Crossroad Online
Survival of the Fittest
Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Survival of The Fittest.
Last evening, I was watching a clip from a nature show on YouTube. I’m not sure why this particular video ended up in my feed or why I was intrigued enough to click on it and watch…but I was. The video was of a fight to the death between a scorpion and a black widow. I don’t know just how long the contest lasted because the video began with the two arachnids already engaged, but I know it didn’t continue longer than a minute or two more. The spider was franticly spinning web material and using its legs to try to secure the scorpion’s tail to its body in order to restrict its ability to sting. While attempting to ensnare the scorpion in its strong sticky silk, the spider was also taking every opportunity to try to puncture the scorpion’s exoskeleton with its fangs and inject a lethal dose of venom, and bring its distant cousin into submission. While this was the Black Widow’s plan, the Scorpion had a strategy of its own, and continued to flick its tail resisting the restraint of the spider’s webbing. Seemingly within the first minute of the video, the spider’s fangs managed to find a weakness in the scorpion’s armor as simultaneously the scorpion wriggled free its tail and the stinger pierced the black widow’s abdomen. In the space of just a few more seconds both had succumbed to their wounds and the venom of the other. Almost as soon as it had begun…it was over…both creatures expired and lying motionless. It was a battle which might have been dubbed “Survival of the fittest”, and though that particular engagement concluded, the question of which was more fit…well that was left unanswered. Both paid the ultimate price and there was no winner, winner scorpion or black widow dinner!
Charles Darwin theorized that human beings arrived on the planet through a process he called evolution which relied heavily on ideas like “Survival of the fittest”. His thought was that God had not lovingly created the universe, our solar system and our planet to provide for the rest of His creation. Darwin didn’t accept that God spoke each of the plants and animals into existence and as the crowning achievement of His immense love formed Adam from the dust of the ground and then offered to him the breath of life. Darwin’s theory couldn’t accept that the first woman would be a gift to the man, taken from the man’s own flesh and blood. The theory of evolution required belief that mankind had evolved along with the rest of creation and had simply won more of the contests of the “Survival of the fittest”, than any other creature. This errant thinking brought forth others like “The process of natural selection”, as well as even farther outlandish, non-scientific conclusions such as “The Big Bang”. With each of these we are supposed to accept that other scientific laws such as the 1st and 2nd laws of thermodynamics are not true at all. We are asked to believe that an initial energy source isn’t actually necessary to input energy into a new process. Furthermore, the theory of evolution requires us to accept that things gain momentum without a renewed input of energy rather than degenerate as we know full well and can prove that they do. I think that it is with innate understanding that theories like evolution can’t possibly be legitimate that we sometimes use references to them with sarcasm and humor. Places like YouTube will also treat you to videos of people doing incredibly dumb and dangerous things, and dub them “Darwin Awards” or opportunities to watch examples of the “Process of Natural Selection” in progress, as people do stupid things that might have taken them out of the gene-pool if it were not for “dumb luck”.
“Survival of the fittest” is contrary to God on more than one level. This is not simply so because it flies in the faith of the truth of Creation week. It is not “Survival of the fittest” that put humans squarely atop the “Food Chain”, God lovingly placed us there when He created us to have dominion over the rest of His creation, Genesis 1:26-27 makes that abundantly clear. However, there is another consideration in regards to “Survival of the fittest” and how it is in direct opposition to God that I want to examine today. In earlier editions of this podcast I have mentioned a particular paraphrase of the New Testament that I enjoy tremendously. It is entitled The Remedy and was written by Dr. Timothy Jennings a highly respected, nationally known Psychiatrist. He uses the phrase “Survival of the fittest” quite often in The Remedy to illustrate how that mindset goes against God’s plans for our best.
Allow me to read James 4:1-10 from the Remedy. Why is there so much hostility, fighting, and arguments among you? Because the Survival of the fittest instinct controls you; If you want something but don’t get it, you are willing to kill. You are selfish, coveting what you cannot have, constantly fighting, trying to get for yourselves. You do not obtain because you do not seek God. And when you finally do ask God – because your motives are selfish, and because you focus only on self-gratification – you don’t get what you’re asking for, because God doesn’t use His power to supply you with means to damage yourselves. You disloyal and unfaithful people! Don’t you realize that embracing the me first, survival of the fittest principle of this world is warring against God? Anyone who allies themselves with this selfish world chooses to be an enemy of our God of love. Don’t you get it? The scripture is clear: God longs intensely for you and gives you His Spirit to live in you to graciously heal you. That is why the scripture says: God opposes selfishness, arrogance and pride, but heals the selfless. Surrender yourselves to God and His treatment. Tell the Devil “No”, and you will escape Him. Move closer to God and God will come close to you. You selfish people! Stop choosing to indulge your selfish desires. Stop going back and forth between love and selfishness, and purify your hearts with love. Stop playing around and get real! Let your hearts break: cry over your terminal condition, admit that you are sick, and stop pretending that all is well. Then go humbly to the Lord, and He will heal and restore you.
God is selfless. He has illustrated that from the very beginning of creation. He spent the first five days creating everything we can see, hear, taste, smell and touch. Then according to Genesis 1:26 and 27 He lovingly created us and gave us authority over everything he had made, so that we could use it to meet our needs. God further illustrated His selflessness by allowing His own sinless Son to sacrifice His life as payment for the penalty of our wrongdoing and acts of selfishness, The Bible tells us He did this expressly so that we could spend eternity with Him. When viewed through the concept of “Survival of the fittest”, that selfless act of love makes no sense at all. But God didn’t give us what He gave us and Jesus didn’t do for us what He did for us, because it makes sense in human terms…they did it all because it makes sense in terms of the Law of Love. God created everything according to the Law of Love, and so, He was willing to give everything, including the life of His One and Only Son, to restore the Law of Love.
That Law requires selflessness and trust in God’s goodness to operate as it should. That is why God wants to see our selfish desires eradicated. He is not against us…He is for us. His great love for us will not allow for Him to let us go our own way and operate by a “Survival of the fittest” mentality without at least attempting to show us the error of that thinking. God does not want us to operate in such a flawed system. He knows that our selfish behavior must be displaced by His selflessness flowing through us if we are to truly be healed. He has no desire to see what our “Process of natural selection” will bring us. His word says that there is a way that seems right to mankind, but in the end it leads to destruction. (Proverbs 14:12). TOAT230504We need to stop seeking “Darwin Awards” and pay attention to God’s word which tells us that God rewards those who seek Him and trust Him and imitate His selfless ways. (Hebrews 11:6)
So now, experiencing the healing God is attempting to bring to your life through selflessness and complete trust in Him…Go be awesome!
Marriage and Divorce Vol. 4
Hi, this is Pastor Ken and I want to thank you for joining me once again for the Monday Marriage Message. We have spent the last several weeks exploring the topic of Marriage and divorce from a biblical view. I mentioned as we began, because of the times we live in, and the frequency that we give up on our marriages, any serious podcast on marriage will have to unfortunately at least consider the topic of divorce. Interestingly enough, because we are using a conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees recorded for us in Matthew chapter 19 and Mark chapter 10 as the basis for our study it is apparent that divorce was an issue at that time as well.
I was reviewing what I wanted to talk about in today’s episode when it occurred to me that perhaps it is time for a sidebar. I am a marriage counselor, and a podcaster and a teacher. I recognize (because it has been brought to my attention) that sometimes I seemingly confuse which of my audiences I am speaking to. When I am counseling with a couple that obviously takes place in a private setting where I can speak directly to their questions. There I am able to use the whole counsel of the word of God and the principles contained within to guide my counsel as we delve into specific needs. When I am teaching in the setting of a seminar, I have prepared material that the participants have not only specifically come to engage in, but have chosen to invest their time and money to have the opportunity to learn more about the content. I understand that sometimes I attempt to teach on a subject or scripture in the format of this podcast and that can pose some real challenges for the listener.
I knew as we began this series that my audience might dwindle some. I understand that when we are faced with absolute truths from God’s word they sometimes make us uncomfortable. Because I didn’t want that to be the result of this series, I made sure to remind you that both me and my wife have personally experienced divorce. I wish for the sakes of our children that wasn’t so, but as I said a few weeks ago, perhaps that is what gives me the ability to speak on the subject with authority as well as a complete lack of personal judgement. I am hopeful that the number of listeners who choose not to continue with this study to its conclusion is minimal. The intent is not in any way to cast dispersion on those who have chosen divorce in the past, but instead to illustrate that God desires to bless us as we move forward in decision to avoid repeating past mistakes.
Additionally, I know that there are a myriad of twists and turns in the recorded conversation Jesus had with these men. I also know as a counselor that Christians still today are being confused by the words of the passages we are dissecting in this series. I hope by breaking it down into bite sized pieces we can dispel some of those misunderstandings.
The nuances of the conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees that took place recorded for us in these two scripture passages are many. I truly think that it is because of a lack of understanding of these many distinctions that confusion about these two scriptures remains. Though I have been attempting to bring some of them to light, I think it might be important to point them out in greater detail before we continue with our look at the exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees. So that as we continue to do that, it will be easier for us to have greater understanding of what was taking place.
Allow me to remind you that this conversation took place in front of a large number of Israelite people who were following Jesus and listening to Him teach them as well as taking time to heal the sick and infirmed among them. These people were seeing miracles take place in real time, and so were literally hanging on every word Jesus spoke. Jesus was headed toward Jerusalem for the last time. He knew His death was imminent, and so I believe He was speaking more plainly about God’s desire for their lives than ever before. He was using parables less and less and talking more directly to them about the Kingdom of God.
When the Pharisees came to Jesus they had one thing on their minds. Discredit this teacher who threatened their power structure by telling the large crowds that He was the only way for them to have access to God. So as the Pharisees approached Jesus that day they wanted to make Him look like He didn’t know what He was talking about. They hoped this would cause His followers to begin to dissipate. These Pharisees may have had a singular goal in terms of Jesus, but that didn’t mean they agreed on everything. In fact, it was one of their disagreements that they intended to use to try to trap Jesus in His own words. There was as I have explained a more conservative group of Pharisees who thought that a portion of the law recorded in Deuteronomy 24 indicated that a husband must discover some indecency in his wife to be free to divorce her. Another more liberal group felt this same portion of the law gave the freedom to divorce just as long as a husband was displeased with his wife for any reason. This disagreement was their agreed upon chosen subject matter to try to entrap Jesus. They conspired together to ask Him questions concerning their differing interpretations of Deuteronomy 24 expecting that they might be able to make Jesus look like a fool in front of all of those people who were listening so intently to Him.
We will see as we continue to break the scripture down into small portions, neither of their positions were God’s intent, and they had to use deception to hold to either of their chosen interpretations. This may seem unimportant but it is actually my whole purpose for delving into this topic. The questions they asked Jesus that day were intended to twist the meaning of scripture and the mosaic law. I find that the recording of that exchange continues to deceive Christians even today about God’s truth when it comes to the topic of marriage and divorce. I think this deception continues to be possible because of our lack of understanding of the twists and turns of this conversation as well as a misreading of the portion of the law that was referred to and therefore misinterpreted by the Pharisees. Because of that I wanted to take the time to teach on this subject and offer what I believe to be a correct and valuable exegesis of these and the supporting scriptures that speak about marriage and divorce.
I pray that this side bar will help explain the necessity of breaking the scriptural account of this conversation between Jesus and those Pharisees down almost phrase-by-phrase. I hope that you will hang in there with me as we continue not only to try to glean as much truth as possible from their exchange, but also from the portion of the law that was referenced in it. I look forward to the process and hope that you will to, so that as we go forward your resolve to follow Christ in your marriages will only grow as your understanding of His word expands.
Next time we will continue with our study where we left off last week. God bless as you allow Him to lead and guide in your marriage…and Go be Awesome.
Nothing To Fear, Not Even Fear Itself
Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Nothing To Fear, Not Even Fear Itself
In an edition of this podcast last year I spoke about the inauguration of the newly elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt that took place on March 4th 1933. I noted then that during his speech, he uttered a phrase which has been repeated countless times in the past 90 years. It is among his more notable and quotable quotes. In that speech he made the bold statement that “We have nothing to fear except fear itself.” Last time I shared my thoughts concerning that quote it took me in one direction, today it has caused me to consider another.
President Roosevelt made that now famous proclamation to be an encouragement to millions of Americans listening in on their radios. It was intended to inspire the discouraged, disheartened and yes fearful minds of the American public as they endured the ravages of the Great Depression. The fear of the unknown, the uncertainty of what new difficulty might lay right around the corner weighed heavily on nearly everyone’s mind. The economic impact of the stock market crash just a few years before coupled with current vast unemployment had many people wondering where their next meal would come from. That impending sense of despair was complicated further by the Dust Bowl that had left much of the agricultural land of the Midwest crippled and unfit to ease the crisis. The outlook for our nation was indeed bleak when President Roosevelt told the entire country that there was “Nothing to fear except fear itself.”
The contemporary condition of the world around us is no less scary. We may not have recently experienced economic collapse, but we are in the midst of what looks suspiciously like moral bankruptcy. The speed of the decline currently taking place especially in western society is ‘wicked fast’. There are days I feel as though I haven’t even begun to comprehend the latest foolishness I am supposed to accept as the new norm, when a whole new class of utter ridiculousness is introduced as (quote…unquote) “progressive thought”. Sometimes it is almost beyond ability to accept that those espousing such imbecilic rhetoric actually believe what they are proposing. Wokeness and Social Justice are anything but, and the direction of our nation and the world around us can seem quite concerning at times…most times, if you have any hopes and desires for those coming along after us. So is it still an encouragement or a comfort to know “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.”?
I was approached by someone a short time ago who asked me if I think fear is sin. That’s an interesting question. The person asked the question in light of 1 John chapter 4. There we read in verse 18, There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. In light of that verse the rest of the question came, “Does fear indicate a lack of faith, and is a lack of faith in the Almighty sinful?” Certainly this verse in its full context is saying that because we have the love of God in us and our relationship with Him is evidenced by our display of His love toward others, we are therefore His children and need not have any fear of the day of His judgment. In that sense, His perfect love, having its intended effect on our lives, drives away our fear of judgement. Perfect love then casts out fear.
Though the context of that particular verse concerning fear is in regards to judgment, I think it is a building block to our correct position regarding fear overall. Jesus taught additional truths that can help us complete our understanding…of our intended standing. When we consider that perfect love (the love of God in us and flowing through us) removes all fear of His judgment then something Jesus said recorded for us in Luke 12:4 makes even more sense. “Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. He went on to say if we are going to fear someone, we should fear God who judges where we will spend eternity after we die. In this seemingly crazy world we now live in, we are threatened with all kinds of retribution if we will not accept the latest idiocy. The propagators of these so called progressive policies warn that if we do not play along with their pretension they will call us out as bigots, racist, hate mongers or worse. In recent days, there have been multiple news reports of physical violence even to the point of death being perpetrated against those who would not bow to the will of the deluded. Jesus was clear, this is not what should be feared. He didn’t mince His words either, there are those who may even want to kill us for standing for what is right. However, He then added, even if they follow through on that threat, that is all they can do to us. Then Jesus went on to say that our real concern should be with the One who will then judge what to do with us for eternity. The choice was clear as far as Jesus was concerned. Stand for righteousness enveloped in perfect love…and you have nothing of real consequence to fear. With that mindset the author of Hebrews was able to write in chapter 13:6; We can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?
Having Jesus as our Savior allows us to be perfected in His love and to experience no fear of His judgment. In other words, it allows us to be secure in our eternal condition. However, Jesus has two titles and being able to live in total lack of fear requires our understanding and complete acceptance of not only the first, Savior, but more importantly His second, Lord. The whole world has a Savior…Jesus died for the whole world. Someday the bible tells us, everyone will be forced to also admit that He is Lord. Philippians 2:10-11 says that Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! However, for those who willingly trust Him now to be their Lord and Savior, they possess everything necessary to live free of all fear.
If we believe that Jesus is truly Lord, then we must believe that He is Omniscient (He knows all). We must accept that He is Omnipresent (There is no place outside of his reach). And we must admit that He is Omnipotent (There is nothing He is powerless to do). When you hold those beliefs, the teaching Jesus gave us about worry is easier to understand and apply. In Matthew chapter 6 Jesus taught that we have no cause for worry because the Lord knows about everything we need. He pointed out that if the Lord would take such good care of mere birds and ordinary field grass, how much more would He meet the needs of His crowning creation who love Him. Jesus said that God is a good, good father the likes of which no man has ever been, and if we as parents love our children, how much more can we expect that God loves us and will take the very best care of us.
Additionally, of Himself, Jesus said in Revelation 22:13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. This does not mean Jesus was present at the beginning and will be present when the end comes. That line of thinking would lead to the conclusion that Jesus is subject to time, and would therefore mean that time is greater than Him. If Jesus is Lord (and He is) then He is superior to everything, including time. Jesus encompasses time, time does not encompass Him. Therefore, He can rightly say that He is the beginning of everything and the culmination of all things. Knowing that about Him should serve to bolster our faith that we can trust him in all things. It should also help us to trust that…from a position of complete knowledge of every event that has, is or ever will occur in our lives, He and He alone is able to promise that He will use all of them for our good. He intends to use all things to bless us with increased ability to reflect Him more. (Romans 8:28-29)
So, no matter whether it be pressure from the world around us to conform to the latest brand of insanity, or dealing with a personal difficulty, disease or loss, when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and we learn to trust Him wholly, we have nothing to fear…not even fear itself.
So now, living free of all fear in the confidence of His immense and intense love for you…Go Be Awesome!