A Journey to Developing Your Biblical Worldview

Souring in a plane  at 30,00 feet and seeing life down below on Earth reminds me of what it is like to look at life through the lens of Scripture, one can see the big picture of God’s story through history !
 When one lands on a runway  in the midst of a forest it is helpful knowing one’s relationship to the direction of the sun. This helps one get their bearings of east,west,north and south. It also helps knowing  the relationship to water, roads and civilization. Survival skills also work best when there are some basic fundamental facts that are known.
 In the same way, one can best understand their own purpose on this earth by first getting the bigger picture, asking the question,  “What on Earth is God doing?”  When one  gets their bearings in relationship to the Son, the Son of God and His purposes, life for each one of us on this planet comes into clearer focus.  His overriding story from the beginning of time to the end of time connects all the dots of history, after all He is called the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End!
 We all have a worldview, the view in which we see and answer all of the important questions of life. Our worldview is developed over time with help from our family and friends , our culture, our religious and educational teachers and many other sub-cultural groups we might interact with . We tend to embrace the values of our culture and our traditions as they are taught and modeled for us. We may embrace our belief system as truth  without ever  filtering them through any sort of objective standard or filter. Never pausing to ask: is this really true?
 In order to develop a Biblical worldview we must see and embrace the Scriptures as the plumb-line and Jesus as the standard-bearer of truth. He and His Word then become the lens through which we filter our culture and traditions. We may embrace our culture and our tradition when and only when it aligns with God’s Word. We come to reject those teachings and values  that run contrary to the Word of God. This is what is meant when  someone is said to be ‘ developing their Biblical Worldview’.  It really is a lifetime process of growth by ‘renewing the mind’ as referred to in Romans 12:1-2.
 In flying an airplane you can’t really take off without proper training, proper equipment, fuel and even a flight plan. In developing your Biblical worldview you really can’t take off without first answering two fundamental questions from which everything else is based.
First question: Why the Bible? How much of it do you believe and trust as the Word of God? Do you really want to submit your life to it’s teachings by redirecting your thinking and belief system to align with it? Are there good reasons to believe that ” All Scripture is God Breathed?”(2 Timothy 3: 16-17). We will explore the evidence down the road.
Second Question: Who is Jesus Really? As C.S.Lewis pointed out- He was more than a legend or make believe. He lived and breathed and taught on this planet Earth. So C.S.Lewis asks “were His teachings that of a Liar, a Lunatic or was He really the Lord?” He did not give us the option to call Him a good moral teacher! His claims were greater than that. To accept Him as Lord and believe all of the Scriptures as His Word launches one on a journey, a lifelong journey of developing a Biblical Worldview.
So if the answer to both questions are YES, then let us prepare for take off and look at life through the Lens of Scripture and get the Big Picture of Life as though we are flying at 30,000 feet! –
Rick Keaton, M.A.

 

Peace in Uncertain Times

by Rick Keaton, M.A.

DesignerTruth.org

When we think of Peace, we think: the opposite of war, the opposite of worry, the opposite of strife, or even the opposite of ______ . You fill in the blank as it pertains to your life situation.

We say, “The ocean is so peaceful, so calm.”, or “That music is so peaceful, so soothing.” or we might yell out to our children, “Would everyone just be quiet, settle down! I just want some peace and quiet.”

Peace, it can take on so many different meanings, in so many different contexts. Yet, peace is something that our bodies need internally, in order to de-stress, to relax, to re-energize.

Peace is not totally dependent on our external circumstances. True peace may help calm us in the midst of a situation that we find ourselves in, because true peace goes much deeper.

Peace can be found in the midst of war, in the midst of chaos, or even in the midst of noise. Because peace, true peace is found deep within the soul and spirit of man. Peace can be found in the mind as we gain a new perspective on a life situation that wants to ruin our endless nights of sleep.

Life throws at us endless changing  events. There really is no status quo, no happily ever after at the end of the rainbow. There are hills and valleys in life, those memorable moments, those achievements and awards. There are periods of heartache and sorrow, relationships end, loved ones die, jobs that are lost, finances ruined. Our bodies continue to age and wear down.  We may experience a physical accident or a doctor’s diagnosis that turns our world upside down. The future becomes uncertain because it forecasts pain, suffering and heartache, not only for us, but for our loved ones too.

No one wants any of this in our lives. We wish it were as simple as going to the dentist to have that painful tooth pulled. Just be done with it and get on with life. However, the dentist usually presents other options so that we may actually  live life with that tooth, but it must be stabilized. There will be discomfort,  pain and  financial sacrifice, but life goes on  just like in these uncertain times!

Jesus said in John 16:33 –“…in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation…”.  Life is like a boat ride; it will not always be calm and peaceful. There will be storms and shipwrecks. Sometimes even a lack of wind will stall our sailboat. The questions become:  “What now? What do we do? How do we start over? Gain new momentum?”

In reality, we should ask, “What is in our control and what is not?” May I suggest that in times like these, in uncertain times, we start with a surrender to the One who is in ultimate control. The One who holds all things in His hands. I remember a song I learned as a child called ‘He’s got the Whole World in His Hands’. Seeing the bigger picture can help us see that there is Someone who has a better perspective on our situation. He, our Creator, has a bird’s eye view and an eternal perspective. He knows our past, our present and our future.

Whether we acknowledge Him or not, does not mean that He is not there. He may just be waiting for us to seek Him. Isaiah  55:6 says, “Seek the Lord while He may be found…”

Philippians 4:7  says, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus…”. It means that there can be a peace in the midst of the storm, in the midst of war, in the midst of  financial loss, pain and suffering, divorce or even the death of a loved one.

Where do we start to find this peace? There is no secret formula, no technique, no magic wand to wave away our circumstances. It actually starts by surrender. Surrendering, in the midst of our circumstances, to the One who holds the key. Let the Lord guide us moment by moment, day by day through these uncertain times.  Psalm 23 says, “The Lord is my shepherd… He leads me beside still waters… He walks with me through the valley of the shadow of death… and He promises I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

When we gain an eternal perspective on these moments, over time, our minds  get transformed and we do not take on the pattern of the world, which sells fear. (Romans 12:1-2) We gain a clearer perspective and our worries, our fears can be turned over to the One who can actually do something about our situation. One of the names of the Lord is Jehovah-Jireh, which means ‘God is our provider’.  He can provide true peace in our lives!

The word peace  is found over 400 times in the Bible. Reflecting on Scripture, in  these uncertain times, can help us see our situation in a new light. Holding on to those verses that strike a chord  will strengthen our soul deep within.

Here are just a few:

Colossians 3:15 –“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…”

1 Peter 5:7 – “Casting all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you.”

Isaiah 26:3 – “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”

The Old Testament Hebrew word for peace is shalom. It actually means ‘the state of wholeness, of being complete’. The Hebrew spelling is four letters: shin – lamed – vav – mem.  Each letter in the ancient Paleo Hebrew, was originally a word picture.  When sounds were first put together to form words , these letters helped define those words long before there were dictionaries.

For example shalom: the shin is ‘a picture of teeth that are used to devour’, the lamed is ‘a shepherd’s staff representing authority’, the vav is ‘a nail or hook that holds things together’ and the mem is ‘a picture of chaotic waters flowing’. When put together shalom or peace actually means:  ‘The authority that is creating  a hold over the chaos in our lives is destroyed.’

(Note: TheLivingWordin3D.com brings this meaning of shalom to life in beautiful artistry and pictures.)

Peace is more than just the external situation in our lives, it is about trusting the One who is still in control when our world is falling apart in these uncertain times! The Lord is the one who can destroy the source of the chaos in our lives and bring true inner peace.

Horatio Spafford found this peace when he penned the classic hymn, It is Well with my Soul, after losing his family at sea!

King David found this peace when he was surrounded on all sides by his enemies yet the Lord told him “…Be still, and know that I am God!” (Psalm 46:10)

How about you, will you heed Jesus’ words in these uncertain times? Jesus said “ Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened …”         (Matthew 11:28)

(Note: All Scripture English Standard Version)

Copyright  April 2020

A Message of Hope

Philip Ganzfried’s Memorial Service – 9/11/2019

  • Philip, age 32, passed away unexpectedly in his sleep Sept. 5th, leaving behind his wife, Jennifer, and two small children, Joshua (5) and Isabella (3)

Delivered by Pastor Rick Keaton, Philip’s Father-in-Law

 “Family and friends, as a pastor for 30+ years, I have  come alongside many to help them walk through their loss of loved ones but nothing in my experience or training could prepare me for something like this! This is not only unexpected, it’s heartbreaking, it’s unimaginable! How can this be? Wake me up! Is it all just a bad dream? Unfortunately this is real.

When Jenn called us early Thursday morning, what she said rocked me to my core! Everything about being a pastor just disappeared. As her dad I just wanted to fix this, but nothing I could do could fix this for Jenn or our grand kids!  Our hearts ache.

All of our lives have been changed forever. There is no going back. However, there is no staying in this awful moment either. We must and we will move forward one step at a time. One day at a time!

Usually, as a family grieves the loss of their loved one, everyone gathers together to help them get them through those difficult days of mourning. The outpouring from family and friends right now has been beyond anything we could have imagined. We feel the love for Philip, for Jenn, Joshua and Isabella. As parents, we four, thank you! We too have felt and seen your love in action for all of our family members. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Life will be different now. We will try to adjust to a new norm. In our case the new norm is so radically different. For Jenn, Joshua and Isabella the life they pictured with Philip, the new chapter in their lives quite possibly awaiting them in Tennessee, will never be! The whiteboard of dreaming what could be… has been completely erased!

Faith, Family and Friends! We will need to run to them and not from them! It is times like these, that rocks each of us to our core. Our foundations are exposed. Our beliefs, our faith is either built on solid rock or sinking sand. This storm in our lives is like a hurricane we never saw coming and had no time to prepare for! This hurricane called Death, not Dorian, has hit us as a catastrophic one for the ages!

We must run to our Faith not from it! Our Faith is in a person, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior! We must run to Him and not from Him! We must run to our Family as well, not from them! We will need each other like never before! We too must run to our Friends, not run from them. We will need them to be the hands and arms of Jesus. Jenn will also need them to be the hands and arms for Philip too. That is what the Body of Christ does best!

Each day ahead, for Jenn, the kids and all of us, will have its own set of loss, problems, fears, doubts and heartache. Tears will come along with the heart ache, but so may the anger and the questioning, but that will be okay. It is part of the process that is called “the 5 stages of  grief and loss.” It is even okay for us to express our anger towards God. He already knows how we feel. He has big shoulders, He can take it. By expressing our anger, our doubt, our loss, by letting it out,  He can lead us to “a peace that passes all understand”, ( Philippians 4:7) and a new  “joy that comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:1-5)!

They now say that “the 6th stage of grief”  is to find “meaning through the loss”! We may or may not find that meaning in this lifetime, or even the answer to Why? on this side of the grave!  However, we can lean on The One who knows and He will get us through!

He is the Great Shepherd, the one who walks with us through the valley of the shadow of death and will leads us to a new field on the other side. King David wrote that in Psalm 23. As a boy he was a shepherd, he slew bears, lions and a giant of a man called Goliath! King David was a musician too! He was known as “a man after God’s own heart”

 Acts 13:22 … After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’ 23 “From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised.” (NIV)

David wrote half of The Psalms in the Old Testament. He also designed the plans for The Temple that His son Solomon would later build!        He experienced victories and defeats, heartache and loss and yet he worshiped his LORD, especially in music.

Music has a way of ministering deep into the soul. Music existed in Heaven even before the Earth was created! It has a way of touching us when we are happy and joyful or even when we are sad, lonely and heartbroken! It has a way of restoring the soul because music originated in Heaven as worship towards God (Isaiah 6:3, Revelation 4:8)!

Philip called King David in his book, “the Dude of all Dudes”! Philip loved to worship! He worshiped the same one David worshiped: their Creator, their Shepherd, their LORD. The One who would later be revealed as from the line of David, Jesus Christ himself, King of Kings and LORD of Lords.

Jesus, himself, came to earth from heaven! He humbled himself, became a man in order that He might become our Savior over our main problem: sin and death. It is His resurrection from the dead some 2000+ years ago that gives us our HOPE here today!

Many have tried over the years to erase Jesus and His story from the history books as a mere a legend or fable, a nice story but not real. But it was not made up, it was not a legend nor a fable nor even an exaggeration of a life well lived! It was testified to by many, even some individuals outside of the Bible reference that this Jesus did in fact live as an historical person on Earth.

Those who knew him the closest did in fact witness something so powerful it changed the course and direction of their lives! If you are skeptical here today….go ahead if you need to and do your own historical research and come to your own conclusions. Do not take my word or anyone else’s word! Many have taken this journey before you and have come to some astounding conclusions!

In 1 Corinthians 15, the apostle Paul wrote of the power of what he saw and experienced in his own life. He went from being a persecutor, a killer of Jesus followers, to being a sold-out follower of the risen Jesus!

1 Corinthians 15:3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 

6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. 

9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God….

12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith…. 

17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. 20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. (NIV)

Our Faith has been rocked to the core, but when we run to our Faith, we find Jesus, the Solid Rock on which we stand. You know it’s interesting that we call Him ‘Jesus“, that’s His English name that came  about when the Bible was translated into English just some 500+ years ago. His parents actually gave Him the name “Yeshua” in Hebrew.

The Old Testament equivalent was the name “Joshua.  Jenn and Philip named their son, Joshua! Both names, Yeshua and Joshua  mean  “Yahweh is salvation” or “God is salvation” in the Hebrew. That is why you see, there is  “power in the name of Jesus”. His name literally means God is salvation and He is the Son of God!

In the Old Testament, the name for GOD was (YHWY) “Yahweh” or as  some would say “Jehovah”, as we pronounce it in English today.  What is fascinating is that it is spelled out in Hebrew with just four letters yod, hey, vav, hey.

Whatever way one pronounces “Yahweh” in English or in Hebrew, these four letters in Hebrew are also pictures. They tell a story. The “yod” was a picture of an arm with a  clenched fist.  The “hey” was two outstretched arms raised high and the “vav” was simply a picture of a nail or peg like one would use to drive into the ground when setting up a  tent.

Do you see the picture in the name of God, (YHWY) “Yahweh”?…yod, hey, vav, hey …clenched fists, arms outstretched  and nails.

Jesus’ name meant “God is salvation”. Jesus ,himself,  became our salvation over death by taking on death itself at the cross with clenched fists, outstretched arms and nails driven through his hands and into the cross!  But it is His resurrection over death that gives us HOPE here today beyond the grave!

The word hallelujah means to sing praises to Yahweh, to God, and usually with uplifted and outstretched arms. This is how Philip worshiped unashamedly each week in church and usually he was on or near the front row because he did not want to be distracted!

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (ESV)

Philip has run his race to completion, although it was not a marathon, it was a sprint! He seemed to live life in a fast paced way, accomplishing so much in only 32 years. But his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ only lived on this earth 33 years! I wonder what that conversation was like when Philip saw Him face to face!

Philip, kept his eyes on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of his Faith. He worshiped Him deeply! Now we have a Modern Day Hero of the Faith who is a part of the cloud of witnesses that is cheering us on to run our race of Faith to its completion! Let us keep our eyes on Jesus, let us run to Him and not from Him during this difficult time of loss!

You know they say that a dying man’s words are some of the most important words that a man can utter! Philip did not know that he would die so young, yet he has left us his last words! It just so happens to be in a short book that he completed in his last month of life and he was planning on publishing this fall! Philip was everything he wrote about in his book: MAN or MALE? THIS is NOT a DRILL!  Philip you are the MAN!

Now we will worship your LORD and ours with outstretched arms!”

Phil Wickham’s Song – Living Hope (Lyrics)

Watch the Memorial Service – DesignerTruth.org 

Book: MAN or MALE? THIS is NOT a DRILL! by Philip Ganzfried

Amazon to publish (Fall 2019)

C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S Prioritized 2017

Very recently my family said goodbye to my father, Lloyd, after a long bought with Alzheimer’s disease. We were blessed to be with him as a family there at the end.

My son-in-law, Tim, and his family said  goodbye to his father, Gary, after his extended battle with Parkinson’s disease.  They too were blessed to be there with him at the end.

It is in times like these that you truly see the importance of family coming together during these difficult moments in life. Grieving does not have a one size fits all approach, so it becomes important that we just be there for each other and let everyone process in their own way.

As I approached this Christmas season with the thought of my dad not being in the midst of the family events, I came to reflect on the family values that are so important. After all, family is important to God!

How do I know? He created it! The events of the Christmas Story some 2,000 years ago were part of His master Family Plan!

 

C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S Prioritized 2017

Lessons learned when you lose a Family member – Remember…

C- Cherish the Moments Together – Make Time to make them happen!

H – Honor One Another – Everyone has a role in the Family!

R – Real Legacies live on! – Keep their legacy alive! Pass it on!

I – Invest in the Moment – Be present in the Moment, not mentally somewhere else!

S – Say “I Love You”, “I am Sorry” or “I Forgive You” – Stir up a recipe of Love, Grace and Mercy!

T – Tell Your Story, Listen to  Other’s – We all have one! Share with Pictures and with Words!

M – Memories are meant to be shared! – Don’t store them, celebrate them!

A – Always share a hug or two – Everyone needs at least one!

S – Serve One Another – Christ set the Example: He left Heaven to become a Man so that we in turn might become adopted as Children in the Family of God! Family was HIS priority too! (see John 1:9-12)

 

In Honor of our loved ones:
Lloyd Conrad Keaton (Oct. 31, 2017) and Johnson Gary Hendricks (Dec. 23, 2017)
and for anyone else who may have lost a loved one before this Christmas!

by Richard C. Keaton, 2017

Love You Dad!

Easter, Holidays, Holy Days and Celebrations!

Every holiday has a beginning just like every person has a first birthday! The date of your birthday did not have special meaning until you were born into your family! When  you entered this world, then, every year on that same date, your family celebrated YOU and your life.  It all started with that very first birthday cake one year after your birth!

The same is true for national holidays. No one celebrated July fourth in the American Colonies before 1776. When the Declaration of Independence was drafted and Americans declared their independence from the British, it became a meaningful date because of the events attached to it! Now, it is celebrated every year as the 4th of July with fireworks, parades, picnics, barbeques and more! It has context and importance based on a real historical event from the past!

The same can be said for the Easter season when it comes to Christianity. The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ was an historical event that had never occurred before in human history!  However, a for-shadowing of this event had occurred in the Old Testament based upon several historical events.

Remember how Abraham was told to offer his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice on Mt. Moriah (Genesis 22) around 2000 BC? This event for-shadowed God the Father offering His Only Son, Jesus, as an offering on that same mountain ridge some 2,000 years later. Abraham had believed that God would bring his son back to life, but God provided a ram, caught in a thicket of thorns to take his sons place. Jesus, the Son of God, would later become that sacrificial lamb, wearing a crown of thorns, offering His life to take our place.

Another key event occurred around 1440 BC.  It occurred during the time of Moses and the enslavement of the Hebrews in Egypt. Moses was given instructions by the voice of the LORD [“I AM that I AM”], from the burning bush. Moses was told to go back to Egypt and tell Pharaoh to “Let God’s People Go!” Nine times Pharaoh said “NO!” and nine times God sent a plague. It was the tenth plague that followed that created the historical connection to the events of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection.

The tenth plague, the death of the firstborn and the Passover Lamb,  is found in Exodus 12. It is important to realize that the Hebrew people’s first Passover meal and the sacrifice of their Passover Lamb was a direct for-shadowing of Jesus as the Passover Lamb on that very same day some 1,470+ years later.

The new Hebrew calendar was set up in Leviticus 23 the same year as their freedom from Egypt. Nissan, the new first month, was to contain a Festival of eight days celebrating the remembrance of this historical Passover and Exodus event. It was the blood of the Passover Lamb on the doorposts that night, that spared the life of every Hebrew’s firstborn child.

The Hebrew community and new nation were to remember, commemorate and celebrate Passover every year, starting on the 14th of Nissan! They were to have an evening meal as outlined in Leviticus 23. This meal of remembrance continued every year in the Jewish communities right down to the night that Jesus was betrayed. His betrayal, by Judas, came in the midst of celebrating this Passover meal on the 14th of Nissan. Right after the meal when Jesus broke the bread and drank from the cup and he equated them both to his pending death, Judas left!

It was so crucial to the understanding of Jesus’ pending death on the cross, that Jesus himself connected the dots for His disciples during this Passover meal. This meal would  later become known as “the Last Supper”.  Jesus took the Unleavened Passover bread and said, “This is my body, do this in remembrance of me”.  He then took the Third Cup, the Cup of Redemption,  they were to drink from and said, ‘This is my blood, do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19-20). He would become the Passover Lamb for all mankind before the sun set the next evening! The Angel of Death could  “pass over” all who believe in Him because God the  Father, promised Eternal Life through His Son! (John 3:15-17)

Jesus also told his disciples to continue this practice, ” in Remembrance of Him, until He returns to once again partake of the meal at His Second Coming. This is the reason Christian churches today continue to celebrate this ‘Last Supper’ in remembrance of what He did on the Cross!

One church may call it ‘Communion’, another ‘The Lord’s Supper’, still others ‘the Holy Eucharist’. It is considered by all to be a very sacred or holy event in each church’s fellowship. It is not to be taken lightly! It is not just a tradition of old!  It actually connects the dots of real historical events from the past: from Abraham/Isaac to Moses/Passover to Jesus/Last Supper and it points to His future Second Coming!

Jesus’ Resurrection is also celebrated every year by Christian churches around the world on Easter Sunday! It too is grounded in an historical event from history with over 500+ eyewitnesses!  His resurrection occurred on the third day after Passover. That  just so happened to fall on the Feast of First Fruits, the day after the Sabbath, the first day of the week, Sunday! He became the First Fruits of the Resurrection!

Note that within the Hebrew calendar that year, there would have been:

1.) The Day of Passover (Nissan 14)

2.) The Feast of Unleavened Bread, a yearly Sabbath (Nissan 15)

3.) The Saturday Sabbath

4.) The Feast of First Fruits, (the day after the Sabbath according to Lev. 23)

Notice the 4 days/3 nights, not exactly how Christian traditions later came to celebrate it with 3 days/2 nights, but Biblically, this is exactly  the way that Jesus prophesied it: ” like Jonah, 3 days and 3 nights…” (see Matthew 12:40)

This  crucifixion and resurrection/empty tomb event is one of the most documented events in history, even from secular sources! See Josh McDowell’s research in his book or on this YouTube link: Evidence that Demands a Verdict or watch  Lee Strobel’s movie: The Case for Christ. The evidence trail is there for those who want to follow it.

Now you can celebrate the Lord’s Supper with a renewed sense of gratitude and worship every time your church presents it. It can remind you of the choice Jesus made. He chose to become your Passover Lamb on the Cross, because He loves you! His resurrection proved He had power over death and the ability to deliver on His promise of eternal life!

Just as your birthday and the 4th of July are grounded in historically, significant events of the past, so too is every facet of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ!

May you celebrate this Easter, what I prefer to call ‘Resurrection Day’, with a renewed sense of awe and wonder!  After all, it is HIS Resurrection as the Passover Lamb of God that gives us hope and victory over the grave! Hallelujah! Christ is Risen, He is Risen Indeed!

Lessons from March Madness and Other Championship Games

March madness 2017 is over. A new champion, the North Carolina Tar Heels, has been crowned! From last year’s championship game to this year’s game there has been an incredible year of drama filled championship games in three different sports.

Last year at this time, the Tar Heels had just experienced a heartbreaking loss to the Villanova Wild Cats for the championship. A three-point shot at the buzzer gave the Wild Cats an  incredible victory.  Now, one year later, North Carolina returned to the championship game and held off the valiant Gonzaga Bulldogs in the last minute to rebound from that gut wrenching defeat!

Last June, 2016, the Cleveland Cavaliers were once again facing the Golden State Warriors for the NBA championship. The year before the Cavaliers had lost the series to them, now they were down 3 games to 1, to the team that had the best NBA record ever! No team had ever come back from a 3 to 1 deficit to win the finals, yet the Cavaliers persevered and won their 1st NBA championship in the team’s history.  They did it in a way no team had ever done it before!

In the fall, the  2016 World Series set up the two teams with the longest MLB championship droughts, the Chicago Cubs versus the Cleveland Indians. It was a classic series right down to the 10th inning of the 7th game. The Cubs also came back from a  3 games to 1 deficit to win the World Series for the 1st time in 108 years!

The 2017 NCAA football championship was a rematch of the same 2 teams from 2016. The powerhouse Alabama Crimson Tide had defeated the Clemson Tigers for their 16th national championship. Now one year later,  Clemson comes from behind to win with a touchdown pass with just one second left!

The 2017 Super Bowl LI, in February,  did not disappoint either. Near  the end of the 3rd quarter the New England Patriots were down by 25 points to the Atlanta Falcons. No team in Super Bowl history had ever come back from even less than half that amount to win the big game. In dramatic fashion however, New England tied the game with a 2 point conversion with only 2 minutes left in the game. Then in overtime, they scored a touchdown first and won the game! Incredibly, they never led at any point in the game yet they won in overtime when they crossed the goal line.

We’ve seen the same thing happen in NASCAR races where the winner never leads a single lap during the race yet on the last lap he crosses the finish line first! it says a lot about staying in the race/game till the very end!

I believe there are some parallel lessons that we can learn and apply in the game of life.

1.) Never give up no matter the score!

2.) Never give up no matter how daunting the opponent!

3.) Never give up no matter how long you’ve lived with heartache!

4.) Never give up regardless of your past defeats!

The story of David and Goliath reminds us of the importance of being on the Lord’s side and having faith in Him in the midst of battle. David was but a young teenage shepherd, yet he found the courage and faith to volunteer to go up against the giant Philistine named Goliath. David told King Saul:

1 Samuel 17:37 –  The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you.” (NIV)

In the end, David was victorious  and teaches us to have faith in the Lord no matter how great the opposition. We must give it our best shot and leave the results to the Lord!

Remember also  the Easter story!  Jesus’ eleven disciples, his mother, brothers and many other followers all watched Jesus be mercilessly crucified and buried. End of story or so they thought! Their leader was dead and gone.  So they hunkered down in fear, hiding  for three days in  Jerusalem.

All was quiet, there was a double Sabbath, two days of  rest because of the  ongoing Passover festival. Yet after three days, on the Feast of First Fruits, the first day of the week, Jesus defeated death and was resurrected! His death was actually the plan for victory!  A victory over death planned  for you and I. Talk about snatching victory out of the jaws of defeat!

John 3:14-17 says:

“14 …so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (NIV)

So you see, no matter where we are in our life’s story, no matter what chapter it is in our game of life, the victory is secured if we know Jesus as our Savior!  You know the sign  we see held up in the crowd during big games:  John 3:16”?   It really is a sign  sharing  a message of hope, because in the end “Jesus wins” and everyone else who is on His team.

Take the time to look up what Jesus said about being victorious in Revelation 2:7,11,17,26-28 and Revelation 3:5,12,21!  Now that is quite a list of  7 rewards that He will present to those who are faithful and victorious, even victorious unto death!

The music group Mercy Me has hit it out of the park with their new song: “Even If”!  The song begins with:  “ They say sometimes you win some, sometimes you lose some,

and right now, right now I’m losing bad…..  but it ends with these words: … My hope is You alone … It is well with my soul!”

Persevere my friend, stay in the game,  never give up,  take the last shot and keep trusting in HIM.  Our victory is secure in HIM  because life after death means Eternity with HIM. Now that’s the ultimate reward!

Mercy Me – Even If

The Dawning of a New Day!

Imagine it is been a cold, dark, dreary winter in the north, and one day you begin to see new green growth on the trees. The grass begins to turn green and flowers in their array of colors begin to bud. Spring announces its presence with God’s symphony of new life through a splash of color everywhere.

Or imagine it is been a long, dark night, yet the beauty of the colors arising with the sun in the morning sky announce the Lord’s dawning of a new day with his beautiful painting in the sky. Have you ever noticed that after darkness comes light and after death comes life? God is in the business of making all things new. He specializes in redeeming what feels lost and hopeless and making it colorful and new. There’s a poem I like to read at every funeral that I officiate:

Never Forget That  (author unknown)

After the night comes a new day,

After the winter comes another spring,

After the storm comes a sundrenched earth,

After sin comes forgiveness,

After defeat comes another chance,

After the cross comes the resurrection,

After death comes life.

Have you ever noticed that the Lord specializes in artistic beauty? The colors of His flowers, the fall leaves, His sunrises and even His sunsets! The beauty and the variety of colors in fruits and vegetables, the variety of color in the birds of the air and the fish of the sea! The musical array of birds chirping in the trees can sound like notes of music. How about the sound of crickets at night becoming a soothing  bedtime lullaby.

I love looking at photographs from around the globe which capture the beauty and variety of the   landscape, from snowcapped mountains to their valleys and canyons,  the ocean waves and the  desert dunes, the sharp contrast of jagged mountain peaks and sharp cliffs, to the splendor of rolling hills. All of this beauty is awe inspiring, but it reminds me of the Lord’s ability to bring beauty out of chaos!

This was not how the earth originally looked in the beginning. Everything was created “good” by God in the beginning, with a special beauty reflected in the Garden of Eden. Yet, it was all poisoned with the disobedience of man and the curse of death introduced on all of His creation. Eventually all was lost with the catastrophe known as the worldwide flood during Noah’s day.

Think about it.  The Lord’s initial creative masterpiece was lost and destroyed in the flood. Talk about water damage to mankind’s home after a bad storm! This was a catastrophe of biblical proportions! Yet out of the storm, the fury, the darkness, the rain and the flood, after one year lost to flood damage, God brought forth new life! He saved eight people, one family, two mates of every kind of animal, lots of birds and whatever goods and keepsakes that Noah’s family could pack on the Ark.

With a fresh start, the new first family planted themselves in a fertile valley between two rivers that they properly named after two of the original four rivers found in the Garden of Eden. The beauty of what some now call “mother nature”, captured in photographs from all over the planet, is actually a symphony of stunning shots of how the Lord made beauty out of a chaotic tragedy like the flood. The beauty of nature all around us is still nothing compared to the beauty of His original creation.

Have you ever noticed that life consists of many chapters in an overall story? Each new chapter brings with it change, and change is not always readily embraced! We humans don’t readily embrace change.  We tend to embrace the status quo too much, because change may involve work, effort and even emotions. But all of life revolves around change; you are not who you are today because everything stayed the same!

Your body grew from baby to child to adult; you went through puberty (and survived). You may have achieved graduations and milestones, you may have married and even had children. You may also have experienced illness, divorce, loss of loved ones and the moving away of friends, job changes, household moves and natural disasters. The list goes on.  Each chapter in our lives may have had success and highlights, or heartache and tragedy.

The point is that change is a part of life, a part of God’s plan to grow us to maturity and to become more like Christ with each passing year. Colossians 2:6-7 says:

“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.” (NASB)

Every chapter in our lives can be a new season of beauty if we embrace the sunrise and the specter of the Son’s rays dawning on a new day in our life. If the Lord can take a global disaster and recreate all of the natural beauty we enjoy today, surely He can create a beautiful score of music in this or the next chapter of our lives.

Why wait? With His beauty all around us each and every day, let the Master Musician, the Master Photographer, the Master Designer create something beautiful out of your life starting today! After all, we are His creation, created in the image of God for His purpose!

“This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!Psalm 118:24(NASB) 

    by Rick Keaton, M.A.     Copyright December 2016

What do I do if I don’t like either Presidential candidate?

I have been asked, “What do I do if I don’t like either major candidate for President of the United States?”

First of all, step back and look at the bigger picture! The Office of President of the United States is not, nor should it be, a popularity contest… although, that is what the media would have you believe. There are many people in job positions today that are not necessarily liked but they can still do a good job. So, more important – What is the job description the President?

It is laid out in the Constitution of the United States and is summarized in the words from the oath of office that the President takes.

“I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

The President “swears to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution”, all of it! The Constitution is  the Law of the land and not the President. The President’s job is not to change it but preserve it! It is the responsibility of the Legislation Branch, the 50 states, and the People of the United States to change it if it needs changing!

So, the question becomes: As President, who will better uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States?

Remember too, we are not electing a Savior, one who will save our country!  There is only one Savior, He the Lord Jesus Christ. As a pastor, I believe in the wisdom of the Scriptures and their eternal truths as the Word of God. I believe one of the most important rights for all Americans is the First Amendment:the freedom of speech, the freedom of religion, the freedom of the press and the free exercise to assemble. I have a Constitutional right to believe and practice the teachings as found in the Scriptures and to preach and teach them.

People can have different beliefs and still be an American. What is not an  American ideal is this  idea of political correctness. Politics is not supposed to decide and tell everyone what they should think, say or believe? The role of politics is not to set the moral compass of our land. That is what religion is supposed to do and has done since the founding of our country.

Read George Washington’s farewell address as the first President of the United States, he said:

“Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizen. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them.”

We have strayed far from this as a society and it has set America on a path of destruction, following the course of past societies. If we would but read and study history and the success and failures of past civilizations we would see that we as a nation are no different and we should not expect a different outcome if we are following the same path that doomed other societies.

Now back to the original question… What if I do not like either candidate?

My suggestion is to take your eyes off of the person at the top of the party platforms and realize this election is about more than one person. It is about setting a course and direction for our country through all of the people elected at all levels of government, whether it be local, state or federal positions. I suggest you compare each party’s position on all of the issues and vote for the party platform that BEST fits your beliefs.

Notice I said BEST and not ALL, because government can not necessarily support ALL of your beliefs. We live in a pluralistic society. But government can and should defend your right to have and practice your personal beliefs. Remember the First Amendment!

This year the two major party’s positions are nearly polar opposite on every issue, so the choice should be fairly obvious based upon your personal beliefs. Vote your conscience and vote for the platform that upholds the ideals closest to your beliefs.

My main point is this, that you, me and every American should exercise our right to vote because it is a freedom and a  privilege  that most people in the world do not  have nor may ever have. We should thank the good men and women around the world who serve and who have served to defend our right for this freedom! Many have died for this freedom and it is not now nor ever has been guaranteed. It is not guaranteed in our future either.

Lastly, Scripture teaches us to:  pray for those in office, to love our enemies and to pray for the healing of our land. Second Chronicles 7:14…” If my people will humble themselves and pray…”

Is this not the least we can do in a civil society? After all, the word civilization has embedded in it the word civil which our society seems to have lost! So, let us pray, use discernment, wisdom and vote! It does matter!

A Journey to Developing Your Biblical Worldview – Part 2

In my first blog on ‘A Journey to Developing Your Biblical Worldview’ I concluded by asking two fundamental questions:

1) Why see the Bible as the final source of Truth?

2) Who is Jesus really? –  Was He a Liar? A Lunatic? A Legend? or was He really the Lord as He claimed to be?

C.S. Lewis once asked these questions about Jesus, as an avowed atheist. After much research and soul searching He came to the conclusion that there was only one possibility that the historical evidence pointed to: Jesus was who He claimed to be – the Son of God!

His resurrection from the dead, with many historical eyewitnesses verified and proved His claims!

C.S. Lewis once did a radio show and wrote a book about his journey and these findings. You can read about it in his book: Mere Christianity or check out the many C.S Lewis sites on YouTube by starting with this simple 2  minute video entitled: ‘C.S. Lewis shares “Why I’m Not an Atheist”’. Here you may grapple with the same issues for yourself.

If your conclusion is that He is the Lord, then His Word must be looked at and accepted in its entirety. If you parse His Words by accepting only some of His teachings but rejecting others, this actuality places you as an authority over His Scriptures. You then become the final authority on what you believe to be true!

Remember what Jesus said on the road to Emmaus on resurrection Sunday? He said that all of the Old Testament was about Him! Now we know that all of the New Testament is about Him, so in essence all of Scripture is about Him, it’s His Story! Developing a Biblical Worldview on life requires that you run all issues and points of life through the lens of Biblical authority as the final authority. Scripture becomes your Manual for your journey through life!

Remember, anything that is True is True, regardless of whether you believe it or not! You don’t have to believe the sun always comes up in the east in order for it to be true! It just so happens to be true regardless of your beliefs. The same is true for the claims of Jesus! His claim to be the Son of God, Savior and Messiah is no less true just because someone doesn’t believe it.

Jesus also said He would send His Spirit to be our Counselor and Guide into the Truth. Therefore, we are not left to ourselves to find truth, nor decide truth. We discover truth with the help of  the Holy Spirit guiding us into an understanding of that Truth. We can either accept or reject Truth, but we do not create Truth. Then we can choose to obey what we know to be true! Let’s look at some of what the Scriptures say about Truth:

John 14:16 – 17

“… and I will ask the father and He will give you another counselor to be with you forever- the Spirit of Truth.” NIV

John 16:13

“But when he, the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.” NIV

First Timothy 2:23

“This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.” NIV

If there is truth, that implies there are also lies! Satan is called the father of lies. Jesus linked His Father, Himself and the Holy Spirit to being the source from which Truth comes. The enemy is the source of all lies!

Just like a small error in data or calculations can cause a plane to miss their runway and crash, so also looking at life through a set of lenses that rejects truth can lead to disastrous affects in this life and most unfortunately in the afterlife! It is important to get it right in this life! Unfortunately, Scripture also records times when people got it wrong.

Isaiah 59:14-15

“…truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found…” NIV

Jeremiah 7:28

“truth has perished, it has vanished from their lips” NIV

Jesus came to Earth to settle once and for all what the truth is.

I Timothy 6:13   affirms that  

“Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate, made the good confession…” NIV

So what did Jesus say before Pontius Pilate?

He said:

John 18:37“… For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world, to testify to the truth.” NIV

Then Pilate responded:

John 18:38   – “…and Pilate asked, what is Truth?” NIV

How important is getting to the truth to you? It was so important to Jesus that He was willing to die for it as part of His testimony!

What if you have faulty thinking in one or more areas of your life?  Or have been taught something via your culture, your family, your school, or even your church leaders and traditions that in essence runs contrary to the Truths taught in the Scriptures? Would you be willing to have a paradigm shift and redirect or rethink your thoughts and values? The Scriptures calls this a “renewing of the mind”.

Romans 12:2

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” NIV

It may be in only one area of your life or it may be that every room of your life needs to be re-examined through the lens of Scripture. This is what is called ‘developing a Biblical Worldview’!

Before you can consider ‘Taking Flight with Your Biblical Worldview’ you really must settle the question of how seriously do you want to Renew your Mind with Biblical Truth? It may be a bumpy flight and your final landing may totally depend on your course corrections to the Truths you discover!

So, strap yourself in, if this is a journey you want to take.  Otherwise, abort your flight now!

Rick Keaton, M.A. –  August, 2016

Watch for part 3 to come!