certainty that Victorian English society was the pinnacle of human development has passed itself off to us as "science". Approaching the understanding of our ancestors by looking through the 19th century spectacles of evolutionism blinds us to the brilliant achievements of humanity in the past. When we see humanity as the work of a purposeful and ingenious Creator, monuments to brilliant thought and creativity like Stonehenge aren't surprising, but should be expected.

Scott's Blog 2/20/07

The Temple Situation

One of the most key events looming on God's prophetic calendar is a rebuilding project that will rock the world - the restoration of the Jewish Temple on its historic site in Jerusalem.

Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there.  But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. (Revelation 11:1-2)

There is no doubt that this great desire of the Jewish people will see a literal fulfillment. There is also no doubt that there is a major hurdle standing in the way. Situated squarely on the Temple Mount is what is now considered the third holiest shrine in Islam, the Al Aksa Mosque.

How could the Jewish Temple be rebuilt while this shrine still stands? There appears to be a significant development that could very well provide the answer to this crucial question.

MUCH ABOUT HISTORY
Temple's location found,
says Israeli archaeologist
Study of ancient cisterns pinpoints sacred site,
– Muslim Dome of the Rock outside confines

---

Posted: February 11, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com

Using maps created in 1866 by a British explorer and passages from the Jewish Mishnah, an Israeli archaeologist and professor at Hebrew University says he has pinpointed the location of the sacred Jewish Temple, twice built and twice destroyed in ancient times.

While popular consensus places the Temple, built by King Solomon in the 10th century B.C. and rebuilt by Jews who returned from Babylon in the 5th century B.C., on the site of the present Muslim Dome of the Rock, Prof. Joseph Patrich says archaeological remains show its exact location – and the consensus is wrong.

 

Dome of the Rock on Jerusalem's Temple Mount, facing west.

According to Patrich, the Temple, its corresponding courtyards, chambers and gates were oriented in a more southeasterly direction, sitting diagonally on what is the modern Temple Mount. The difference in orientation and the placement further eastward varies from the east-facing orientation of other scholars who believe the Temple was closer to today's Western Wall.

However, that difference is why, Patrich says, the Temple did not sit over the rock believed by Jews to be the site where Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac and where Muslims believe Muhammad ascended into heaven.

Patrich's siting of the Temple is derived from information collected by British engineer Sir Charles Wilson in 1866 on behalf of the Palestine Exploration Fund. Wilson mapped a series of ancient cisterns below the present Temple Mount platform. One of those, Patrich says, preserves a vestige of the Temple that stood until it was destroyed by Rome in A.D. 70.

The cistern mapped by Wilson, approximately 15 feet wide, 170 feet long and 45 feet deep, was located near the Temple Mount's southeast corner. It was oriented in a southeasterly direction with branches extending north and south.

 

Patrich's reconstruction of Temple in 1st century A.D., facing northeast. Courtesy Hebrew University. (Drawing by Leen Ritmeyer)

"Until now no one has ever thought that the location of the cistern on the Temple Mount and its unique shape were derived from the shape and location of the altar and sanctuary," Patrich told YNetNews.

According to the archaeologist, this cistern is the only one found on the Temple Mount that corresponds to descriptions in the Jewish Mishnah – the rabbinic oral tradition compiled in the 3rd century A.D. – of daily purification and sacrificial duties carried out by the priests on the altar in the Temple courtyard.

The Mishnah says water was drawn by a waterwheel mechanism from a cistern and held in a large basin, or laver, for daily purification by the Temple's priests before they ascended the nearby ramp to the altar to offer sacrifices.

 

Patrich's reconstruction of Temple in 1st century A.D. overlaid on modern Temple Mount. Octagonal feature is Dome of the Rock. Diagram is oriented east up. Courtesy Hebrew University. (Drawing by Leen Ritmeyer)

Patrich believes the placement of the waterwheel and laver can be reconstructed from Wilson's map of the giant southeast-trending cistern and from that, the location of the altar and the Temple itself.

Patrich's siting has the Temple further east and south of locations proposed by other scholars and diagonal, rather than perpendicular to the Temple Mount's eastern and western walls. It also leaves the rock in the Dome of the Rock outside of the confines of the Temple itself.

Patrich said his research on the Temple's location is strictly academic, and political connotations should not be attributed to it.

---

 

The Bible tells us the Temple will be rebuilt, but with an interesting additional detail.

He came around to the west side and measured five hundred rods by the measuring rod. He measured it on the four sides; it had a wall all around, five hundred cubits long and five hundred wide, to separate the holy areas from the common. (Ezekiel 42:19)

It is significant to note that the end times Temple is described as having a courtyard compromised because it has been given over to the Gentiles. There will also be a wall built to separate the holy areas from "the common". The Hebrew word translated "common" can also be rendered "profane". How interesting that written on the dome of the Al Aksa Mosque are the words "God is not begotten, neither does He beget." From God's point of view, that kind of repudiation of the most important truth of the Bible is "profane".

Keep your eyes on the Temple Mount controversy. The reestablishment of the Temple may be ready to appear on the prophetic horizon.

Scott's Blog 2/19/07

A Shot From the Dark

When I was involved in the broadcast news business I came to a conclusion. The second lowest form of life is the "anonymous source". The lowest form of life are those who print what they say.

We have come to expect such underhanded tactics in the secular world. But the sad fact is the same hit and run, shoot from the shadows approach is doing land office business in Christian circles in our day.

Over the last year or so I have had the dubious experience of seeing the good names of bona fide men of God dragged through the media mud. I won't dignify these attacks by including a link, but you won't have to look long or hard to find them. In these cases, the people whose names were featured prominently in newspaper stories, blogs and even television broadcasts weren't just high profile people we see and admire from afar. They were people I know and love personally. People who took the time to make a lasting difference in my life. They were (and are) my friends.

It's one thing to see men who truly love God and His Word trashed in the media. It's another to see that the majority of the criticisms leveled against them come from "inside sources", "those who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals", and the ever popular "unnamed former leader/staff member/elder".

All these are merely important sounding synonyms for what we could call "spiritual snipers" - those who do their damage by firing away from a distance, under cover, safely hidden in the shadows.

But the shots they fire do their damage. They create untold hurt in the hearts of their intended targets, as well as their families. They also give the secular world another reason to dismiss the message of Jesus. After observing the carnage of the Hundred Years War between Catholics and Protestants in Europe, the skeptics of the day were known to sneer, "Behold! How these Christians love one another!" 

Well, don't look now, but the sneering continues.

Perhaps the most heart breaking aspect of this phenomenon is how absolutely unnecessary it is. There is no doubt that there are problems in the church today. The old saying is true - If you ever find a perfect church, don't join it or you will ruin the whole thing. God doesn't demand perfection among his people either individually or corporately. But He does desire progression - that we learn to deal with problems in a healthy and scriptural way.

What is the Biblical way of dealing with dust ups among God's people? Consider two basic Scriptures that can lead us to reconciliation instead of resentment in our walk with God.

“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother." (Matthew 18:15)

Notice the method of dealing with problems among believers. We are to go personally and privately to that individual, with the goal of seeing God's best become a reality in their life. It doesn't say "Call a press conference". It doesn't say contact the editor of a newspaper. It doesn't say form a grumble group of soured saints so you can all agree that some person isn't just wrong, but evil.

Go to the person. Go individually. Go prayerfully. If you don't care enough to talk with that person one on one - you don't care enough to say anything on the subject. One of the most practical pieces of advice I have received in my ministry career concerns how I deal with letters that are sent to me as a pastor and radio host. When I open them, the first thing I look for is to see if they are signed. If they aren't, I deposit them where the belong - in the "circular file". If we aren't willing to personally stand for what we are saying, maybe it's because we don't have a leg to stand on.

Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:1-2)

Here we see the motivation we need to effectively deal with problems among believers. Correction shouldn't be a game of spiritual "Gotcha!" 

God took a particularly dim view of the sin sniffing ways of the Scribes and Pharisees of Jesus' day, especially their tendency to place heavy burdens on men's backs and not lift a finger to help them (Matthew 23:4). 

One of the greatest challenges of the Christian life is to say no to the pull of anger and resentment and to go to a brother or sister who has offended us. But this is the path to true healing.

When I was on staff at Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa I was involved in a regular Thursday night basketball game. One night a new guy showed up. He was driving me crazy because he had committed two grievous sins. He was running his mouth while he was running circles around me on the court.

After three games of hearing him "talk smack" while raining three pointers on my head, I had had enough. I stormed off the court and began to do the slow burn of self righteous indignation. Since misery loves company, I soon found another brother whose view of the "new guy" was just as dim as mine. Oh, the fellowship we find in a good old fashioned pity party!

The fellow who was in charge of the gym picked up on our grousing and asked what was wrong.

"I don't know, man. It's the new guy. I come here because I want to play with people who act like Christians. If I wanted that kind of attitude I would be playing in a secular league." My similarly disgruntled friend nodded in agreement.

Then my friend who ran the gym said something that made my blood run cold.

"Well, why don't we go over and talk to him about it?"

I have to confess this was the last thing my wounded fallen nature wanted to do. But I had to admit my friend was right.

We got the new guy's attention and he came bouncing over. "Whassup?"

"Um, well..." I mumbled. "The way you were talking in the game..I thought it was really out of line, and I just wanted to tell you that.."

I fully expected to hear a laugh and more less than helpful critiques of my jump shot. But what I saw shocked me.

Here stood "the new guy", completely humbled.

"Oh, man. I'm so sorry. I just became a Christian about a year ago, and sometimes I fall back into my old habits. Could you forgive me? I really was out of line."

I stood there stunned. The "new guy's" attitude of genuine contrition blew me away.

We became friends, and the "new guy" went on to pastor a church.

That is the power of taking God's Word seriously and practically. It's the last thing we want to do, and the first thing we need to do.

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:1-3)

Scott's Blog 2/16/07

Is God Still In The Miracle Business?

One of the most frequently asked questions that comes my way on Scott Richards Live has to do with signs and wonders. In Christian circles there seems to be a rising tide of confusion concerning God's ability or willingness to intervene in the day to day course of life.

And let's face it, when we see the ministry of Jesus we see the miraculous - storms are stopped, demons are disposed of, loaves and fishes multiply. And then there are healings. Lots and lots of hopeless physical circumstances and ailments instantly and completely cured.

When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:


      “ He Himself took our infirmities
      And bore our sicknesses." (Matthew 8:16-17)

We also know that this kind of powerful demonstration of God's presence didn't end with Jesus' death, resurrection and ascension into Heaven. Jesus Himself made this intriguing statement:

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father." (John 14:12)

The book of Acts provides vivid testimony that the early church saw miracles up to and including people being raised from the dead!

At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did. But it happened in those days that she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. And since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them. Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them. But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive. And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord. (Acts 9:36-42)

There is no doubt that God moved in incredible power in the early church. But the big question is, what about now? 

The Bible tells us that the same power of the Holy Spirit that was with the early church is with us today.

And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call." (Acts 2:38-39)

So where are the signs and wonders? The simple answer is, the power of God is evident around us if we simply pay attention. Consider this eye opening story posted by the Associated Press last week.

Teen's Heart Beats Again 4 Days After Stopping

NEW YORK (AP) - Daniel Walker was on his final lap jogging in his high school gym class when he collapsed, his flawed heart giving out on him.

More than four days later, his heart at a standstill, kept alive by a bypass machine, it began beating again. The 17-year-old's parents called it divine intervention. His physicians were no less amazed.

"I've been a surgeon for 10 years, and this is probably one of the most incredible things I've ever seen," said Dr. Abeel Mangi, one of Walker's cardiac surgeons at New York-Presbyterian Hospital Columbia.

Walker's father described his son's recovery in spiritual terms. "God turned around, put His hand on my son, and recharged him," said William Walker, 58, a retired sanitation worker.

His son's ordeal began January 19 when he collapsed in gym class. The younger Walker suffered from a rare congenital heart flaw that left his coronary artery pinched, giving him only 10 percent of normal heart capacity. He was shuttled to two hospitals before finding himself at Columbia, waiting for a heart transplant, attached to the bypass machine.

Walker's cardiac surgeons said they could not account for the young man's recovery.

"It's a miracle," Mangi said. "There's really no other way to put it."

Two days after it began to beat on its own, surgeons were able to fix the flaw in Walker's heart, increasing its capacity to 60 percent.

Did God intervene here? The Walker family certainly thinks so. The cardiac surgery team certainly thinks so. But how many of us were even aware of such a  heart stopping miracle taking place (pardon the pun)?

The account reminded me of another example of divine intervention that hit very close to home for my family.

My father, Dick Richards, was diagnosed with lymphoma back in 1994. It was around a year ago that he finally lost his fight with cancer. But during this battle, around 6 years ago, something remarkable happened.

It was a Friday afternoon when I got a call from my Dad. He told me that his oncologist had told him they had found a three inch long lymphoma tumor on his adrenal gland. The prognosis wasn't good. In fact the doctor had told my Dad that he probably didn't have long to live.

At that point I asked my Dad if I could pray for him.

You need to understand that at this point, my father wasn't a Christian. In fact, my decision to go into the ministry had created quite a rift in our relationship.

He stumbled a bit and finally said , "Sure. Why not?"

So we prayed. I can't say it was a long, or eloquent prayer. I simply asked God to heal my Dad according to His will.

Four days later I got another call.

"Thank you so much for praying for me!"

"No problem. What happened?"

He told me that he went back for a follow up session with his oncologist. The had taken another MRI to see how far the cancer had progressed.

The oncologist looked at my Dad and asked, "Mr. Richards, are you a religious man?"

He replied, "Um, I guess. Why do you ask?"

The doctor showed my Dad the original MRI with the three inch lymphoma tumor prominently displayed on the read out. He then showed him the follow up taken the previous Friday. 

The tumor had vanished.

The doctor said, "This kind of reversal simply doesn't happen. So I wanted to ask you, are you a religious man?"

My Dad profusely thanked me for praying, but I was careful to emphasize to him that it wasn't my prayer that made the difference. It was God. He really loved my Dad and wanted him to know it.

Now as I mentioned earlier, my Dad passed away last year. But not before giving his life to Christ. At his memorial I was able to share this remarkable story, and that we had great comfort in knowing that Dick Richards was with the Lord now, completely healed.

At that moment I think I understood what Jesus meant when He said we would do greater things than even the miracles that took place in His earthly ministry. I thank the Lord that He gave us five more years with my Dad as a result of this divine intervention. But I thank God even more for the greater miracle of salvation that took place in my Dad's heart.

God is still in the miracle working business. Sometimes, you've just got to know where to look.

Scott's Blog 2/15/07

Does Jesus Love Osama?

"For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."                    ( I Corinthians 1:18)

Any Bible believing Christian who has sat through a class at a local college or university can think of countless illustrations of this Scripture. tell the class you believe in Cosmic Muffin or the worship of citrus fruit and you will be congratulated for your deep spirituality and broadmindedness. But have the nerve to simply state "I believe 'God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life.'" - and get ready to duck. 

There is no doubt about the fact that a simple statement of Scriptural truth isn't the best way to make friends and influence people these days. In fact, the clearer and more relevant we make the expression of God's truth, the more likely we will see an uproar in response.

Consider just such a provocative proclamation that took place recently in Sydney, Australia.

Home > News & Blogs Churches in Australia Criticized for 'Jesus Loves Osama' Sign Associated Press   SYDNEY , Australia , Feb. 1 - A sign saying "Jesus Loves Osama" outside some churches in Australia drew criticism from the prime minister and other religious leaders on Thursday, though they conceded it was probably true according to Christian beliefs.   One sign outside the Central Baptist Church in downtown Sydney also had a smaller footnote saying "Jesus said: `Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.'" Several other churches in the city had similar signs urging prayers for Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaida terrorist leader, according to local media.   A photograph of the sign was published in The Daily Telegraph newspaper on Thursday, prompting debate about whether it was a suitable message.   Prime Minister John Howard said something else would have been better.   "I understand the Christian motivation of the Baptist church," Howard told reporters. "But I hope they will understand that a lot of Australians, including many Australian Christians, will think that the prayer priority of the church on this occasion could have been elsewhere."   Anglican Archbishop Peter Jensen said churches that posted the sign were obviously trying to illustrate Christian teaching that God loves everybody, no matter how evil their sins, but that he found the sign "a bit misleading" and potentially offensive.   "There is a truth in it," Jensen told the Southern Cross Broadcasting network. But, "what we've got to say is, `Jesus doesn't approve of Osama.' It makes it sounds like, `Oh, Osama's doing the right thing.'"   Officials from the Central Baptist Church were not immediately available to comment, but the Telegraph quoted spokeswoman Hy Lam as saying, "Osama is the head of terrorism. We are saying that Jesus Christ loves everyone in the world, even this man. ... All we are doing is sharing the gospel."

Boldly declaring that God loves the mastermind of the murder of 3,000 innocent people on 9-11 is certainly an attention getter. But is it accurate?

Consider this declaration of God's radical love.

For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.  For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. (Romans 5:6-10)

There is little room for doubt that Osama bin Laden, in his current condition is nothing less than an enemy of God. But that doesn't mean that bin Laden's sin is greater than God's love.

In the 1800's there was a man named Colonel Robert Ingersoll who hated God. He devoted himself to traveling the country with a kind of crusade for atheism. Ever the show man Ingersoll would wow the crowds with his showmanship. He would wind up his presentation with a killer illustration. 

"God knows I am his enemy. If He is real, I give him 60 seconds to strike me dead on this stage!"

The crowd would ooh and ahh. The Colonel would begin his count down.

5..4..3..2..1..Zero.

And there would stand the colonel, looking fit as a fiddle. 

The illustration was used with great impact until one evening when a Christian minister was there for Ingersoll's presentation.

At the end of the count down, the crowd roared its approval. But then the minister turned and cried out to the audience -

"Only a fool would believe he can exhaust the patience of God in one minute."

I believe it is equally foolish to believe that a man can exhaust the love of God with one sinful action.

There is a precedent for this. Consider a man who believed it was his religious duty to exterminate Christianity. He would not only combat this faith he despised philosophically, but also physically - persecuting and taking the lives of believers. He literally lived and breathed to destroy faith in Jesus.

Until he met Him.

Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.  Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”
Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads." (Acts 9:1-5)

This former enemy of Jesus went on to write the majority of the New Testament and preached the faith he once tried to wreck with incredible effectiveness. We know him as the Apostle Paul.

Could Osama bin Laden be reached by the love of Jesus? Could a man like this use his influence to save the lives of people instead of destroying them?

With God, all things are possible.

There is no doubt Jesus died for Osama bin Laden. There is no doubt that He loves this destructive and misguided man. Let's pray that God so touches the life of Osama that he learns to love the true and living God as well.

Scott's Blog 2/14/07

An Insider's View of the Last Days

If you are a regular reader of Scott's Blog you know the name Joel Rosenberg. We are excited to let you know that Joel will be a live in studio guest on Scott Richards Live in the next few weeks. Joel was recently a guest speaker at Calvary Chapel of Albuquerque. His message "Are We Living In the Last Days?" was one of the most powerful and well researched presentations on prophecy I have heard in quite a while. Joel has followed up with another talk that is so on target we wanted to give each of you the chance to benefit from it. Simply follow the link and be prepared to be blown away!

WEBCAST: HOW SHOULD CHRISTIANS RESPOND TO MIDEAST CRISES?

This weekend -- amidst rapidly rising tensions with Iran and riots on the Temple Mount -- I had the privilege of speaking to the 12,000 people who attend the four church services at Calvary Chapel of Albuquerque. When I was there last fall, I spoke on Ezekiel 38-39 and Matthew 24 and the question of "Are we living in the last days?" This time, I spoke on Matthew 25, and the question of "how shall we live in the last days?" I explained the details of The Joshua Fund's new strategy to bless Israel and her neighbors with humanitarian relief supplies and shared how people can get involved in a global movement of evangelical Christians to touch the lives of the people in the epicenter with the love of Jesus. The sermons were broadcast on radio on stations throughout New Mexico and nationwide, and webcast worldwide. I hope you'll find it encouraging. The God of the Bible is on the move, and He offers good news amidst all the bad news coming out of the Mideast right now.

To watch the webcast, please click here.JOEL C. ROSENBERG

About Me

Name:Joel Rosenberg

Location:Washington, D.C., United States

Joel C. Rosenberg is the New York Times best-selling author of THE LAST JIHAD (2002), THE LAST DAYS (2003), THE EZEKIEL OPTION (2005), and THE COPPER SCROLL (2006) with more than one million copies in print. THE EZEKIEL OPTION was named by the ECPA as the Gold Medallion winner of the "Best Novel of 2006." Joel previously served as a senior advisor to several U.S. and Israeli leaders, including Steve Forbes, Rush Limbaugh, former Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Natan Sharansky, and former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He has been interviewed on more than 300 radio and TV shows, including ABC's "Nightline," CNN, CNN Headline News, C-SPAN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, The History Channel, the Michael Reagan Show, the Rush Limbaugh Show and the Sean Hannity Show. Joel's first non-fiction book, EPICENTER: Why The Current Rumblings In The Middle East Will Change Your Future, was released September 18, 2006.

"But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." (Luke 21:28)

Scott's Blog - 2/13/07

The Final Solution Part II?

One of the saddest impacts of the presence of evil in this world is its impact on our vocabulary. The '90's gave us a brand new term for organized human behavior at its lowest - "Ethnic Cleansing." A coalition of nations stepped in when Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic attempted to exterminate people of Albanian extraction who had the nerve to live in his nation. 

Unfortunately, the same kind of thinking is now being applied to believers in Christ in the country of Myanmar (formerly Burma).

Report: Burma Plans to Wipe Out Christianity

By

Ethan Cole

Christian Post Reporter

A leaked secret document claims to reveal plans by the Burmese military regime to wipe out Christianity in the southeast Asian country.

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The document, titled “Program to Destroy the Christian Religion in Burma,” was shown to the U.K.-based Telegraph newspaper on Sunday by human rights groups.

Inside the memo were detailed instructions on how to force Christians out of the country, according to Telegraph.

Instructions included imprisoning any person caught evangelizing, capitalizing on the fact that Christianity is a non-violent religion.

“The Christian religion is very gentle,” read the letter, according to Telegraph, “Identify and utilize its weakness.”

Burma, also known as Myanmar, has a Christian population of about four percent, according to the CIA World Factbook. Persecution against Christians have come in the form of church burnings, forced conversion to the state religion of Buddhism, and banning children of Christians from school.

Attacks against Christians are part of the government’s larger campaign against ethnic minorities, according to human rights groups. In eastern Burma, over 3,000 villages have been destroyed or abandoned in the past 10 years, according to the human rights group WITNESS. In the past year, an estimated 27,000 members of the predominantly Christian Karen tribe were forced from their homes in eastern Burma, according to Telegraph.

The Burmese regime has denied drafting the document, but has made no public attempt to renounce its contents, reported the U.K. newspaper.

Burma expelled most of its Christian mission back in 1966 and the repressive military regime continues to this day to control religious activities in the country.

The Chin and Kachin ethnic groups, in which 90 percent of the population is Christian, are severely persecuted by Burma’s pro-Buddhist military regime.

Reports have exposed that Christians are forced by the regime to tear down crosses and churches and replace them with Buddhist pagodas and statues. Christian Chin and Kachin women are raped, and children from Christian families are taken from their parents and placed into monasteries to become novice monks under the false pretense of sending the children to receive a good education. The parents are not told that their children are being sent to a monastery and in some cases the parents never see their child again.

Christians are also forced to contribute financially to Buddhist projects.

Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship, recalls in a recent column that “for many years, crosses dotted the mountaintops and villages of the Chin’s homeland.” However, now there are no crosses left on the mountaintops. Instead, the Chin and other Burmese Christian have become the “preferred targets of one of the world’s most brutal regimes.”

Representatives of the Chin and Kachin peoples have recently met with high ranking U.S.officials,(including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ) to raise awareness of the brutal practices of the Myanmar regime. If it was considered a worthy endeavor to protect the ethnic Albanians from the genocidal plans of Slobodan Milosevic, surely every form of diplomatic and economic pressure should be brought to bear on the flagrant state sponsored human rights violations leveled against people whose only crime is to love Jesus. 

Pray for our hurting brothers and sisters in Myanmar, and if the Lord should so lead, contact your congressional representatives and express your concern about their plight.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. (I Peter 5:8-10)

Scott's Blog - 2/12/07

Origin of the Specious?

When we think of the life stories we would expect to see celebrated in church, people like Abraham or Daniel, Peter or Paul tend to come to mind. We would most likely expect to see the life of Jesus highlighted on Sunday morning.

But if a growing number of churches have their way another well known personality will take center stage on Sunday morning -

Charles Darwin.

I'm not kidding.

Churches Reconcile Evolution, Creation Ahead of Darwin's Birthday

Evolution and creation, two belief systems often pitted against one another, were celebrated side by side in hundreds of churches on Evolution Sunday. The annual observance took place a day ahead of Darwin’s birthday and was a time for some churches to reconcile the religious and scientific explanations on the origin of life. Instead of rejecting one interpretation in support of another, some churches have declared that evolution and creation can co-exist.

“Science answers the questions ‘How ...?’ Religion answers the question ‘Why …?’” said Rev. Noreen Suriner, pastor of Trinity Memorial Episcopal Church in Binghamton, N.Y, according to the Press & Sun-Bulletin. “They are two different questions, but they are not mutually exclusive. We can embrace both.”

As many as 596 congregations in 50 states had opted to celebrate Evolution Sunday, according to organizers of the observance.

Evolution Sunday began from a statement signed by academics and clergy in support of teaching evolution in public schools in 2004.

Michael Zimmerman, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Butler University and key organizer of the project, said “science is very real and there’s no reason to believe it conflicts with basic Christianity or any other religion,” according to the Press & Sun-Bulletin.

Some Christian scientists joining the evolution-creation debate, called for a closer examination of the science behind the creation story to resolve the conflict between evolution and creation.

The project has garnered more than 10,000 signatures from clergies – mainly from mainline denominations – according to the project’s website.

Evolution, however, has not been welcomed by all Christians.

In Kenya, tempers are rising over a prehistoric skeleton set to be a main feature at an upcoming exhibit at the famed National Museum of Kenya.

Kenyan evangelical leaders are condemning the display, saying that it promotes the idea that evolution is real and corrupts children that will visit the exhibit.

“I did not evolve from Turkana Boy or anything like it,” says Bishop Boniface Adoyo, head of the nine million-membered Evangelical Alliance of Kenya, according to The Associated Press. “These sorts of silly views are killing our faith.”

U.S. Christian think-tank, The Discovery Institute, which some consider the hub for the intelligent design movement, has also been known for challenging Darwin’s teaching. It has described Evolution Sunday as “the height of hypocrisy.”

A statement on the group’s website read:

“Darwinists are hypocrites for claiming – falsely – that opposite to Darwinism is merely faith-based, and then turning around and trying to make the case the Darwinism itself is faith-based,” wrote Discovery Institute president Bruce Chapman.

A survey by the Pew Form on Religion & Public Life in 2005 found that nearly half, 48 percent, of Americans believe life evolved over time, but of those, 18 percent think that evolution was guided by a Supreme Being. The survey also found that 42 percent believe life has always existed in its present form, in other words, no evolution occurred.

“It is not un-Christian at all to believe God may have used evolution to develop all of creation,” said the Rev. Ronald Wenzinger, according to Press & Sun-Bulletin.

There are many issues and insights we could explore in this article. But perhaps the most important one for biblically serious believers to wrestle with is the final line. Is it possible to reconcile the God we see revealed in the Scriptures with an evolutionary understanding of our origins?

As much as many are being lead to believe this is the way to take the high road intellectually, there are some serious, even insurmountable road blocks in the way.

The god of an old earth

Does the Bible teach that disease, bloodshed, violence and pain have always been ‘part of life’?

by Ken Ham

The late Carl Sagan, in his book Contact, wrote:

‘If God is omnipotent and omniscient, why didn’t he start the universe out in the first place so it would come out the way he wants? Why is he constantly repairing and complaining? No, there’s one thing the Bible makes clear: The biblical God is a sloppy manufacturer. He’s not good at design, he’s not good at execution. He’d be out of business if there was any competition.’¹

It’s easy to understand why Carl Sagan viewed the God of the Bible this way. Sagan believed that the fossil record, with all its death, mutations, disease, suffering, bloodshed and violence, represented millions of years of Earth’s history. He also saw a world full of death, mutations, disease, suffering, bloodshed and violence today. So he concluded that any ‘god’ responsible for this seeming mess of life and death could not be all-powerful and all-knowing.

Sagan’s view of God is consistent with his belief in an old earth. Once one accepts billions of years for the age of the earth, whether because of belief in slow and gradual processes to form rocks and fossils — and/or a trust in radiometric dating methods as giving accurate ages of rocks² — it follows that the fossil record was laid down during hundreds of millions of years, before there were any people (and thus before human sin).

However, the fossil record is not a pretty one! It shows evidence of animals eating each other,³ of diseases like cancer in their bones,⁴ of violence,⁴ of plants with thorns⁵ and so on.

Sagan’s writings show he was familiar with Genesis. What must he have thought when he read that at the end of the sixth day of creation, God pronounced that everything He had made was very good (Genesis 1:31)? How could a very good earth contain diseases like cancer? Didn’t the Bible state that thorns came after the curse because of Adam’s sin (Genesis 3:18)?

Sagan is not the only one to recognize the true nature of the god of an old earth. Irven DeVore, a Harvard anthropologist, said:

‘I personally cannot discern a shred of evidence for a benign cosmic presence … I see indifference and capriciousness. What kind of God works with a 99.9 percent extinction rate?’ ⁶

DeVore recognizes that the fossil record is one of massive extinction. If this has stretched over millions of years, enormous numbers of creatures have become extinct — without such a reason as a Flood judgment on man’s wickedness. What kind of god would create such a scenario? The god of an old earth can’t be a loving God.

The issue was a major one for Charles Darwin, too.⁷ How could a God of love allow such horrible processes as disease, suffering and death for millions of years?

The fact is that the message of the Bible is absolutely incompatible with Darwinian evolution. Either God is good and the creation has been rendered hostile and death dominated because of man's sin, or God is at best inefficient, incompetent or outright sadistic. We can't have it both ways.

I will never forget how this point was driven home to me from a very unlikely source. 

I have used my membership at a local health club to make some friendships over the years. One friend, a retired lawyer, is also a professing spiritual skeptic. Since I was raised by a lawyer and always enjoy a spirited exchange of ideas, we had gotten into some pretty substantial discussions concerning the trustworthiness of the Bible. 

One day I was running on the treadmill when my friend came up to me looking cat that ate the canary pleased with himself.

"Hey! I was just talking with a pastor in the sauna. He told me there was no problem believing in the Bible and evolution!"

I rolled my eyes and prepared for another round in our on going debate. But then, my friend shocked me.

Shaking his head he said, "That made me sick!"

I stopped the treadmill. "Why is that?"

"Well, anyone can see that the Bible never teaches evolution. I've read Genesis before and even I know that it just isn't there. I totally disagree with your position, but at least you are consistent!"

When believers try to curry favor with a Christ rejecting intelligentsia that follows a philosophy firmly rooted in a denial of the supernatural we end up undermining our confidence in Christ and leave the world completely unimpressed.

Don't look for Charles Darwin to show up in stained glass any time soon.

Scott's Blog - 2/09/07

Number One In Our Hearts?

Did you know the fittest city in America is....

(Drum roll please!)

Albuquerque, New Mexico!

Albuquerque Tops Fittest City List

SUE MAJOR HOLMES
Associated Press Writer

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -- Albuquerque's mayor says the city has a lot of options to keep people fit - everything from gyms to hiking and biking.

And because of those options, "Albuquerque is a very fit city," Mayor Martin Chavez said.

New Mexico's largest city was listed as the fittest city in the United States in March's issue of Men's Fitness magazine, up from a 13th-place showing last year.

"Albuquerque is turned on, and recognition like this just fuels that phenomenon," Chavez said. "Nothing succeeds like success, or I guess you could say nothing is better than fitness."

The magazine's nonscientific survey of 50 cities listed Seattle as No. 2 in the most-fit rankings, followed by Colorado Springs; Minneapolis; Tucson, Ariz.; Denver; San Francisco; Baltimore; Portland, Ore.; and Honolulu.

It's Top 10 fattest cities are Las Vegas, Nev., up from No. 2 last year; San Antonio, Texas; Miami; Mesa, Ariz.; Los Angeles; Houston; Dallas; El Paso, Texas; Detroit; and San Jose, Calif.

Now I don't bring this to your attention merely because three of these cities are part of our Scott Richards Live Network of Stations (KNKT Albuquerque, KGMS Tucson, and KLHT Honolulu), but because it also raises an issue that is rarely discussed in Christian circles.

How's your temple, these days?

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. (I Corinthians 6:18-20)

I have often heard this passage used as a way to encourage believers to not get caught up in habits and practices that end up being detrimental to our health. I heard one pastor declare that the reason he didn't smoke is because he wouldn't run into the Lord's temple and paint tar on the walls.

But we rarely hear a similar word of encouragement about being over weight and out of shape. I mean, would we want to run into the Lord's temple and smear Crisco on the walls? Would I let the Lord's temple fall into ruins because of a lack of proper use?

Keeping an eye on what we eat and getting involved in a plan of moderate regular exercise is not only good for us, but has definite spiritual implications. 

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1)

There is no area of our life that the Lord isn't concerned about, including our physical well being.

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. (I Thessalonians 5:23-24)

Getting in shape is a great way to say thank you to the Lord who has given us the gift of life!

Scott's Blog - 2/08/07

Life After Life?

It has been said we should be concerned about the future since we all have to live there some day. And no matter who we know, how much we have in the bank or where we live, we all share one common event written into our daily planner on a yet to be revealed date. As George Bernard Shaw once observed, "The statistics on death are quite impressive. One out of one people die."

While our life stories seem to unfold in an almost snowflake like uniqueness, they all will end in the same way - with the last breath we take on this Earth. 

So what happens next?

One of the most commonly asked questions on Scott Richards Live pertains to this intensely practical and personal issue. The good news is God hasn't left us in the dark concerning our eternal destiny as believers.

Our Spiritual Destiny

The first key truth we must understand is that for the believer, death is not an end but a glorious beginning. One of the most specific and beautifully clarifying previews of what lies ahead for us is found in II Corinthians 5:1-8.

For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.  For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven,  if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked.  For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.  Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.  For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

It is important to grasp some key insights here. First, this life we lead now in these fallen and fragile bodies is like living in a tent. Now I have done my share of camping, and for the first few days it's fun and different - an adventure. But by day four or so, I find myself dreaming of things like air conditioning, refrigerators and indoor plumbing.

Now imagine living in a tent, not for 7 days, but 70 years. After awhile that tent would lose the ability to keep the elements at bay. Living in a tent that long would be a bummer and a burden. And the longer we live in 'this tent", our physical body, the more the analogy seems to fit. 

But notice as well there is a construction project going on - we are being prepared to inhabit "a building from God not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." Jesus described this blessing in John 14.

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." (John 14:1-3)

Eternal life will be the ultimate upgrade. Imagine living in a state without pain, decay, disease or death. It's hard to grasp for those of us whose lives are defined by such things, but this blessing awaits us when we see Jesus.

Notice another important detail. The entry into this blessed state is instantaneous. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

I don't know if you have ever been with a loved one at the moment they passed away. My first experience was when my grand father, Ralph Osborne passed away. Seeing him five minutes before and then immediately after he died I was awestruck by what a real thing the human soul really is. As I looked on his body, I could see that everything that had made this man my Grandad was clearly absent. And it had all happened in an instant.

The same will be true for you and me. We will not go into some cosmic waiting room, or a spiritual sleeping lounge. We will be present with Jesus, right where He is. This same hope was shared by our Lord with a classic example of a last minute conversion.

Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”
But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." (Luke 23:39-43)

Jesus didn't say, "Don't worry. You are going to sleep now. But in a few thousand years I will wake you up." The spiritual connection we have with Jesus is permanent and will know no interruption. We have His Word on it.

There is one point that leads to some confusion among believers. It is found in a description of the Rapture in I Thessalonians chapter 4.

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. (I Thessalonians 4:13-18)

So what about all this talk about "those who have fallen asleep". Who then are these "dead in Christ" who will rise first before those who are alive at the time of the Rapture?

I believe the answer is as close as your nearest funeral home. In case you hadn't noticed whether a person is a believer or a non believer, when they die, their soul may leave, but the body stays put. We even say things at memorials like, "Oh, they look so peaceful, just like they were asleep." 

In a real way, we are right. The body, not the soul, does in a sense "sleep". It is no longer conscious or in touch with the living world. If you've ever tried to rouse someone who is "dead tired", you get a glimpse of this truth. The Bible tells us there will come a time when the physical body will be resurrected, reconstituted and roused by God. I Thessalonians indicates that although those who have passed on are consciously present with Jesus, at the time of the Rapture they will be given a "Resurrection Body" that will allow them to relate again to the physical world we live in.

Why wait for the Rapture? Simply because those who have passed into the presence of God, though spiritually alive and aware, have no need to relate to this physical world we live in. But after the Rapture we are told that Jesus will return with all His people. At that time we will need a body that can relate to this world again and God will abundantly provide it.

Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him." (Jude 14-15)

At that time we will be glorified, perfected, never to know sin or pain again. But like our Lord following His resurrection we will be able to relate to people and things in this world, and the new world Jesus will create after His 1,000 year reign (See Revelation 21 for that glorious prospect!).

God has our future covered. From our first breath to our last, and beyond He will be faithful and will bless us in ways we can't begin to understand. No wonder David wrote these joyful words.

Scott's Blog - 2/07/07

How Much Is Enough?

Have you ever got into a discussion with a conspiracy theory buff? Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the experience is that whether the person believes that man never landed on the moon, or that moon men are really running congress (Insert your own "That would explain a lot!" joke here), their point of view seems to be absolutely impervious to any logical argument. 

You may have found yourself responding to the discussion by shaking your head and saying, "How much proof do you need? What would it take to change your mind?"

More often than not, when we encounter a "Don't confuse me with the facts, my mind is made up!" situation we walk away thinking, "Wow! How much proof is enough?"

I couldn't help but think of a conversation with a conspiracy kook or two when I read the latest dispatch from Tehran.

Iran challenges Europe to hand over Holocaust 'proof'

Feb 06 5:36 AM US/Eastern

An Iranian government-sponsored body set up to probe the veracity of the Holocaust has challenged Europe to hand over documents about the mass slaughter of Jews in World War II.

Mohammad Ali Ramin, the head of the "World Holocaust Foundation" created after Iran's controversial Holocaust conference last year, said Austria, Germany and Poland in particular should supply documents.

"They should hand over the proof for the dossier on the organized massacre of Jews in Europe during World War II to the independent international fact-finding committee affiliated to this foundation," the IRNA state news agency quoted him as saying on Tuesday.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ordered the creation of the foundation after inviting a number of controversial revisionist Holocaust researchers to a conference in Tehran in December that caused an international outcry.

Ahmadinejad has repeatedly questioned the scale of the Holocaust, described the mass killing of six million Jews in World War II as a "myth" and also called for Israel to be "wiped from the map".

The foreign researchers invited to the conference -- some of whom have criminal records at home -- gave papers claiming the Holocaust never happened on the scale assumed by the vast majority of historians.

Mainstream historians specialising in the Third Reich counter there is ample documentary proof that around six million Jews were killed by the Nazis in World War II although some estimates put the figure slightly higher or lower.

The UN General Assembly last month unanimously approved a US-proposed resolution condemning denial of the Holocaust, in a move diplomats said was directly aimed at Iran's stance.

What the supposed search for the truth in Tehran illustrates is that philosophy usually trumps proof. What would satisfy this supposed search for the truth? The testimony of Holocaust survivors? The word of the men who liberated the death camps? Documents like the infamous Wannsee Protocols that detailed the horrors of Hitler's "Final Solution"? How much proof would be enough? 

This phenomenon is never more clearly on display than when skeptics declare, "There is no proof that God exists!" Author, scientist and peace advocate Bertrand Russell was once asked what he would say if after death he met the God he spent his life denying. He replied, "I would say, "Sir, why did you not make Your existence more evident?"

The question Bertrand Russell may very well have heard in response is simple, yet searching, "How much would have been enough?"

When we look around we see awesome design and consistency in the creation that demands a designer.

When we look within we see an insatiable need for purpose and meaning in this life, and a persistent curiosity about the next. This would be strange indeed if all we are is a cosmic accident.

When we look back in history we see that God has settled the issue by walking among us in the Person of Jesus Christ.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:12)

More than enough evidence for any fair enquirer.

But as they say, "A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still."

Scott's Blog - 2/06/07

Love That Lasts?

The question has been asked many times in many ways.

"Will you still love me tomorrow?"

A recent archeological discovery reveals two people who certainly answered in the affirmative.

Their loving embrace has lasted an eternity - well 5000 years to be precise

It is the city where the exiled Romeo dreamed he died and Juliet's kisses breathed life back into his body.

Tragically, the lifeless bodies of Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers would soon lie side by side.

Yesterday at Mantua, in an amazing echo of that heartrending story, archaeologists revealed the discovery of a couple locked in a tender embrace, one that has endured for more than 5,000 years.

The find was unearthed by experts digging at a neolithic site at a less than romantic industrial estate. Scientists are to examine the skeletons to try to establish how old they were when they died and how long they have been buried.

It is likely that we will never know the circumstances that lead this couple to end life in each other's arms. But it does seem apparent that they were willing to walk together until the very end - till death did them part.

Paul wrote,

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;  does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
 Love never fails. (I Corinthians 13:4-8)

The legacy this couple left was one of commitment, a love that defined the words "for better or worse, to love and to cherish till death do us part."

What relationship legacy are we leaving for future generations?

Scott's Blog - 2/05/07

Are We the "Good Guys"?

When I was growing up it was always easy to tell the good guys from the bad. 

Black cowboy hat? Bad.

Pasty complexion and oily mustache? Bad.

German army helmet? Bad.

Horse named "Trigger"? Good.

Utility belt complete with "Bat-Alphabet Soup Container"? Good.

General Issue khaki uniform and a two day growth of stubble? Good.

Cold War Commissar pounding table with shoe? Bad.

G.Q. Magazine poster boy/president saving us from nuclear war? Good.

In 1963 it wasn't hard to discern between heroes and villains. Nowadays, it ain't so clear. 

When President Bush made the call to depose a ruthless dictator who both had and used WMD's on his neighbors and his own people, and had violated UN resolutions 17 times, over 70% of us agreed that we, "the good guys", had to rid the world of the threat.

Get rid of Saddam?

 Light versus darkness. Good versus evil. Open and shut. "We are behind you Mr. President! We support our troops!"

But add a few years, a few bad decisions about how to win the peace, the failure to find the WMD's, and a couple of thousand casualties and the perspective has begun to blur. Under 40% think that what we are doing in Iraq is "the right thing". Politicians are now scrambling to say that if they had been president back in '02 things would have been different.

Since hind sight is 20/20, and America's most popular position is Monday Morning Quarterback, second guessing is the order of the day.

But here is the most essential question we must wrestle with - We are in Iraq. The situation is dangerous and discouraging. What do we do now?

No one seems to have an answer. But there is a spiritual principle in play that we need to take into account as we decide where we go from here.

Consider these comments from Chuck Colson.

The debate over the war in Iraq intensifies in Washington and across the nation day by day. Just last week, I was asked by the Washington Post and Newsweek magazine to respond to a question about the war on their “On Faith” website. The question was: Is the Iraq war just? It’s a question a lot of people continue to argue about. And it was a great question to ask in 2002. Now, in 2007, it’s not the right question. U.S. Army General George Casey, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, talks with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates (R), who is on a visit to a U.S. air base at Talil, southern Iraq, January 19. REUTERS/Andrew Gray (IRAQ) At the time when American troops were first committed to Iraq, the issue was whether the war met the Augustinian “Just War” tradition with its various criteria: like just cause, proper authority, right intention, etc. I believed that just war standards were met by the threat presented. There were precedents, as well, for a preemptive attack; as Sir Thomas More put it, “if any foreign prince takes up arms and prepares to invade their land, they immediately attack him in full force outside their own borders.” But it was a close call at the time, and particularly so now, in light of the failures of U.S. intelligence. But however the war started, the just war criteria are not in question now. In fact, in all the debate about pulling out our troops, no one is really asking the right question. For better or for worse, the United States made promises and commitments to the Iraqi people. So the question now is this: Is it morally acceptable for U.S. forces to leave Iraq in the midst of the bloodshed? I know what I’m about to say is not going to be a popular thing. But to pick up and leave would break the promises we have made to the Iraqi people, would leave hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians defenseless, would lead to massive chaos and bloodshed, and would be an act of moral dishonor. It would be akin to what the Allies did after World War II, when they abandoned Eastern Europe to the Soviets and returned millions of Russian refugees and POWs to lands occupied by the Red Army—even though the Allies knew that, for many, it meant death and, for the rest, tyranny. That was one of the most shameful chapters in the history of the West—an abandonment of our most fundamental moral principles. American policymakers must also consider the serious consequences for American security and for the security of our closest ally in the region, Israel. A total withdrawal now would only embolden al-Qaeda (which is active in Iraq and Afghanistan), and it would embolden Iran, whose president, a Holocaust-denier, has declared publicly and often that Israel must be wiped off the map. I believe that abandoning Iraq now could leave Israel’s very existence in question. As we weigh our moral responsibilities, we need to remember that Thomas Aquinas put the just war doctrine—the idea of government wielding the sword—under the heading of “Love” in his great Summa Theologiae. He did that because being willing to defend innocent civilians is an act of Christian charity. The job of government biblically is to wield the sword to preserve order and protect life. A policeman in the middle of a gun battle that starts during a robbery cannot just walk away when the shooting gets too heavy. It is his duty as a magistrate to stay and restore peace. Isn’t that the same position we are in now in Iraq? The politicians tell us we should bring our troops home, and everything will be just fine. Sadly, in a fallen world, it doesn’t work that way. The innocent will die.

Chuck Colson is the Chairman and Founder of BreakPoint and of Prison Fellowship Ministries.

Is Colson correct in his assessment? History provides a chilling analogy to support his case. Three million died in the bloody purges that followed our withdrawal from Viet Nam. 

So where do we go from here? People of good conscience and military expertise will disagree. 

But if we are going to continue to see ourselves as "the good guys", our involvement in Iraq must be based on more than our own national interests. It must be based upon a higher principle.

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3-4)

Stand up for those who can't yet stand for themselves? Good guy.

Cut and run when the going gets tough no matter who suffers? Bad guy.

Coldly turn a deaf ear to the cries of others? Bad guy.

Sacrificially decide to get involved? Good guy.

I wonder which history will judge us to be?

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