Will Davis Jr.'s Blog, page 3

Jesus’ Answer to Evil

Recent days have shown us once again that evil is alive and well in our culture. And while we don’t seem to have trouble recognizing evil when we see it, we do struggle to know its source and how to deal with it effectively.

Jesus offered two simple answers:

Satan and his evil hoard are ultimately responsible for all evil.
Jesus himself would single-handedly defeat Satan.

Question: What if Jesus was right? Consider the following:

As in the other areas of Jesus’ teaching that we have discussed, the implications of Jesus’ correctness on the issue of evil are as intriguing as they are radical. If Jesus was right, we have to rethink not only what is wrong with culture but also how it can be fixed.

If Jesus was right, then humans are not the ultimate beings in the world. Open the door to supernatural evil and you open the door for spiritual realities and beings that go far beyond our ability to comprehend.

If we are indeed being acted upon and influenced by outside sources, then we must come to the chilling conclusion that we are neither alone nor in control of our universe. If we acknowledge the possibility of an evil spiritual order, we must then also acknowledge the possibility of a good one, and not far behind comes the inevitable conclusion that the two are at war and that we are the ultimate prize.

If Jesus was right, then evolutionary thinking gets even foggier. Evolution offers a theory of the origin of material life. It has nothing to say about the origins of spiritual life. If humans are not the ultimate reality, and if there are forces we cannot control waging war over us, and if there are realities and beings in the universe that we cannot fully define or understand, then evolutionary thinking is in big trouble.

Evolution bets the farm on the material world being all there is. If Jesus was right and if we are suddenly confronted with the existence of a spiritual order that is not subject to time or physical laws, then evolutionists had better get to work on a theory that can account for such realities. And that may well prove to be a sticky wicket.

Evolutionary theory has no good answer for the classic question of first cause—how the original speck of primordial matter actually came to exist. Or in the language of the big bang, who lit the first match? With the question of the original source of material existence remaining unanswered, one can only imagine the stress created for evolutionary thinkers when trying to answer the question of the source for a spiritual world.

If Jesus was telling the truth, then human beings are still faced with the ugly reality of our inability to overcome evil. If we are dealing with a devil and not just bad behavior, then at least from the human standpoint, the game is already up. Human beings, even with their collective creativity and intelligence, are no match for the evil being that Jesus described.

We can’t nuke him. We can’t outlaw or legislate him. We can’t reason with him or educate him into a higher level of sophistication. If Jesus was right, then we are dealing with a force that goes far beyond anything we have ever faced before. In short, we are at his mercy. Oh, and by the way, he has none.

If Jesus was right, then humanity really does need a Savior. Held captive by a tyrannical and ultimately evil foe, and trapped in the eternal cesspool created by their own sin and rebellion, humans are in big trouble. If rescue does not come through an outside source, a source that can not only overthrow the devil but also somehow atone for our sins, then rescue will not come at all.

No plot could be more dramatic, and this was exactly the scenario that Jesus described. In Jesus’ mind, he was the Savior the world desperately needed. As God’s holy Son, he had the power to defeat Satan. And as God’s holy Son, he was the only one qualified to deal with the sins of humanity.

Jesus believed that he had been sent into the world to expose the evil and lies of Satan. He believed that by dying in obedience to God’s plan, he would actually disarm and forever condemn the devil. He also believed that he was the deliverer of a race of people condemned to an eternity of suffering because of their sin and Satan’s schemes.

In other words, Jesus not only believed that he had been sent to save the world but also that he was the only one who could pull it off.

 

From–A Man Who Told Us the Truth

Five Things to Remember When Having an Affair

I got wind last week of yet two more Christians who have decided to destroy their marriages, their respective families and their own lives by hooking up with each other. Such behavior has become so commonplace in the church these days that it rarely draws the attention of pastors, other small groups members or elder teams. It’s just become another “normal” part of the rapidly declining morality in our country.

So, I’d like to offer a rare word to those of you in affairs, or to those of you who are literally flirting with the idea of one.

Here are five things you need to know about having an affair.

If your affair partner will cheat with you, he or she will cheat on you . Please don’t think that your partner’s adulterous ways will end when and if you finally get together. If he or she is willing to violate covenant once, what’s to stop them from violating it again? The same sweet nothings and promises of fidelity they’re whispering or texting to you now, they declared publicly to their spouse before you. And more than likely they will to someone else after you.
 People never affair up; they always affair down . Affair partners are never better people–better husbands, wives, lovers, friends, parents–than the spouse they’re cheating on. The fact that they’re willing to cheat on their spouse is proof of serious character flaws and major breakdowns in their relationship with God. Men who leave their wives for other women don’t so so because the other women is a better mate. They do so because she’s younger, (currently) sexier, richer, more understanding or just a “better fit” than their current spouse. But the fact that she’s willing to be “the other woman” tells you all you need to know about her. If she was more secure and had a higher self-esteem, she would never even entertain the idea of a relationship with a man who was already married. Bottom line: people never improve their status by dumping one spouse for another.
The root of the affair is selfishness, not love . Please don’t cheapen the concept of love by using it to describe how you feel about your affair partner. Real love has no such selfish tendencies. There is only one word to describe the behavior of a man or a women who is willing to sneak around behind their spouse’s back–selfish. To do so you have to put the well-being of your spouse, your children, your extended family and friends to the side so you can do what you want, regardless of the consequences.  And the media and websites and all your friends who are encouraging your errant behavior will always leave out the little detail that relationships that start in the bed of selfishness never fare well.
The affair won’t satisfy you . The big lie of the affair is that if you can just be with that other person, you’ll be happy (or happier). That’s the same stupid lie that the devil has been feeding people since the first couple ate the forbidden fruit. It’s the famous myth of the greener grass. It’s the lie that that one thing–a person, a car, a lifestyle, a new or different whatever–will satisfy you. It’s a lie, and for some reason we’re just foolish enough to keep buying it. Whatever need you’re trying to meet or whatever itch you’re trying to scratch by sleeping with someone who isn’t your spouse, I can promise you it won’t satisfy you. But it will kill, steal and destroy. That’s always Satan’s end-game.
Adultery is sin, and God still judges sin . Some of the scariest chapters in the Bible are those that describe God’s fierce judgement of King David after his affair with Bathsheba. The judgment was swift, multi-generational and honestly, something from which David never fully recovered. There’s a spiritual law of cause and effect with sin, and it comes with a severe cost that few of us consider before we jump into the sack with someone else’s spouse. Solomon, the son of David and Bathsheba and a man who saw firsthand the devastation that David’s poor choice brought on his family, put it aptly: The one who commits adultery with a woman is lacking sense; he who would destroy himself does it, Proverbs 6:32.

The really amazing thing is that God still forgives sin. But we must repent fully, confess openly and return immediately to God. For immediate help in avoiding or ending your affair, please see https://www.affairrecovery.com/.

It’s about Your Dad. (Again).

I met Emily (not her real name) on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere in central Colorado. Loaded with a huge backpack, completely alone and looking at her map, Emily readily accepted the ride my friends and I offered her. That ride eventually turned into dinner and a long conversation between Emily, my traveling companions and me.

Let me quickly introduce you to Emily:

Bright and well educated. Emily attends a well-known liberal college in the mid-west.
Fiercely independent. Emily has been traveling the world alone since she was 17.
Outspoken. It only took Emily 15 minutes to tell three complete male strangers about her sex life.
Unbelieving. Emily openly rejects faith and religions. In her words, she simply hasn’t confronted a problem in her brief 21 years that she needed God to help solve.

After about twenty minutes of talking philosophy and religion over dinner, I felt the Lord nudge me to change the subject. I asked Emily the question that I’ve learned to be the most telling I can ask any person:

Can you tell me about your father?

Emily’s demeanor immediately changed.  She softened and became more reflective.

Emily’s dad always wanted a boy. He and her mom had two children–Emily and her younger brother. Her brother has special needs due to an accident that happened when he was a baby.

Bottom line: Emily knows she is a disappointment to her father. She knows that he never really got the son he longed for. She lives with the painful awareness that, due to no fault of her own, she isn’t the child her dad wanted.

If that doesn’t mess up your view of God, nothing will.

Sweet Emily, for all of her bluster and posturing, is no different from the rest of us. She took the best and most available picture she had of God and drew the corresponding conclusions.

And yes, in case you missed it, your first impression of God always comes from your dad. In other words, as your relationship with your earthly father goes, so goes your relationship with your heavenly father. That is, until you rethink your heavenly father.

Jesus made it his personal mission to set the record straight about God. His favorite term for God was “father.” He wanted us to know that there really is a father who won’t bail on you, reject you, leave you or pick another family over yours.

That’s the God Jesus came to reveal, and that’s the God my friends and I assured sweet Emily she needs to know.

Do you have issues with faith? Do you struggle with obedience? Do you fear that God will let you down? Think about your relationship with your dad, or your lack thereof. How might it have affected your ability to move in faith?

God is bigger than your dad. He’s the dad you’ve always dreamed of. He’s the dad you run to, not away from.

I’m praying that for sweet Emily.

No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. John 1:18

 

 

For more information about the dad-image/God-image issue, check out Chapter 3 of my book, A Man Who Told Us the Truth. 

 

 

 

When God Speaks in Nature

I met Casey (not his real name) in a local watering hole in Buena Vista, Colorado. My friends and I were getting a detailed lesson on the history of the area when Casey wandered in to order a drink.

Casey took a seat outside on the patio while we finished the history lesson.

After I while I walked over and said “Hola” to Casey. I ended up talking to him about thirty minutes.

Twenty-nine years old, smart and a true outdoorsman, Casey lives in his car in B.V. during the summers to save money. He’s all about river guiding in the summers and teaching snow boarding in the winter.

Casey and me discussing the power of nature.

Casey is also a church dropout. He was done after the pastor of his church was caught with a girl in the student ministry. Let’s just say that religion lost its appeal for Casey after that.

Casey and I share an affinity for the mountains. I mean, seriously, this kid is willing to live in his car to be close to the outdoors. When I asked Casey to explain his passion for nature, he became very reflective.

He talked about learning the rhythms of the canyon–where the clouds form and which direction they typically move. He talked about seeing colors that morph with sunrises and sunsets. And he talked about the powerful storms that roll through the Arkansas River Valley on a regular basis.

Curiously, one of those storms was brewing when I walked outside to join Casey on the patio. Lightening danced across the western sky as we sat and talked.

Then Casey made a comment that I will never forget. He said, “You know, if you’ll learn to listen, nature speaks to you. And when it does, it never lies.”

I thought that was a remarkable piece of insight from this young man. For indeed, nature does speak:

The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands, Psalm 19:1.

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse, Romans 1:20. 

The first point of information every human gets about God is through the created world. That’s why so many are drawn to the outdoors–it speaks to us. And Casey is right: when it speaks, it doesn’t lie. 

God wove into every sunrise and sunset, and all the beauty of creation we see in between, the message of his glory. Nature never points to itself; it always points us to our creator. 

I decided it was time to bring God into the conversation with Casey, but I never got the chance. God interrupted us both. 

I said, “You know Casey, the Bible teaches that God reveals . . . . .” When I hit the “G” sound in God, there was terribly bright flash of lightening and an instantly booming clap of thunder. It shook the building. 

Casey obviously got the message of the timing. All he could say was, “Wow, that was impressive.”

Friends, we serve a living, powerful and creative God. The world around us isn’t the result of some random cosmic accident. It’s the magnificent handiwork of the holy God. 

And when nature speaks, it doesn’t lie: 

But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;  or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you.  Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?  In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind, Job 12:7-10

 

The Importance of Good Route-Finding

It’s been a while since I’ve written you. I’m inclined to slow down my writing schedule in the summer and this year has been no different. But I’m back, and looking forward to dialoging with you about the things we care about.

I made some strides this summer in my effort to climb all the 14,000 foot mountains in Colorado. I’ve currently climbed 39 of the 58 14ers, and I hope to get three more before Labor day.

I’m venturing into some of the more difficult climbs now, and I’m learning a lot about the very important skill of route-finding.

Route-finding is exactly what the name implies–it’s finding the right route. The problem is that as terrain moves from dirt to rock and as the climbs get steeper, finding the right path up or down the mountain becomes increasingly difficult. In some cases, getting off route can be deadly.

We’re fortunate today because we have trips reports from previous climbers, downloadable photos and trail markers (called cairns) to help us stay on course. But even with all that it’s still possibly to get dangerously off-course.

I was reminded of the importance of good route-finding while reading today in Proverbs. Consider these words from Solomon:

Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.

Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.

Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. Proverbs 4:25-27

This is great counsel from the seasoned leader Solomon. It’s great wisdom for navigating narrow mountain paths, and it’s even better wisdom for navigating the paths of life:

Don’t get distracted. There are all kinds of obstacles out there, some that are downright deadly. Watch where you’re going. 

Plan ahead. Don’t just wander. Know where you intend to go and how you intend to get there. Plan your route carefully. Remember, it’s really easy to get way off course, so make wise choices. 

On either side of the path of righteousness is evil, so plan your steps wisely.

I’ve come very close to disaster way too many times–both on a mountain trail and on the path of life. And every close call has been the result of poor route-finding on my part.

Friends, pay attention! Look where you’re going! The stakes couldn’t be any higher or the cost of a misstep any greater.

 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. Psalm 119:105

 

 

 

Here’s How to Get a Free Copy of My Book, Pray Big for Yourself

I am re-releasing the last book in my Pray Big book series under the new title, Pray Big for Yourself: How to Pray God’s Word Over Your Life.

I am convinced that praying daily for yourself is an imperative part of the discipleship process. I feel so strongly about it that I wrote an entire book on the subject.

Want a free copy? Here’s all you have to do. Simply post an honest review of the book on the book’s Amazon page. That’s all I ask. Just contact joni@acfellowship.org to get your copy.

I’ve only got 20 copies to give away, so you better hurry!

I need prayer, and lots of it. Think about it: there is no other person in my life with a greater capacity to impact the work of God in my life than me. The same is true for you. This is a critical point, so let me say it very clearly: the person in your life with the greatest capacity to help or hinder God’s work in you is you. You need to be praying for yourself—your heart, your attitudes, your habits, your relationships, your resources, your temptations, and your ministry—because no other person can or will impact God’s kingdom processes in your life as much as you will. For that reason alone, you need to pray every day for yourself.–From Pray Big for Yourself

Letters to New Believers: The Lord’s Prayer

Greetings, I pray you are well.

If you find that I keep drifting back to the topic of prayer, it’s because prayer is the most important discipline a new Christian can develop. Learn to be great at prayer!

In light of that, let’s talk about the most famous prayer of all. I’m sure you know it.

Pray, then, in this way: Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Matthew 6:9-13

I’d like to spend a few days talking with you about this.

Obviously, this is a great prayer for any occasion. It’s so broad in it’s applications, you can pray it just about anywhere and any time and it will be very effective.

But I’d like to suggest to you that Jesus did not really tee this up as a prayer to be recited. I think he gave it to us as a model for prayer, an outline for prayer.

Look at it from the fifty-thousand-foot level:

Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name.  That’s worship and praise. Jesus begins the prayer by acknowledging the greatness and goodness of God. If you remember the ACTS acrostic for prayer, it started with adoration. That’s always a good place to start.

Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  That’s a statement of priorities. Before we go to God with any of our own concerns, Jesus instructs us to talk to God about his concerns—his kingdom and his will.

Give us this day our daily bread.  That’s a statement of dependence and trust. We often forget to acknowledge God in our daily needs. We tend to take things for granted. This prayer keeps us mindful of our ongoing need for him.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. This is a statement of confession and forgiveness. It acknowledges our need for God’s forgiveness and our need to forgive others. This is a big one and one that we don’t need to rush past.

And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  This prayer acknowledges the spiritual war that rages all around us and seeks God’s protection in it.

For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, amen.  This beautiful benediction, although probably not an original part of the prayer, is a great summary statement and concludes the prayer with the same focus as it’s beginning—the praise and adoration of God.

We’ll dive more deeply into this prayer over the next few days. For today, why don’t you pray through the prayer and try to develop each of the statements on your own. Spend some time thinking about them. Let the Lord guide you through them.

Then, learn to spend a few minutes each day in each section of the prayer. Soon you’ll find praying this way will be a natural and easy habit for you.

Happy praying!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Did Our Founding Fathers REALLY Feel about Faith?

John Adams–Suppose a nation in some distant region should take the Bible for their only law book and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited. . . . What a Eutopia – what a Paradise would this region be!

John Quincy Adams–In the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior. The Declaration of Independence laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity.

Samuel Adams–I conceive we cannot better express ourselves than by humbly supplicating the Supreme Ruler of the world . . . that the confusions that are and have been among the nations may be overruled by the promoting and speedily bringing in the holy and happy period when the kingdoms of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may be everywhere established, and the people willingly bow to the scepter of Him who is the Prince of Peace.

Benjamin Franklin–As to Jesus of Nazareth, my opinion of whom you particularly desire, I think the system of morals and His religion as He left them to us, the best the world ever saw or is likely to see.

John Hancock– Sensible of the importance of Christian piety and virtue to the order and happiness of a state, I cannot but earnestly commend to you every measure for their support and encouragement.

Patrick Henry–Being a Christian…is a character which I prize far above all this world has or can boast.

Samuel Huntington (Signer if the Declaration)– It becomes a people publicly to acknowledge the over-ruling hand of Divine Providence and their dependence upon the Supreme Being as their Creator and Merciful Preserver . . . and with becoming humility and sincere repentance to supplicate the pardon that we may obtain forgiveness through the merits and mediation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

John Jay (First Supreme Court Chief Justice)–The evidence of the truth of Christianity requires only to be carefully examined to produce conviction in candid minds… they who undertake that task will derive advantages.

Thomas Jefferson–The practice of morality being necessary for the well being of society, He [God] has taken care to impress its precepts so indelibly on our hearts that they shall not be effaced by the subtleties of our brain. We all agree in the obligation of the moral principles of Jesus and nowhere will they be found delivered in greater purity than in His discourses.

Francis Scott Key–May I always hear that you are following the guidance of that blessed Spirit that will lead you into all truth, leaning on that Almighty arm that has been extended to deliver you, trusting only in the only Savior, and going on in your way to Him rejoicing.

James Madison–I have sometimes thought there could not be a stronger testimony in favor of religion or against temporal enjoyments, even the most rational and manly, than for men who occupy the most honorable and gainful departments and [who] are rising in reputation and wealth, publicly to declare their unsatisfactoriness by becoming fervent advocates in the cause of Christ; and I wish you may give in your evidence in this way.

Timothy Pickering (Ratifier of the Constitution)–Pardon, we beseech Thee, all our offences of omission and commission; and grant that in all our thoughts, words, and actions, we may conform to Thy known will manifested in our consciences and in the revelations of Jesus Christ, our Savior.

Benjamin Rush (Signer of the Declaration)–The Bible, when not read in schools, is seldom read in any subsequent period of life… [T]he Bible… should be read in our schools in preference to all other books because it contains the greatest portion of that kind of knowledge which is calculated to produce private and public happiness.

George Washington–You do well to wish to learn our arts and ways of life, and above all, the religion of Jesus Christ. These will make you a greater and happier people than you are.

Daniel Webster–The Christian religion – its general principles – must ever be regarded among us as the foundation of civil society.

*Source: wallbuilders.com

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get a Free Copy of the A Man Who Told Us the Truth Audiobook for a Friend

HERE’S HOW TO GET A FREE COPY OF A MAN WHO TOLD US THE TRUTH AUDIOBOOK FOR A FRIEND:


 


Email me at sangredecristopublications@gmail.com and give me the first name of the unbeliever you want to share the book with. I’ll send you a coupon code they can use to get a free book from either Audible.com or my web site. I only have a limited number of these, so act fast. It’s first come first served. Thanks!

Now Available in Audiobook–A Man Who Told Us the Truth

A Man Who Told Us the Truth is now available in audiobook format. It’s perfect for those long summer drives across the country, those morning walks or runs, or for just listening to while relaxing. And more importantly, it’s another great way to get this message in the hands of those who need it.

Purchase and download from my web site here.

Purchase and download from Audible here.

If you haven’t read A Man Who Who Told Us the Truth yet, here’s an excerpt from the chapter on Evil:

The Jesus Solution

There is, however, the possibility that Jesus was right. As in the other areas of Jesus’ teaching that we have discussed, the implications of Jesus’ correctness on the issue of evil are as intriguing as they are radical. If Jesus was right, we have to rethink not only what is wrong with culture but also how it can be fixed.

If Jesus was right, then human beings are not the ultimate beings in the world. Open the door to supernatural evil and you open the door for spiritual realities and beings that go far beyond our ability to comprehend. If we are indeed being acted upon and influenced by outside sources, then we must come to the chilling conclusion that we are neither alone nor in control of our universe. If we acknowledge the possibility of an evil spiritual order, we must then also acknowledge the possibility of a good one, and not far behind comes the inevitable conclusion that the two are at war and that we are the ultimate prize.

If Jesus was right, then evolutionary thinking gets even foggier. Evolution offers a theory of the origin of material life. It has nothing to say about the origins of spiritual life. If humans are not the ultimate reality, and if there are forces we cannot control waging war over us, and if there are realities and beings in the universe that we cannot fully define or understand, then evolutionary thinking is in big trouble.

Evolution bets the farm on the material world being all there is. If Jesus was right and if we are suddenly confronted with the existence of a spiritual order that is not subject to time or physical laws, then evolutionists had better get to work on a theory that can account for such realities. And that may well prove to be a sticky wicket. Evolutionary theory has no good answer for the classic question of first cause—how the original speck of primordial matter actually came to exist. Or in the language of the big bang, who lit the first match? With the question of the original source of material existence remaining unanswered, one can only imagine the stress created for evolutionary thinkers when trying to answer the question of the source for a spiritual world.

If Jesus was telling the truth, then human beings are still faced with the ugly reality of our inability to overcome evil. If we are dealing with a devil and not just bad behavior, then at least from the human standpoint, the game is already up. Human beings, even with their collective creativity and intelligence, are no match for the evil being that Jesus described. We can’t nuke him. We can’t outlaw or legislate him. We can’t reason with him or educate him into a higher level of sophistication. If Jesus was right, then we are dealing with a force that goes far beyond anything we have ever faced before. In short, we are at his mercy. Oh, and by the way, he has none.

If Jesus was right, then humanity really does need a Savior. Held captive by a tyrannical and ultimately evil foe, and trapped in the eternal cesspool created by their own sin and rebellion, humans are in big trouble. If rescue does not come through an outside source, a source that can not only overthrow the devil but also somehow atone for our sins, then rescue will not come at all.

No plot could be more dramatic, and this was exactly the scenario that Jesus described. In Jesus’ mind, he was the Savior the world desperately needed. As God’s holy Son, he had the power to defeat Satan. And as God’s holy Son, he was the only one qualified to deal with the sins of humanity. Jesus believed that he had been sent into the world to expose the evil and lies of Satan. He believed that by dying in obedience to God’s plan, he would actually disarm and forever condemn the devil. He also believed that he was the deliverer of a race of people condemned to an eternity of suffering because of their sin and Satan’s schemes. In other words, Jesus not only believed that he had been sent to save the world but also that he was the only one who could pull it off.