·
"Does
your theology begin with God or with science?"
·
"Is
your God of this world or did your God make this world?"
·
"If
you cannot believe God can keep a man
alive in the belly of a fish, then how can you believe in a virgin giving
birth, in a man being raised from the dead, or in a literal heaven?"
Although
it is obvious that some portions of the Bible where clearly meant to be
poetical or allegorical, Jonah was not
one of those portions. Jesus himself
said that He would be in the belly of the earth just as was Jonah. Jesus' faith was not bankrupt. He routinely demonstrated a faith that was
inexplicable. He healed the sick and
raised the dead. Eventually Jesus
literally died, was buried and rose again.
Easter stands an historical testament to a rich Faith; It was not an
allegorical resurrection. Jesus defied
science, his religious enemies and the most powerful government on the face of
the earth. The great Creator became our Savior and proved that He, as Creator, can
supersede the laws of nature. He is God -- the real God. Sadly, many theologians have invested in the
limited understanding and reasoning of mankind rather than the unlimited
resources of heaven. Hence they are
bankrupt. They got nothin'! All they can offer is another conglomeration
of philosophies, rituals and myths.
Mankind
has always invented religions and gods because He is instinctively conscious
that there is a God. Gods of man's own
making are easier to deal with because he can craft them according to his own
preferences. Unfortunately, those who relegate God to a manageable being that
they can define, understand and predict do not have a God at all. A God one can completely define and understand
is no bigger than their brain - what good is a God like that? I am thankful that I can't figure God
out. I'm glad He is so much wiser than I
am that I am often lost in mystery and wonder.
I am glad that you and I can't tell God what to do. I serve a God who has
proven His love and His faithfulness. We
can rest in Him as the sovereign ruler of the universe- we can be rich in
faith.
Real
faith is anything but bankrupt; real
believers are rich. Those who take the
Bible at face value have a God who can heal the sick, raise the dead and
prepare an eternal home for them.
Genuine faith allows a person to let go of their sin and guilt through
repentance, have those sins washed away in baptism. True faith leads a believer to a genuine empowerment
by a real God who fills them with His Spirit.
Real believers pray for the sick and see them healed. They do not
dictate what God should do but they pray to a God who is real and responds to
their rich faith. We serve a God who not
only saved a man who was thrown overboard years ago, but who has prepared a
place called Heaven -- a real place where there is no sorrow and no one ever dies! God is way too big to understand and true
believers like it that way. His riches will blow your mind -- you can bank on
it.
