Recognizing our creatureliness humbles us and teaches us to praise our Creator.

If the opinion polls are right, most of us believe God created the universe. We may argue about how long ago the Lord began creating or what methods He used, but most of us agree that God did it. In the U.S. and Canada, roughly half of the people who were surveyed take the Bible quite literally and reject Darwin’s theory that people evolved from lower forms of life.

OK, then, so we believe in divine creation. So what? What difference does it make that we believe in the Creator?

Image: Danist Soh

I have spent much time trying to offer to people solid reasons for believing in the Creator and for taking seriously the Bible’s account of creation, and showing how much of evolutionary theory is based more on dogmatic assumptions than on scientific data. But what difference does it make for our lives today? How do we live the truth of creation?

Belief in the Creator isn’t just a fact to be stored away in our mental filing cabinet. It’s not just a theory about something that God did a long time ago. A living faith in the Creator drastically affects the way we relate to Him.

How? First of all, it enables us to live with confidence in God. It allows us to trust Him for today and tomorrow, because we know that He is in charge. Instead of worrying, we should seek His kingdom and His righteousness, and leave the rest to Him (Matt. 6:25-34).

Our worries would be understandable if we believed that everything in the universe happened by pure chance, that there’s no plan for our lives, and that nobody’s in charge. But if we believe that the entire universe is God’s creation and that He continues to uphold and direct it (Heb. 1:3), then it’s time to stop worrying and start trusting.

Secondly, a living faith in the Creator gives us an attitude of gratitude. One of the Bible’s great songs about creation, Psalm 104, says, “He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate–bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart” (v. 14-15). Acts 14:17 says, “He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” The Bible makes it clear that God didn’t just get the universe going a long time ago. He’s the One who supplies every good thing right now (Jam. 1:17), and that calls for thankfulness on our part.

Unfortunately, though, it’s possible to believe the correct theories about creation and yet live as though we’ve earned everything we’ve got. Are you intelligent? “Who endowed the heart with wisdom or gave understanding to the mind?” (Job 38:36). Are you successful? “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth …” (Deut. 8:17-18). We wouldn’t have the ability to do anything if our Creator hadn’t given it to us.

If you and I believe in the Creator, pride has got to go. There’s only room for humble gratitude. We can only say thank-you to our Creator for giving us so many good things.

A living faith in our Creator also affects our relationship with God in terms of a sense of wonder and praise. Creation isn’t just an academic theory. Creation is a present reality. It’s a grand theater that displays God’s glory, and we should be ever applauding.

Psalm 104 is a beautiful song about God’s creation. It begins, “Praise the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty” (v. 1). The inspired writer sees God’s splendor in the dazzling brightness of the sun. He hears God’s power in the deep roar of the thunder. He sees God’s creativity and loving care in the sky and clouds, in meadows and mountains, in birds and fish. The writer is so full of awe and amazement that he ends by exclaiming, “May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works … I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live” (v. 31,33).

So don’t just believe certain facts about creation. Experience the creation itself, and offer the Creator your wonder and praise. When you’re looking at a flower, watching a sunset, walking through a park, or hiking up a mountain, it’s a good time to praise the Creator and marvel at His greatness.

And the most amazing thing to me is this: God has birds to sing His praise, lions to roar His praise, elephants to trumpet His praise, breezes to whisper His praise, thunder to rumble His praise, and yet He also seeks praise from you and me, and He loves to hear it! Let’s pay attention to what the Lord has made, and praise Him for it!

So how about it? We say we believe in the truth of creation. But are we living the truth of creation?

This guest article originally appeared on the Pneuma Foundation (parent organization of PneumaReview.com) website in October 2008. Later included in the Spring 2022 issue.

On March 11, 2020, The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Overnight the world stopped and changed, perhaps forever. Wearing a mask became a part of our daily wardrobe. People were wondering if and when things would get back to normal. Fear gripped people throughout the world. Suicide rates, fortunately, have not increased, however, certain groups of people were more vulnerable during the pandemic. There have been travel bans and some countries are still in a nation-wide or partial lock down and people are dying daily.

Since the beginning of the pandemic Christians on social media have bombarded us with gluts of videos, news clips, and stories that these are the last days before the return of Christ.

Dr. Michael L. Brown (PhD, New York University) addresses all these scenarios in this small, but relevant book by offering a sound biblically-based and a level-headed approach to these unprecedented times.

The subtitle of the book is appropriately titled: “Words of Hope, Faith, and Wisdom in the Midst of Crisis.”

He admits that He doesn’t know the origin of the virus (as well as many medical experts), but dismisses the opinions of many who say that we are at the end of the age. In fact, one chapter titled, “This is Not the End of the World,” deals with this subject, which should give peace to his readers.

More than a year has passed since COVID-19 hit the world with such intensity. Vaccines have been developed and there is now talk of the need of a booster shot. The number of cases has dropped considerably. Unfortunately, a Delta variant of COVID-19 has spread throughout the world, but as Brown writes:

what is clear to me is that we should not view the coronavirus as a prophesied end-time plague. Instead, we should view it in the same way we have viewed many other epidemics and pandemics in world history. They are tragic reminders of the broken state of our world and of the frailty of our race.

He begins the chapter Psalm 91: “Living In the Hiding Place of the Most High,” by writing the following:

you may be reading this book one year later, or five years later, when the challenges we face are very different. And yet all of us, in all times and all places, need to take hold of the holy reality of Psalm 91 since we live in a dangerous world filled with demons, diseases, and death.

A question that he poses to the church: Do we give in to fear or place our faith in the true and living God?

For a book that was written in a week, Brown covers much ground on both spiritual and secular matters. It is well-balanced and reminds us that no matter what comes our way we must trust in the Lord and not give in to fear. There are uncertainties, as Brown points out, but the Lord is in control.

If you are in need of comfort in these troubling and uncertain times it would be beneficial to read this book written by a respected Bible teacher and commentator.

Reviewed by Larry Russi

This guest article is a chapter from David Broderick’s book, Christ-Centered Life.

If YHWH is the preexistent God, if Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, if the Holy Spirit is the agent who created everything—then prayer begins and ends with God. Prayer is God’s work, not mine or yours or anybody else’s. We do not originate prayer, and it does not belong to us. Furthermore, mature prayer is unknown to us until we learn it. With regard to prayer, we have to learn that we have a lot to learn.

“Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

Do we really believe that Jesus meant that? If we can do nothing separated or parted from Jesus, that includes prayer. When we first come to Christ, it may be hard for us to face up to our utter helplessness, because we are so used to living independent lives and looking after ourselves. At that time, we may well have seen Christ as merely a good addition to our lives. But utter helplessness is the way of fruitfulness. Still, we don’t do utter helplessness very well. Fruitfulness in prayer is about developing a relationship through prayer. It is not primarily about an abundance of words or about getting things done.

“It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless” (John 6:63).

Our natural selves are incapable of mature prayer. Learning mature prayer is, by definition, stepping outside our comfort zone. Prayer confined within our comfort zone quickly becomes a repetitive chore. Learning mature prayer means leaving behind that which we know in order to discover that which we cannot even imagine.

“The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you” (John 14:26).

David Broderick describes his book, The Christ-Centered Life: “This book is about my journey into Christ-centeredness, a personal journey that still goes on daily for me and will continue to do so throughout my life. It presents a beginning and a foundation for the journey into Christ-centeredness that each of us can undertake as we grow in Jesus for ourselves. As such, the book gives you some starters and pointers for your own journey into Christ-centeredness. It is my deepest desire that nothing should prevent my readers from seeing Jesus for themselves and having a real and lasting encounter with him that leads to a life of Christ-centeredness.”

If the Holy Spirit will teach us everything, then that includes prayer. Listening to Jesus is a vital part of learning mature prayer. Being led by the Holy Spirit is a huge learning curve for those who value their independence and self-sufficiency. Independent people struggle with being utterly dependent, but if we would explore mature prayer, then we must make ourselves utterly dependent upon the Holy Spirit of God to continually lead us into a deeper experience of prayer. We must make ourselves utterly dependent upon him, with the assurance that the Holy Spirit is not with us to chastise, criticize, or condemn but to lovingly lead us into all things that are ours in Christ. How do we do all of this? By personally continually meeting Jesus.

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words” (Romans 8:26).

In ourselves, we are so incapable of mature prayer that the Spirit must intercede in us and through us. True prayer comes from deep within us. It is much more than just our heads speaking words. This alone should cause us to be careful in our exploration and learning of prayer so that we do not miss or disregard anything—especially that which we do not currently recognize as prayer.

“When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:7–8).

Words are so very easy—and they are so very easily empty. Empty words do not prayer make, no matter how many words there are. How do we recognize empty words and phrases? What are they? Empty words and phrases come from the mouths of people who do not let God work his change inside them. Jesus was not rebuking the Pharisees because of the quantity of their words but because those words were empty. Words that flow from a heart that will not change are empty words. Therefore, we need to realize that mere words are, on their own, the shallowest form of prayer.

A guest article from Christian ministry veteran, Charles Carrin.

Trust is not something that comes on its own. Where does it come from, how does it work, what does trust in God accomplish?

O for a faith that will not shrink, Tho’ pressed by every foe;

That will not tremble on the brink Of any earthly woe.

That will not murmur nor complain, Beneath the chastening rod;

But in the hour of grief or pain Will lean upon its God.

A faith that shines more bright and clear When tempests rage without,

That when in danger knows no fear, In darkness feels no doubt.

Lord, give us each such faith as this, And then what’er may come,

We’ll taste, e’en here, the hallowed bliss Of our eternal home!

— William H. Bathurst, 1831

Image: Jordan McQueen

Faith is not native to our planet but is projected into our cosmos from the Great-Other-Realm. Therefore, the faith at work in you is not at an attitude or mental effort on your part. Nor is it merely your religious concept or ideology. Faith is a trans-earthly power. As gravity, centrifugal force, thermodynamics, etc., are powers native to our cosmos, so faith is native to the other realm and is only a visitor in our’s. Faith came to you because of your “hearing the word of God”, Romans 10:17, and God then having dealt to you “a measure of faith”, Romans 12:3. Scripture makes it very plain that faith is a gift to you.

The Dictionary definition of faith is vastly insufficient. It identifies faith solely as religious persuasion, moral conviction, conscientious sentiment, credence, etc., but offers no comment about faith being a spiritual force. Wherever this concept has been accepted it has stripped Christianity of its inherent power. For that reason, much of what we call “faith” is nothing more than religious presumption and a poor imitation of the genuine. It is a deceptive counterfeit, rising from man’s soul—not his spirit—and remains powerless because it has no vital connection with the upper-domain of the Kingdom of God.

Nowhere is the distinction between religion and true spirituality more graphically displayed than in the difference between true faith and its artificial counterpart. Unfortunately, it is possible for believers to be seduced by a subtle imitation of faith. That seduction is supposition. Instead of hearing “what the Spirit is saying”, Revelation 3:13, people are directed by the deceptive appearance of circumstances. Supposition caused Paul’s shipwreck, Acts 27:13, Mary and Joseph’s three anxious days searching for the child Jesus in Jerusalem, Luke 23:44,45, and has brought frustration to millions of other conscientious believers. Churches are tragically caught in its trap.

Because of that, I wish to “coin” a Greek word, peiro, into an English application and join it with the word “faith”. Peiro means “to pierce through” and originates from the word peran meaning “other side”, “beyond”, “farther”, “over”, “across”. In Greek, the word for faith is pistis. The combination of the two words allows us to visualize faith’s purpose in penetrating our physical realm. This penetration is absolutely necessary if there is to be miraculous healing, spiritual gifting, deliverances, out-of-body transports, etc.

“Peiros-Faith” is a force that comes to our dimension from the other realm, passes through cooperative believers here, then, like an X-ray, penetrates and effects change in the circumstance it touches. Admittedly, the subject is beyond my explanation-but it is not beyond our exploration. I simply want to explore “faith” in its potential to interact both with our physical dimension of time and space while it maintains a complete, uninterrupted union with the Eternal Dimension where it originates. In other words, faith is a symphonizing of these separate dimensions. It is a force. A power.

Faith is a weapon in the hands of those who are vibrant and alive. Love, like gravity, is the force which grasps, bonds, holds to itself. Faith, working through love, penetrates, illuminates, radiates. Like sunlight restoring life to a plant kept too long in the dark, faith has the radiating power to change the spiritual environment around it and bring life.

The collective heart of a grieving nation continues to shatter as protesters shout in vain over the exploding crises between local citizens and law enforcement. When will this end? How will it end? Where are the civic leaders who will coalesce efforts to address this national pandemic?

A society needs the important work of its dedicated police officers. Yet, another young black man has suffered death at the hands of a white policeman. My heart goes out to the family and friends of Baltimore’s Freddie Gray. What a heart-wrenching blow to a loved one’s heart to learn that a son, brother, or friend died in the custody of the very officers who have sworn to protect him.

Even deeper, people – our communities – are restless. Their feelings are real and must be affirmed. How can young black men continue to die from the bullets of police officers’ weapons? In each of these murders, the young man was unarmed. Common sense dictates that a systemic problem is at play. We must not grow numb to the odious realities that plague our communities.

As I listen to the news, I hear the cry of a nation. I hear the mothers and I hear the fathers. I hear the urgency of the moment. White people, Black people, more people must be willing to participate in a national movement for positive change. While I condemn the protestors’ destructive behavior, I cannot ignore the underlying tension that fuels the frustration. Violence destroys more than it heals, and history teaches that violence does not solve problems. If we want to see change, we must face the ugly truths about racism, classism, and sexism, and seek conciliatory approaches not only for justice, but also for healing.

While we need everyone to participate in change, I extend a special appeal to the Church. The Spirit of Jesus Christ calls the Church to “to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free” (Luke 4:18). A Spirit-filled Church, moreover, must proclaim a liberation that emancipates the entire community, which includes police and civilians, from the hostility inherent in systems of dehumanization. The Spirit sends the Church to clarify the ambiguity that fear and hatred inflict upon people. The Spirit of Christ compels the Church to fight for the rights of the oppressed, to bring healing and reconciliation among people, and to lead those who are astray back to God.

I applaud religious leaders in Ferguson, New York, Cleveland, Baltimore and other cities for their relentless efforts to communicate the broader community’s anger and frustration and to encourage a level of civility in this time of national crisis. Now is the time for the Church to rise with a voice of moral consciousness to jolt a nation that is far from just. The Church must work with city, state and federal officials to bring order to this disarray. The Church’s prophetic voice must establish an unrelenting commitment to be the Church in the face of crooked, perverse and often competing evils. If there is going to be a change, the Church must play a role that is proactive, prodigious, and prophetic.

Mark D. Roberts, Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2007), 202 pages., ISBN 9781581348668.

There are more books in print on the subject of biblical criticism than anyone cares to read, so why look at another one? Roberts responded to my unasked question with a very readable book, or as he clarified—a “blook.” This book started as Roberts’ blog (pastoral comments and dialogue on his internet web-log) and then was massaged into a good old-fashion paper book. Therefore, the book had gone through the ample processes of interaction, peer critique, and conversation, long before it appeared in the form that I now hold in my hand.

Roberts has taken the academic subject and has transformed it into terms and formats that are both understandable and interesting to the non-academic reader. The book makes an excellent introduction to biblical criticism for the lay minister, college student, or seminarian struggling to make sense of this academic conversation. Roberts does not overload his readers with technical footnotes, but he does provide enough to point his readers where to find detailed information. Additionally, he provided links to his blog, where he has further dialogue on the subjects.

Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts

The strength of the book is its readability. And because it is readable, its subject matter comes to life. Roberts assures his reader that the Gospels are indeed trustworthy; he does so by stabilizing his balance between a naïve or uncritical acceptance of the gospels and the conspiratorial theories that skeptically distrust any tradition of the church (such as Brown’s Da Vinci Code). Although Roberts’ frequent references to Brown’s fiction are rapidly becoming dated, the significance of his point remains the same. Roberts compiles substantiation for the reliability of the gospels through scholarly reasoning, historical evidence, and archeological verification.

If there were time to only read one book on biblical criticism, Roberts’ book would contend for that spot. He clearly communicates the most significant points in conversational terms, bridging the gap between academic sophistication and commonplace comprehension.

Reviewed by John R. Miller

Preview this book online at: books.google.com/books?id=wy-_jkkfIegC

Bible teacher Eddie L. Hyatt asks: What is the place of personal prophecy in the local church and our lives?

It seems that almost everyone has an amusing or thought-provoking anecdote about an encounter with personal prophecy. For example, a prophet once exhorted me that I no longer had to be concerned about my unsaved little brother. God had revealed to him, he said, that my little brother would be saved and there was no need for any concern. In private, I shared with this “prophet” that I had not been concerned about my little brother because I did not have a little brother. Obviously embarrassed, he replied, “I will have to be more careful.”

The above experience highlighted for me the potential danger of personal prophecy gone awry. An equal danger, however, is when the Church reacts to such extremes and rejects or discourages personal prophecy altogether. In 1 Thess. 5:19-20, Paul gives clear instructions in this regard. Do not quench the Spirit, he says, and Do not despise prophecies (NKJV). In vs. 21 Paul then balances the former two verses by saying, Test all things; hold fast what is good (NKJV). Paul’s approach to prophecy may be described as “openness without naiveté and discernment without judgmentalism.”

In Paul’s instruction on prophecy throughout his letters, several key guidelines emerge that are particularly relevant to personal prophecy: (1) It is given as the Spirit wills; (2) It is given for confirming and encouraging; (3) It is given as a free gift of grace; and (4) It is given to glorify Christ.

Prophecy Is Given As the Spirit Wills

Paul is very clear in 1 Cor. 12:11 that prophecy, along with other gifts discussed in this passage, are given as the Spirit wills. These are not gifts that a person carries and operates at his own will, but manifestations that come forth as the Spirit wills.

Recently my wife, Susan, and I were in our van about to back out of our driveway when the Holy Spirit interrupted us. As she was about to shift into reverse, Sue was suddenly aware of an inner compassion flowing out to our next-door neighbor who was working in her yard. We had only recently moved into this house and this neighbor, upon discovering that we were Christians, introduced herself as a backslidden preacher from Brooklyn, NY. We did not attempt to discuss our faith with her and in the succeeding days sought merely to be good neighbors.

On this day, with a sense of God’s compassion reaching out to our neighbor, Sue called her by name—“Adele!!” Upon hearing her name, Adele walked over to the side of our vehicle. Without a prior sense that it was coming, Sue broke forth with an utterance in tongues. I leaned across the seat and spoke the interpretation which was a personal word of prophecy to Adele, “My daughter, you are precious in my sight.” Adele burst into tears and then into praying in tongues. We had a mini-revival right there in our driveway. What a powerful experience it was, facilitated by a personal prophecy that came forth, not as we willed, but as the Spirit willed.