Antifragilistic Concepts in the Bible

In his new book, Antifragile, Nassim Nicholas Taleb coined the term, antifragile, to supply a word that means the opposite of fragile, evidently missing from every language and vocabulary in existence.  (No, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious doesn’t quite work.)  He reasoned that a fragile object that suffers stress or attack will probably sustain some degree of damage, but the opposite effect cannot be fully expressed by any known word.  The terms, strong or robust are inadequate because a strong or robust object under stress does not get better.  The logic is simple: an object attacked that results in upgrade or improvement is more than just robust or strong.  It is…well, the opposite of fragile:  antifragile! http://www.amazon.com/Antifragile-Things-That-Gain-Disorder/dp/1400067820 

Academic or egghead-speak?  No.  The implications are profound.  Antifragile objects, or ideas, or even persons, do not worsen under attack or stress.  They get better!  Randomness, chaos, or any event normally thought to be tragic, actually transforms the antifragile into something better than it was before!  In fact, rather than fearing or avoiding stress, we ought to welcome it.  We should seek stressful circumstances out—or at least allow them to happen—for the very purpose of improving the status quo!  Taleb documents myriad facts from science, politics, economics, culture and much more to validate his theory.  For example, he shows that a bad review of a book is so beneficial to a writer that some have even paid critics to trash their work.  He also illustrates his point by referring to physical exercise (stressors) as a necessary practice in order to build muscle and strengthen bones.  It’s use it or lose it! 

Right away, the spiritual application of this idea became manifest in my mind.  This is precisely how God has designed the church!  Jesus said, “Upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”  Prevail in the Greek is katisxuo, meaning overpower.  Under the strongest attack by its worst enemy, the church will demonstrate superior power.  Every time Satan assaults the church, it shows the world that it is always stronger!  Case in point is the persecution that began in Acts chapter four.  Flight from Jerusalem did not administer a death blow to the church; it only stoked the fires of revival and growth!  In an Old Testament illustration, the response of Joseph to his brothers, many years after they sold him into slavery, captures the essence of antifragility.  “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.  Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.” (Genesis 50:20-21).  The negative birthed the positive. 

Although they are not labeled as such, antifragile concepts abound in the Bible.  The resiliency displayed by biblical heroes (Elijah vs. prophets of Baal), the paradoxical situations in which good triumphs over evil despite enormous odds (David vs. Goliath), the distilled wisdom of Solomon’s proverbs and the teachings of Jesus that militate against the conventional philosophies of the day are all based on the irony of antifragilism.  Some have questioned why Jesus told people not to talk about His miracles.  Why?  Because He knew that information is extremely antifragile.  Suppressing the news was the surest way to broadcast it to the world.  Consider the following principles in this light. 

The way to receive is to give.  This principle surfaces over and over in Bible expositions.  Jesus said it is more blessed to give than to receive.  He then states the case directly in an amazing piece of illogic.  “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” Luke 6:38.  Selling or lending your goods seems to be the logical way to increase your profits, but giving away what you have depletes your resources.  Yet, the Scriptures declare that giving opens up the avenue of revenue.  Instead of fragile, we should think of our pocket books as antifragile.  They get bigger by making them smaller.

The way to honor is through humility.  In the Scriptures, those who schemed their way into honor and notoriety usually fell flat on their faces.  Haman, the vile snake who threatened to wipe out the Jewish race, and tried to draw the righteous Mordecai into his intrigues by building a gallows on which to hang him, met his own fate on those very gallows.  Haman’s pomposity backfired, and Mordecai’s humility was rewarded with the same honor that Haman sought for himself.  Haman represents an ilk Taleb calls “fragilistas.”  Their prediction of success rests upon the chance of nothing going wrong; they are invested into an impossibly narrow—and thus fragile—set of circumstances.  Mordecai, on the other hand, invested in a simple character trait of humility.  Swallow hard, but, in the strictest definition of success, he would have won regardless of the outcome because even hanging by the neck would not have damaged his character!  Similar scenarios were repeated in the lives of Daniel, David, John the Baptist, Peter, Paul and others.  James sums it up in his epistle.  ^“Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” James 4:5-6.   

The way to triumph is through trial.  Daniel’s experience in the lion’s den, and his compatriots, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who were thrown into a fiery furnace perfectly represent this principle.  Conventional wisdom dictated to each of them that the disastrous consequences of their actions would surely destroy them.  Instead, they not only survived their ordeal, their fortunes prospered beyond their wildest dreams.  Most of us tend to avoid anything painful or unpleasant, even going to extreme measures to exempt ourselves from trials.  Some resort to deception, cheating or criminal behavior so they can escape trials, totally ignoring the fact that the absence of trying experiences makes them far more fragile in their vocation, career or life itself.  If you are too fragile to be tested, you are too fragile to survive! 

This is the message of the Apostle Peter.  “Dear friends, don’t be bewildered or surprised when you go through the fiery trials ahead, for this is no strange, unusual thing that is going to happen to you. Instead, be really glad—because these trials will make you partners with Christ in his suffering, and afterwards you will have the wonderful joy of sharing his glory in that coming day when it will be displayed… But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being in Christ’s family and being called by his wonderful name! For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin first among God’s own children. And if even we who are Christians must be judged, what terrible fate awaits those who have never believed in the Lord? If the righteous are barely saved, what chance will the godless have? So if you are suffering according to God’s will, keep on doing what is right and trust yourself to the God who made you, for he will never fail you.” 1 Peter 4:12-19 (TLB)

Following are a few more illustrations of antifragilistic principles readily found in the Bible.  Anyone with a modicum of scriptural knowledge can flesh them out in actual verses or in biographical sketches of bible characters.  (I’ll add a few hints to get you started). 

• The way to exaltation is through submission.  (Matthew 23:1-12)
• The way to beauty is through holiness.  (Psalm 96:1-9)
• The way to blessing is through sacrifice.  (Romans 12:1-2)
• The way to increase is decrease (i.e. pruning).  (John 15:1-2)
• The way to fullness is through deprivation.  (2 Corinthians 8:7-15)
• The way to win is to lose.  (Luke 9:24)
• The way to life is through death.  (John 12:24-26)

In sports, there is a point in time when the game strategy may shift from playing to win to playing not to lose.  Almost any coach will tell you, however, that a deliberate curbing of aggressiveness dampens the morale of the team, or of one’s own morale in individual sports.  Alan Weiss, a top business consultant, says,   “NO ONE grows or gains respect by trying ‘not to lose.’ You appear to be weak, hesitant, afraid, and vulnerable to pressure and demands. You allow others to gain momentum which will overcome and surpass your own negative inertia.  The world is not for the safe or faint-of-heart. We are not here to stick our toes in the water, but to make waves. We need to be bold, innovative, and assertive. No risk, no reward.” http://www.contrarianconsulting.com/losing-by-playing-not-to-lose/

When common sense and market awareness dictate a conservative strategy, it’s fine.  When it is a reaction of fear and dread, however, it is a losing strategy.  The more self-absorbed we become, the more we attempt to protect ourselves against loss in the normal give and take of life, the more fragile we become.  Fragility will inevitably meet with stress (storm, earthquake, recession, injury, disease, tragedy, accident, etc.)  When it does, it can only result in degradation.  On the other hand, when we see that same stressful event as an opportunity for growth and advancement, we eliminate the fear factor and end up as a gainer or beneficiary.  Our trials, not our blessings make us better people!

An antifragile attitude is based primarily on absolute trust in God.  It is not carelessness, but carefulness to let God be God that fuels our success. 

Blessed Christmas in Christ

This Christmas season, when the attention of the world is drawn to Christ, we have an opportunity to realign, refresh and recalibrate our focus on the Grand Personage of the universe.  Our most treasured possession is not that we are of Christ, or that we know about Christ, but that we are in Christ.  This seemingly small distinction grows larger than life itself when we search the Scriptures.  The entirety of our Christian inheritance is positioned on our placement in Christ.  We are:

 Alive in Christ

Established in Christ

Justified in Christ

Made nigh to God in Christ

New creatures in Christ

Partakers of the promise in Christ

Perfect in Christ

Purposed in Christ

Sanctified in Christ

Seated in Christ

Triumphant in Christ

We have:

All things in Christ

Consolation in Christ

Faith in Christ

Freedom in Christ

Goodness in Christ

Grace in Christ

Hope in Christ

Liberty in Christ

Life in Christ

Love in Christ

Peace in Christ

Redemption in Christ

Rejoicing in Christ

Salvation in Christ

Truth in Christ

Worship in Christ

Let us remember that we will only find our heart’s desire in the Christ of Christmas. 

Love to you all.  Have a blessed Christmas. 

The Cowardly Weapons of Insinuation and Innuendo

Dan Cathy, CEO of Chick-fil-A, was targeted earlier this year for making statements construed to be offensive to the gay community.  He does disagree with same-sex marriage, and he felt he had a right to express that opinion in a open forum when he was asked about it.  The LGBT people reacted to his comments by organizing a boycott of Chick-fil-A restaurants, a move that was, by most observers, considered a flop.  In fact, those who turned out in support of Cathy far out-numbered the protesters.  

Cathy’s sympathizers charge that he is a victim of a witch hunt.  They point out that hearsay, concealed sources and detrimental innuendo’s have been marshaled against him.  This link tells more about it.  http://www.patheos.com/blogs/getreligion/2012/08/for-chick-fil-a-boss-guilt-by-insinuation/. 

All of us have heard the phrase “tried in the court of public opinion.”  This court has no rules of evidence, no guidelines, no policies against lies, innuendo, insinuation or character assassination.  Whatever a party in the trial can get a sufficient number of people to believe, it’s all fair game.  In fact, one person can be prosecutor, judge and jury if such a feat can be pulled off.  The point is, credibility and truth does not have to prevail in this courtroom.  Only the cleverness and the dramatic skills of the plaintiff determine the outcome.  

Insinuations can be manufactured out of the thinnest piece of cloth—indeed, out of thin air.  One only needs some kind of likely scenario in which a victim can be cast in a bad light.  Add to that a huge malevolent motive, and suddenly a mountain grows out of something that could scarcely be considered a molehill.  Political campaigns have become notoriously adept at such concoctions.  Gossip columnists and tabloid journalists make a handsome living at creative lying.  We have come to expect these shenanigans from them, and, to a certain extent, they have lost their cutting edge.  Still, they work well enough that continue to enjoy a life of their own. 

Innuendos are nasty, cruel and grossly unfair.  Innocent persons have had their actions and words distorted totally out of proportion by those who were looking for revenge, not truth.  Grand and noble causes have been destroyed by vicious rumors devoid of truth.  In the scriptures, Joseph stands out as a man of integrity who had his career sabotaged by a scorned woman, her outraged husband and a complicit legal system.  Jesus himself was the victim of innuendo that was taken as truth and exploited to the fullest extent.  In American history, Dolley Madison was pilloried with accusations of sexual impropriety, none of which were proven true, and survived only by resolving not to respond to any of them.  http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/feed-mind-nourish-soul/2012/nov/17/dolley-madison-target-gossip-and-innuendo/ 

No one feels as helpless as the victim of innuendo.  First, he is suspected of being guilty before he ever opens his mouth.  Second, his objections are seen as predictable defenses against the charges, and people are probably not going to believe him anyway.  Finally, those who are convinced he is covering something up have already moved on to speculating about the motive and what the punishment ought to be.  In their eyes, it is a done deal. 

A person of integrity will not engage in rumor-mongering, spreading innuendo or launching a crusade against someone.  When he hears of such attacks, he will not participate in the destruction of an individual anyway.  If reports turn out to be true, he remains sensitive to the feelings of the person and reaches out with any help he is able to give.  Rather than delight over the misfortune of others, he has a sense of remorse and sorrow over them. 

Character assassination is the coward’s way of avoiding the crime of murder and yet achieving the same results.  An honest person will make every attempt to clarify a questionable situation directly with the responsible party.  To assume wrongdoing when none is proven, and then to regard the assumption as the gospel truth to be broadcast to the world reeks of evil.  

My appeal here is not so much to advise the victim, but to warn the potential offender.  Those who traffic in salacious rumors, malicious gossip or dubious innuendo do not elevate themselves.  Neither should they pat themselves on the back for “standing up for truth and righteousness.”  If anything, they are engaged in one of the lowest forms of human interaction.  Truth is a precious commodity and it must not be put out for sale for the price of a cheap thrill or act of revenge.  

Remember the old saying, “If you live by the sword, you die by the sword.”

Heaven and Hell: The Bible Truth and Why It Matters

Rob Bell, former mega-church pastor and author of the book “Love Wins:  A Book about Heaven, Hell and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived,” which disputes the existence of hell, is in the news again.  The theological position that he staked out in his book drove a wedge between him and a big part of the Mars Hill congregation in Grandville, Michigan.  Approximately 3000 members left after they found out what their pastor believed, and Rob and Kristen Bell eventually departed as well. Click on this link to read more about his situation. http://www.christianpost.com/news/rob-bell-tells-how-love-wins-led-to-mars-hill-departure-85995/. 

Bell claims that the Bible must be re-interpreted in accordance with the changing “water level” of the culture.  The idea of God punishing people in eternal fires of hell, he maintains, is no longer an acceptable thought for the modern mind.  While he is right about the cultural shift, he is dead wrong about re-interpreting the Bible.  I am going to use this occasion to proclaim the clear scriptural teaching about the destiny of the soul, but first, just a word or two about Bell’s error. 

First, the Word of God is forever settled in heaven (Psalm 33:11; 119:89; 119:152).  Also, the Apostle John set forth a severe proscription against anyone adding to or taking away from this Book (Revelation 22:18-19).  The outrage of adding or subtracting from the Book is not just the penalty, but the audacity of the one doing so.  Are we to believe that merely because a person thinks the Bible should be rewritten, that it constitutes both the authority to do it and the substance of the change?  I find that insufferably arrogant.  At what point between Genesis and Revelation does this authority stop?  If cultural sensitivities determine the truth of the Bible, which sin is no longer to be considered sinful?  Which element of the gospel will no longer be viable?  The cross?  The blood?  The virgin birth?  Which aspects of the scriptural record will undergo the knife?  The miracles?  Creation?  Verbal inspiration?  The infallibility of the Word itself?  Much of this has already happened in liberal seminaries and mainline denominations.  The results of this evolution are patently obvious. 

With regard to our eternal destiny, I will limit my discussion to three areas (with a few subpoints).  First, is there an actual heaven?  Second, does hell exist?  Last, does each person have an eternal soul?  I will wrap it up with some comments on why I believe these are important truths and we should espouse them and proclaim them. 

Is there an actual heaven?  The Bible contains many references to heaven as the physical realm of the atmosphere (Genesis 1:1; 1:14), as the place where God dwells (2 Samuel 22:14; 1 Kings 8:32; Isaiah 14:13) and as the destiny of the righteous (John 14:3; 2 Corinthians 5:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; Revelation 4:1).  

Heaven is a spiritual place.  Scripture specifies three heavens, since “the third heaven” is revealed to exist (2 Corinthians 12:2), and it is logical that a third heaven cannot exist without a first and second. Scripture does not describe specifically the first and second heaven. 

The first, however, apparently refers to the atmospheric heavens of the birds (Hosea 2:18, “sky”) and of clouds (Daniel 7:13). The second heaven may be the stellar spaces (cf. Genesis 1:14-18). It is the abode of all supernatural angelic beings.   The third heaven is the abode of God. While its location is unrevealed, there is no question that it is real. It is the divine plan to populate the third heaven. It is a place (John 14:1-3). It is called “glory” (Hebrews 2:10); those who enter it will be perfected forever. The apostle John was called into heaven (Revelation 4:1).  The apostle Paul was caught up to the third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:1-9). He was prohibited, however, from revealing what he saw and heard. 

Heaven is a place of beauty (Revelation 21:1-22:7), of life (1 Timothy 4:8), service (Revelation 22:3), worship (Revelation 19:1-3), and glory (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).  Revelation 21:1-2 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 

The Apostle John describes the New Jerusalem, the heavenly city.  (1) The bride, the Lamb’s wife, the church, referred to as “the general assembly and church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven.” (2) The redeemed saints of the OT. These are referred to as “the spirits of righteous men made perfect.” (3) “Myriads of angels,” i.e., unfallen angels. 

Our Lord referred to this city in John 14:2-3 when He said He would go away and would come again and that He was preparing “a place” for His disciples.  Entrance to the city will be by translation (glorification) or resurrection, both in the case of the church saints and the saved OT saints. Thus all the redeemed of the ages who enter this city may do so by resurrection. The city becomes the abode of all the resurrected saints who enter it at the time of their resurrection” (Much of this information may be found in Things to Come, by Dwight Pentecost). 

The heavenly city is described as lavishly magnificent. It possesses “the glory of God” (Revelation 21:11), with a “brilliance … like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper” (v. 11).  Its twelve gates are inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of sons of Israel. The twelve foundations of the city’s wall have the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb (v. 14).  The city is called “the bride, the wife of the Lamb” (v. 9). The foundations of the walls of the city are garnished with precious stones such as jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, sardius, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, etc. The twelve gates are set each one so that they consist of one huge pearl. The New Jerusalem city is pure gold.  No temple is there because God is unveiled in all of His glory. No light is needed because the glory of God is revealed in the city. In the heavenly city paradise is restored, and the river of the water of life flows freely. 

If heaven is only a state of mind, a virtual reality of some kind or a surrealistic reverie calculated to mesmerize and placate gullible minds, then the Word of God is a dangerous book.  (Precisely what some say it is).  But if it is to be believed, then the magnificent description of its grandeur and glory is to be embraced for every saint of God.  It is our inheritance. 

Does Hell exist?  Just as for heaven, there are a number of ways that the Bible refers to a place called hell.  It was a place where city dwellers took their refuse and burned it.  It was a symbolic place of punishment.  It was a “holding place” for the wicked dead.  It was also used to describe an intense time of trial and persecution. 

Jesus believed in hell.  He mentioned hell 15 times.  The New Testament contains 23 references to hell in all.  If you check all the references, you will find it described in great detail.  

Hell is a place that we are warned against.

Psalm 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.

Proverbs 7:27 Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death. 

Hell will be a place that burns with fire.

Matthew 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 

Hell will be a place of wailing and gnashing of teeth, a Hebrew phrase that means great anguish of soul.

Matthew 13:40-42 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.  The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 

Hell will be a place of fire and brimstone.

Revelation 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 

Revelation 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 

Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 

Hell is night.  (Outer darkness, separation from light.)

Matthew 8:12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 

Matthew 22:13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 

Matthew 25:30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 

John 3:19-20 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 

Hell is the antithesis of heaven.

Whatever is true of heaven, the opposite is true of hell. 

• Light                         Darkness
• Day                          Night
• Joy                           Anguish
• No tears                   Weeping
• Fellowship                 Loneliness
• Acceptance               Rejection
• Love                         Hatred
• God                          Satan
• Peace                       Turmoil
• Knowledge                Ignorance 

There will be no annihilation of souls in hell.  They will exist in a living death. 

Mark 9:44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.  Verses 46, 48 say the identical thing. 

Fallen angels will be in hell. 

Jude 6-8 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. 

The devil, antichrist, and the false prophet will be in hell. 

Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 

The wicked men of Sodom and Gomorrah will be in hell.  

Jude 7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. 

Other wicked persons in the Bible will be in hell. 

• Cain, the first murderer.
• Nimrod, the mighty hunter who founded the pagan city of Babylon.
• Ahab, the vile king who stole Naboth’s vineyard.
• Jezebel, the treacherous wife of Ahab who introduced Baal to Israel.
• Athaliah, the conniving Queen who killed her own son.
• Belshazzar, the Babylonian king who violated the holy vessels of the temple.
• Judas, who sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.
• Pilate, who chose political expediency over justice.
• Alexander the Coppersmith, who did the Apostle Paul much evil. 

Dives the Rich Man 

Luke 16:19-31 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.  And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.  But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.  And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.  Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house:  For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.  Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.  And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.  And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. 

Think of it!  Finally ready to do something for God, but no opportunity to fulfill it.  Hell makes a believer out of everyone who goes there, but supplies no altar to repent.  The transgressors of all ages will inhabit the regions of the damned. 

Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 

Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. 

These are the questions that Rob Bell and others like him find too perverse to ask, let alone try to answer.  Yes, our twenty-first century minds recoil at even the thought.  No one deserves this, we may think.  Our society is having an increasingly difficult time sentencing people to capital punishment.  How much more difficult to conceive of a hell! 

Some even ask, “How can you believe in a God who would make a hell?” 

The answer is this:  God didn’t create hell for any human being!  He created it for the devil and his angels.  He enlarged hell and opened its mouth without measure to swallow up the existence of evil in the universe.  If people end up in hell, it is not because God sent them there.  It is because they ignored every warning sign along the way.  It is because they chose hell over heaven!  They closed their hearts to the spirit of God, shut their ears to the preaching of the gospel, and hardened their spirit to the conviction of the Word.  There is no good reason for anyone to go to the lake of fire and brimstone. 

The cross stands in the way.  The Spirit of God pulls each soul back.  The church blocks the road.  Every song, every altar call, every sermon preached, every testimony shared, every prayer prayed, every whispered encouragement is heaven’s attempt to save sinners from hell! 

Jude 22-23 And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. 

Mankind has an eternal soul that will be conscious throughout eternity.  We understand that man is a living soul from Genesis 2:7 which says, “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”   While the body dies and returns to dust (Genesis 3:19; Ecclesiastes 3:20), the soul does not suffer the same fate.  The soul was not confined to our existence on earth, but was spoken of as being transcendent over this present form of life.   This may be starkly seen in the account of the great white throne judgment. 

“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.  Revelation 20:11-15.  

Note that the dead were brought up before the judgment.  How would that be possible unless they were conscious and able to comprehend their judgment?  Had they ceased to exist at the point of their death, it would be ludicrous to imagine such a scene.  The very fact that it appears in the scripture is a powerful argument for the consciousness of the soul.

The most widely known verse that refers to eternal life is John 3:16.  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  Some argue that this everlasting life is only for the saved soul.  Upon death, the unsaved soul just ceases to exist.  In other words, there is no eternal consciousness for one who dies without salvation.  This person dies like an animal. 

How can we know, then, if the unsaved person maintains consciousness after death?  We cannot know this by personal experience, or by anyone who has genuinely, clinically died.  Some cite “near death” experiences as a way to know, but “near” death is not death!  Therefore, we have only the Bible to look to for information about the plight of the soul after death.  The preponderance of scriptural verses about the wicked dead strongly suggest that there is consciousness for the wicked soul after death.  That consciousness validates the reality of suffering and torment.  Look at these verses: 

“And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”  Revelation 14:9-11.

But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 8:12. 

The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 13:41-42.  

And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 25:30. 

Those who end up in outer darkness, a condition descriptive of hell, must still have some capacity for sorrow, shame and suffering.  Whether this anguish is physical or not is immaterial.  It pertains to the quality of being sentient and aware.  

Why does all this matter?  First, all Bible truth matters.  A genuine respect for the Word of God necessitates an attitude of obedience and submission.  Responsible people are seekers of truth, and the knowledge of truth is its own reward. 

Second, the concept of accountability should pervade all human behavior.  If there are no consequences to our decisions and actions, then the full impact of what we do is lost.  If death for the wicked means that they will be perceived as never having lived, then who cares?  In fact, isn’t that what many suicide victims desire?  

Finally, the existence of heaven, hell and the eternal soul accentuates and elevates the importance of Calvary beyond mere religion or parochial issues.  Christ’s ignominious death, unspeakable pain and base humiliation would have been hardly more than entertainment had there not been grave consequences to His entire ordeal.  Our goal should not just be to avoid hell and inherit heaven, but to bring glory to God.  We do that best by embracing the plain teachings of the Bible.  It is God’s Word. 

The Art of Gentleness

“But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children.”  1 Thessalonians 2:7 (NKJV) 

Much of the interaction between people today has degenerated into a harsh, inconsiderate exchange.  Few seem to understand the value of gentleness.  Instead, roughness and sarcasm are the accepted ways to express our opinions and impose our wills.  Many people, however, are totally unaware that they are rude or that the way they speak and act impacts others.  They may even deny their prejudice because, to them, they mean no harm.  The standard response to any negative reaction is to growl “Life is tough.  Get over it!” 

But it is the quality of gentleness that bonds the infant to the mother, that births trust in the heart of the child, and that creates the atmosphere in which loving and caring can do their greatest work.  Cardinal Newman said, “It is almost the definition of a gentleman to say that he is one who never inflicts pain.”  Gentleness serves as the shock absorber in human relationships.  It may not change the road that must be traveled, but it can make the bone-shattering roughness of life’s bumps and potholes much easier to negotiate.  Gentleness proactively informs us on how to interact with people, and it simultaneously refuses to inflict pain on others.  

Even though we’ve come to expect rudeness and roughness in society, all of us prefer to be treated with a gentle demeanor.  Dentists, chiropractors and other health care practitioners know this.  That’s why they advertise that they cause as little physical pain as possible in their work.  By the same token, those who make a sincere effort to practice gentleness in the give and take of spiritual life will attract others to them.  

Is it time to seriously analyze your treatment of others?  Learn to choose your words more carefully and monitor your entire approach as you interact with others.  This exercise goes beyond the conventional sensitivity training that may be offered in other venues.  Rather than any superficial behavior modification technique, it starts with the deep, spiritual qualities of the heart and builds a new outlook of respect and appreciation of others. 

Respect is not just something you do; respect is an inner quality that becomes exposed when challenged!  Jesus, the Gentle Shepherd, becomes our role model.  “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”  Matthew 11:28 (NKJV)

Christmas Hope

“Rejoicing in hope.”  Romans 12:12 

Christmas comes as a welcome relief for Americans who have just been brutalized by a nasty political campaign rife with incessant, shrill ads and slogans repeated ad nauseam.  We are weary with hateful speeches, spinning of facts and vicious attacks.  Partisan politics, even when one’s preferred candidate prevails, yields little peace.  It’s great to move on to Christmas, even though the yuletide music, greetings and stories have also been permanently etched into our brains.  The Christmas message finds its strength in redemptive love, not in competitive advantage.

The world needs hope.  Poet Ellen Bass wrote, “When grief weights you like your own flesh
only more of it, an obesity of grief…”  We are weighted down by the obesity of grief with the ravages of Hurricane Sandy, with the shock and sadness of Benghazi, with the threat of a nuclear Ahmadinejad’s Iran, with the harvest-killing monster drought of 2012, with the millions of acres charred by wildfires, and with multiple mass shootings in random sites across the country. 

The world needs hope.  When prospective mothers protruding in their third trimester check in at abortion clinics, when suicide surpasses combat deaths among military personnel, when homeowners walk away from the entirety of their life’s dreams because of  underwater mortgages, and when underage drinking has become normalized among adolescents, we cry out for hope. 

The world needs hope.  Real hope.  We do not need any more artificial hope of empty campaign promises, or of dry statistical analyses churned out by university labs in pursuit of grant money, or of endless social programs that do more to fatten and perpetuate the layers of bureaucracy than to alleviate the sufferings of the victims. 

Mankind can survive the most abominable of circumstances if a ray of hope flickers somewhere on the horizon.  A person can endure profound pain and unthinkable loss if he or she can cling to a shred of hope.  One slim shaft of hope that pierces a cancer patient’s dismal outlook can instantaneously cause a drawn face to burst into smiles.  An entire country besieged with an aggressor’s attack can erupt in joy hearing that the slightest hope of deliverance is on its way.  That’s what Christmas is all about.

The message of Christmas lives effectually on many levels.  Yes, there is the level of prophetic fulfillment, levels of doctrinal orthodoxy, of messianic joy, of typological truth.  There are the details of Bethlehem, Mary, and Joseph, the angels, the shepherds, the stable and the manger.  All of them are important.  But there is a more basic level—we may even say generic level—of simple hope.  Christmas symbolizes hope in every conceivable way.  Before the drug addict, or the alcoholic, or the prisoner, or the depressed person knows the details of the Christ child and all of the supporting proof texts, he or she needs to know that there is hope, real hope, proven hope that can that can transform their world. 

With Armageddon approaching, we Christians love to focus on judgment.  We may feel it is more meaningful to talk about the wrath of God coming down on this godless society.  There may be times for that.  But we have a much bigger job.  We are in the hope business, not the hell business! 

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Corinthians 5:17-21.

Spread hope.  Speak hope into distraught, restless lives.  Be a beacon of hope to a depressed family.  Rather than a doom and gloom prophet, why not be a voice for radiance and joy?  Be the epistle of the Christmas story known and read of all men.  You can do more than celebrate Christmas—you can BE Christmas to a lost and dying soul!

Talking Past Each Other

When you speak as plainly as you know how and yet have your words totally misconstrued and your arguments irrationally rebutted stands as one of the greatest sources of frustration known to exist.  It is even more astonishing when your opponent has an identical take on the conversation.  What is going on?  Is the mother tongue no longer adequate to communicate with each other?  A simple disagreement is understandable, but when two people, or two parties, or two groups scream at each other without out any attempt at processing their adversary’s position, then the polemic veers dangerously close to violence.  The nicest way I can describe this phenomena is to say that we’re talking past each other.  The reality is much worse. 

My three year stint in high school debate taught me that I could and should concede some arguments on my way to establishing a greater argument, and thus win the debate.  Today, almost nothing is conceded.  To concede even the minutest point is perceived as weakness.  One blogger puts it this way: “I concede nothing.  Now we just get louder.”  When we do not understand each other—or at least pretend that we do not understand—then there is no path to reconciliation or peace.  When you cannot say, “This we agree on…” then there are no pilasters or piers across the divide on which a bridge may be built.  

Shouting matches have replaced talk shows in the media.  Advocates of one side are not permitted to advance one salient point without the other side interrupting and drowning out the words with an incessant barrage of objections and counter-arguments.  It is a verbal version of the stronger arm or bigger hammer.  Editorialists choose the most incendiary terms and ignore the most patently obvious rationales to state their case.  Suddenly, a college level discussion degenerates into a third-grade fight or a barroom brawl.  It is a maddening descent into abject stupidity and Neanderthalian ignorance.  

Take the abortion issue for example.  The pro-life movement says abortion equals killing babies.  The pro-choice side (that term in itself is subject to debate) says that abortion is the woman’s right to determine what happens in her own body.  For each side, the focus is different, the terminology is different and the convictions are different.  For the pro-choice side to retain the force of its argument, the concept of killing a baby must never be embraced in any way, shape or form.  For the pro-life side, no other position must take priority over the fact that the life of a human being is destroyed.  The impasse is almost surreal.  

Taxation is another hot-button issue.  Tax proponents focus on the ability of the wealthy to pay higher taxes.  Besides, if the country needs money, the people who have the money should be the ones to pay.  After all, they took advantage of the laws and circumstances of the country to make the money in the first place.  It’s only right for them to pony up.  Opponents say that to single out the wealthy is class warfare.  No one person or group should be targeted for more taxes because that is unfair.  Besides, to take money from the wealthy for taxation purposes only restricts the wealthy from buying goods and services that, in turn, provides jobs for the citizenry.  Moreover, the government that confiscates the money to spend on programs of its own choosing is notorious for fraud and lavish and wasteful overspending.  Large chunks of the money winds up in the pockets of the bureaucrats.  Agreements on taxing and spending are usually exercises in rhetoric and head faking. 

Illustrative issues go on forever.  The point is that many people talk, but not to each other.  We talk past each other.  Resolution is not the goal of discussion.  Our words serve only to reinforce our intractable arguments and galvanize our grassroots supporters.  Too many are totally invested in maintaining their status quo, and are willing to go to any length, become as stupid as necessary, ignore as much reality as they can, be as patronizing as possible and outlast the other side for any length of time in order to cling to their position.  It is a recipe for ultimate disaster with the only consolation being the opportunity to blame the ensuing catastrophe on the other side.  But, if you blow up the end of the boat that belongs to the other side, both of you are going down.  “Both of us may die, but it will be your fault!”  

Meanwhile, everyone ignores the big picture.

Ever heard of the fiscal cliff?

Does anyone know what the loss of superpower status looks like?

Who wins if social security goes bankrupt?

What good is there in a nuclear Iran?

What if China calls in our debt?

If America fails, will anyone care how it happened?

If we don’t start talking to each other instead of past each other, we may not be talking at all. 

A Resounding Victory for Education

Tuesday, November 6, 2012, was a huge victory for education in this country.  Say what you will about the lousy job the public school system is doing, you have to hand it to them for what happened on election day.  I’m not talking about various millage proposals that won around the country.  While that may be true as well, I am specifically referring to the social agenda initiatives that made their way to the ballots in several states. 

They educated America that homophobia is wrong and that same-sex marriage is absolutely fine.  As a result, two states, Maryland and Maine, approved gay marriage.  In addition, the first openly gay Senator was elected from the state of Minnesota. 

They educated America that the use of Marijuana was okay.  “In a historic move, voters in Colorado and Washington have legalized marijuana for recreational use, becoming the first states to do so.”  Democracy Now! 

They educated America that illegal immigrants (aka “undocumented immigrants) have every right to a taxpayer-funded education.  To deny them this right is bigotry and discrimination.  As a consequence, Maryland voters also affirmed the DREAM Act, allowing undocumented immigrants to receive in-state tuition.  Democracy Now! 

They educated America that women have a fundamental right to taxpayer-funded abortion and free contraceptives.  This successful teaching drove many women to the polls to vote to preserve these rights. 

Other measures that are gaining ground and will most likely become law at some point are a ban on voter ID, a ban on firearms except for the police and the military, enforced “card check” laws for unions, a ban on coal and select forms of fossil fuels, enforced use of green energy sources, and a constitutional amendment to approve same-sex marriage.  The reason these issues—and many more— will undoubtedly find their way to acceptance is a testimony to the fabulous job the public educational system is doing. 

Teachers DO know how to teach.  Their expertise is unquestioned, make no mistake about it.  The only question one may have involves the subject matter.  Math, English, Science, History?  Nah.  Those are all electives, more or less.  Liberal social behavior leads the list of required subjects.  What happened November 6 is living proof.