Brent Pirolli's

I never realized before that God didn’t tell Eve to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He told Adam. Not only did he tell Adam, but he told Adam before he even CREATED Eve! She didn’t even exist yet when he gave Adam the one simple restriction! I guess I always assumed they were both told “no” at the same time. Let’s read Genesis 2 and see the order of things. First he creates man, then he tells him to not eat from the tree, then he creates Eve.

Genesis 2:15-18
¹⁵The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. ¹⁶But the LORD God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— ¹⁷except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”

¹⁸Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”

But Eve is the one that Satan tempted. She took the fruit. And she gave it to Adam and he ate it too. Adam was there with her and he KNEW the exact words God said, whereas Eve only knew what Adam told her, which Satan twisted back to her, “Did God really say…?” She didn’t know. She wasn’t there! She had to trust her husband’s account of that information. But he was there. And he was silent. He watched her take that fruit and eat it. Then he followed suit.

There are some MAJOR points here. Let’s explore a few:
1 – Adam’s responsibility for his family
2 – Adam’s path to sin
3 – Satan’s temptation taking the weakest route

First off, I think it means something major that Adam was told before Eve even existed. God may have told Eve later, but the Bible doesn’t mention it, so let’s assume not. This puts a major precedent in place that Man is responsible for his family and their decisions. He is the head of the household and the spiritual health of the family rests on his shoulders. It also says a lot about communication between a husband and a wife, or even that of a friend to a friend.

Takeaway 1: As a husband and a father I need to make sure I communicate with my wife and family and lead them as well as I can to follow God’s commands. My failure to act may result in their moral or spiritual failure.

Second, I found it interesting that Adam watched his wife get told a lie… but he sat back and watched her reaction. What was he thinking? “I know that’s not what God said… but I’m listening. I’m curious about that fruit. Eve might try it. She’s reaching for it… I should stop her… no… She touched it and she’s OK… Maybe one taste. She took a bite! She’s still OK! Well it can’t be bad. I should try it too.”

His path to sin wasn’t one of immediate disobedience. It was slow… step by step… one small move at a time. Much like our temptation and sins. One small decision to listen longer, to watch longer, to talk longer, to NOT REMOVE YOURSELF from the situation. Slowly the decision starts to sound more and more acceptable. You acclimate yourself to that choice until you are no longer seeing it as such a bad idea. Adam and Eve had authority over all the creatures in the world, including the serpent. Instead of telling the serpent “God didn’t say that!” they listened and took the authority they had and handed it over to the serpent to be led by him. That choice resonates with us even today. Satan has authority over this world… for now.

Takeaway 2: Sin attacks in muddy waters. It’s never a black/white clear-cut issue when in the middle of it, so be sure to stay at arm’s length from sinful situations and flee when the waters get muddy before you make a bad decision.

Last but not least, it says a lot that Satan’s approach was to tempt the weakest link (I’m not saying Eve was weaker than Adam because she is a woman). He chose to talk to the one of them who was furthest removed from the original truth. God didn’t tell Eve, He told Adam. Thus Eve was more apt to doubt what the original command was… “Maybe Adam misunderstood. Maybe God didn’t really say that… and that fruit DOES look good.” Does Satan tempt us at our weakest points and from the best strategic angle? Absolutely. So how can we combat that? We need to do what Eve should have done. She had the direct line of communication to both Adam AND TO GOD, but she didn’t stop to ask them. She processed the decision and made her own choice apart from seeking wise counsel. She should have conferred with her husband and with God. God likely would have given her what she asked for (an explanation), but she never asked.

Takeaway 3: Don’t be alone. Have wise friends you can confide in. Seek Biblical counsel. Don’t assume you know what’s best because you want to avoid hearing you might be wrong. God’s very nature is community (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) so who am I to think I can be an island?

Every day I drive my daughter to school, I pass by the same reflector on the interstate that has been hit by a car or otherwise bent over. It’s not completely down, but rather at a good 30 degree angle or so which (at the same time every morning) tends to blind oncoming drivers with a direct reflection of the sunlight hitting its face.

Now this is not the intent of this reflector. This reflector was designed to see the light coming from others at a much reduced intensity and to warn them of potential pit-falls (the side of the road) but instead of warning, it’s actually a hazard itself at times blinding drivers, and useless at others, since it’s relfecting light back up to the sky and not to traffic.

We are Christ’s light to the world. God shines on us and we are to reflect His character, compassion, love, and service on to others. But sometimes, we are a bit “bent” and what we show others not only isn’t helpful, but at times can be downright harmful. If our source of light isn’t right, we reflect something other than what was intended… and with much different results.

Often this is our fault, but sometimes it’s the fault of circumstances around us that knock us off-center. But as Christians our JOB is to follow Christ. To reflect His character. So square your shoulders, stand up straight, and do what you are supposed to do. Reflect Christ.

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors…” – 2 Cor. 5:20

What is the source of your light? Really… not just what you know it should be… What are you ingesting? TV, Music, Media… The Bible? Whatever you look upon, that is what will most likely be reflected to the world.

I read this the other day and found it pretty powerful. I thought I’d share as it applies to all of us at some point in life.

—–

Some years ago, on a hot summer day in South Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went.

He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming towards the shore.

His father working in the yard saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, he ran toward the water, yelling to his son as loudly as he could.

Hearing his voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his father. It was too late. Just as he reached his father, the alligator reached him. From the dock, the father grabbed his little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the father, but the father was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard his screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.

Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And on his arms were deep scratches where his father’s fingernails dug into his flesh in his effort to hang on to the son he loved.

The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, “But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Dad wouldn’t let go.”

Dear Friends,

You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars too. No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret. But, some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle, He’s been there holding on to you.

Scripture teaches that God loves us. We are children of God. He wants to protect us and provide for us in every way. But sometimes we foolishly wade into dangerous situations, not knowing what lies ahead. The swimming hole of life is filled with peril – and we forget that the enemy is waiting to attack. That’s when the tug-of-war begins – and if you have the scars of His love on your arms, be very, very grateful. He did not and will not ever let you go.

Never judge another person’s scars, because you don’t know how they got them.

-Carolyn Bazik

Have you ever heard someone argue that they don’t need to go to church to be a Christian? Maybe you say that… and technically they’re right. You don’t. Faith in Christ and asking him to be your Savior makes you a Christian. But what are the real repercussions of this mentality?

We humans keep looking for a religion that will give us access to God without having to bother with people. We want to go to God for comfort and inspiration when we’re fed up with the men and women and children around us. We want God to give us an edge in the dog-eat-dog competition of life.

This determination to get ourselves a religion that gives us an inside track with God, but leaves us free to deal with people however we like, is age-old. It is the sort of religion that has been promoted and marketed with both zeal and skill throughout human history. Business is always booming.

It is also the sort of religion that the Biblical prophets are determined to root out. They are dead set against it.

Because the root of the solid spiritual life is embedded in a relationship between people and God, it is easy to develop the misunderstanding that my spiritual life is something personal between God and me – a private thing to be nurtured by prayers and singing, spiritual readings that comfort and inspire, and worship with like-minded friends. If we think this way for very long, we will assume that the way we treat the people we don’t like or who don’t like us has nothing to do with God.

That’s when the prophets step in and interrupt us, insisting, “Everything you do or think or feel has to do with God. Every person you meet has to do with God.” We live in a vast world of interconnections, and the connections have consequences, either in things or in people – and all the consequences come together in God.

-Taken from “The Message / Remix: Pause”

Jesus Christ was community. God’s very nature is to be in community. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit… 3 in 1. Different, yet in unity. We are designed in a way that is incomplete without that community. Our goal is to be Christ-like and to embody the nature of God on this earth. That would involve being in community.

Sure, you can attend the iCampus for CedarCreek, from your couch, and spend time worshipping God with your iPod, and do your daily devotions from www.livingitout.tv all by yourself… but if you are not serving others, building into others, helping others, loving others… what good are you for the Kingdom? You’re a spiritual whiz and a physical bump on a log. Satan is not afraid of you. You are ineffective for Christ.

What good is a car with all the bells and whistles, a full tank of gas, and a nice coat of wax… if it is never taken out of the garage?

A strong local church body knows that you weren’t called to the team to put on the uniform and sit the bench. Step out of your comfort zone and be effective for Christ. Go serve, either through your church or some other ministry… share your faith… flex those spiritual muscles you’ve so finely tuned on your own, and GET IN THE GAME!

To our unborn child:

Our Lord is in control when I am not. Our Lord is in control when I think I am, and for this I am eternally grateful.

You already know how much you were loved. You already know how much you are and will be missed. You already know the love in our hearts. One day we’ll meet, and I’ll hold you for the very first time. And though I don’t understand why things had to be this way, we’ll laugh and our tears will be of joy instead of sorrow.

For the things I will not get the chance to teach you. For all your firsts I will not get the chance to experience. For the memories we will never share… I weep. The tears are temporary. The pain will get easier, but will always remain, dulled by time… and eventually will be but a distant shadow as we are introduced on the streets of gold.

Through this I take refuge and strength in our mutual Father. He blesses us with your siblings. I can hardly wait until you get to meet them. I can hardly wait until we can all meet and our family will be whole.

Would you have been like me? Would you have been like your Mommy? Would you have liked sports or school or dogs or the color blue? Would your laugh have forced a smile on my face? Would you have me wrapped around your finger when you told me, “but I LOVE you daddy”? Would I have chased away your fears and made your favorite lunches? Would you have liked technology, animals, singing, dancing, drawing, swimming, or telling jokes? Would your smile have melted my heart? I can’t wait to meet you someday.

But oh the sorrow that can strike at a moment’s notice…

How do you prepare for this? How do you survive this?

—– Deliver Me – David Crowder —–

Deliver me out of the sadness
Deliver me from all the madness
Deliver me courage to guide me
Deliver me Your strength inside me

All of my life
I’ve been in hiding
Wishing there was someone just like You

Now that You’re here
Now that I’ve found You
I know that You’re the One to pull me through

Deliver me loving and caring
Deliver me giving and sharing
Deliver me this cross that I’m bearing
Oh, deliver me

Jesus, Jesus how I trust You
How I’ve proved You o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus precious Jesus
Deliver me

Come and pull me through
Come pull me through

—– Only You – David Crowder —–

Take my heart, I Lay it down
At the feet of you whose crowned
Take my life, I’m letting go
I lift it up to You who’s throned

And I will worship You, Lord
Only You, Lord
And I will bow down before You
Only You Lord

Take my fret, take my fear
All I have, I’m leaving here
Be all my hopes, be all my dreams
Be all my delights, be my everything

And It’s just you and me here now
Only you and me here now

You should see the view
When it’s only You

—–

I look forward to someday.

All my love, Daddy

P.S. Put in a good word for me with the Big Guy. 😉

I never realized before that God didn’t tell Eve to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  He told Adam.  Not only did he tell Adam, but he told Adam before he even CREATED Eve!  She didn’t even exist yet when he gave Adam the one simple restriction!  I guess I always assumed they were both told “no” at the same time.  Go re-read Genesis 2 and see the order of things.  First he creates man, then tells him to not eat from the tree, then he creates Eve.

But Eve is the one that Satan tempted. She took the fruit.  And she gave it to Adam and he ate it too.  He was there with her and he KNEW the exact words God said, whereas Eve only knew what Adam told her, which Satan twisted back to her, “Did God really say…?”  She didn’t know.  She wasn’t there!  She had to trust her husband’s account of that information.  But he was there. And he was silent. He watched her take that fruit and eat it. Then he followed suit.

There are SO MANY major points here.  I want to pick apart a few:
1 – Adam’s responsibility for his family
2 – Adam’s path to sin
3 – Satan’s temptation taking the weakest route

First off, I think it means something major that Adam was told before Eve was even created.  God may have told Eve later, but the Bible doesn’t mention it, so let’s assume not.  This puts a major precedent in place that Man is responsible for his family and their decisions.  He is the head of the household and the spiritual health of the family rests on his shoulders.  It also says a lot about communication between a husband and a wife, or even that of a friend to a friend.

Takeaway 1: As a husband and a father I need to make sure I communicate with my wife and family and lead them as well as I can to follow God’s commands.  My failure to act may result in their moral or spiritual failure.

Second, I found it interesting that Adam watched his wife get told a lie… but he sat back and watched her reaction.  What was he thinking?  “I know that’s not what God said… but I’m listening. I’m curious about that fruit. Eve might try it. She’s reaching for it… I should stop her… no… She touched it and she’s ok… Maybe one taste.  She took a bite!  She’s still ok! Well it can’t be bad.  I should try it too.”

His path to sin wasn’t one of immediate disobedience. It was slow… step by step… one small move at a time. Much like our temptation and sins.  One small decision to listen longer, to watch longer, to talk longer, to NOT REMOVE YOURSELF from the situation.  Slowly the decision starts to sound more and more acceptable. You acclimate yourself to that choice until you are no longer seeing it as such a bad idea.  Adam and Eve had authority over all the creatures in the world, including the serpent.  Instead of telling the serpent “God didn’t say that!” they listened and took the authority they had and handed it over to the serpent to be lead by him.  That choice resonates with us even today. Satan has authority over this world… for now.

Takeaway 2: Sin attacks in muddy waters. It’s never a black/white clear-cut issue when in the middle of it, so be sure to stay at arms length from sinful situations and flee when the waters get muddy before you make a bad decision.

Last but not least, it says a lot that Satan’s approach was to tempt the weakest link (I’m not saying Eve was weaker than Adam because she is a woman). He chose to talk to the one of them who was furthest removed from the original truth.  God didn’t tell Eve, He told Adam.  Thus Eve was more apt to doubt what the original command was… “Maybe Adam misunderstood.  Maybe God didn’t really say that… and that fruit DOES look good.”  Does Satan tempt us at our weakest points or from the best strategic angle?  Absolutely.  So how can we combat that?  We need to do what Eve should have done. She had the direct line of communication to both Adam AND TO GOD, but she didn’t stop to ask them. She processed the decision and made her own choice apart from seeking wise counsel.  She should have conferred with her husband and with God.  God likely would have given her what she asked for (an explanation), but she never asked.

Takeaway 3: Don’t be alone. Have wise friends you can confide in. Seek Biblical counsel.  Don’t assume you know what’s best because you want to avoid hearing you may be wrong. God’s very nature is community (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) so who am I to think I can be an island?

—–

What about you?  What did you take away from this?  Do any of the above lessons I learned hit home with you?

Well it’s official. We thought we had until 2012… but the Mayans were wrong and now we only have until a little less than 3 weeks from now. Bummer, huh? I was really looking forward to summer weather before the end of the world hit. But now over 2,000 billboards in North America are saying it isn’t so. I figured I’d address this here since many are talking about it and it is even gaining national attention in various outlets (http://woot.com used it as a joke a couple days ago).

Really, what’s this about? Why is http://familyradio.com going all end-times on us? Unfortunately, their logic is pretty shallow. Have you looked into it? Let me share the fly-by version so you don’t have to read their loaded/biased writings (though by all means, feel free to do so, taking it with a grain of salt).

Basically they are quoting the verse in 2 Peter 3:8 – one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. Then they are pulling verses out of context from Genesis 7 that refers to God telling Noah that in 7 days he will destroy the earth. Compare the two, and they make the massive logic jump that God was also warning us that 7,000 years from that day would be the end of the world. When you account for no year 0, the Biblical calendar vs the modern calendar, etc… It comes out to May 21, 2011 (I sure hope they factored in leap years).

So why is this wrong? Well for starters, let’s look at the source. The proprietor of Family Radio is Harold Camping. Mr. Camping wrote a book in 1994 explaining how the end of the world would happen then as well. Track record on that? He claims he was rushed then and knows more now… and that back then he thought 2011 was more likely too. Ok, so let’s give him the benefit of the doubt on that one.

What about the logic jump made to say because a verse in 2 Peter explains God’s time isn’t like our time… that he doesn’t live by our understanding of time… that we can apply that to any other part of scripture? Let’s play this out. Why not say Christ died and rose again 3 days later, that God was also alluding to Christ returning 3,000 years later? After all, Jesus himself said, he would destroy this temple and rebuild it in 3 days! JUDGMENT DAY IS EASTER 3,033!!! TELL EVERYONE!

Do you see how shallow/dangerous/slippery slope this is?

Look, I’d LOVE for it to happen May 21, 2011. Being in heaven now vs later isn’t a bad thing! But let’s be real people. We don’t know the day/time when Christ is returning, despite the logic jump Mr. Camping makes. Yes, the Bible says there will be signs and that we will know when we see certain things happen that Christ’s return is near… but it never says an exact number to figure that out, and Mr. Camping won’t even accept that as a possibility. In fact, on their own website they have a FAQ that discusses various things and one of the questions is “what if nothing happens” and they blow it off as simply not possible due to the overwhelming amount of “evidence” they have. I’m curious if he is truly living as if it’s the last days.

I have some questions… if this is the case, how does he justify the fact that there has been no 7 year (or even 3.5 year) period of peace/tribulation before this day? Where/Who is the anti-christ? What about the false prophet who is supposed to preceed him? What about the temple that was supposed to be rebuilt in Israel first? It’s still missing… It seems to me that Mr. Camping’s shallow logic jump leaves a lot to be answered.

Well, here’s hoping! But I’m not holding my breath and I don’t think you need to either. If May 21st hits and we have an earthquake like none we’ve ever seen and the dead start to rise in glorified bodies and people start dying in mass numbers every day for the following 5 months until God fully destroys the earth, then hats off to Mr. Camping. He saw what millions of others missed. Then again, he thought he did in 1994 too.

I recently got this letter from Wycliffe (a non-profit that sends missionaries world-wide to cultures that don’t yet have the Bible translated into their languages for the purpose of translation and teaching), and I thought I’d share. It has a neat perspective on prayer.

Wycliffe missionaries Terrill and Amber Schrock work with the Ik people of Northeastern Uganda. As Amber serves physical needs through nursing, Terrill has been evaluating the language in order to start a translation project one day. In a recent blog post, he shared insights learned from the Ik language and culture.

The Ik word for ‘pray’ is wáán, but it is also the word for ‘beg’. And interestingly enough, the word for ‘visitor’ is wáánam, which means ‘begging person.’ These definitions reveal an important aspect of the Ik culture – when an Ik person visits a friend, he is going there to beg. In fact, begging is a normal part of the Ik’s life. Any time Terrill and Amber are getting ready to go on a trip to another town, lists of requests like this one start pouring in.

Please sir, remember for me the following:
– shoes
– jacket (rainproof)
– watch
– box
– trousers
– pens
– money, for the children
Thank you sir for your assistance.

Most of these lists come from people that don’t actually have a relationship with Terrill and Amber, so it’s easy for them to feel as if those writing the notes have no real interest in their lives. As Terrill thought about these notes from the Ik, he started to realize that we are perhaps not so different:

“The other day I was in the spare bedroom praying my list of requests to God – a nice list, covering most areas of my life, certainly all the points of anxiety. Then it hit me: Does God want my list, or my relationship?

A few Ik come by just to greet us or spend a bit of time with us. Another precious few will occasionally confide in us about their problems without asking for anything more than a listening ear. I love that.

I decided that I would try something: Instead of reading off my list of requests to God, I would just talk to God about my issues without an expectation of how I think He should respond. I would make it more about our relationship than my list – because if our personhood is like God’s personhood, then maybe God prefers our confidence and time to our lists, letters, and enumerations.”

I was reading in John this morning and thought I’d share my thoughts with you all:

John 20:19-28 tells us a familiar story. “Doubting Thomas” was given his nickname by the events that unfold in this section of Scripture:

John 20:19-28 (NLT):
That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”

Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”

“My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.

Picture yourself here. You’re with your friends. All of you are scared of the Jewish leaders and fear for your lives. You just watched your Master be killed less than a week prior and you know if they could take Him down they would surely have no trouble taking you down too. It’s getting dark out, and you are locked in a room with your friends so as to hide from public view. A fire is lit to give some comfort and safety/familiarity in this house. The room smells of dust from the arid day and smoke seeping from the embers into the room… apart from the sound of the wood cracking in the fire you just listen for footsteps of men coming to find you. You double check that the door is indeed locked and then you glance at it again to make sure the shadows thrown from the fire aren’t lying to you.

Sitting against the wall, you dip your head into your knees thinking the same question you’ve been thinking for the past four days, “What are we going to do now?” Suddenly you hear your friends gasp and you shoot your head up sure you’ll find the moon casting shadows of feet under the door. Surely they’ve found you! But instead you find your vision blocked by a shadowed figure already in the room, standing by the doorway… then the familiar voice comforts, “Peace be with you.” He steps into the fire-light and now you are sure of it. This is indeed your Master, your friend, the living God.

Can you imagine the relief? The fear that would shed instantly in such a moment? You at once know you’ve just been rescued. What can man possibly do to you when you have Jesus who has beaten the worst possible outcome standing as your leader again? Then the bomb drops… “Oh, by the way… I’m not staying. In fact, you’ll have to go out on your own now. Stop hiding and go do the Father’s work as I have done.”

The Bible doesn’t say how this meeting ended, but we can be sure it was too soon for the disciples. They were likely begging Jesus, “Stay a little longer Jesus! Thomas isn’t even here yet… just wait for him to return. He’s got to see you! Jesus, have some wine. Are you hungry? What was death like? Are we going to be safe? Jesus don’t leave us again!” And as quick as he came, he left.

… silence. How long did it take them to unlock the door? How long to open it?

Like something out of a comedy movie, Thomas comes by the next day… “Hey guys, what’d I miss?” No, I’m sure he barely had time to step foot in the room before the others pummeled him with the news. Can you imagine how excited they were? The Bible tells us Thomas hears all this and yet doubts.

What do you think the extent of Thomas’s doubts were? Do you think he really denied it happened or that he wasn’t fully sure? Do you think he thought all of his friends were crazy? Group hallucination? Maybe too much carbon monoxide built up from the fire and they all were seeing things…Maybe this was just some plan they came up with to try to act confident and make a break for it… Maybe this was them setting him up to be captured since he wasn’t there with them that night… Maybe… Maybe it was real?

Thomas had eight days. Eight days to mull it over. Eight days to think out courses of action. If this were true, then this is true. If this were false, then this must happen next. Eight days of influence from his friends by whom he is now surely impressed with their level of commitment to the belief that they saw Jesus.

Do you think he was 100% set against their accounts of what happened? No, that’d be denial. He didn’t deny, he doubted. Doubt is different than denial. Denial says, “No, you’re wrong,” whereas doubt says, “Really? I want to believe this, but I can’t be sure. I can’t risk ___ on this idea unless I know for certain it is as you say it is.”

Eight days after his first appearance, they are all huddled in the same room. Just as before Jesus appears to them. The Bible only records the words Jesus says to Thomas here. Jesus tells him to feel the wounds for himself and then, “Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe.”

It was all true. “My Lord and My God!” Thomas was stunned.

Did Thomas doubt Jesus here, or his friends? Was Thomas wrong for doubting? I think he doubted his friends’ account of what happened more than he doubted what Jesus was capable of… but maybe not. Maybe he doubted Jesus’ power more than he doubted his friends’ account of what happened.

Jesus never chastised Thomas for his doubt. He just corrected it. “Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe.” Is it wrong to doubt others? Is it wrong to doubt God?

The Bible spells out the promises God gives us. I would contest that while we shouldn’t doubt them, it is natural to do so. We are insecure creatures. God, I don’t know if that job opening will really work out. God I don’t know if she really likes me. God I don’t know if he really is right for me. God I’m not sure if my sickness can be beaten. All the while God is there saying, “Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe” God told us he has a plan for us. A plan to prosper us and to give us a future…

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV):
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Romans 12:2 (NIV):
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

So things may NOT work out the way WE want them to. Relationships and jobs may NOT be the right fit for us, but God has a plan. It is normal for us to doubt… but we are called to have faith. To believe in the promises of God.

“Doubting Thomas” was forever given that nickname for his eight days of doubt. Was that fair? How long have you doubted something God already has control over? What are your thoughts on doubt? Have you seen God come through your doubts with answers?

For a long time I’ve held to my conclusion that ALL sin… not just some, but ALL sin can be traced back to one common factor. A selfish desire.

Lies, Greed, Lust, Hatred, Jealousy, Murder, etc… pick one. They all go back to a fundamental belief that you have something I want, aren’t something I like, get in my way, annoy me, tempt me, or please me in such a way that I am willing to discard any guidelines I may have (be it social or moral) to get what I want.

It stands to reason then that when Christ sums up the commandments to the inquiring Pharisees trying to test Jesus…

Matthew 22:36-40:
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Love God, Love others as you would yourself. If you do these two things, you have “arrived.”

It’s pretty easy to see the direct opposite of this isn’t it? “Love self, Use others to meet your desires.” Acknowledge God is there, sure, and say you love him… but don’t really. Instead, make your decisions, take actions based on, and think about what’s best for YOU. What is comfortable? What is easy? Go ahead, love YOU… and as for others, they are pawns that can be manipulated and used to get what you want so YOU feel good.

Sin.

Christ died for us. The ultimate act of “I’m putting you first.” He stepped out of his comfort zone as Christ, Lord, God, King, Creator, Alpha and Omega, and became a ragged body pierced and hanging on a cross for a people who couldn’t possibly ever be worthy of such a sacrifice let alone such love.

So if the NATURE OF GOD is to be giving, self-less, loving, and other-centered… it just makes sense that all sin would be the opposite of that, selfishness. Sin is what happens when we “miss the mark” and act out of character from what God would have us be. Sin isn’t sin because God said, “hmm.. what could we outlaw… how about lying?” No! Sin is sin because it goes against WHO GOD IS! We are created to be CHRIST-LIKE. Not doing so = sin.

I’ve thought about this before and have had some of the “tough questions” spring up like, “Is it ever OK to lie?” I think so…

Exodus 1:15-21
Then Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, gave this order to the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah: “When you help the Hebrew women as they give birth, watch as they deliver. If the baby is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live.” But because the midwives feared God, they refused to obey the king’s orders. They allowed the boys to live, too.

So the king of Egypt called for the midwives. “Why have you done this?” he demanded. “Why have you allowed the boys to live?”

“The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women,” the midwives replied. “They are more vigorous and have their babies so quickly that we cannot get there in time.”

So God was good to the midwives, and the Israelites continued to multiply, growing more and more powerful. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.

God BLESSES the women for lying to the Pharaoh! Why would he do this? Because the lie wasn’t selfish! It wasn’t for their own benefit. Sure, you could argue that they didn’t want to die for insubordination to Pharaoh, but God knows our hearts and I would argue that He knew they were loyal to Him and were willing to risk their own necks for others (being selfless) so he blessed them. Now, could they have stood up to Pharaoh and said, “You’re wrong. God won’t allow it. We won’t obey you.” Sure… but they’d likely have been killed on the spot. And who knows… God may have wanted them to maintain their integrity there and not lie, but then again he may have had better intents (such as them living longer to deliver more Hebrew children from death).

I’m not God. I don’t know. But I do know that it all comes down to the root of sin still being selfishness.

So what about you? Do you strive to be Christ-like in all you do? Do you put your love of God and others as paramount in your life? Or are you just paying God lip-service and finding it easier to kick back and watch more TV instead of getting on the ground and moving in ways that can make a real difference for others?

Haiti’s earthquake, hurricane Katrina, the Asian Tsunami, Latin America and Africa’s AIDS epidemics… Destroyed local families… single parent homes… low income/no income situations in a bad economy who can’t afford groceries… THESE ARE THE PEOPLE GOD WOULD HAVE YOU SERVING! Are you?

We ran this video at this past weekend’s service and it seems very fitting here. Check it out: