Viruses Everywhere: Biblical & Biological Insights

Part of human nature is to fear things that are large, powerful, potentially deadly, and unpredictable.  Hurricanes, tornadoes, global tyrants, and wars come to mind.  But our most recent threat comes from none of the above---except that it is unpredictable and potentially deadly.  The Coronavirus (COVID-19) is smaller than microscopic--it is sub-microscopic!  We call it the “invisible enemy.” 

It is easy to be anxious and even fearful now even though history records that America has withstood great threats before.  World conquerors, including Napoleon, Hitler, Stalin, Khrushchev have loomed large on the world horizon.  Our nation has also endured a Civil War, the Great Depression, nuclear annihilation, the turmoil of the Vietnam War, and the 9-11 attacks.  Given the recent revitalization of the economy, some of us wondered if there was anything large and powerful enough to bring our nation to its knees?  Now we know the answer is “Yes:” -- a tiny virus—our “invisible enemy.”

Americans who have known the fear of “large enemies” are now especially unnerved by a tiny “army from the unseen world.”  Our lives are threatened by infection and death, and by radical changes we must now make in our lifestyle.  Our fast-paced lives are slowed to a snail’s pace and many have become increasingly isolated.  Any one or all of these happenings are bringing us face-to-face with the reality of an “unseen world,” and we are now looking beyond our “invisible enemy” and toward the spiritual world to seek much-needed comfort, meaning, and purpose.

Does God Have a Purpose for Viruses?
My previous article, Coronavirus Resistance: Biological and Spiritual, addressed how we can respond to the virus pandemic in terms of “resistances” to two kinds—biological and spiritual.  However, I did not address one important consideration that underlies these two “resistances.” When tragedy strikes on a grand scale, God is often placed on trial.  Sudden events like hurricanes, earthquakes, and pandemics can make us question the nature and character of God in two ways. 

First, if He is a God of purpose, what possible good is served by widespread suffering and death?   Specifically, if we are to believe the account in Genesis 1: 31 that “God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good,” then what good is there in viruses that inflict suffering and death upon humans and many forms of life?  And second, does God even see the sufferings and deaths of people supposedly created in His very image?  And even if God does see, does He really care?

The answer to the first question, “What good is there in viruses?” is coming through recent discoveries in the science of biology.  Biologists who base their logic on biblical revelation, may reason as follows: 
1) God created the world for His purposes and pronounced it good.
2) God created viruses for a good purpose within His creation.
3) The fall of humans into sin corrupted creation (Genesis 3).
4) The nature and purpose of viruses was altered from what was originally “good.”  
This line of thinking, that there is design and purpose in creation, may lead the scientist in his or her approach to research.  The research of my friend and former colleague, Dr. Joe Francis, illustrates this point.

Answers from Biology?
As a biology professor at The Master’s University, in Santa Clarita, California, Dr. Francis approaches his research in microscopy, cellular immunology, invertebrate biology, and microbiology from an intelligent design (ID) perspective.  Regarding even pathogenic microbes like viruses, he deduces that if the biological realm is the product of ID, and if the Designer is the benevolent Jehovah God (a claim not held by all ID proponents), then there ought to be at least some beneficial purpose for at least some viruses.  Dr. Francis applies his biblical worldview to scientific logic as follows:


We serve an amazing Creator who has established a life-supporting microbial-based biomatrix that supports life on earth.  So, it should not be surprising that our Creator uses the smallest but most abundant creature on earth, the lowly bacteriophage virus, to support life.

His ID-based hypothesis has prompted Dr. Francis to ask if and how viruses contribute good in creation.  A summary of his findings is contained in his recent article, “COVID-19, Coronavirus, and Creation Virology.”  Of particular interest are a group of viruses, called bacteriophages, that reproduce on or within bacteria and cyanobacteria (photosynthetic microbes, formerly called “blue-green algae”).  To understand how important bacteriophages are to cyanobacteria, and to life on Earth, we need to review what you may have learned in your school days about geochemical cycling of carbon, particularly the carbon cycle.

The carbon cycle may be portrayed as a picture or model tracing the flow of carbon from reservoirs or “sinks” (in atmosphere, on land and in the oceans) into organic molecules that are the “building blocks” of living organisms.   This conversion of carbon to organic molecules is accomplished by photosynthesis in green plants and other autotrophs.  Through release of wastes and through death of living organisms, carbon eventually “cycles” back to the sinks again. 

Scientific modeling of carbon dioxide (CO₂) fixation into organic compounds reveals that oceanic phytoplankton, including various groups of algae and seaweeds, and cyanobacteria, convert as much CO₂ into organic form by photosynthesis as the total carbon fixed by all terrestrial green plants combined.  The CO₂ fixation by oceanic phytoplankton is a major reason why oceans are able to absorb a significant part of human-generated (anthropogenic) CO₂ and thus, to lessen the increase in atmospheric CO₂ that contributes to climate warming. Researchers estimate that cyanobacteria alone may account for 25% of the total uptake of CO₂ by oceanic phytoplankton.  Thus, cyanobacteria are very important players in helping to counterbalance against rising CO₂ levels associated with climate warming. 

Having established the significant role of cyanobacteria in global geochemical cycling of carbon, it becomes significant that some bacteriophage viruses perform a very important service for cyanobacteria.  Amazingly, bacteriophages can insert genes (segments of the DNA code) into the cyanobacterial genome.  The benefit is life-saving for cyanobacteria that have been “sunburned” by excessive rays of the sun.  Instead of a destructive effect on living cells, here we have viruses being “lifesavers.”  

But there is another role that viruses play, this one directly affecting the path of carbon in the oceanic part of the carbon cycle.  According to Suttle, on average, a liter of ocean water contains 3 billion viruses.  Oceanic bacteriophage viruses facilitate the release of organic carbon from phytoplankton, including cyanobacteria.  When bacteriophages infect the cells of phytoplankton, considered a form of particulate organic matter (POC), these viruses cause cells to split open (lysis) and release C-containing molecules as dissolved organic carbon (DOC).  Ocean studies reveal that viral lysing of cells (POC) to release DOC keeps more carbon in the shallow ocean layer where it is more likely to be oxidized and returned to the atmosphere than if it were to remain part of POC that can sink to greater depths.  This “viral shunting” of carbon away from POC which might otherwise have been eaten by zooplankton herbivores is being much researched by scientists.  Their aim is to predict the influence of phytoplankton photosynthesis and viral shunting on atmospheric CO₂ levels and climate change.

We can see that, based on the hypothesis that God’s creation is good but groaning under sin’s domination, creationist scientists are not surprised that viruses have beneficial functions, even in a groaning creation. Dr. Francis predicts that further studies of viruses may reveal more about their originally intended functions in creation.

Does God Know Me?  Does He Care?
The fact that viruses contribute at least some “good” in this world may not be very heartening to readers who are infected or wonder if they will be infected with COVID-19.  God may still be “on trial” in your thinking.  You may allow that God created “good viruses,” but where is God when the whole world and my life is in such turmoil?  At times like this, we easily tend to view the whole of humanity as tiny specs in the midst of an expansive universe.  Even some who would give intellectual assent to the existence of God might say with one writer, Put yourself in the planetary space, a mere dot, and do you think that the Almighty Maker can have discernment of THEE?  I’m afraid this expression of doubt, aloneness, and hopelessness is increasingly common in our culture today?

F.B. Meyer contrasts the skeptic with the glorious praise of David who as a shepherd had often marveled at the starry heavens: “How absolutely different is the outlook of the Psalmist! He stands under the Eastern heavens, blazing at midnight with myriads of resplendent constellations, and cries:  O Jehovah, my Lord, how excellent is Thy Name in all the earth, who has set Thy glory above the heavens! They are Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers; as for moon and stars, Thou has ordained them.  How great Thou art!  Then he turns to think of man, and says: ‘There must be something more in man than a superficial gaze is competent to discover.  He must surely possess an unrealized dignity and worth, since the great God, the Maker of these worlds, stoops to call him friend.”  That David and God loved each other as passionate friends is evident by reading the Psalms (Psalm 8 and 139 are good examples.).

But the faint-hearted might say, “Friendship with God may be for a David, or a Moses, or an Elijah, but God is not mindful of me, nor would He visit me.”  Please hear F.B. Meyer’s response to that notion, based on Psalm 8: 4 and other Scripture:
What about “Zacchaeus, that the Son of Man should visit his house—is he not a publican?  Yes, but of late he has been restoring his ill-gotten gains… (Luke 19).  What of Simon Peter, that Christ should visit him (a betrayer)?  Ah, but he will one day become the rock-man, the foremost leader of the Church (Matthew 16: 18)!  So [also] does Christ our Lord see what we may become, and he stands at the door of our life, seeking admission.  Let us heed His knock and bid Him come in.”

How About You?
In the midst of this time of uncertainty because of the COVID-19 virus, are you more inclined to look into the world of the unseen, not to find viruses, but to pursue God’s rightful place in the center of your life.  Maybe these days offer a perfect incentive to evaluate your source of meaning and purpose.  If you’ve been ignoring, avoiding, doubting, or critically trying God in your “court of law,” why are you really doing this?  I pray that this article has given you spiritual insight into the greatness and wisdom of God, the grandeur of His creation, and the goodness of His character as reflected in both the biology of viruses and the richness of Scripture which speaks of the God who gave His very best through Christ in order to reconcile us from sin and, if we will respond in faith.  He did this to make us into His friends.  Before you can be a friend of God you need to take Steps to Peace with God.  I pray that you will take these steps.  You may contact me at silviusj@cedarville.edu or enter your questions or responses using "Post a Comment" below.

Acknowledgement:
Thanks to my brother in Christ and former colleague, Joe Francis, for his research on bacteriophages and cyanobacteria; and, thanks to my brother, Mike Naylor, for referring me to Joe's recent work.

Creation’s Complexity Can Be Convicting

When we consider the amazing diversity of plants, animals, and microbes, we are bound by our very nature to ask the question:  Where did they all come from?  Our answer will likely fall under one of two claims.  Either they came into being “by time, chance, and natural causes;” or, “by the plan of an Intelligent Designer.”  If your answer is “intelligent design,” then you are in the company of most of humankind throughout recorded history.

Mechanical Cogs and Gears of the Planthopper Insect

On the other hand, those who attribute the “natural world” to “time, chance, and natural causes” are facing a higher and higher mountain of challenges to their logic.  When atheistic, naturalistic thinkers of the 18^th and 19^th centuries proposed “natural causes,” little was known of genetics, cell biology, and biochemistry.  Since then, science has been revealing an amazing intricacy and complexity within living cells.  When we view imaging and animations of living cells such as that shown in the video series, “The Secrets of the Cell—The X Factor in Life,” featuring biochemist Dr. Michael Behe, many of us have too little faith to believe such wonder could have assembled itself by “undirected natural causes.” 

The complexity of the world around us is not only amazing, it can speak conviction into our lives.  When I was a much younger man, I remember struggling with a particular pattern in my life.  I knew in my conscience and from reading my Bible that this pattern was something that I must not allow to continue.  I also knew enough about the Gospel message of God’s saving grace to know there was something more at work in my struggle than simply scoring high with God on a “checklist” of do’s and don’t’s.  For by grace are you saved, through faith, and [even] that is not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2: 8-9).  I was convinced that, left unchecked, such a pattern of behavior and other similar allowances could eventually point my life in a direction away from that of a purpose-driven, God-pleasing life.

During this time of inner struggle, I remember hiking in an open meadow with scattered, large trees.  On this particularly hot day, I found it refreshing to sit beneath a large oak tree.  There I sat enjoying the cool air.  Then, I remembered that this coolness was made possible by the evaporation of water which carries heat away from the thousands of leaves on this oak tree.  This escape of heat-laden water vapor through tiny leaf pores (stomata) cools both leaves and the atmosphere around and under the tree.

While enjoying my cool comfort, I also enjoyed watching several squirrels scampering among the large branches of the giant oak.  Closer observation revealed that they were gathering acorns, perhaps to store them as a food reserve for winter.  Some of the acorns dropped to the ground near meadow wildflowers where honeybees and other insects were busily gathering nectar.

As I watched these animals and a nearby woodchuck poking his head out of his burrow, I realized that, in my state of moral conflict, I was the only living organism in this meadow that was not in tune with the purpose of God.  The oak tree had produced a fruitful crop of acorns and was functioning all the while to cool the microclimate around it.  The squirrels, insects, and woodchuck were all busily being and doing that for which they were created.  But me?  I was kicking against God’s moral guidelines—principles which He had lovingly provided to help me realize His purposes.  Yet I believed the evidence of God’s love for me, that Christ died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf (2 Corinthians 5: 15).

The choice was mine –to either continue to go my own way, or to yield to God.  I paused and remembered Hebrews 4: 12 which states that the word of God is alive and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4: 12).  Like using a mirror to shave and comb my hair, I needed to use God’s Word as a mirror and as a scalpel to reprove, correct, and train me in the path of God’s righteousness (2 Timothy 3: 16).

The choice is mine and yours to make. Thankfully, God led me to repent and turn from my sin, and to pursue His gracious forgiveness (1 John 1: 9).  Some people, instead of recognizing and repenting of their inner struggles and turning to God’s moral guidelines and purposes for them, choose to reject God’s plan and provisions.  By denying the reality of God and His design and purpose in creation, they may forge what seems to be a satisfactory worldview.  After all, if there is no God, then there is no accountability for our actions.  Yet, many remain unsettled every time they encounter the amazing intricacy and wonder of creation.

Molecular Motor of  a Bacterial Flagellum

An acquaintance of mine confided that his friend had confessed to him that he really didn’t believe in Darwinian evolution.  In fact, he had to admit that evolution was a means of avoiding being morally accountable to a purposeful God who will one day judge all of mankind (Hebrews 9: 27).   But God speaks through His creation and through His Scriptures like Romans 8: 20-22:

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  Professing to be wise, they became fools…

Please consider again my reflections in the meadow with the oak tree, squirrels, and insects.  Then, consider that our lives and the lives of trees, squirrels, and insects are all propelled by the intricate workings within microscopic living cells as shown in visual media like “The Secrets of the Cell—The X Factor in Life.”  Yet, above and beyond all of these intricacies, God speaks through His Word to convict us of our rebellion (sin) and to draw us into loving fellowship with Him.

To those such as this writer who have struggled with patterns of life that have competed with God’s moral purposes and plans, I pray with the Apostle Paul, to the God of purpose and design that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1: 18-20).

How About You?
Jesus taught His disciples, saying I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing (John 15: 5).  I realized that God was pointing out where I was missing the mark and that He was inviting me to repent, turn away from my rebellious direction, and yield to His path for me.  Abiding in Him and He in me!  What an amazing provision!  When we abide in Him, we can be fruit-bearers by the provision and power of God’s Holy Spirit within us.  The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law (Galatians 5: 22-23).

Helpful Reading:
Lee Strobel. 2005. The Case for a Creator: A Journalist Investigates Scientific Evidence the Points toward God.  Zondervan.  Grand Rapids, MI.

A.W. Tozer.  1950.  God’s Pursuit of Man.  Moody Press.  Chicago.

God Speaks through Nature and through His Word.  Oikonomia.  May 3, 2016.

Where Does the Power Come From? Part 2

Where does the power come from to see the race to its end?  In Part 1 of this blog, we featured three men who each had different answers to this question.  Eric Liddell who received a Gold Medal in track in the 1922 Olympics found power and joy through his faith in God.  In contrast, Liddell's Olympic teammate, Harold Abrahams, sought athletic success through relentless effort and professional coaching to maximize his running technique.  Both men aimed to be winners, but Eric Liddell was blessed with both the athletic ability to run fast and the spiritual presence of the Living Christ within his soul.  This “power from within” motivated Eric and guided him not only in his sport but in other areas of his life.  Sadly, because Harold Abrahams lacked this power, purpose, and identity, he was self-centered and frustrated.

The third man we recognized in Part 1 was Ian Charleson, the actor who portrayed Eric Liddell in the academy award-winning movie, Chariots of Fire.  Charleson’s excellence in portraying a great man of faith was a major reason for the movie’s success.  To “become” Eric Liddell, Charleson studied both Liddell and the Bible in an effort to answer the question, “What makes a Christian man ‘tick?’” Charleson’s excellent portrayal demonstrates how one can “act like a person of faith” without actually being a believer.

We can only hope that somewhere in his short life, Charleson invited Christ to be his Savior and Lord.  Each one of us must decide what we will do with the invitation God extends to us (Revelation 3: 20).  Until we “open the door” of our life, invite Christ to give us the gift of a “new birth” in His Spirit (Romans 6), we are not even “in the race.”  Indeed, God’s Word says without Christ, we are spiritually dead (Ephesians 2: 1-9)!

Power Within
How did Eric Liddell obtain this power from within “to see the race to its end?”  Of course, any athlete who goes out for a sport must submit to the discipline and “playbook” of a coach.  Even if he or she has great innate ability, an athlete must steward that ability through rigorous practices and physical conditioning, proper nutrition, and regular rest in order to perform well in competition.

By analogy, Eric Liddell’s spiritual “power from within” came from his stewardship of God’s love and grace.  His stewardship consisted of a willing submission to God through regular reading and study of God’s “playbook,” the Bible, through prayer communication with God, and through serving others. 

The evidence that a person has been spiritually “born again” through repentance and faith is a “turning from the old life” (Romans 8: 12-14) and “turning to God,” finding joy in communing with God through His Word and prayer (Romans 8: 15-17; Colossians 3: 1-4).  The indwelling Holy Spirit who takes up residence in our lives when we are “born again” stirs up an insatiable hunger for God’s Word and prayer-communion with God (Romans 8: 15-17; Colossians 3: 1-4).  The Apostle Peter, in 1 Peter 2: 2-3, exhorts new Christians, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.  The Prophet Jeremiah writes, When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God of Heaven’s Armies (Jeremiah 15: 16).

Power within also develops through a commitment to fellowship, worship, and service with fellow believers (1 John 3: 14; Hebrews 10: 2; Colossians 3: 12-17).  And all of this creates another hunger—the hunger to share the joy of knowing Christ with others so that, as John exclaims, our joy may be made complete (1 John 1: 1-4).

Power from God’s Word
Eric Liddell was able to run and finish his race with victory because he had prepared using both physical and spiritual disciplines.  His “power within” came from his integration of these two dimensions as is expressed in the now-famous quote (emphasis mine):  I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.  The power within us becomes evident when God’s Spirit and His Word open our spiritual eyes to understand where we came from, who we are in Christ, why we exist, and where we are headed.  Like Eric Liddell, when we practice the spiritual disciplines, God empowers us with purpose, identity, and hope.

Interestingly, another movie recently showing in theaters illustrates how the message of God’s Word gives us inner purpose, identity, and hope.  Overcomer is the story of Hannah who begins her high school cross country season with many odds against her.  She has no family except her somewhat embittered grandmother with whom she lives.  Hannah’s coach is neither experienced nor enthusiastic, and no other girls have come out for the team.  On top of that, Hannah has asthma. 

Weak as she is physically and spiritually, Hannah gradually finds her true identity through the love of Christ she discovers in His Word and through the kindness of friends.  The message from the Word transforms Hannah’s life and gives her a new sense of value and identity in Christ.  This realization prepares Hannah for other challenges and gives her the power within to “see her race to its end.”  Excellent movie—I highly recommend it.

Need Help ‘Feeding’ on the Word?
How about you? Have you invited Christ to come into your life, and to give you purpose and power for living?  If so, you can be like the blessed man (or woman) in Psalm 1 who delights in the law of the Lord.  But, maybe need some help getting into the Word—and getting the Word into you.  If so, I recommend two excellent messages on YouTube by our Senior Pastor at West Hill Baptist Church, Pastor Zach Swift.  Whether you are a mature Christian or a “baby Christian,” or a tired and discouraged Christian, or a skeptic of the whole notion of the Bible as God’s message for all people, these messages are worth hearing.  Pastor Zach preaches with passion and authority, yet with humility and compassion.  He invites us to listen, read, and consider how God’s Word can make a difference in your life.

His Part 1 of this August series is called “Foundations:  Give It a Chance.”  Here, Pastor Swift explains how regular reading and study of God’s Word is the necessary “Foundation” for right living.  He explains that God’s Word is “living and active.”  Long before the Bible came into being, God’s Word was at work.  All of God’s revelation in the Scripture is inspired (God-breathed) …and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3: 16).   Part 1 is a very practical and stimulating message on how to come to know Christ (if you are not a Christian) and to build a “Foundation” of faith by feeding your spiritual hunger within?

In Part 2 called “Foundations:  Find a Way,” Pastor Swift gives practical challenges and instruction in how to dive into the Scriptures and find encouragement and answer to life’s questions.  He asks, “If God’s Word is food, then who is feeding you?”  “How would your life look differently if you were growing spiritually?”  “How can you learn to read and study Scripture daily?” This message is full of very practical “How two’s” that will encourage you to love God’s Word and make it and the God of the Bible a daily part of your life.  

Two Other Resources:  
Accompanying Pastor Swift's message, "Foundations:  Find a Way," is a “14-day Scripture Reading Program” (see below, click to enlarge).  For those who don't already have a plan, he offers this plan to assist in the discipline of daily reading and study of God's Word.  Check it out.  Where will your power come from to see your race to its end?

You may be surprised how much you don't know about the Bible.  It is very different from the impressions that many people have acquired without having actually read it.  Check out Not What You Think, a book by Michael and Lauren McAfee.  2019. Zondervan.

Where Does the Power Come From? - Part 1

Our granddaughter, Kiara, runs in two kinds of races these days.  During August, she has been preparing for her cross-country season.  But for the past several years, Kiara has been preparing for another kind of race, one that is influencing how she will perform in cross-country and in other races in her life.  All of us who have “registered” for this other race of life need occasional reminders of how important it is.

To explain Kiara's second race, I want to refer to a famous runner whose life has been highlighted in an Academy Award-winning, 1980 British film, Chariots of Fire.  His character in the movie asks the question, "So where does the power come from to see the race to its end?"  Sounds like an important question for any athlete, student, or anyone seeking purpose in life.  Kiara is among those who have come to know this power.

Source of the Power
Where does this power come from?  The question is asked twice in Chariots of Fire.  Both times it points to the power that existed within Eric Liddell, the Scottish athlete noted for refusing to run his favored 100-meter race in the 1924 Summer Olympics.  Eric Liddell’s reason:  Because his faith in God included a commitment to refraining from athletic games on “the Lord’s Day” which happened to be when the heats for the 100-meter were held.  This was no shallow, legalistic practice but instead, a part of who Eric Liddell had become in his walk of faith in God.

Having put his hopes for Olympic gold on the line and refusing to budge under pressure, Liddell was providentially blessed with the opportunity to switch to the 400-meter competition which had scheduled heats during a weekday.  Famously, Liddell ran, won a gold medal, and set an Olympic record in spite of the odds against a short-distance runner winning this longer race.

"When I run, I feel His pleasure." - Eric Liddell

Eric Liddell expressed his faith in God with the now-famous statement, I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.  His example as a vigorously competitive athlete who attributed his success to God’s power and pleasure within has been an inspiration to many athletes, both Christian and non-Christian alike.  Partly because of its inspiring message, Chariots of Fire won four Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.  It is ranked 19th in the British Film Institute's list of Top 100 British films.  [Here is a link to a short YouTube video featuring Eric Liddell’s climactic race.]
What Is the Power?
What is the power that works within the life of those who claim to possess it?  Is it merely a subjective experience of an “emotional high” from a sense of connectedness to the spiritual realm?  If so, then anyone can have this power.  Just find time and a quiet place to meditate on where you came from, your relationship to some Higher Power, and how you find purpose and meaning in life.  Or, maybe this power comes by harnessing the power of physics, physiology, and just plain determination.  If so, then why do so many well-endowed and disciplined athletes evidently fail to excel?  Eric Liddell’s Olympic teammate, Harold Abrahams, used this latter approach in his largely unsuccessful effort to power his way to victory. 

Watching Eric Liddell run with passion "unnerved" Abrahams.

Abrahams was portrayed in Chariots of Fire as a disciplined athlete with great determination to win.  He was so determined to win that he even employed a professional coach who helped him apply the physics of running to improve his technique.  But Abrahams was intimidated by Liddell because Liddell possessed the power, passion, and purpose that didn’t come from practice, conditioning, and coaching alone.
Abrahams and many others did not experience Eric Liddell’s pleasure and success in their race because they had not entered that second race which Liddell and our granddaughter, Kiara, has entered.  In the movie, speaking to workingmen after one of his races, Liddell’s film character, Ian Charleson, gives an invitation to possess the power within (emphasis mine): 

You came to a race today, to see someone win.  Happened to be me.  But I want you to do more than just watch a race.   I want you to take part in it.  I want to compare faith to running in a race.

Many of us have come to “watch a race” but relatively few, figuratively speaking, “take part in it.”  Liddell compared his faith to “running in a race,” an idea that is expressed in the New Testament Scriptures (see 1 Corinthians 9: 24; Hebrews 12: 1).  According to the Apostle Paul, this faith, and the power of faith, comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10: 17).  But a person cannot take part in an athletic race unless he or she registers.  Likewise, we cannot take part in the race of life, the “spiritual race” without faith in God and His Word.  And the message of God’s Word, the Bible, centers around the Gospel Message, the “Good News” that Jesus Christ came as God in human form to die and rise again to save us from eternal judgment if we yield our lives to Him.

How we respond to the Gospel determines whether we will “enter the race.”  The Apostle Paul explains that Gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God for salvation.  This power (Gr. dunamis, from which we get dynamite) can “blow up” our strongholds of pride and open our hearts to receive Christ as King of His rightful kingdom within our lives.  His kingdom is ruled by the Spirit of God who will abide in the Christ-follower as Helper, Comforter, and Teacher (John 14: 15-26).  This was Eric Liddell’s source of “the power to see the race to its end.”  He lived in personal relationship empowered by His obedience to the Living God (John 15: 1-17).  Unfortunately, this power was missing in Harold Abrahams, who sought the power through his intellect and technique only to find frustration.

Exploring the Power Intellectually
Besides Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams, there is a third person of interest who was involved in Chariots of Fire—Ian Charleson, the brilliant young actor who played the part of Liddell.  According to an October 2, 1981 article in The New York Times, Charleson who described himself as having no religious background recognized that, to “find out what [a Christian man] was about” I had to “find something in the Christian religion that I myself - Ian Charleson - could represent.”

Charleson gave a stirring invitation
but did he accept it himself?

To accomplish this, Charleson read the Bible from cover to cover.  He said, “Whenever I came across a phrase, a passage, a piece of wisdom that I could relate to or think 'That sounds right, that sounds reasonable,’ I would mark it down.  I compiled a whole notebook of quotes that I thought were the essence of what I could believe in Christianity…”

Although Charleson read the Bible and quoted passages from the Gospel, my research on his biography has revealed no evidence that he ever made a decision to “take part in the race” by a response of faith in the Gospel message.  I hope he did.  We do know that Charleson was a gay man who died at the age of 40 of a fatal infection as a consequence of contracting AIDS.  Unselfishly, even though homosexuality in the 1980’s was a much more private matter, Charleson instructed in his final documents that his reason for death be made public to promote awareness of the need to address AIDS.

We also know that Ian Charleson was fascinated with the faith commitment of Eric Liddell and wanted to portray authentically Liddell’s genuine commitment to Jesus Christ.  As a result of his knowledge of Liddell and his thorough intellectual study of the Bible, Charleson chose to write an inspiring invitation to come by faith to Christ; an invitation that Liddell might have written.  Charleson’s message of invitation and his delivery of the message as he thought Liddell might have done it to common workingmen, became one of the most inspiring and powerful parts of the movie.  [See adjacent text box.  See also YouTube video clip of the message from Chariots of Fire.]

The Right Choice – Yielding to Christ
Did Ian Charleson, like Harold Abrahams, run the short race of his life only to end without coming to know the real power—“from within?”  I do not know.  But personally, I do know Jesus, the Source of the power, and I want to “see the race to its end” for myself.  I want to run my race without stumbling or causing my wife and family, including our granddaughter Kiara, to stumble because of me.

If you wish to know more about the Gospel, the “Good News,” let me help.   The Gospel is summarized in an outline called “Steps to Peace with God” which explains God’s love, our predicament (sin and separation from God), what Jesus has done to address our predicament, and what you can do by faith to receive God’s righteousness (right standing with a Holy God).  If you wish to respond, you may post a “Comment” below or e-mail me at silviusj@gmail.com

Recommended Reading:
For Ian Charleson: A Tribute by Ian McKellen, Hugh Hudson, Alan Bates, et al.  (London: Constable and Company, 1990).
Sports Without Spirit – Oikonomia, January 19, 2014

Resolutions for 2018: Pursuing God --On Purpose

The New Year 2018 has seen the launching of many New Year’s resolutions.  But many well intended resolutions are already falling like leaky balloons.  A sense of failure is enough to keep many of us from ever trying again.   Maybe you can relate to this from your experience.

I’ve been there myself.  But, on this New Year, I’m thinking less about making resolutions and more about my life purpose.   A resolution may express a good intention or aim.  But it seems to me that my resolutions, good intentions, and aims must be based upon my sense of purpose.  I must first define and become committed to my purpose based on what I really value in life.  Then, my resolutions will be "on purpose" and I will become more resolute in my commitment to keep them.

My most recent focus on purpose began on January 1 while I was watching the film, Hugo, with our granddaughter, Della Rose.  This movie, directed by Martin Scorsese, features an orphan named Hugo Cabret who maintains the clocks in a 1931 Paris train station.  The colorful and creatively filmed movie tells the story of Hugo and his friend, Isabelle, who team up to solve the mystery of an automaton.  While attempting to learn more about Hugo’s deceased father, they also discover a mysterious filmmaker who had years before become so discouraged that he stopped applying his great gifts of magic and movie-making.  Hugo’s hideaway in the walls of the train station surrounds him with machines and their gears, springs, and pendulums.  Even the station inspector who seeks to capture Hugo must use a mechanical leg brace to walk.

As Della Rose and I watched Hugo, I began to see an interesting tension emerge—a tension between two contrasting worldviews.  On the one hand, Scorsese could have used his portrayal of early 20^th century machines to underscore a naturalistic philosophy.  Naturalism views the world as if it were a giant machine with interacting parts, all functioning according to laws of physics and chemistry.  Human beings in this world are simply another kind of machine operating predictably according to these same laws.  Accordingly, our behavior is determined by interactions of this evolved anatomical, physiological, and molecular machine we call the human body.  Naturalistic evolution claims that humans and all forms of life were “created” by time and chance collisions of atoms and molecules.  According to the naturalistic worldview, there can be no free will or purpose.

But while Scorsese’s movie has busy machines, unwanted orphans, and an old man who had given up on his purpose for living, it deliberately avoids presenting a purposeless view of life.  Just as the movie appears headed toward endorsing naturalism, a beautiful dialog between Hugo and Isabelle reveals their individual need to know their respective purposes for living.  Let’s pick up the dialog as Hugo tells Isabella about the kindness of a librarian named Monsieur Labisse who has just given him a book to keep.  Isabella replies,

ISABELLE:  He’s always doing that—“sending books to a good home.”  That’s what he calls it.
HUGO [reflecting on what Isabelle has just said]:   He’s got real [pausing again]…purpose.
ISABELLE:  What do you mean? 
HUGO:  Everything has a purpose—even machines.  Clocks tell the time, trains take you places.  They do what they’re meant to do.
ISABELLE:  Like Monsieur Labisse.
HUGO:   [pausing thoughtfully] Maybe that’s why broken machines make me so sad.  They can’t do what they’re meant to do.  Maybe it’s the same with people.  If you lose your purpose, it’s like you’re broken.
ISABELLE:  Is that your purpose, fixing things?
HUGO:  I don’t know.   It’s what my father did.
ISABELLE:  I wonder what my purpose is.
HUGO:  I don’t know.
ISABELLE:   Maybe if I’d known my parents, I would know.

Upon hearing Isabelle’s sad reflection, Hugo pauses to think.  Then he invites her to follow him into the clock tower to look across the grand lighted city of Paris at night through the face of the clock.  After gazing for awhile in silence, Hugo speaks:

Right after my father died, I would come up here a lot. I'd imagine the whole world was one big machine. Machines never come with any extra parts, you know. They always come with the exact amount they need. So I figured if the entire world was one big machine... I couldn't be an extra part. I had to be here for some reason.    And that means you have to be here for some reason, too.

Hugo, Isabella, and automaton

Here, in a tender, thoughtful dialog between two orphans we learn that, while humans are machine-like, they are much more than machines.   Granted, both humans and machines are intelligently designed—“for a purpose.”  But each human being is much more.  Each person is marvelously formed in a mother’s womb and born into a parental relationship.  Seemingly engrained within the DNA and expressed in the soul of everyone is the need to discover and pursue purpose in life.  Isabella wonders if she would already know her purpose if she had known her parents.

After Della Rose and I had finished listening to Isabella’s sobering words, I stopped the movie and replayed the dialog.  Then, I asked,
“Della, can you understand how much Hugo and Isabella wanted to know their purpose for living?”  
She nodded, and I followed with,
“Do you think you will learn what your purpose is as you grow older?” 
She thought awhile and then shared some things she likes to do now as if she already understood how she might learn her purpose from experiences she has enjoyed. 
I continued,
“When you were a little baby, your home and your family was your whole world.  Then, you began to make friends in church, and then in pre-school and kindergarten.  As you continue to grow, learn to love God more, He will help you understand your purpose in life.  For now, God wants you to love Him, obey His commandment to Honor your father and your mother (Exodus 20: 12), and obey your teachers so that you can learn from them.

I thanked God for the opportunity to have this special conversation with our granddaughter.  Then, I realized that she and I had introduced the most important element in any pursuit of meaning and purpose in life—the life and teachings of our Creator.  Martin Scorsese had infused the otherwise cold, purposeless, machine-world of naturalistic philosophy with the warmth and human kindness of a librarian who had given a book to an orphan boy.  Then, God had used the movie to inspire a grandpa and his granddaughter to consider how their Creator is helping them learn who they are and what their purpose is as part of His plan for their lives—through parents, family, church, teachers, and community.

As Della Rose and I watched the rest of Hugo, we saw how two orphans in search of purpose found joy in helping a discouraged film-maker rediscover meaning and purpose.  As I now reflect on our New Year’s Day “movie experience,” I realize that God is our wonderful Counselor and Friend regardless of age.  For both a pre-adolescent girl and her retired grandfather, a sense of purpose in life is important—God desires to be a guide to both the young and old.  If this notion is true, then it is also true that we must subject our search of purpose in life to a much grander pursuit—an all-out pursuit of an intimate relationship with God. 

What does it mean to have an “all-out pursuit of God?”  The daily devotional book, My Utmost for His Highest offers words of wisdom and inspiration from its author, Oswald Chambers.  For January 1, Chambers refers to the Apostle Paul’s writing in Philippians 1: 20 and exclaims:

“My determination is to be my utmost for His Highest.” To get there is a question of will, not of debate nor of reasoning, but a surrender of will, an absolute and irrevocable surrender on that point.  Shut out every other consideration and keep yourself before God for this one thing only — “My Utmost for His Highest.”  I am determined to be absolutely and entirely for Him and for Him alone.

In today’s world, it seems that relatively few people make the pursuit of God their primary purpose. Instead, we seek meaning and purpose in human philosophy, material possessions, prestige, and power.  But, the prophet Jeremiah challenges us,

Thus says the LORD, "Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things…" – Jeremiah 9: 23-24

This God, Who wants us to understand and know Him in an intimate way, came seeking us when the Word [Jesus Christ] became flesh and dwelt among us and we saw His glory (John 1: 14).  By reading the Gospel accounts, we can “see” the love of God poured out through the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Jesus modeled a life marked by an “all-out pursuit of God”—a life that is rich in meaning and purpose.  John 17: 3 records Jesus praying to His Father in Heaven, stating the essence of Life:  This is Eternal Life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 

Here, we have literally the essence and meaning of life spoken by our Creator, Jesus Christ. The commentator in The Reformation Study Bible (Reformation Trust Publ. 2015) expands upon this truth:

The meaning of our lives is at stake.  Our dignity is on the line. If human beings are considered alone, apart from relationship to God, then they remain alone and insignificant.  Our origin and our destiny are tied to God.  The only ultimate meaning we can have must be theological.

All our vows and resolutions end in denial because we have no power to carry them out. When we have come to the end of ourselves, not in imagination but really, we are able to receive the Holy Spirit. “Receive ye the Holy Ghost” — the idea is that of invasion. prayer of Jesus recorded in John 17: 3-4, we can see how closely Jesus’ ties His definition of “Eternal Life” to His sense of purpose in coming to Earth as Savior of mankind:

This is Eternal Life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.  I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.

All---Of course, Jesus continually realized that He could do nothing on His own initiative (John 8: 28).  Oswald Chambers reminds us that we must follow the example of Jesus in our dependence upon God for meaning and purpose:

All our vows and resolutions end in denial because we have no power to carry them out.,  When we have come to the end of ourselves, not in imagination but in reality, we are able to receive the Holy Spirit.  "Receive ye the Holy Ghost" -- the idea is that of invasion.  

Maybe you are still holding forth and determined to keep your New Year’s resolution.  More power to you.  As for me, I am learning that it helps if my resolutions are first grounded upon a clear sense of purpose in my life.  And my effort to be “on purpose” is helped as I pursue the joy of the gift of Eternal Life—walking and working daily in the power of God’s Holy Spirit living in me, fed by the “bread” of His Word. 

Nature Speaks to Us, “Choose Life!”

Two of the most amazing relationships on Earth are sexual reproduction and the subsequent maternal nurturing of offspring.  Both processes involve complex coordination of form and function in both animals and seed plants.  To date, evolutionary biologists have been unable to provide a plausible explanation for the origin of sexual reproduction by time, chance, and random mutations.

Human sexuality is unique according to the Judeo-Christian Scriptures because it has both moral and biological significance. Moral commitment to marriage and responsible parenting within the family unit determine the character of each subsequent generation.  Indeed, many scholars argue that human civilizations have risen and fallen in accordance with their respect for the institutions of heterosexual marriage and family.

Shortly after conception, the developing embryo begins
sending a hormonal message as if to say, "I'm here mom."

Today, the foundation of heterosexual marriage and the family is being undermined by a growing disregard for the moral teachings of the Bible.  Our pluralistic society has increasingly viewed Christianity as only one  among many “religions” from which to choose.  Moral relativism has made it very easy for traditional marriage and family to become marginalized.  As a result, some scholars have pointed to the order and purpose within the natural world as a basis for establishing moral and ethical values and human choices apart from “religion” per se.  For example, the fruitfulness of the host of different species of vertebrate animals owes its success generally to the faithful nurturing of offspring by the parent generation.  Those who know this fact, regardless on their “religion,” conclude there is something inherently very wrong with wanton abuse or killing of animals or their young.

Natural law ethics is based on the belief that by observing the order, harmony, and beauty in nature, we can intuitively reason that we have a moral and ethical obligation to respond properly to it.  It follows that senseless abuse or killing of an animal or human being is a moral and ethical violation of natural law because such acts disrupt a purposeful, forward progression in nature.

In a previous Oikonomia, entitled Stewardship of Creation and “Natural Law” we emphasized that natural law ethics are consistent with what we learn in Genesis when it claims that there is order and purpose in the natural world, and that mankind is both capable and responsible for discerning this order and purpose.  There we also affirmed that application of natural law ethics can inform the biblical mandate for stewardship of God's creation (Genesis 2: 15) through transformation of our character. The steward who takes time to discern the order and purpose in nature (creation) will strive to learn more about her surroundings and how her actions will influence that order and purposeful progression.  Therefore, we believe that a robust environmental stewardship ethic can arise from a merger of natural law ethics and Judeo-Christian ethics.

Like Genesis 1-2, Romans 1: 16-22 emphasizes mankind's responsibility as stewards of God's truth and righteousness (v. 16-18).  Here, we also learn that God has given us the ability to know Him personally (v. 19), to understand and be in awe of His great power in creation (v. 20), and to live with thankfulness and reverence toward Him (v. 21).  Instead, mankind suppressed the truth revealed through the order and unity of creation (v. 18) and followed futile speculations and false reasoning (v. 21-22).   This suppression of truth describes the actions of those who, in spite of the evidence of order and purpose in creation and what their conscience tells them, choose to defy and act contrary to both natural law and God’s divine revelation in Scripture.  In other words, mankind’s rebellion is demonstrated by his rejection of “two books of revelation”—the natural revelation and the divine revelation in Scripture.

Most agree that the divine revelation in the Judeo-Christian Scriptures clearly supports laws against murder.  But, even apart from the biblical teaching, we see that natural law ethics provide a strong moral argument against murder. Murder brings a crashing halt to the intricate order of life processes in the human body and smashes the purposes, hopes, and dreams of a precious, living being.  Unless his sensibility, reason, and conscience are seared, mankind's reaction to senseless killing of human and animal alike is to feel deeply the wrongness of it. Because of an innate sense of right and wrong, the one who kills needlessly may live in misery and regret even without knowledge of the Bible's command, "Thou shall not murder (Matthew 5: 21-22)."

Today, slightly more than half of Americans polled oppose the practice of abortion under most or all circumstances.  Opponents of the pro-life position argue that abortion is not murder because human life does not begin until some point in late-term or at birth. However, this argument is strongly opposed on the basis of natural law ethics.  Here, one can argue that it is wrong to interrupt the orderly and purposeful progression of human development which normally advances in a seamless fashion from fertilized ovum to a fully formed human in the mother’s womb.  There is literally no identifiable stage in human development other than conception to mark as the beginning of an individual human life.

Those who accuse pro-lifers of causing the guilt and misery in women who have chosen abortion often want to silence Christians and their moral stand.  But, if it is true that natural law ethics provides a strong case against abortion, then emotional and physical consequences may be expected even if Christianity could be erased from our culture.  In support of this notion, recent scientific findings are uncovering more subtle and unexpected consequences of the abuse of the natural order of human reproduction.

First, there is growing evidence that abortion tends to diminish and even jeopardize the life of the mother. The Post-Abortion Depression Research and Care Act of 2007 which cites evidence of "severe and long-term effects" of abortion on women, including depression, eating disorders, suicide attempts, intense grief, emotional numbness, rage, sexual dysfunction, and relationship difficulties.”  [Click HERE to read H.R. 1457.]  According to a report published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, “An analysis of 22 studies on abortion and mental health showed that women who had an abortion faced an ‘81% increased risk of mental health problems’ and that nearly 10% of the incidence of mental health problems was ‘shown to be directly attributable to abortion.’” [Click HERE to read more.]  Another study reports similar emotional disruptions in the fathers of aborted children [Click HERE to read more.].

Those who blame the emotional consequences of abortion on pro-lifers who create a moral stigma against abortion cannot be totally disregarded.  After all, history reveals that voices of moral opposition have in at least some instances served to keep cultures from drifting into immoral practices.   However, scientific research from Scandinavia where there is even less social opposition to abortion than in America nonetheless reports that the suicide rate is 40 percent higher in the first year after an abortion [Click HERE to read more.].  There are both emotional and biological consequences to interrupting the natural progression of human development.  Commenting on the same study, Dr. Camilla Hersh, American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, adds “For every abortion a woman has, her risk of having a premature baby goes up 30 percent. It’s 30 percent higher with the first one, 60 percent with the second.” 

What is the take-home message of these statistics?  It seems that when human development within the woman’s body is interrupted with an abortion, we encounter consequences that are deeply rooted in the natural order, design, and purposes for sexuality and reproduction in the female body.  When these processes are thwarted in their purpose, the consequences play out in the form of not only emotional imbalances but also biological disruptions as expressed in the tendency of premature births.  As ethically wrong as it is to take the life of an unborn child, we must also consider the apparently unavoidable biological consequences produced in the mother.  But first, I want to address some words of comfort and admonition to those who have chosen to abort a child.

Readers who have chosen to abort one or more unborn children may be experiencing emotional or biological effects right now.  If so, I do not want to add to your grief.  Nor do I want to treat you as a statistic.  Although I believe abortion is a violation of both natural law and divinely revealed moral law, there is comfort and forgiveness to be found in God’s mercy as revealed in the Bible.  I pray that you will read Psalm 139 and pursue God to find His answer for bondage to sin and guilt.  Christ will cleanse even your conscience from sin (Hebrews 9: 11-14) as you surrender to Him. Then you will recognize your sin as the cause of your anguish, and stop blaming Christians and their "moral hangups" for your guilt and unrest.  I would encourage you to visit Oikonomia, August 30, 2015.  Near the end of that article, start reading with “How About It?  where you will find an invitation to consider the “Good News” (Gospel) of Christ.  There is also a link to a helpful outline, called “What Are the Four Spiritual Laws?” This resource presents the Gospel and invites you to consider the salvation and forgiveness of Christ that is available to all of us sinners.  You are also welcome to e-mail me if you have particular questions (silviusj@cedarville.edu).

Scientists are discovering a "beautiful cooperation" between
mother and the unborn child that lasts long after birth.

We have seen that interruption of the natural order of human sexual reproduction by abortion can have serious negative effects.  But, on a more positive note, science is discovering even more evidence of amazing benefits to mothers who “choose life” and do not disrupt the natural order of the processes of prenatal development.  Rheumatologist J. Lee Nelson, of the University of Washington, speaking to NPR Radio, explained findings from her laboratory that an unborn baby’s cells can move through the placenta and into the mother’s bloodstream where they can enter her heart, brain, liver, and other organs.  These cells can act like stem cells and transform into other cell types that can form collagen, participate in wound healing, and even reduce the risk the mother will develop cancer or rheumatoid arthritis.  The mother’s cells, including cells from previous pregnancies, can also cross through the placenta and into her baby, thus providing a biological linkage among siblings.  Dr. Nelson calls it “a beautiful cooperation” between a mother and her unborn child.

I close with two points for your consideration.  First, even if one doesn’t recognize the authority of the Judeo-Christian Scriptures that defend the sanctity of human life, there is reason to consider the claims of natural law ethics.  Natural law ethics offer a robust defense of sanctity of human life and this ethic is strengthened as science continues to reveal the marvelous array of intricate relationships involved in prenatal human development. By providing both disincentives and incentives, nature  apart from the Bible calls out to us, "Choose Life!"

Second, we should take more seriously every aspect of our stewardship of the natural world.  The notion of “natural law” should humble us to realize our part in an amazing order of creation which speaks of order, design, and purpose.  We should avoid actions that thwart obvious purposes at work in nature, especially to needlessly jeopardize our own life or the life of another human or creature.  However, natural law ethics alone cannot inform us of the Great Cause of the order and design of creation.  Only the divine revelation of Scriptures can explain our moral depravity and our need for salvation through faith in Christ Who died as our atoning sacrifice (e.g. John 3: 16).  Creation displays an order, pattern, and purpose that points to God as Creator.  And this is the Creator Who is affirmed in the divine revelation of Scripture as the God Whose invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse (Romans 1: 20).   

…God is forever seeking to speak Himself out to His creation. The whole Bible supports the idea. God is speaking. Not God spoke, but God is speaking. He is by His nature continuously articulate. He fills the world with His speaking Voice.  (From:  A.W. Tozer,  “The Speaking Voice”, in The Pursuit of God (Regal)

How About You?

Are you sensitive to God speaking to you as you observe the "book of nature" with its display of the order and purpose of life all around you?  Do you also sense God's invitation for you to consider the "book of His inspired Word," the Bible, which assures you of His love and victorious life when you seek out and follow His plan and purposes?   Want to share your thoughts or a question?   I’d love to hear from you.  Just use the “Comment” box below.