Dr. Ken Ham vs. Dr. Peter Enns…Two Views that Don’t Mesh
This week, Worldview Times reported that Answers in Genesis guru, Dr. Ken Ham, has been canned from speaking for the "Great Homeschool Convention" in Cincinnati and the Philadelphia area.
Here’s the article at Worldview Times: http://www.worldviewweekend.com/worldview-times/article.php?articleid=7001
It is interesting that Dr. Ham of all people would be removed as a guest speaker at a homeschool convention. He has a reputation of being very much a friend of homeschoolers. So what’s going on?
Here’s the gist of the accusation in an email to Dr. Ken Ham, as printed at the Worldview Times webpage and again at Answers in Genesis:
“After much prayer and deliberation over the weekend, Great Homeschool Convention's Advisory Board has unanimously decided to disinvite Ken and AIG from all future conventions, including the Cincinnati convention next week. The Board believes this to be the Lord's will for our convention and searched the Scriptures for the mind of the Lord and the leadership of the Holy Spirit before arriving at this decision. The Board believes that Ken's public criticism of the convention itself and other speakers at our convention require him to surrender the spiritual privilege of addressing our homeschool audience. Please know that our Board is 100% young earth and we largely share AIG's perspective from a scientific standpoint. That is why Ken was originally invited and treated so graciously and extremely generously in Memphis and Greenville (far beyond what we do for other speakers or their ministries). Our expression of sacrifice and extraordinary kindness towards Ken and AIG has been returned to us and our attendees with Ken publicly attacking our conventions and other speakers. Our Board believes Ken's comments to be unnecessary, ungodly, and mean-spirited statements that are divisive at best and defamatory at worst.”
A little history:
Dr. Enns was invited to the Great Homeschool Convention to promote a new Bible centered curriculum called, Telling God’s Story, by Preben Vang and Terry Carter, published through Olive Branch Books. In this book, the Bible is presented as “one purposely flowing narrative.” Dr. Enns wrote the “Telling God’s Story: Student Guide and Activity Pages, Year One”, the “Telling God’s Story: Instructor Text and Teaching Guide, Year One”, and the “Telling God’s Story: A Parents' Guide to Teaching the Bible (Telling God's Story)”. In times past, Dr. Ham spoke out against The Biologos Foundation of which Dr. Enns is a team member.
The Biologos Foundation consists of Christians who believe that “evolution, properly understood, best describes God’s work of creation.” So the disconnect between Dr. Enns and Dr. Ken Ham is their views on creation. The Biologos Foundation exists because members are concerned about the disharmony between scientific knowledge and the Christian faith. They seek to find a common meeting ground between the two views, incorporating science with Christian faith.
So what exactly did Dr. Ham say that led to this response?
He described his concerns about Dr. Enns beliefs on Facebook and his blog. Dr. Ham offered a warning to Christian parents about Dr. Enns’ teaching on Genesis, saying it is compromising the Book of Genesis and undermining the Word of God.
Check it out for yourself:
I listened to Dr. Enns' presentation at Westmont College via video at his website: http://peterennsonline.com/ . Here are some of the highlights about what Dr. Enns believes based on the video of his presentation:
1. He believes that the Book of Genesis actually tells two stories: Creation and the story of Adam. He says the heart of the tension between the Bible and evolution is Paul’s understanding that Adam was the first human. Dr. Enns leans to the idea that Adam was a prototype of the nation, Israel. He believes God was more interested in the Jews than in the Gentiles.
Truth from a Biblical standpoint: Traditionally Biblical interpretation is that Adam was the first human created. All of mankind is descended from Adam. While Genesis tells the history of the Jewish nation, it does not diminish the truth of man’s creation by God.
Jesus’ lineage is clearly shown in the genealogies of the Bible as part of the Jewish nation, but Jesus also came to save the non-Jewish or Gentile population as well, for Gentiles also descended from Adam and Noah.
These words by Jesus to Paul in Acts 22:21 affirm God’s plan for the Gentiles to receive Jesus as Savior: “And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.” Ultimately, God intended for one people to come together as Christians under the Lordship of Jesus. This people consists of Jews and Gentiles who have accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord.
Clearly Paul understood that no one would be left out when he wrote in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
2. Dr. Enns affirms that Paul was an “ancient man” with the viewpoint of an “ancient time”. Hence Paul understandably doesn’t have the benefit of scientific knowledge. His understanding is therefore colored by his ignorance. He then excuses Paul’s ignorance as expected since he was an “ancient man”.
Truth from a Biblical standpoint: Paul was an educated Jew who had a personal encounter with the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). That personal meeting changed his view of Jesus Christ. He accepted Jesus as God’s Son and received Him as the Savior. You can read Paul’s testimony in Acts 22.
Before his experience with Jesus, Paul’s thinking was in line with the Jewish religious leaders, consisting of Priests, Scribes, Pharisees, and Saducees, who at that time were waiting for the Messiah. They failed to recognize or accept Jesus as God’s Son and hence the Messiah. Their understanding was compromised by sin and unbelief, not by ignorance. Threatened by His miracles and His influence on the people, they had Him crucified.
Paul wrote in Romans 1:20-22, “For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,”
3. According to Dr. Enns, there are gaps in the information throughout Genesis which leaves it open to interpretation, hence different people have different viewpoints. He favors the viewpoint that Genesis is written as the story of Israel because it more easily can support theories of evolution.
Truth from a Biblical standpoint: The theory of evolution has no Biblical foundation. The word “created” is used many times in the Bible to signify how things came about.
Moses wrote the creation story; Isaiah and Ezekiel acknowledge that things were created. Creation is mentioned again in Psalms 138 where the Psalmist writes of praising God for the creation of the heavens, the angels, the sun, the moon, the stars, and the waters. Paul writes in Ephesians 3:9, “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.”
4. Another point that Dr. Enns makes is that Paul’s viewpoint of Jesus is colored by the fact that he's describing Jesus as the Messiah from the understanding of looking back from Jesus' resurrection. He accuses Paul of shaping his view of Adam in the Old Testament in a way that promotes the Gospel message of Jesus in the New Testament.
Truth from a Biblical standpoint: Paul wrote letters, which today make up much of the New Testament, to churches to exhort believers to righteousness through obedience and consecration to Jesus Christ. His understanding of the Old Testament is due to his study and knowledge of the prophets and the writings of Moses.
5. Evolution says that two people were not created by God and set down in the Garden of Eden, despite what the Bible says. The Bible is wrong from a scientific viewpoint says Dr. Enns. However, he believes Paul got the problem of sin and death right, but uses the “Jesus stuff” to get the solution to the people.
Truth from a Biblical standpoint: Dr. Enns promotes Paul as a manipulator who is seeking to persuade the masses of Jesus’ relevance. Jesus is God’s Son and He is real. Paul didn’t have to manipulate the truth, because truth stands alone as it is for Paul personally met Jesus. The truth of Jesus is also recorded by the Apostles John, Peter, Matthew, as well as Luke and Mark. Their viewpoints match up. There is a God-given solution to the problem of sin and death-Jesus.
6. Attacking the Adam and Eve in the garden account, Dr. Enns says that the serpent was crafty and Eve was naïve and childlike. Since the serpent was crafty, Eve was deceived and basically incapable of not being deceived. When the Bible speaks of them eating from the Tree of Good and Evil, Dr. Enns says the knowledge of good and evil wasn’t wrong. He says God surely wanted Adam and Eve to learn this, just as parents want their kids to learn the difference. However God wanted them to learn wisdom the right way, God’s way. Wisdom in the Bible is learning right from wrong and the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, he admits. Yet he believes the purpose of wisdom is to develop craftiness.
Truth from a Biblical standpoint: God is not wishy washy. He doesn’t set us up for a fall to teach a lesson as Dr. Enns implies. Adam and Eve were capable of sin. They were perfect until they sinned. Humans have inherited that sin nature since their fall. We cannot know the intent of God, but based on what we know of His character, we can know that He keeps His Word. Adam and Eve experienced separation from God when they were cast out of the Garden. So too do unbelievers experience separation from God. Accepting Jesus as the Savior, trusting that He paid the penalty for sin, allows us to return to a relationship with God.
The fear of the Lord is a good deterrent to sinning. It is what keeps us from sin, for we have a great love for our Lord and do not want to grieve Him. Fear of punishment keeps us from sin as well, but God uses correction to bring about repentance and reconciliation.
7. Dr. Enns believes that God gave the Law to Moses to give to the people with the expectation that they could keep the law and please Him. He says the idea of people enslaved to sin is not found in the Old Testament.
Truth from a Biblical standpoint: The Law was given to teach the people the difference between righteousness and unrighteousness. Trying to keep the law was impossible, leading to the revelation of a sinful nature. Animal sacrifice (the shedding of blood) resolved the problem of sin, leading to forgiveness.
Reading the Old Testament, particularly the first five books reveals a sinful people who could not keep the Law and found themselves constantly in disobedience. Jesus was the only one without sin. He became the sacrifice for sin God's Law required, ending animal sacrifice.
"Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." Hebrews 4:14-15
Proverbs 21:2, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts.”
Reading the Bible under the direction of the Holy Spirit will lead to a right understanding of Biblical truth. God’s Word is true and can be relied upon for our instruction and edification in righteousness.
Why the big deal about evolution? If evolution could be proven to be true, then God becomes diminished. The Lord God Jehovah cannot be God if he is a liar. He cannot be all powerful if He cannot create. Dr. Enns is clearly misguided, despite his intellectual abilities. Frankly, it takes a lot more faith to believe in evolution than it does the Bible.
Copyright © 2011 Linda Hull, Words of Encouragement
No Eternal Punishment?
Isn’t it alarming that so many prominent “Christians” are presenting a distorted view of the truth of God’s Word or outright denial of the truth?
Recent news stories have prompted me to write the truth...
A recent story, published by The Associated Press, about a pastor being dismissed from his church for false teaching was reported by OneNewsNow.com at this URL:
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Church/Default.aspx?id=1317582
Apparently it started with a book called, Love Wins, by Rob Bell. This Pastor had publicized his support for this book that offered a criticism of the traditional view of Hell. His congregation took offense and fired him.
I haven’t read the book because I have no desire to read false teachings about the Word. However, after reading the article, I believe the congregation did the right thing.
Here’s why…
Rob Bell criticizes the Biblical truth of a literal Hell reserved for unbelievers. He apparently believes that it is misguided to believe that a few Christians will “spend a life of bliss in Heaven” while others go to Hell for eternity.
One News Now quotes him from his book, Love Wins, to clarify: "This is misguided and toxic and ultimately subverts the contagious spread of Jesus' message of love, peace, forgiveness and joy that our world desperately needs to hear,"
Hogwash! This is a sin of presumption, for Rob Bell is disagreeing with God. Guess he thinks he knows better. It is certainly more toxic to withhold the truth of God’s Word from folks, for they will not understand the seriousness of their spiritual condition and the penalty of sin.
This is not a new belief, but it is being discussed by many ill-informed people. The theory is that eventually all will be saved, despite their religious belief. There is no reason for Hell because all will be in Heaven. This is false. The truth is people who reject God will face punishment at Judgment Day.
The Bible says that only those who trust in Jesus for salvation will be saved from the punishment for their sins, no matter how sincere their worship or devotion to other gods. Without Jesus, no one has a hope for a life in eternity with God.
Here are some verses from the Bible about the penalties of sin:
“As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one” Romans 3:10 (KJV)
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Romans 3:18
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Romans 3:23
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23
God decides how mankind must be saved. He has provided a means for all to be saved; that is, Jesus Christ, His Son. Rob Bell has it wrong. There is no Scripture verse that supports his statement. In fact, Scripture supports the truth that man is a sinner condemned to eternal damnation (death). Jesus is the Savior for all who will believe.
“But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him, for if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” Romans 5:8-11
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:1
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Romans 10:9
If you notice in these verses a distinction is made between those who believe what God says and those who don’t. Clearly God is creating a separation.
“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; and spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; and delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished” 2 Peter 2:1-9
God has a plan for the ungodly. They will be reserved in Hell until judgment. The flaw in Rob Bell’s thinking is that he thinks at judgment those in Hell will be released into Heaven. Not so. The Book of Revelation makes clear their end:
Jesus said in 1:18: “I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”
Then the Apostle John reveals his eyewitness account of future events…
“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.” Revelation 20:10
“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 20:12-15
An understanding of the truth of God’s Word is essential to a Christian’s security of a place with Jesus for all of eternity. Discussions that center around where Believers will spend eternity must be focused on the truth of God’s Word, not on what we hope will happen or think should happen because God is a “god of love”. Let’s not forget He is also just and hates sin. The outcome for the unsaved is dire. We must speak the painful truth so that they will turn from their sin and accept Jesus as their Savior.
Copyright © 2011 Linda Hull, Words of Encouragement
Passing Judgment
“And said to the judges, take heed what ye do: for ye judge not, for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment. Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.” 2 Chronicles 19: 6-7 (KJV)
It is so important that those who have the rule over us, making decisions on our behalf, have their heart set on the Lord. It is not enough that they say they love the Lord, but they must also exhibit their love by their deeds. Their judgments will reveal what is in their heart, whether it be good or evil. We can learn a lesson about the kind of man who should be an authority over the people from King Jehoshaphat.
King Jehoshaphat of Judah learned this lesson well, for he made the mistake of aligning himself with wicked King Ahab of Israel to fight the Syrians. King Ahab was killed, and King Jehoshaphat was almost killed, but for the Lord’s help.
Soon after upon his return to Jerusalem, Jehoshaphat was rebuked by Jehu, son of Hanani the seer. He said to him in 2 Chronicles 19:2b, “Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord? Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord.” In our time these words would seem very strange to us, for we have made a habit of seeking out the ungodly and loving those who hate the Lord, even partnering with the ungodly.
Long before Jehoshaphat was born, the practice of separation from the ungodly was instituted by Moses. The main reason was to keep the Israelite bloodline pure since the Messiah would come from this line, but it was also to keep the Israelites from idolatry and from engaging in the sins of the heathen nations.
God does not want us to align ourselves with the wicked. We must separate to preserve ourselves from God’s wrath. We cannot have fellowship with the wicked. These words from Paul to the Ephesians in 5:11 say it plainly: “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”
King Jehoshaphat violated his office by aligning with King Ahab. For surely an alliance with a king who did not walk in God’s ways would cause the downfall of his people. We can read about the kings of Israel and Judah and their deeds in the books of Kings and Chronicles. Those who sought the Lord received God’s blessings upon their nation. Those who followed other gods reaped His wrath, but ultimately the people suffered under their leadership.
Think about those who have rule over you… Be careful whose authority you submit to.
The job of a judge is to settle disputes and the judge of Old Testament times was also a deliverer of the people from oppression. When the people tired of their sin and found themselves in dire straits, they cried out to God. He in turn would send a deliverer who would fight for them against their enemies. Consider these verses as explanation of the role of a judge and why a judge is necessary:
“Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.” Judges 2:16
“And when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge…”Judges 2:18a
“And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve the, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.” Judges 2:19
Judges provide the accountability and leadership that people need. They also provide the incentive and exhortation to righteousness. Notable judges in the Old Testament were men and women of daring and courage. They were unconcerned with man’s wisdom and idea of justice, but sought the Lord, for they understood that they represented God and must exercise His judgment.
“Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.” Psalm 89:14
It is so easy to make quick judgments about situations and people, often without knowing the facts. Our judgments are often founded upon selfish motives and rooted in pride. Let us be mindful of the seriousness of our charges and our judgments. Let’s be sure that self is out of the way so that true justice may be done.
“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts. To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.” Proverbs 21:2-3
Finding Fault with God?
"Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer." 1 Corinthians 10:10
Ever play the "blame" game or the "what if" game? When our expectations are dashed, we are left angry and resentful that life didn't measure up. We often feel betrayed, bereft of trust. Unfortunately, our response to our feelings is usually to level charges of "foul" against our Lord.
Things happen in life that aren't particularly pleasant. It can be difficult to reconcile what's happening, and difficult to get over it. We expect the Christian life to be easier than the ungodly life. We expect God to intervene in a way that is pleasing to us. We expect justice now. We expect deliverance now. We seek relief by reliving the experience or seeking to vent to our family and friends. Caught up in our desires, we forget that God has His own plan with His will superseding ours. Faced with feelings that can't be reconciled or put to rest, seek God and keep on seeking Him to get you through it.
Still not convinced? Ever wondered how God feels about our feelings of betrayal? The account of the Israelite exodus will give us some clues...
Here's the scene...
The descendants of Abraham were still in Egypt long after Jacob's son, Joseph and the brothers were dead and gone. They had prospered initially when they first came into this land, but over time, the Egyptians became afraid of them. Their numbers had increased dramatically, outnumbering the Egyptian people. The new Pharaoh came up with a plan to enslave them, forcing them to work in servitude building city structures. He hoped the rigor of their servitude would cause their numbers to dwindle, but God blessed them and they continued to increase in number. Then Pharaoh came up with the plan for the midwives to kill the newborn boys. Moses was one who was spared. Pharaoh's daughter found him and raised him in the Pharaoh's household. At the appointed time, God called Moses and his brother Aaron to deliver the people and lead them back to the land that had been given to Abraham. Moses contended with Pharaoh under God's direction until Pharaoh released the people. The account of the exodus begins in the Book of Exodus chapter 12. Once the Israelites had crossed the Red Sea and the Egyptians were destroyed, things went well for about the first three days.
The murmuring begins and continues...
Life in the desert was hot, dry, and barren. The people began to murmur because there was no good water to drink (Exodus 15). Moses appealed to God for help and provision for this tremendous number of people. Historians reckon there were thousands of people who went out from Egypt. Providing enough water to feed the people and the stock would take a miracle, but God provided. He directed them to sources of water so that all would have what was needed.
During the second month the people began to murmur again because they did not have food to eat. Moses reminded the people that their murmuring had been heard by the Lord. Still God provided yet again. This time manna came down each morning so the people could collect enough for the day's needs. Extra was collected on the sixth day to be used for the Sabbath. God also provided quail for the people to eat in the evening.
The murmuring continued against God. Clearly all they needed had been provided by God, but still each time the people had a need, they began to murmur or complain rather than trust that God would provide again. Their murmuring got them into trouble. It had become such a habit, they automatically doubted before even considering what God would do to help them. With the slightest challenge, there arose a great cry of "Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would God we had died in this wilderness!" (Numbers 14:2) Surely God had reason to be offended.
We have such a longsuffering God. He showed them grace over and over again, to no avail. Nothing changed. They did not trust Him. They had no peace. Their fear kept them from the Promised Land. The spies reported there were giants in the land (Numbers 13). Upon hearing this news, fear took hold. The people were ready to appoint a captain to take them back to Egypt. Joshua and Caleb tried to reason with the people, but they would not listen. God was fed up. He purposed to kill them, but Moses intervened in prayer. God exercised His judgment against them by refusing them entry until all in that generation had died, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb. What happened to those that perpetrated the outcry against God and influenced others to rebel as well? They immediately died of a plague.
Despite all that had happened, the people continued to rebel against God. Some of the influential men took up a reproach again Moses and Aaron. They began to question their authority to act on their behalf. Moses and Aaron had elevated themselves in arrogance and pride they believed. These men thought they were equal in holiness. They refused to honor God's selection of Moses and Aaron. These influential men died for their insolence. Worse the people complained about God's judgment on these men, so God sent a plague. Moses and Aaron intervened again, but many many people died.
What's wrong with murmuring...
Murmuring demonstrates a distrust of God
Murmuring demonstrates unbelief in His power and authority.
Murmuring demonstrates a desire for control.
Murmuring demonstrates a desire for power.
Murmuring demonstrates discontent.
Murmuring demonstrates rebellion against God
Murmuring causes strife.
Murmuring causes division.
Murmuring causes others to doubt.
Murmuring results in judgment.
What does God's Word say?
"Thou wilt say then unto me, why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted His will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to Him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? Romans 9:19-21
"Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves." Philippians 2:3
"But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19
"Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." Philippians 4:11
"Do all things without murmurings and disputings" Philippians 2:14
"These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage." Jude 16
Conclusion...
God hates contending with us. He is God alone. When we are discontent, we are saying to God that we know better than He does what is best. We are not to question Him about His decisions, for that is insolence. We are to submit and obey. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
When bad things happen and we take up a reproach against God, we must realize the nature of God does not allow Him to treat us unjustly because He is just. Jesus said, "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me." John 5:30
None of us are exempt from the sin of murmuring. It is hard to stop complaining and trust. Getting over hurt and anger takes time, but if we will first trust and try to leave off blaming God or murmuring, we will find Him in our midst. Don't let murmuring become a habit.
Remember God forgives sin. John tells us, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). If we will come to Him in repentance, He will forgive and restore us to fellowship with Himself. There is hope. I am reminded of the story in Mark 9:23-24 of the man who wanted healing for his child. "Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief." When you find yourself beginning to panic over your circumstances, cry out to the Lord and ask Him to give you the faith to believe Him. He will help, trust me, better yet, trust the Lord God Jehovah.
Copyright 2011 by Linda Hull