God Is Closer than You Think

Bernie Dymet was a rich Australian businessman. He founded an IT firm at just the right time and his wealth portfolio went through the roof. However, he discovered that no matter how many homes he owned, or how many new cars he bought, or how much financial success he experienced, he was never truly satisfied. Even though he had everything money could buy, Bernie was utterly depressed and suicidal. Little did Bernie know, but God was much closer than he thought.

Bernie wrote, “I remember one night in 1995 in a Brisbane hotel, standing on the 8th floor balcony looking down at the concrete driveway below. I was being pulled in two directions. My loss and grief and desperation were calling me over the edge. But, God was calling me back inside. I went inside, knelt down at my bed and said, “Lord if you’re out there, now would be a really good time to let me know.”

Bernie opened the top drawer of the nightstand in his hotel room and found a Gideon Bible. Upon reading, he discovered Jesus and the hope of the Gospel. Bernie gave his life to Christ and finally found the God-shaped vacuum in his soul filled in a way that no amount of money ever could. Bernie renounced his business and started his own radio ministry in Australia, which today broadcasts the hope of the Gospel.   

Bernie wrote, “When I think back to that turning point in the Brisbane hotel – I just shake my head in wonder. And that Gideon Bible played such a crucial role on my “Damascus Road,” in bringing me to Christ.”[1] (Watch Bernie's story by clicking here.)

Bernie’s dramatic turning point in that hotel room reminded me of a tiny detail I read about in 2 Kings 6. The Bible says that Elisha was staying in the town of Dothan when the Syrian army surrounded him (6:16). In that same scene, Elisha’s servant had his eyes opened to see the vast angelic army encircling them.

Dothan is only mentioned one other time in the Bible. The other occasion is Genesis 37. Dothan was the place where Joseph’s brothers tore off his coat of many colors, threw him into a pit and sold him to slave traders on their way to Egypt (37:17).

So the question is this--what's the connection between Joseph in Dothan and Elisha in Dothan?

In both stories, it appeared that God was very absent from the situation. Joseph had a hard time seeing God in the bottom of a pit. Elisha's servant had a hard time seeing God when they were outnumbered by enemy forces. But the reality is that God was very much present in both situations.

Dothan was a detour to get Joseph down to Egypt so that he could become Prime Minister. Likewise, Dothan was the place where God opened the eyes of Elisha's servant to see God’s presence. Joseph didn't get the lesson until he had hindsight. Elisha’s servant didn’t get the lesson until he got insight.

Bernie Dymet met Christ in a hotel room that was intended to be the place where he would end his life. But God was there in that dark place, just like he was in Dothan for Elisha and Joseph. With one eye we see our struggles, with the other we see by faith that God has a purpose for it all. One eye sees nothing but chaos. The other eye, the eye of faith, sees God working. Dothan is a reminder that we need to see God working both near and far! -DM

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[1] Bernie Dymet, “How A Gideon Bible Literally Saved My Life,” <https://bernidymet.com/how-a-gideon-bible-literally-saved-my-life/>

Scientific Discoveries Inspired by the Bible

One of the great lies that our culture has come to believe is that science and faith in God are somehow contradictory. Therefore, no analytical, thinking man or woman can be a true follower of Christ. The idea of an all-powerful God, the reality of miracles and the claims of the Bible are good things if they help us get through the difficulties of life, but they can’t be taken as fact. Like one of my skeptical university professors suggested, “If you are a man or woman of science then you may as well take your brain out at the door before you go to church.”

The reality couldn’t be further from the truth. Did you know that some of the world’s greatest scientists were also committed Christians? In fact, some of the most important scientific discoveries were inspired by scientists who studied “the book of nature” in one hand and the Word of God in the other.

Dr. James Simpson (1811-1870) developed the formula for chloroform. Before his work there were no reliable methods for putting patients into a painless, unconscious state for surgery. One day, the Scottish physician was reading in Genesis 2:21 where we learn about the first surgery in history as God put Adam into a “deep sleep” to remove a rib. Dr. Simpson was inspired from this passage to develop a way to help patients stay sedated while he operated on them. In 1847 modern anesthesiology was born when Simpson released his formula. Dr. Simpson was a man of God and a man of science and if you’ve ever had your wisdom teeth removed or surgery of any kind then you can praise the Lord for His commitment. Simpson later said his greatest discovery was that, “He was a great sinner and Jesus a great Savior.”[1]

Dr. James Simpson

Then there is Matthew Maury (1806-1873). One day while studying Psalm 8:8 he came across this peculiar phrase, “whatever passes along the paths of the seas.” It struck him that there could be paths in the seas, but if God’s word said then he decided to believe it. Gripped by this truth, Maury decided to devote his life to finding them. Over the next 19 years Maury studied the winds, clouds, weather, and ocean features. To learn about the speed and direction of the ocean currents Maury set adrift weighted bottles known as ‘drift bottles’. These floated slightly below the surface of the water, and thus were not affected by wind. Instructions were sealed in each bottle directing anyone who found one washed ashore to return it. From the location and date on which the bottles were found, Maury was able to develop his charts of the ocean currents—the ‘paths’ of the seas—which greatly aided the science of marine navigation. In 1855 Maury published the first textbook on the subject of oceanography.[2]  

Matthew Maury

George Washington Carver (1864-1943) was born a slave in the Deep South. Probably no other scientist had to face as many social barriers as he did. As a young man, Carver discovered the promise of James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” Carver took this literally and so he bowed on his knees in prayer. He later wrote, “When I was young, I asked God to tell me the mystery of the universe, but God answered, “That knowledge is reserved for me alone” so I said, “God, tell me the mystery of the peanut.” Then God said, ‘Well, George, that’s more nearly your size,’ and He told me.” Carver revolutionized agricultural science with his cultivation of soil-enriching crops, such as peanuts and soybeans, to revive earth that had been depleted of nutrients from cotton farming. He discovered over 100 uses for the sweet potato and 300 uses for the peanut, including beverages, cosmetics, dyes and paints, medicines, and food products.[3]   

George Washington Carver

Our modern scientific world owes its existence to many other men and women of faith. In the words of astronomer Robert Jastrow, “For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance, he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.”[4] -DM

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[1] Henry Morris, Men of Science, Men of God (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 1988), 52.

[2] “Matthew Maury’s Search for the Secret of the Seas,” Creation 11, no. 3 (June 1989), p. 30.

[3] Robert J. Morgan, My All in All: Daily Assurances of God’s Grace (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2008), June 9.  

[4] Robert Jastrow, God and the Astronomers (New York: Norton, 1978), 116.

Coronavirus and Bible Prophecy

2020 has started with widespread panic over the outbreak of the Coronavirus. Experts believe that the contagious virus originated from the Chinese city of Wuhan. As of the writing of this article the disease has spread to over four continents, with over 40,000 confirmed cases and 900 deaths. Flights into and out of China have been cancelled and international researchers are racing to try and develop a vaccine. Whether the Coronavirus develops into a global epidemic or is contained remains to be seen.

In a conversation with a friend, this outbreak was brought up and if it had any connection to prophecy. Indeed, the Bible does predict that unprecedented plagues lay ahead in the last days.

In His Olivet Discourse, Jesus predicted that just prior to His return there would be, “great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences” (Luke 21:11).  

In Revelation 6, we read about the “seven seals” of God’s judgment that lead up to the return of Christ. The fourth seal judgment unleashes the last of the “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.” Revelation 6:8 says, “And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.”

The last rider—Death—will be able to swing his sickle over fourth of the earth’s population. If this happened today, the current world population is 7.6 billion, ¼ of that would be 1.9 billion people dead. Notice that the pale rider is also armed with “pestilence” and “the beasts of the earth.”

The greatest killer of all time has not been bullets and bombs, but bacteria and viruses. Each year, approximately 1 million people die of an AIDS related illness and in 2016 an estimated 36.7 million people were living with HIV (1.8 million children).[1] 30 million people died during the great influenza outbreak of 1918-1919, more than 3x as many as the estimated 8.5 million soldiers who died in WWI.[2]

When you read, “beasts of the earth” you might first think of a fierce animal. But, David Jeremiah has an interesting interpretation on this. He wrote, “The most destructive creature on earth is the rat. He is a menace to human health and food supplies. The nasty creature comes in more than 100 species. Rats are extremely prolific, producing five or more litters of eight to ten babies each year. It has been estimated that rats are responsible for the loss of more than one billion dollars with of food each year in the U.S. alone. Their fleas carry all manner of disease, and in the 14^th century the fleas from rats killed 1/3 of Europe’s population with bubonic plague.”[3]

It’s interesting that the Coronavirus also has a connection to “beasts of the earth.” Experts think that the virus originated from a Chinese “wet market” where animals that ordinarily wouldn’t interact with each other—snakes, bats, peacocks, chickens, salamanders and dozens more—live in terribly cramped and unhygienic quarters as they wait to be slaughtered and sold as food for people. The authorities say circumstances at these markets gave rise to trans-species mutations of pathogens that were eventually able to leap from animals to humans.  (This is why the Lord gave the Jewish people such strict dietary laws in Leviticus 11 about clean and unclean animals.)

Before we get carried away, it’s important to note that the above Scripture passages describe the Tribulation period. Since, we are not living in that terrible time, then we can say confidently that those Scriptures have yet to be fulfilled. In fact, I think that the pestilence that Revelation and Jesus spoke about will be much worse in global impact than anything we’ve ever seen. The plagues of today are a mere preview of what is coming to this world, thus for the unsaved the time to repent and trust in Christ is now. 

One question that usually surfaces when studying sobering passages like this is, “Why would God do this?” I think there is a clue in Deuteronomy 28. In this chapter Moses is telling the nation of Israel what will happen to them when they enter the Promised Land and disobey God’s word. The chapter is a long list of blessings and cursings from God. Among the many consequences for sin is that God would send pestilence to plague the people:

59 then the Lord will bring on you and your offspring extraordinary afflictions, afflictions severe and lasting, and sicknesses grievous and lasting. 60 And he will bring upon you again all the diseases of Egypt, of which you were afraid, and they shall cling to you. 61 Every sickness also and every affliction that is not recorded in the book of this law, the Lord will bring upon you, until you are destroyed. (Deut. 28:59-61)

Like clockwork, when Israel turned away from God they experienced plagues, disasters, illnesses and famines. The Lord used plagues to bring His people back to Him, and He still works that way today. God allows disasters to come upon people so that they will wake up and say, “Hey, maybe God is trying to get our attention. We need to repent and turn to Christ.” During the end times, the unparalleled suffering of the planet will lead many to repentance, while at the same time causing millions more to harden their hearts (Rev. 11:13; 9:20-21; 16:9, 11). 

Of course, infectious disease like AIDS, Ebola, and Coronavirus are the result of sin. We live on a fallen, groaning planet (Rom. 8:20-21) and humanity’s greatest problem is the death sentence of sin (Rom. 5:12). There’s only one cure and that’s the cleansing touch of the Lord Jesus, “the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Don’t keep the only cure to the sin disease to yourself! Refer the sinner to Jesus, the Great Physician, He’s still accepting new patients!

-DM  

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[1] <https://www.avert.org/global-hiv-and-aids-statistics>

[2] John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Revelation 1-11 (Chicago: Moody, 1999), 184.

[3] David Jeremiah, Escape the Coming Night (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2018), 118.

Shrek, the Renegade Sheep

In 2004 Shrek the sheep gained worldwide fame. According to his New Zealand owner, John Perrium, Shrek escaped his enclosure and evaded him for six years by hiding in caves. Merino sheep, the kind Shrek was, are usually shorn annually, so when he was finally caught, the sheep was unrecognizable due to his massively large coat of wool.

Shrek had to be carried down the mountain because his fleece was so heavy that he couldn’t walk down on his own. To relieve Shrek of the weight of his waywardness, he was turned upside down so that he would remain still and not be harmed when the shearer removed his heavy fleece.

When Shrek was shaved, his fleece weighed an amazing sixty pounds; enough wool to make suits for 20 men! By comparison, most sheep have a fleece weighing just under ten pounds. Moreover, it only took the sheep shearer twenty-eight minutes to remove Shrek’s coat.[1]   

In John 10 Jesus compared Himself to a shepherd and His followers the sheep, “14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” By the way, when the Bible compares us to sheep, it’s not exactly a compliment. Sheep are stubborn, smelly, and stupid. Just like Shrek, we are prone to go AWOL. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way,” so says Isaiah 53:6. While we are out on our own, our sins separate us from God (Is. 59:2)  and we become weighted down with burdens (Ez. 33:10).    

For years, Shrek carried six times the regular weight of his fleece. Simply because he was away from his shepherd. If we avoid Christ’s constant refining of our character, we’re going to accumulate extra weight in this world—a weight we don’t have to bear (Matt. 11:28-30).

I meet many people who are far from God for whatever reason. Some have walked away from the church and the Savior following after the temptations of the world. Some are hiding in sin and shame and don’t want to be found. Either way, the result is the same. Even if they wanted to, they can’t get down the mountain. But praise God—we have a seeking Shepherd! “4 What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’” (Luke 15:4-6). How dark was the cave when the Good Shepherd found you? Maybe you are still holed-up. Here’s the good news: in the miracle of a moment Christ can find you, clean you up and bring you into the fold. It’s the bleating of the sheep that draws the attention of the Shepherd so, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom. 10:13). -DM     

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[1] Julie Ackerman Link, “Meet Shrek,” Our Daily Bread, 19 June 2014 <https://odb.org/2014/06/19/meet-shrek/>