If we would think about it there are three basic questions that cause us all, at one time or another, to pause and contemplate. Three questions that philosophers and poets, adventurers and statesmen, and probably each one of us have asked, pondered, and tried to form answers. The three questions? Where do we come from? Why are we here? Where are we going? For some of us, answering these questions is a lifetime search.
Where do we come from? I would say that we all come from God. Each one of us being a tiny, little miracle formed in our mother’s womb, a human being made after God’s own image. (Gen 1:26-27) But Darwinism has sown seeds of doubt among us and instead of God; it claims we are descended from apes, which once were fish, which formed themselves from amino acids and sludge over millions of years. To believe man came from God in the way described in the Bible is a leap of faith; to believe in the evolution of man as just described takes an even greater leap of faith. Personally I find my leap easier to believe and take.

But why are we here? In other words, what’s the meaning; what’s the purpose of life? This second question is the one we can get caught up in so deeply that we waste years searching for the profound. There must be more to life than working, sleeping, and procreating, even though there are plenty around us who seem to embrace doing only that. The acknowledged wisest man who ever lived, Solomon, wrote a book near the end of his life called Ecclesiastes. In some ways his book is a book of disillusionment, pessimism, and doubt. In other ways Solomon is a realist, but even with all his wisdom, he just couldn’t figure all of life out either. At the very end of this work Solomon says, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” (Eccl 12:13) Solomon still cut right to the heart of the matter: fearing God. Most of us don’t really have a fear of God anymore. Now, when I say fear I’m not talking about being afraid. I’m talking about an overwhelming respect and reverence coupled with the realization that God is far more powerful an authority than I could ever hope to be, even if I were a king. Our purpose then would be to live our lives in a way that honors our Creator. You may take this lightly but God is not mocked and He always gets the last word.

For the last question, where are we going, our answer here depends somewhat on how we answered the first two questions. An evolutionist considers God and his Word as fables, or untruths, or outright lies. He then reasons out the meaning and results of his life based upon his own morality and convictions. The true Christian lives out his life believing God and Scripture and uses them for the moral basis for right and wrong. He believes he’s going to an eternal existence with God in heaven. “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” (Eccl 12:7) For the Darwinist there is no consoling end point to aspire.

Where do we come from? Why are we here? Where are we going? These are questions that require answers more thorough than can be addressed here. Have you considered these questions and, in light of eternity, also considered your answers?

There are many challenges awaiting missionaries when they go forth to serve Christ in foreign lands, the language barrier being one of the first tests he faces, for how can they understand the Gospel if they can’t understand what you’re saying. Harsh climates and unsanitary living conditions are also waiting for those whose desire is to reach the unreached. Besides all of these the persevering missionary will also discover an alien culture, with values not only different from their own, but also one that just doesn’t think the same way you do.

I know a man and his family currently serving the Lord in Benin in West Africa. Along with his language learning he is trying to broaden his understanding of the people by understanding their fables, and he has found that they have many of the same stories we have, but they vary greatly in the telling. We can illustrate this difference here by comparing both ours and their versions of the fable of the tortoise and the hare.
I’d be surprised if someone reading this today did not know the tale. In a nutshell, the tortoise and the hare have a race; the hare, being swift, soon outpaces the tortoise, decides he has time to rest, falls asleep, and wakes up in time to discover that the tortoise had passed him by and has won the race. But in Benin, the story goes as follows; the tortoise and the hare are going to have a race, but the tortoise knows he can’t beat the hare, so he gets four of his identical twin brothers to hide all along the race course. The race begins and the hare zooms ahead and after a few minutes turns and calls to the tortoise, “I am way ahead of you now!” At this moment one of the brother turtles emerges from the bushes and says, “No you’re not. Here I am ahead of you.” The hare jumps forward and soon passes the second tortoise. This scenario repeats itself until the last brother turtle appears at the finish line and wins the race.

Now let’s consider the morals taught by each of these fables. The one we know reinforces perseverance on the part of the turtle and the results of the brash overconfidence of the hare. The moral of the Beninese version seems to be to outthink your adversary by dishonesty and cheating. According to this missionary this is just one example out of many that follow the same pattern. What makes this even more interesting is the low tolerance for thievery by the natives; they will beat and humiliate to the extreme anyone caught stealing. Their cultural mindset seems to be that it’s OK to try, but don’t get caught. Come to think of it, despite our own fable about perseverance I still know a few around here who like the Beninese way better.

But it is all a reminder to us that the effects of sin on people are universal; thieves and cheats know no national boundaries. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Rom 3:23) It is the reason missionaries go forth spanning the globe. It is the reason people go out street witnessing in your hometown. And if you think understanding a foreign mindset is challenging, you should talk to an American who’s bound for hell and thinks he’s alright. He has the confidence of the hare and believes he has all the time in the world.

The Book of Proverbs is a book of contrasts and comparisons. It is also a partial collection of the wisdom of Solomon. As its opening verses state, his purpose in writing the Proverbs is to impart wisdom in a way that the reader would benefit from it and prosper. In Solomon’s Proverbs he introduces us to many people and situations and among them are those who seek after wisdom and their opposites; the fools. There are approximately four different levels of fools and their foolishness marked out for us.

The first fool is frequently referred to as simple. In the fourth verse of the book he writes that he’s trying “to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.” (Prov 1:4) This is the person who really doesn’t care whether something is true or false and lacks a worthwhile purpose or direction for their life. “The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.” (14:15) He is easily drawn into illicit pleasures (7:7) and can’t even imagine that there are actually consequences for his actions.

The second fool is known as a scoffer and is also called a scorner. “A wise son heareth his father’s instruction, but a scorner heareth not rebuke.” (13:1) A scorner laughs at anybody’s wisdom but his own, and will say anything to make his point. “Cast out the scorner, and contention will cease; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.” (22:10)
The next fool is an arrogant one, one who willfully ignores wisdom. “A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth and is confident.” (14:16) The arrogant fool has no delight in understanding (18:2) and thinks it is fun to do mischief. (10:23) He only cares for himself and whatever he can get.

The last fool on our list is the rebel and for a description, he simply hates wisdom. The rebel goes much farther than the scoffer when it comes to his father’s instruction; he despises it. (15:5) He is the hardcore fool determined to aggressively pursue his own path. “Though thou shouldst crush a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.” (27:22)

And since Proverbs is a book of instruction, what do we get out of examining these four fools? The main lesson we can learn here is the end result of such foolishness as theirs. “Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools.” (19:29) “A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool’s back.” (26:3) “The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for lack of wisdom.” (10:21) When Solomon says, “Surely he (God) scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace to the lowly. The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.” (3:34-35) it is something to make note of and take to heart. To despise wisdom and instruction and embrace foolishness is…foolish.

Our daily news is full of reckless people doing foolish things thinking they can get away with it. Maybe you know one of them, or just maybe you are known as one of them. Consider the price to be paid for acting foolishly and imagine yourself someday standing before God as he waits for you to explain your justification for being a fool.

There is a segment of today’s population, including some Christians, who consider parts of the Bible, especially the Old Testament, simply as the stories of an unlearned, primitive people. As such they believe that much more is fable than fact.

But over the last fifty years or so archeological sites where the scenes of Biblical action took place are confirming and not disproving the Biblical accounts. At one time Luke, the physician of the NT, was considered a poor observer of the geography of his time, but slowly, through archeology, each one of his observations are being proved correct, so much so, that today his writings have become the base by which other’s writings are measured.
So let’s look at another more ancient example than Luke, one that dates from approximately 750 BC, during the reigns of Uzziah of Judah and Jeraboam of Israel. The prophet we will reference here will be Amos, son of Tekoa, a shepherd. In the very first book of the Book of Amos he says he’s writing his prophesy two years before the earthquake, and then lists God’s judgments on various peoples for their unfaithfulness and wickedness. He singles out the city of Bethel and Israel in particular for turning their backs on Him. The effects of this predicted earthquake are listed in several verses noting that the alter in Bethel shall be broken (3:14) and the temple itself destroyed (9:1). “For behold, the Lord commandeth, and he will smite the great house with breaches, and the little house with clefts.” (6:11) In 8:8 he says the land will tremble and people will be devoured like a flood.

Now some may say, yeah, so what; there was an earthquake. The question here is whether the Bible is true or just made up stories. In this case, Biblical archeology has confirmed that there was indeed a great earthquake around the time in question. Excavations around Hazor in northern Israel and other sites including Gezer and Lachish reaffirm the event. Walls made of hewn stones several tons in weight have been found cracked and moved out of alignment several inches. Leaning walls, all bent in same direction in cities a hundred kilometers apart from one another all testify to an earthquake that today’s scientists estimate as having been 8.2 at its epicenter. It must have been quite the disaster because over two hundred years later the prophet Zechariah said, “Yea, ye shall flee, like you fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah the King of Judah.” (Zech 14:5)
I realize though that with this evidence one can acknowledge that there was an earthquake 2700 years ago but there’s still no proving that God had anything to do with it. That is so. The point here is that the Bible is not devoid of historical accuracy, in fact, is being searched out, examined, and proven more and more true as time and investigation continues. Does it make you think that maybe some of the other negative assumptions or misconceptions you might have about Scripture, things you thought as being only fables, might also really be true?

I have heard that if something is worth doing, it should be done well and with your whole heart. Indeed, the results of half-hearted efforts are usually clearly seen. One such person from Scripture who exhibited and professed having the zeal of wholeheartedness was the young Psalmist of Israel David.

“With my whole heart I have sought thee; O let me not wander from thy commandments.” (Psalm 119:10) David sought after the Lord; it was his great desire and goal. He sought not with the intention of boasting that he had made it. He made it his objective to not only find God but to also stay with Him. Matthew 7:7 reminds us that if we, too, seek, we shall find, and seeking with one’s whole heart takes effort.

“Give me understanding and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.” (Psa 119:34) Here David is proclaiming his complete devotion to God by confirming that whatever God says, his laws or commands, David will follow. Can any of us say the same in our own spiritual walk, or even of the rules or instructions of our employers or teachers? David isn’t being a mind-dead robot; he was following the command to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and might. (Deut 6:5) If you love someone deeply you will not have the desire to disobey them in any way.

“I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O Lord: I will keep thy statutes.” (Psa 119:145) Why is David crying out to the Lord? It may be that he did disobey one of God’s commands, either intentionally or not, and his spiritually sensitive nature would not let him rest until he found forgiveness. Would God withhold His forgiveness from him? Would he withhold His forgiveness from us, if we would also cry out to Him with our whole heart? Certainly not, especially if we had spent our time previously seeking and desiring Him with an equal wholeheartedness.

“Praise the Lord. I will praise the Lord with my whole heart.” (Psa 111:1) I will praise Him because I sought and found him, and He has shown himself loving and merciful to me, even when I fail Him and cry out for His forgiveness. He will not leave me or forsake me. My cup of gratitude runneth over.

Wholeheartedness is a valued character trait for anyone who serves either their human authorities or their God. Compare Hebrews 11:6 where God is a rewarder of them who diligently (wholeheartedly) seek him, to the church in Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-22, a church that is neither cold nor hot. The reward for its lukewarmness is to be spat out as unpalatable.

Have you ever been reprimanded for doing your business or schoolwork wholeheartedly? God’s desire is for his people to return to Him with their whole heart. (Jer 24:7) Is it your desire to wholeheartedly seek after and return to God?

It seems that every year like clockwork, around the times of Christmas and Easter, one of the major news magazines in the US does a feature article on Christ or Christianity. This past Easter saw yet another which reported the findings of seventy or eighty Biblical scholars. It was reported that their ultimate conclusion was that Christianity was basically a myth, and that Jesus, after his crucifixion, was probably buried in a shallow grave and eaten by dogs. Keep in mind that these were Biblical scholars who teach our children in colleges and seminaries. If this is the educational truth that our youth is growing up under, I cannot see us as having much of a future.

In response to their “findings” I hardly know where to begin. Firstly, I’m sure their evidence for such a conclusion as theirs is highly biased. After all, their superior knowledge should qualify them to dismiss anything with which they already disagree. Unfortunately they fit perfectly in Romans 1:22 as those who “professing themselves to be wise, they became fools”, for God has already shown himself to them in a myriad of ways; they have chosen to just ignore it.

But one of my biggest questions for these academics who profess to know God is, are they born-again? The Bible says that you cannot begin to know God unless you are born of the spirit, for the spirit will lead you into all truth. Without the Holy Spirit you cannot fully understand the meaning and value of Scripture, because it is spiritually discerned. I don’t know anyone who has been truly born-again who does not believe every word of the Bible and is unwilling to dismiss any part of it as a fable. I’m not saying they know everything, but they believe, understand, and seek to follow all that they know. I would then compare these modern scholars to the Pharisees of Jesus’ day who thought they knew God, when in reality, they only knew stuff about him.

If a Holy Jesus is a myth perhaps these experts could also explain whose power it is that changes an alcoholic or drug addict into a new person. Mind over matter? Yea, the mind of Christ! Personally I would rather be taught Christianity by someone who has spent their life on the mission field in a third world country than by a doctor in long robes who has spent his years in a room surrounded by books. Like a mechanic, he may have read all about how to fix a car but unless he’s opened the hood and utilized his tools, he carries very little weight behind his authority.

“For you see your calling brethren, how that not many men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called: but God hath chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty.” (I Cor 1:26-27) And to quote Jesus in Matthew 11:25, “I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.”

I may not have a framed degree on my wall but I have the Holy Spirit within me and can recognize folly from truth. So, despite these new, educated opinions on Jesus and Christianity, I firmly believe something different, and unlike these scholars, also know that the redeemer of my soul was not eaten by dogs.

I have often heard that the Greek of the New Testament is a more expressive language than modern-day English. Despite the fact that current English vocabulary consists of over three times the amount of words, we can still lose some of the impact or meanings of the Greek because our words are insufficient enough to make word for word translations clear. I don’t think that any believer wishes to purposely misunderstand Scripture but, because of this wordplay, we can over time, be conditioned to accept certain positions that, though not incorrect, may be a bit lopsided. Taken to the extreme such errors of interpretation can lead to church schisms and cults.
Let’s take some verses and discover just what we think of when we read them. Two of the most quoted from Christ’s “Sermon on the Mount” are from Chapter 5, verses 13 and 14, “Ye are the salt of the earth” and “Ye are the light of the world”. How many of us as children remember the song that begins, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine”, reaffirming the idea that these verses are a pattern of Christian behavior we, as individuals, need to model. And this assumption is not wrong, but before I elaborate further, let’s also turn to I Corinthians 6:19-20, “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Believers generally use these verses to support their abstention from alcohol or drugs, or any such thing that they would consider defiling, and I, too, would support that interpretation. But read it again with the idea that the “ye’s” and “yours” are plural, not singular, and the body is the gathering of the saints; your church body. This also becomes a call for the church, united believers, to pursue purity and to glorify God as a group. Thinking upon it this way, I may live cleanly and devoutly myself, but by myself, I can’t send and fully support missionaries in Africa, but a sanctified body of believers can. One light on a hill casts a little light, but many produce a glow that gets noticed. By myself I can only do so much to aid a friend or Christian brother who has been injured in an accident, but many can assist at different times filling a variety of needs. Think of the light that would be made if such assistance were directed to someone outside your church body, believer or not.

We are told in Hebrews 10:25 not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together and we should obey this verse for a very good reason. All the qualities desired of a believer can be both multiplied and amplified when the members of a church body are gathered together. A plurality of believers can produce a brighter light and bring greater honor and glory to God.

Matthew 16:26 is a well known and popular verse of the Bible; “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” We have referred to this verse more than once in past articles, for these questions raised here by Jesus are good points to contemplate.

Just as the Bible is called a living book, it’s insights into human behavior, despite its bi-millennial age, continues to reaffirm its accurate perceptions of the conduct of natural man. As this verse implies, our desire for instant gratification regardless of cost knows no boundaries either by culture or epoch.

In case you missed it, earlier this spring a popular computer game maker was offering their products with the following clause in it’s contract: “By placing an order via this website on the first day of the fourth month of the year 2010 Anno Domini, you agree to grant us a non-transferable option to claim, for now and for ever more, your immortal soul. Should we wish to exercise this option, you agree to surrender your immortal soul and any claim you may have on it, within five working days of receiving written notification from us or one of our duly authorized minions.” There was a large box to check off later in the contract if you believed you didn’t have an immortal soul, had already given it away, or just wished to withhold their license, but only 12% of the 7,500 on-line purchasers bothered to do it. This did turn out to be an April fool type prank, but how many buyers just went right to the “I Agree” button and clicked so they could get what they desired as quickly as possible. You could say that they equated their soul’s value with the price of an electronic game.
The overwhelming character trait represented here may be the carelessness with which we tend to hold ourselves. The purchasers wanted the games and didn’t want to be bothered by reading the legal agreement. What if the contract had said that you gave them the right to use your credit card for their own business purposes up to $5,000? You would be really upset but, you signed the contract. I suppose that many who just clicked “I Agree” simply didn’t think it was anything other than a standard agreement. Carelessness, however, can lead to many tragedies; car accidents, house fires, overwhelming debt, and failed marriages. There is also a disregard for your spiritual future. Thinking that being young and strong and having your whole life ahead of you, the call to be reconciled to Christ can be put off until later. Jesus’ words, “Come unto me”, are carelessly put aside as your soul is being immersed in the pleasures of today. As I write this today I know of a young man in his late twenties, lying in a coma, a victim of his own alcohol and drug use. Of his life, if he ever recovers, you could say he exchanged his immortal soul for a few, short years of partying and drunkenness. He will meet Jesus, as we all will, but he will meet Jesus as the dispenser of only justice, for he disregarded His offer of forgiveness when he had the opportunity to take it.

Pray for him for there is still hope, and take heed for yourself that you are also not carelessly selling your own soul, and bargaining it away so cheaply.

“Hi, Ed. Long time no see.”

“Hey, Roger, good to see you again. C’mon in.”

“I hope I haven’t come at a bad time. I just felt like dropping in and catching up with you a bit.”

“No problem. Come on in and sit down. Care for a game of checkers while we visit? You want red or black?”

“Doesn’t matter. Red, I guess. I heard you went to Missouri and saw your sister.”

“Yeah, we were there last month. We were down when they had those pretty bad storms and twisters all over the place. It was on the news, remember? We were OK but the town a little to the north of us got slammed pretty good and some folks there were killed, Your move, Rog.”

“I remember hearing about it. It sounded terrible. Not to be morbid or anything Ed, but if those twisters had struck where you were and you had been killed, where do you think you would be today?”

“Heaven, I suppose, like everybody else.”

“I didn’t even know you were a church-goer. On what basis do you think you’d be in heaven?”

“It has nothing to do with church, Rog. I’m a good person and God just doesn’t send good people to hell. Good move.” “So you’ve never lied, or stolen, or looked with lust after other women?”

“Yeah, well, I still have some of those magazines around but that’s as far as that goes. We all have our faults.”

“I remember when we were teens and did some pretty rotten things together; stole stuff and lied about it.”

“Yeah, but that was then. Neither of us do that anymore except, maybe I’m not totally on the up and up with Ellen all the time. Don’t want to upset her sometimes, you know. It’s your move, Rog.”

“Ed, you know, by your own admission, you’ve violated the Ten Commandments. You’re a liar and a thief, and because the Bible says that anyone who lusts after a woman in his heart is committing adultery with her, an adulterer, too, yet you say you’re a good person who’s going to heaven. According to the standard set by God in Scripture, if you are guilty of one transgression, you are guilty of all. You won’t even see heaven let alone get to be there.” “Rog, I guess we have different standards. King me.” “The only standard we should have is God’s.”

“OK, but if that’s His standard, I don’t know anyone who could meet it, including you. Won’t He cut us a break?”

“He has, Ed, and his name is Jesus. God came to earth as Jesus Christ, led a perfect existence, and took on himself the penalty due us for our sinful selves. It’s a gift of forgiveness He freely offers everybody.”

“So it’s taken care of? I don’t get sent to hell?”

“God sends no one to hell, Ed. People choose to go there themselves because they refuse the gift of salvation and redemption that He offers. ‘If thou confess with thy mouth and believe in thine heart thou shalt be saved’ (Romans 10:9) Ed, dear friend, it’s all been done. You just need to acknowledge your sins and accept the gift. No one gets to heaven without Jesus Christ, and when our time on earth here is over, I want to see you there. It’s your move, Ed.”

When we speak of the martyrs from centuries past who died willingly for Christ we have very little, excepting the written accounts, as evidence of their martyrdom. Maybe a monument in a European courtyard or town square designates the place of execution, but it is still hard for us to visualize with our 21st century eyes the true scene of 15th century violence. Which brings us to the unusual evidence of one such martyr named Geronimo. This is not the Geronimo of the 19th century American west; this Geronimo met his fate in the city of Algiers on the Mediterranean coast of Africa.

Beginning in the early 1500′s Algerians, with the assistance of the Turks, freed themselves from the oppression of Spain. Algiers became a city of Arabs, Berbers, Africans, Turks, and Moors, and their main method of obtaining wealth was through piracy. By the early 1800′s the pirates of the Barbary Coast were notorious for being unmerciful in their thievery and for enslaving their captives, especially Christians, and working many of them to an early death. It was commonly known that once you were made a slave in Algiers, you would never see freedom again.

The Geronimo in our story was a Moor, someone of Arab and Berber descent, and was undoubtedly raised a Muslim. What his Moorish name may have been is unknown but he probably took the name Geronimo, which is Spanish for Jerome, around the time of his conversion. The circumstances of his coming to Christ are not known though it’s possible he had oversight of Christian slaves who bore the witness of Jesus to him. Although placed between 1560 and 1620, even the year of his martyrdom is debated; there is much that is simply not known. What is known, mostly through oral history, is that the Pasha, or ruler of Algiers, had him arrested and gave him twenty-four hours to recant his Christian beliefs or be killed. Geronimo refused. The Pasha had him bound and buried alive in a huge mud block that was being made for the building of the fort Bab-el-Oued. It became one of the many blocks that made up the wall of the fort which soon came to be known as “the Fort of the Twenty-four Hours”.

It was during the French renovation of the city of Algiers in the 1850′s that the history of the fort was recounted and the block that had entombed Geronimo rediscovered. There was nothing much left of the Christian martyr after 250 years, but before breaking apart the block, they filled the space with plaster of Paris, for the hardened mud had made a perfect mold of him. According to accounts, he was lying on his face with his hands tied behind him. His youthful features could be easily seen, as were the cords with which he was bound. Even the texture of his clothing was easily discernible. Some sources regard this whole story as a fable, but popular author R. M. Ballantyne spent one winter in the early 1870′s in Algiers and claimed to have seen the plaster Geronimo on display in the museum at the Algiers library. Whether this plaster image still exists today I do not know.

To many of us, Christian martyrs of the past are just names, but in Algiers there was one who added a three-dimensional face to a name and was a living, breathing person who loved the Lord Jesus, even unto death. This is what a martyr looks like.