Proving the Bible is NOT from God

If you are uninterested in spiritual issues and an intellectual coward - don't read this blog.  It's not for you and you'll just get all pissed.  So go read something about politics, da Bears or Hollywood on the menu's above.

For others - I just wanted to post a blog featuring a few things you might find funny, interesting or both.

I am defined by a few key things.  My children (Beautiful Brilliant and Strong Brilliant), my childhood roots (Go Cubs Go), and my adoption by the Supreme Omnipotent Ruler of the Universe (no, the REAL one.)

So I write about it from time to time.  I really had a problem with RELIGION for most of my adolescences and wrote GOD UNPLUGGED! to talk about that journey in a (hopefully) humorous way.  It starts this way:

It started the day my moma turned on Billy Graham when I was 13.  “Was I a Christian?”  “Was I saved?”  She wouldn’t let up.  I thought, who cares?  Sure, I’d gone to Sunday School when I was 8 but no one made it out to be that much different from Cub Scouts or Little League.

While my biggest concern was the right sized bell bottom styles and trying to get my first kiss, mom suddenly morphed into Darth Vader.  "What kind of music was I listening to?"  "Are kids my age drinking?"  "Was I having sex yet?" (Like I’d talk about that with my mom!).  There were more commandments handed down that week than Moses on Mt. Caffeine.  I was just sure of one thing - I was no longer neutral on religion.  I was now firmly against it.

Read the whole thing. You might enjoy it.

And for those who ARE Christians - who can BELIEVE God at his Word - I wrote THE SPIRITUAL EMERGENCY MANUAL, a handy index of the promises God made.

I am a "lay" pastor, theologian, and apologist (and not just for the Cubs) and have a couple of stories.

Here is a message I gave a couple of July 4th's ago at a friends church you might enjoy. (No video of me but of my powerpoint and film clips)




I also taught a 2 part series on WHY YOU CAN BELIEVE THAT THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD.  As much as I want to say BOTH are brilliant (and I really do WANT to say it - but it wouldn't be true) the 2nd part is much better and moves more quickly than the first.

But here they are for your viewing pleasure:


Why You Can Believe the Bible is the Inspired Word of God - Part 1 from Jim Ballew on Vimeo.
 
Why You Can Believe the Bible IS the Inspired Word of God pt2 from Jim Ballew on Vimeo.

There you go.  Hope you enjoy.  If you have any questions or want to know how to connect with God - use the CONTACT ME form on the very top menu.

Bless you.

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OK to Kill Osama and Rejoice?

Thanks for the feedback.  
There are really 2 questions being asked here.  
1. Is it ok to kill Osama and, 
2. is it ok to celebrate?  

One of the under appreciated precepts of the Word is that of Dominion.  

Rom 8:17 & Col 3:1 say we reign with Christ.  We are not His slaves (although it is an advantage to position ourselves as such in humility).  No - Christ said we are Sons and Friends of His.

He didn't give the planet to Adam and Eve and suddenly take it back when they gave it to the devil.  Instead - He helped the best He could WITHOUT interfering with the authority they already had (and gave away).  God is so Just - He won't violate His Word (in this case granting sovereignty to man) even when they screw it up and hurting themselves.

Although there are many examples of God BLESSING individuals to kill in war in the OT - with the example of Ananias and Sapphira we see that God himself is not above taking a life or being destructive (Jesus with fig tree and overturning money changer tables). 

We are also told that governments WE implement are HIS minister (of Justice).  Many use Thou Shalt not kill as an argument but the HEBREW for kill is, literally, KILL IN COLD BLOOD.  God himself instituted DEATH to murders, etc in the Old Testament - NOT for individuals - but for the GOVERNMENT of Israel.  (there is NO law in the OT I'm aware of that allows 1 individual to kill another with or without cause).  

I just read a great article on Justice yesterday that asked, 'how is it fair for God to threaten punishment to Abimelech for Abraham misleading him that Sarah was his sister?' (Gen 20)  The answer was profound to me.  GOD IS JUST.  Whatever HE decides is just.  He doesn't have to hold to a 'set' of morals because HIS morals are just whether we understand them or not.  I have found it difficult to do this at times.  But it isn't HE who has to change His 'MO' to do what I think is right.  I have to change MY perceptions to embrace His.

I'm not sure if you've ever had the chance to read THE LIGHT AND THE GLORY by Frank Marshall, or any of the books by David Barton.  It is indisputable that God gave grace to our armed forces to establish the freedom of this country THROUGH WAR and killing British/German soldiers. 

So - I personally believe the US Gov't killing someone who not only continued to threatened and plan for our destruction  - but also someone who directly admitted involvement in the death of our citizens in 9/11, USS Cole bombing, Kenya Embassy, etc is just.

But the SECOND question is  - How should we feel about it.  The most common scripture cited in Prov 24 to not rejoice when your enemy falls.  Since earlier in that chapter we learn that the WISE prevail through power and that we need many advisors to wage war - God can NOT be saying to stop what you are doing if an enemy is in danger of loosing his life.

Instead we learn in Deut 8:17 that God is concerned with the PRIDE of thinking we accomplished this ourselves.

If God wanted us to mourn any enemy that died - surely we would not be asked to celebrate the victory of the death of the Egyptians or Purim (where Haman was hanged for trying to kill Esther and the Jews).  CLEARLY God allows celebration at the event of the demise of our (at least) governmental enemies.

Look at 2 Chron 20 - the LORD made them REJOICE over the death of their enemies.

But it is also of note THE REASON David was not allowed to build the temple was because of blood on his hands.  This certainly could not have been because of being an warrior for Israel but, as most Jewish and Christian commentators assume - it is because of the orchestration of the murder of Uriah (Bathsheba's husband) EVEN THOUGH DAVID HIMSELF DIDNT DO IT! Murder in one's heart is bad.   Justice and relief from your enemy trying to kill you are NEVER referenced in the Word as being bad. 

But we aren't told in Proverbs 24 whether this is a general 'enemy' (say Green Bay Packers or a neighbor who refuses to turn down his stereo) - or an enemy of war.  I believe there is a huge difference IN THE HEART.  

This goes back to the original "uncomfortableness" many of us have had with the shouting and merry making.  We all theologically agree even Osama - would he accept Christ before dying - would be our brother in heaven.  I even understand those who lost loved ones in 9/11 and in the armed forces who want to see 'Justice' in a long protracted  - but this to me is only ignorance of hell. (If you haven't read 23 Minutes in Heaven or 45 Minutes in Hell  - 2 separate books - again - give me your biz address or PO box and I'll send them to you).

Clearly - REVENGE and VENGEANCE are God's.  JUSTICE is a separate matter and clearly authorized by God for NATIONS to pursue.

But 'delighting' in anyone's death or torture simply CAN NOT be resolved to a Christian.  This could be why Proverbs 11 talks about a GROUP of people rejoice when the enemy is defeated.

So - my personal inner witness of my spirit tells me that REJOICING over the elimination of a continuing threat against us is in line with scripture.

Even rejoicing that JUSTICE has been served in the death of someone who HATED God's people (Christians and Jews) is likely not against God's will as we cited in 2 Chron 20.

But if our MOTIVE and HEART are in torture of an enemy, our personal sense of power of another human or OUR ability to kill - I think we have crossed into God's domain of VENGENCE rather than JUSTICE.

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