Scars

On my right arm I have a scar from where my older brother once stabbed me with a pen (to be fair to him, we were sword fighting with pens and he got the best of me). Every time I look down and see that scar, I remember the pen incident. I’m sure each one of you has a scar with a history of its own.

Unfortunately, some scars remind individuals of incredibly difficult memories. A young girl wears scars across her arms where she once cut herself because of the depression she felt. A young man looks down at the scars from needles he injected while using drugs earlier in life. Scars like these make it difficult to leave behind a life that hurt us in so many ways. And scars like these don’t always have to be physical marks. Some wear emotional scars that make it so hard to forget something from the past that they’ve tried to leave behind. The scars seem to be a constant reminder.

However, another man wears scars that serve as a reminder too. As Jesus Christ stood before the apostles after he had been raised from death, he told them to touch the reminders from his crucifixion just three days earlier: his hands and his side. You see, Jesus wears scars too. His scars can serve as a reminder for us as well. Not only do they remind us of His death but they remind us of the salvation that we can have through Him. Because of the scars that He wears, our scars can be forgotten. Sure, we may always wear the physical scars, but because of the scars that Christ wears, our past mistakes can be removed as if they never happened.

I don’t know what your scars are. They may be physical or they may be some other kind of scar. In fact, you may never be able to get to a point where that scar isn’t there. However, when you put Christ on as your savior through baptism, those past mistakes are forgiven. The scars may always remain, but because of Christ’s scars we can be seen as pure and blameless in God’s eyes.

Created by Chance or Creator?

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth”

Genesis 1:1

There may not be a statement that has been more debated throughout the history of humanity. Did God create the world or did everything just happen? Was this world created according to a plan or has science simply run its course over time, shaping the world that we have today?

This is not meant to be a scientific debate. This blog asks for five minutes from the reader and a discussion like that would take pages and pages of explanation. However, I truly believe that there is a simple way to know for a fact that there is a God. It’s easy. Go to the nearest window and look outside.

Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens are telling the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.”

I have been blessed to live in the beautiful state of Colorado. Every morning that I drive to school, I have an awesome view of the Rocky Mountains. For you, it may be a view of the ocean, a star-filled sky or a beautiful sunrise. Regardless, when I look at the beauty of nature I find myself asking, “How could this have been an accident?” The writer of Psalm 19 reminds us that each and every day we have evidence for the existence of God. The world that God created should be proof enough that there must have been a designer.

Think of the computer you are sitting in front of right now. Imagine taking all the pieces that make up your computer (though I’d have to ask where those pieces came from as well) and putting them into a box. If you closed the lid and shook that box (for as long as you’d like even), would you ever lift the lid to find a completely functional computer? Of course not. It requires a designer, not just chance.

You may not be persuaded as easily that there is a God. If that’s the case, feel free to email me at jbroberts1986@gmail.com. I’d love to look at some of the other evidence that’s out there. However, before you question the existence of God, I challenge you to step outside, look around you, and ask yourself…”Could this have all happened by chance?”

(For a great discussion on the existence of God, I’d encourage you to read “Case for Creator” by Lee Strobel. It is a great read from the view of someone who was out to prove that God does not exist)

Too Busy

I have to apologize for the month long hiatus on the blog. What started as a week long break slowly grew into a month’s worth of nothingness on the blog. To be honest, the excuse that I kept using each week was, “I’m too busy.”

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard or used that excuse I’d be a very rich man.

Our society is built around having a jam-packed schedule. If we don’t have something going on every night of the week, something is wrong with us. On Monday, we’ve got the Thomas’ weekly Monday Night Football party. On Tuesday night, little Nathan has baseball practice. Wednesday night, we try to make it to Bible class (if Nathan doesn’t happen to have a game). Thursday, Friday and Saturday are the same way. By the end of the week, we feel like we’ve accomplished so much when in reality we’ve just been filling our time up with things that really aren’t that important.

In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

If someone were to look at an hourly breakdown of your schedule, where would they assume you are storing up treasures? How often do we neglect spiritual activities because we are “too busy” with things of this life? Perhaps it’s time that we each look at the priorities in our lives and decide what will be of true importance. If worshipping with the saints, serving in the community and studying God’s word are taking a backseat to things that won’t matter in eternity, we need to reorganize our schedule.

We would be hopeless if God simply claimed to be “too busy” to provide us with what we need for salvation. We’re equally hopeless if we find ourselves becoming too busy for him.