Osama

"Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles." - Proverbs 23:17

Given my active Twitter feed and constant monitoring of world news for my job, I found out about Osama bin Laden's death as soon as the news hit the wires. I stayed up and watched Obama announce it to the nation. I was a bit surprised at my reaction. I didn't rejoice. I didn't even feel a sense of justice although I certainly believe Osama got what he deserved in human terms. I did feel a lingering sadness. A sadness over a life used by Satan to produce evil and heartache and chaos...a life that most likely ended in eternal torment. I think a few years ago I would have been much more jubilant as the memories from the day of 9/11 remain very much imprinted on my mind. However, my continued spiritual growth and desire to see things more through God's eyes have shifted how I see and process the world around me. This proved to be a reminder of how much God has changed me.

I have included some other Biblically solid sources here that will hopefully help Christians and non-Christians alike process Osama's death and that of others that we deem to be evil.

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The Vatican’s statement will not jibe with many Americans, but I believe it is right. The Bible says: “As I live, says the Lord GOD, I swear I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, but rather in the wicked man’s conversion, that he may live” (Ezekiel 33:11). We should be glad that, as a direct result of his death, global terrorism will be set back (how much no one knows for sure) and global peace will be advanced. But, in accordance with the teaching of Jesus Christ (“You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you” [Matt. 5:43-44]) we should not rejoice at his death per se. Nor can we assume that his soul is in hell (though that wouldn’t be surprising), since God alone is Judge.

The Vatican said the killing of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, a man who sowed division and hatred and who caused “innumerable” deaths, should prompt serious reflection about one’s responsibility before God.

A Christian “never rejoices” in the face of a man’s death, the Vatican spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, said in a brief statement this morning. Here is an English translation of his statement:

Osama bin Laden, as we all know, bore the most serious responsibility for spreading divisions and hatred among populations, causing the deaths of innumerable people, and manipulating religions for this purpose.

In the face of a man’s death, a Christian never rejoices, but reflects on the serious responsibilities of each person before God and before men, and hopes and works so that every event may be the occasion for the further growth of peace and not of hatred.

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"When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers." Proverbs 21:15 - tweeted by Rick Warren

And yet, the Christian narrative is one in which we await and long for the complete restoration/reconciliation of all things to God. Any other “solution” to brokenness is second best and a form of brokenness itself.

Bin Laden’s death is one more death in a long chain of violence that began long before his birth and will continue long after his death. I hardly expect anyone in my social setting to sincerely lament his passing. I do not. But celebrating his death (or any death, really) is revealing of a profound misunderstanding of the nature of war, the nature of evil, the nature of violence, the nature of death and, I believe, the heart of God.

Nothing has been won. It is only another loss that can, for now, help some of us to feel better about the losses closer to us. But that’s not a victory. It’s a compromise.

Death ought always be greeted with a sense of sobriety. Because, though it may feel good (and that is fully understandable) death does not heal. Death does not solve. Death does not fix. Every death is a reminder of brokenness. As a Christian, I must hope for and celebrate something better than this.

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Question: "How should Christians react to the death of evil people?"

Answer: With the recent death of Osama bin Laden, many Christians are wondering how they should feel about such an event. Are we to rejoice/celebrate when evil people die / are killed? Interestingly, the authors of the Bible seem to have struggled with this issue as well, with different perspectives being presented in different passages.

First, there is Ezekiel 18:23, “’As surely as I live,’ declares the Lord God, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.’” Clearly, God does not take pleasure in the death of evil people. Why is this? Why wouldn’t a holy and righteous God take pleasure in evil people receiving the punishment they deserve? Ultimately, the answer would have to be that God knows the eternal destiny of evil people. God knows how horrible eternity in the lake of fire will be. Similar to Ezekiel 18:23, 2 Peter 3:9 states that God is “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” So, in terms of the eternal destiny of evil people, no, we should not rejoice at their eternal demise. Hell is so absolutely horrible that we should never rejoice when someone goes there.

Second, there is Proverbs 11:10, “When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.” This seems to be speaking of the death of evil people in an earthly/temporal sense. When there are fewer evil people in the world, the world is a better place. We can rejoice when justice is done, when evil is defeated. A mass murderer being removed from the world is a good thing. God has ordained governments (and the military) as instruments of judgment against evil. When evil people are killed, whether in the judicial system via the death penalty, or whether through military means, it is God’s justice being accomplished (Romans 13:1-7). For justice being done, and for evil people being removed from this world, yes, we can rejoice.

There are many other scriptures that could be discussed (Deuteronomy 32:43; Job 31:29; Psalm 58:10; Proverbs 17:5, 24:17-18; Jeremiah 11:20; Ezekiel 33:11), but Ezekiel 18:23 and Proverbs 11:10 are likely sufficient to help us achieve this difficult biblical balance. Yes, we can rejoice when evil is defeated, even if that includes the death of evil people. Ridding the world of evil people is a good thing. At the same time, we are not to rejoice at the eternal condemnation of evil people. God does not desire that evil people spend eternity in the lake of fire, and He definitely does not rejoice when they go there. Neither should we.

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http://www.dennyburk.com/some-thoughts-on-the-death-of-bin-laden/

http://theresurgence.com/2011/05/02/love-your-enemies

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/is-god-glad-osama-bin-ladens-dead

http://www.dougwils.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8626:do-your-soul-some-good&catid=129:obama-nation-building

Weekend Thoughts

It has been awhile since I have written a lengthy blog but I have been working on some that are almost ready for publication. Topics include abortion, idols and the first 4 months of this year. So, keep an eye out for those. Today, I just feel the need to share some thoughts on a variety of topics so welcome to my brain.

Donald Trump - It's a testament to how much frustration and angst the majority of Americans feel toward our political leaders that Donald is able to find early traction among some voters. People just want someone who will actually lead and give it to us straight. Donald has done a good job of scratching that itch so far. Yes, he is not terribly nice, nor politically correct and his negotiating style would certainly offend more than it would attract but a lot of people view that as a small trade-off for someone outside the machine. I was never a part of the birther movement as I thought it was a distraction from more important and substantive issues. But he actually gained credibility when Obama finally relented and released his long-form birth certificate. For those of you who still don't believe Obama was born in America and want to keep the conspiracy going, you will appreciate this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eOfYwYyS_c&feature=digest

Chris Norton - He was given a 3% chance to walk again. I assure you, if he never walks again, it won't be due to lack of effort. I wear a bracelet reminding me of his struggle. There are days I take strength in my battles knowing that he is out there fighting even bigger ones. In the latest entry in his online journal, his oldest sister stated that one of his favorite quotes is, "I don't know what the future holds, but I know who holds it." Amen brother. I might put that quote on my mirror.

Sin - "Either sin is with you, lying on your shoulders, or it is lying on Christ, the Lamb of God." - Martin Luther

Every Good Friday I try to find a new way of looking at Christ's death that will lead me to a deeper understanding or a greater appreciation for what was accomplished on the cross. I do this for Christmas and Easter as well. This year, I heard a sermon in which the pastor was describing what God the Father was saying to Jesus as He hung on the cross. God was accusing Jesus of all our sins, one by one. Except they were no longer our sins. They belonged to Jesus now. For over four minutes, the pastor went down the list as the Father told his Son all the ways He had wronged Him. I found myself in the midst of that agreeing with Pilate - THIS MAN IS INNOCENT! Jesus didn't do any of these things. It was all me. It's not right that He hangs there for my sins. It's not fair! It was absolutely heartbreaking. To hear Jesus, the perfect Lamb, being forsaken and punished in such a personal way delivered a big impact. In that moment, it made me stop and think that if my going to hell could have prevented Jesus from enduring that, it would be worth it. Upon further reflection, I realized that is exactly what Jesus was saying about me.

Tornadoes - It's a different kind of heartbreak. Hearing and seeing the stories of those affected by the storms has been difficult. Just over a week ago, St. Louis endured it's worst tornado damage since the 70s but no one perished. Now, after the destruction in Alabama and other southern states it seems like what we had here was a minor event. Today, I saw the story of a man in Alabama who had worked in coal mines all his life. He said that what took him 50 years to accumulate was gone in 30 seconds. Again and again, I have heard people say that they are just thankful to be alive. It's ironic that for so many of us we have to lose everything in order to realize that we have everything.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)

Tonight's Thought

I am reaching the conclusion that the most important part of a Christian's life is more deeply understanding the words "Lord" and "Savior".

Easter

Easter service with Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill:

http://www.marshillchurch.org/easter

“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live . . .” — Jesus Christ (John 11:25)

"The resurrection was God's way of stamping PAID IN FULL right across history so that nobody could miss it." - Tim Keller

"The fact of the resurrection of Jesus is what makes the gospel story not merely a great experience to read, but a life-changing power." - Tim Keller

"The happy ending of the Resurrection is so enormous that it swallows up even the sorrow of the Cross." - Tim Keller

From Dan Darling...

I’m writing this as I’m meditating on the most beautiful moment in the history of the world. It is the moment when the risen Jesus says, “Mary.” Jesus, the Good Shepherd, knows the names of his sheep. And Mary was a most earnest seeker of Jesus. She had a past to be ashamed of, baggage that would embarrass most of us, things we wouldn’t talk about in polite company.

When Jesus call out to Mary, He was revealing Himself as the risen Savior. Everyone who knew Jesus, who was a witness to His unjust trial, knew that Jesus had died. John was there at the cross and saw the soldier pierce Jesus’ side. The centurions and soldiers knew Jesus was dead—so dead they didn’t have to break his legs to hasten death. The disciples knew Jesus was dead and ran away in fear.

So that’s why Jesus appearance to Mary and the speaking of words to her were and are so profound. It means that Jesus is alive. And if Jesus is alive, it means that the salvation he purchased on the cross for you and me is secure. It means the Father was satisfied by the sacrifice of the Son.

For you and me, it means we have a substitute, Jesus, who pleased God on our behalf. IT means we can now walk with God in peace. It means the wrath of God toward me for my sin was satisfied in Christ.

It also means that I can please God. It means that all of the commandments of God, those things I must to do obey God, I can now do. This is why Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15, “without the resurrection, we are of all men most miserable.” Why are we miserable? Because if Jesus stayed dead, then there is no sacrifice for sins, I have no substitute, and I have no way of pleasing God. I’m still under his wrath.

But, because Jesus rose. Because Jesus called Mary’s name (and calls my name and your name), Easter is a moment of grand celebration, the greatest holiday on the calendar. And really Easter should be celebrated every day.

This is why the most important question in your life and mine is this: “What will I do with Jesus.” There is really no other question in the world. This is a question for those who don’t know Jesus and seek him. But it’s also a question for those who do know Jesus and yet seek to follow him faithfully. The gospel message is a call to unbelievers and a call to believers.

So as you work your way through life, filter every life’s question through this important grid: What am I doing with Jesus?

Good Friday

“Christianity is a resurrection religion. The concept of resurrection lies at its heart. Remove it and Christianity is destroyed.” - John R. Stott

“For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit.” - 1 Peter 3:18

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” - Romans 5:8

I was watching a Tim Keller interview earlier today and he stated that although Christmas is a much bigger holiday in this country than Easter, it is Easter that gives Christmas its credibility. After all, at Christmas we celebrate that God's Son, Jesus, was born into our world - fully God and fully man. Yet, how do we know it was really God's son? The resurrection is our proof.

Thomas Arnold (1795-1842), professor of Modern History at Oxford said, “No one fact in the history of mankind . . . is proved by better and fuller evidence of every sort than the fact that Christ died and rose from the dead.”

There has been many an opponent and skeptic of Christianity who having set out to disprove the truth of the resurrection has become a devout follower of Christ through their honest research. Such as:

Dr. F. Morrison, a rationalistic lawyer
Lord Lyndhurst, Attorney General of Great Britain
C.S. Lewis, a literary genius
Dr S. Greenleaf, Royal Professor of Law at Harvard University

What evidence you may ask? What proof do we have?

1.) The Christian Church exists and persists across races, geographies and cultures. There have been numerous individuals claiming to be the Messiah before Jesus came and certainly since He departed. Yet, none of them maintained a following after their death. Jesus prevails primarily because the resurrection is the defining and differentiating fact.

2.) Something incredibly significant must have happened on that Sunday to shift the day of worship from what had been the norm for over a thousand years.

3.) The Empty Tomb. No one in history has come up with any factual evidence to contradict the historical record and testimony of the scriptures. The Roman authorities and Jewish religious leaders had every reason to discredit and erase this story but they could not. There are 10 possible explanations for the empty tomb that have been espoused through the years. Only one takes into account all the facts available and the resultant conclusion is that Jesus Christ supernaturally rose from the dead.

4.) Roman Guard Goes AWOL. The Roman guards fled. They left their place of responsibility. How can their attrition he explained, when Roman military discipline was so exceptional? Justin, in Digest #49, mentions all the offenses that required the death penalty. The fear of their superiors' wrath and the possibility of death meant that they paid close attention to the minutest details of their jobs. One way a guard was put to death was by being stripped of his clothes and then burned alive in a fire started with his garments. If it was not apparent which soldier had failed in his duty, then lots were drawn to see which one would be punished with death for the guard unit's failure. Certainly the entire unit would not have fallen asleep with that kind of threat over their heads. Dr. George Currie, a student of Roman military discipline, wrote that fear of punishment "produced flawless attention to duty, especially in the night watches."

5.) The recorded appearances of Christ. These occurred from the morning of His resurrection until His ascension 40 days later. There are ten distinct appearances recorded to either individuals, to the disciples as a group, or to over 500 people in different places, at different times. This was no hallucination or mere slight of fantasy. The Apostle Paul rested his whole case for his faith on the bodily resurrection of Christ.

These people didn't expect to see Him again! Yet,
He walked with his disciples .
He talked with his disciples ,
He ate with his disciples following the resurrection.

This resulted in them being....

6.) The Changed Disciples. Strike the Shepherd and the sheep will scatter. Upon Jesus' arrest, the disciples fled, denied knowing Him and then locked themselves in a room for fear of the same persecution by religious and Roman authorities. Their Rabbi...their teacher...their friend was dead. Yet, they ended up becoming incredibly bold and confident witnesses for Christ in Jerusalem and numerous other places. They were all martyred, killed for the very commitment to Christ that they had so badly wanted to hide. Paul who had been killing Christians and persecuting the church became just as zealous for God when confronted with the truth about Christ.

7.) The contemporary and personal evidence. If Christ rose from the dead, then He is alive today. He is powerfully able to invade and change people’s hearts and lives as they respond to Him. Millions of people today testify to the life changing power of Jesus Christ in their lives. They come from every nation on the face of the earth, every background, from sympathetic families and nations to hostile ones. Millions testify today to the fact that Christ has revolutionized their lives.

As Canon Westcott said, "There is no historic incident better or more variously supported than the resurrection of Jesus Christ" from the dead.

Can the penalty of sin resting upon all mankind be remitted? Plainly not, if God is to remain God. That penalty of sin was ordained in the law of God, and the law of God was no mere arbitrary and changeable arrangement but an expression of the nature of God Himself. If the penalty of sin were remitted, God would become unrighteous, and that God will not become unrighteous is the most certain thing that can possibly be conceived.

How then can sinful men be saved? In one way only. Only if a substitute is provided who shall pay for them the just penalty of God’s law.

The Bible teaches that such a substitute has a matter of fact been provided. The substitute is Jesus Christ. The law’s demands of penalty must be satisfied. There is no escaping that. But Jesus Christ satisfied those demands for us when He died instead of us on the cross. (The Doctrine of the Atonement: Three Lectures, Machen)

"I am the resurrection and the Life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die." - John 11:25

http://audio.sovgracemn.org/2010/04/02/the-fathers-cup-a-crucifixion-narrative/

http://www.danieldarling.com/2011/04/good-friday-meditation-psalm-22/

A Gospel Story

From Pastor Tullian...

My friend Steve Brown tells a story about a time his daughter Robin found herself in a very difficult English Literature course that she desperately wanted to get out of.

She sat there on her first day and thought, “If I don’t transfer out of this class, I’m going to fail. The other people in this class are much smarter than me. I can’t do this.” She came home and with tears in her eyes begged her dad to help her get out of the class so she could take a regular English course. Steve said, “Of course.”

So the next day he took her down to the school and went to the head of the English department, who was a Jewish woman and a great teacher. Steve remembers the event in these words:

She (the head of the English department) looked up and saw me standing there by my daughter and could tell that Robin was about to cry. There were some students standing around and, because the teacher didn’t want Robin to be embarrassed, she dismissed the students saying, “I want to talk to these people alone.” As soon as the students left and the door was closed, Robin began to cry. I said, “I’m here to get my daughter out of that English class. It’s too difficult for her. The problem with my daughter is that she’s too conscientious. So, can you put her into a regular English class?” The teacher said, “Mr. Brown, I understand.” Then she looked at Robin and said, “Can I talk to Robin for a minute?” I said, “Sure.” She said, “Robin, I know how you feel. What if I promised you and A no matter what you did in the class? If I gave you an A before you even started, would you be willing to take the class?” My daughter is not dumb! She started sniffling and said, “Well, I think I could do that.” The teacher said, “I’m going to give you and A in the class. You already have an A, so you can go to class.”

Later the teacher explained to Steve what she had done. She explained how she took away the threat of a bad grade so that Robin could learn English. Robin ended up making straight A‘s on her own in that class.

That’s how God deals with us. Because we are, right now, under the completely sufficient imputed righteousness of Christ, Christians already have an A. The threat of failure, judgment, and condemnation has been removed. We’re in–forever! Nothing we do will make our grade better and nothing we do will make our grade worse. We’ve been set free.

Knowing that God’s love for you and approval of you will never be determined by your performance for Jesus but Jesus’ performance for you will actually make you perform more and better, not less and worse.

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Take some time and really think about the following...

God’s love for you and approval of you will never be determined by your performance for Jesus but Jesus’ performance for you.

What kinds of feelings does that cause to stir within you? If you are like me, and are being honest, you might have reactions that are both positive and negative.

Christianity vs. Islam Part 2

"Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus"  Please watch...

http://www.rzim.org/rzim-news/live-stream-seeking-allah-finding-jesus-at-georgia-tech/

http://sukofamily.org/how-to-share-the-gospel-with-muslims/

From John Piper...

The burning of the Qur’an and the murder of human beings are not morally equivalent. That’s true. And it is, frankly, outrageous the way some commentators speak with more moral indignation about the burning of holy books than the butchery of human bodies. In the western media this seems to me to be sheer fear.

But, of course, my conviction stems from a certain view of the world that is not shared by Muslims.

Andrew Walls, founder of the Centre for the Study of Christianity in the Non-Western World, and retired professor at Edinburgh University, gives us an insight that may carry more explanatory power than even Muslim rage realizes.

Mark Noll says, “No one has written with greater wisdom about what it means for the Western Christian religion to become the global Christian religion than Andrew Walls.”

Walls draws our attention to the fact that one of the differences between Islam and Christianity is how translatable Christianity is by its incarnational nature, and how resistant Islam is to translation:

Christian faith must go on being translated, must continuously enter into vernacular culture and interact with it, or it withers and fades.

Islamic absolutes are fixed in a particular language, and in the conditions of a particular period of human history. The divine Word is the Qur’an, fixed in heaven forever in Arabic, the language of original revelation.

For Christians, however, the divine Word is translatable, infinitely translatable. The very words of Christ himself were transmitted in translated form in the earliest documents we have, a fact surely inseparable from the conviction that in Christ, God’s own self was translated into human form.

Much misunderstanding between Christians and Muslims has arisen from the assumption that the Qur’an is for Muslims what the Bible is for Christians.

It would be truer to say that the Qur’an is for Muslims what Christ is for Christians.
(The Cross-Cultural Process in Christian History, 29)

Did you catch that last line?

The parallel between Christianity and Islam is not that Christ parallels Mohammed and the Qur’an parallels the Bible. The parallel is that the Qur’an parallels Christ. The giving of the Qur’an is in Islam what the incarnation of Christ is to Christianity.

If this is so, then Qur’an-burning is parallel to Christ-crucifying.

But ponder the implications of this. On the one hand you might say this goes a long way to explaining Muslim rage. Yes. But more importantly it goes even farther to show the deep differences between the two religions.

In the process of being crucified, Jesus rebuked the use of the sword (Matthew 26:52) healed his enemy’s amputated ear (Luke 22:51), prayed for the forgiveness of his murderers (Luke 23:34), and sent his followers out to love their enemies and do good to those who hate them (Luke 6:27).

So the Qur’an has been burned and the Christ has been crucified—and continues to be crucified.

The test is in the response.

http://www.bloggingtheologically.com/2011/06/29/do-muslims-and-christians-worship-the-same-god/

http://www.bloggingtheologically.com/2012/08/06/can-christians-practice-ramadan/

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/the-mocking-of-muhammad-and-condemning-of-christ

http://ifcamedia.org/fireinmybones/?p=503

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http://www.france24.com/en/20130309-protesters-burn-christian-homes-pakistan

vs.

³² Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. ³³ Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. ³⁴ You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. - Hebrews 10 (NIV)

Islam does not hve a philosophically consistent explanation of how a perfectly holy God can forgive sins. Only the cross provides that answer.

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patdollard.com/2013/05/welcome-to-islam-afghan-students-protest-for-right-to-beat-wives 

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/loving-muslims-while-rejecting-islam 

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/sentenced_to_death_for_sip_of_water_7zwT2vBrUGqhDzasfQxkKK/3 

http://www.apologetics315.com/2013/09/book-review-what-every-christian-needs.html

http://www.apologetics315.com/2013/09/apologist-interview-abdu-murray.html 

http://kellerquotes.com/unique-claims/ 

http://blog.nabeelqureshi.com/2013/10/the-one-minute-apologist-asks-me-what.html

http://www.answering-islam.org/Authors/Qureshi/testimony.htm

http://www.christianitytoday.com/parse/2014/february/friday-five-interview-nabeel-qureshi.html

Women and Islam:  http://blog.nabeelqureshi.com/2012/02/status-of-women-in-arabia-before-islam.html

http://sukofamily.org/how-to-share-the-gospel-with-muslims/

https://www.worldmag.com/mobile/article.php?id=31007

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2014/09/12/a-prayer-for-muslim-lands-2/

http://www.christianity.com/god/trinity/turning-from-tawhid-to-the-trinity.html

http://blog.markdurie.com/2014/09/muslims-need-truth-and-love.html

http://blogs.lcms.org/2014/muslim-eschatology

http://www.reasonablefaith.org/why-does-god-leave-muslims-deluded

http://www.reasonablefaith.org/why-christianity-rather-than-judaism-or-islam

http://www.lhm.org/dailydevotionsprt.asp?date=20150709

http://www.josh.org/allah-jesus-god-one-interview-nabeel-qureshi/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nabeel-qureshi/isis-is-killing-us-because-we-are-not-muslim_b_11793770.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfxUpR83Wzo

"[Muslim theology is] a theology of the majority ... [it] offers no systematic formulation of the status of being a minority" — Zaki Badawi

One must divert from Jesus to justify violence in Christianity. One must divert from Muhammad to argue that Islam is peaceful.