So far this week we have looked at the emotion of fear and the intellectual problem of uncertainty. Today we look at the spirit of doubt. This third of three elements can come upon a person suddenly, or can work its way insidiously and slowly into our lives.
Unlike most reviews this one doesn’t have to worry too much about “spoilers” as most Christians are already quite familiar with the story. However, if you are someone who likes to see a movie without hearing about how the story was handled then you probably ought to go and see it now then come back and finish reading.
This month sees the release of not one, but two biblically-based movies. Coming to theaters this weekend is Son of God (which I’ll review next week) and on March 28th, Noah. From Wikipedia we are informed that Noah is an “American biblical epic film directed by Darren Aronofsky and written by Aronofsky and Ari Handel.” In other words, this isn’t the account written by Moses. So what can we expect?
Take a piece of paper and write down what you think you need right now, more than anything else, to make you truly happy.
Now read 2 Peter 3. This passage is about a group of people who questioned God’s form of punishment by asking, “Where is this ‘coming’ He promised… everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”
A few years ago I was giving a Biblically-based tour of the Morrison Formation (known as Dinosaur Ridge) outside of Denver, Colorado. We examined trace fossils of plant and marine life, and dinosaur footprints and bones. It’s all outdoors and in the open so there are no admission fees and anyone can stop by and see the exhibits and read the placards. About half way through I was leading my group to the next stop when an older bystander approached and asked me forthrightly, “You don’t really believe the earth is only 6,000 years old, do you?”
Paul also experienced hardships. He recounts them often, but what distressed him the most were those who turned away from the pure gospel of faith alone in Christ alone and instead put their trust in works. The works of the flesh never bring about salvation, and in some cases, ends in destruction. He talks about this very thing in Philippians chapter three.
Since this is Think-Biblically.com it’s important to point out at the start that the practice of celebrating Ash Wednesday is not found anywhere in the Bible. One should always be cautious of adopting spiritual practices not found in Scripture.
Two weeks ago I published a paper on this site that emphasized the meaning of marriage as being between a man and a woman. As much as homosexuality is a hot button issue in our culture, there is a more dangerous and insidious evil that has infiltrated and even gained acceptance in the Christian Community: divorce.
Fear is one of the most debilitating emotions one can experience – so much so that it may even cause physical paralysis! For some it may be easy to assume the cause of fear is the fall of man itself, but this would be a serious error. We know, for example, that “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9.10).
2 Kings chapters six and seven tell one of the most distressing, heart-wrenching stories in all of Scripture. The king of Aram gathers his troops and besieges the city of Samaria. The siege lasts not days or weeks, but month after month. Food runs out; people have already slaughtered all the livestock, including horses and donkeys. There is absolutely nothing in the city to eat.
Now, I want to get back to these notes regarding what it is that, more than anything else, would make us truly happy. I am certain, that if we were to go through these notes, we would find some had written “a closer walk with the Lord,” or “a more consistent quiet time.” Still others, I imagine, would turn to their current hurts and pains, listing perhaps “a father who would stop drinking,” “a better job,” “a family member coming to Christ,” and so forth.
A wise friend and mentor of mine once told me that a successful date was a planned date, and that a successful relationship was one where both the man and the woman have identified a biblical role in dating.
