'Man in his ignorance thinks himself a great work worthy of the interposition of a deity. More humble and I think truer to consider him created from animals.'
- Charles Darwin in 1838, cited in Created from Animals, James Rachels, p. 1
'...then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.'
- Genesis 2:7
Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,
The ascertaining of where we've come from will determine where we are going. In other words, if man has his origins in primordial soup then his end won't really matter. If man is no different than animals then all sorts of mischief will be expected. With this sort of sentient reductionism the intrinsic value of an infant will be no different than that of a kitten. In the words of animal rights apologist Ingrid Newkirk, 'A rat is a pig is a dog is a boy. They’re all animals.' Only when origins are removed will it make sense to conclude that the Jewish Holocaust is the moral equivalence to the slaughter of broiler chickens.* When you have no certainty in the beginning, you have no certainty at the end. As Christians our defense of human life comes from an understanding of beginnings. With the clarity of God's Word the beginnings of life have never been in doubt. This has been God's revealed creative fiat and His prerogative from the outset. Life is His to both give and take, and particularly human life bears intrinsic worth because God is its author and He has deemed it so. Life is important because the redemption of it came at an inestimable cost. In the beginning the first Adam died, and in the end the second Adam rose from the dead. Human life matters because God declared it so from the beginning, and because of the Cross and resurrection it will be so at the end.
Standing for life with you,
Pastor Dan
*Ingrid Newkirk, cited in, The Washington Post, November 13, 1983
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Subjected to Futility...in Hope
'God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pain: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.'
- C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain (HarperCollins, 2002) p. 91
'For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.'
- Romans 8:19-21
No one laughs at God in a hospital; No one laughs at God in a war.
No one laughs at God in a hospital; No one laughs at God in a war.
No one laughing at God in hospital; No one's laughing at God in a war.
No one's laughing at God when they're starving or freezing or so very poor.
No one's laughing at God; No one's laughing at God; No one's laughing at God.
- Regina Spektor, Laughing With
'...Jesus treats wars and natural disasters not as agenda items in a discussion of the mysterious ways of God, but as incentives to repentance. It is as if he is saying that God uses disaster as a megaphone to call attention to our guilt and destination, to the immanence of righteous judgement if he sees no repentance…. Disaster is a call to repentance.'
- D.A. Carson, How Long, O Lord?, p. 67
Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,
This week we have been been privy to the horrific and tragic news reports from the devastation of the severe earthquake in Haiti. At last report there is no comprehensive and realistic estimates of the death toll and damage. The nearest guess numbers are projected at over 100,000 dead. I find myself moved by empathy for those who are now suffering, and for those will suffer for years to come. The world is broken and there is consequence to its brokeness. Because of sin the creation is subjected to futility. Creation groans under the weight of alienation brought about by man's rebellion. Cancer, tsunamis, earthquakes, death, pain and suffering are the result of our brokenness and sin, but we are not without hope. Though subjected to futility now, redemption will finally come. Death and destruction will not have final say. Creation has been subjected to futility, but the day will come when it is set free from bondage and decay. In Jesus Christ's suffering under the wrath of God the dawning of redemption has come. We don't see it in it entirety yet, but hope has come. In the interim let us pray for those who are suffering in Haiti, and let us use this disaster as a call to repentance. May God humble us to seek His mercy and grace.
Sovereign Grace Ministries has established a way to give to those in need in Haiti. Here is the link if you would like to contribute.
http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/About/FinancialSupport/DisasterRelief.aspx
With much affection,
Pastor Dan
- C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain (HarperCollins, 2002) p. 91
'For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.'
- Romans 8:19-21
No one laughs at God in a hospital; No one laughs at God in a war.
No one laughs at God in a hospital; No one laughs at God in a war.
No one laughing at God in hospital; No one's laughing at God in a war.
No one's laughing at God when they're starving or freezing or so very poor.
No one's laughing at God; No one's laughing at God; No one's laughing at God.
- Regina Spektor, Laughing With
'...Jesus treats wars and natural disasters not as agenda items in a discussion of the mysterious ways of God, but as incentives to repentance. It is as if he is saying that God uses disaster as a megaphone to call attention to our guilt and destination, to the immanence of righteous judgement if he sees no repentance…. Disaster is a call to repentance.'
- D.A. Carson, How Long, O Lord?, p. 67
Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,
This week we have been been privy to the horrific and tragic news reports from the devastation of the severe earthquake in Haiti. At last report there is no comprehensive and realistic estimates of the death toll and damage. The nearest guess numbers are projected at over 100,000 dead. I find myself moved by empathy for those who are now suffering, and for those will suffer for years to come. The world is broken and there is consequence to its brokeness. Because of sin the creation is subjected to futility. Creation groans under the weight of alienation brought about by man's rebellion. Cancer, tsunamis, earthquakes, death, pain and suffering are the result of our brokenness and sin, but we are not without hope. Though subjected to futility now, redemption will finally come. Death and destruction will not have final say. Creation has been subjected to futility, but the day will come when it is set free from bondage and decay. In Jesus Christ's suffering under the wrath of God the dawning of redemption has come. We don't see it in it entirety yet, but hope has come. In the interim let us pray for those who are suffering in Haiti, and let us use this disaster as a call to repentance. May God humble us to seek His mercy and grace.
Sovereign Grace Ministries has established a way to give to those in need in Haiti. Here is the link if you would like to contribute.
http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/About/FinancialSupport/DisasterRelief.aspx
With much affection,
Pastor Dan
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