On July 8th, the Texas Rangers and the Minnesota Twins were finishing out the first half of the 2012 baseball season when a bolt of lightning and a clap of thunder sent players, umpires, and fans scurrying for cover. It wasn't just a distant flash that they saw and noise that they heard. This flash and noise exploded right over the stadium in dramatic style and startled everyone who was there.
Ron Washington, the manager of the Texas Rangers said, "I thought I was dead!" Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire stated that "I've never heard anything like that! It scared everybody!" Mike Napoli, the catcher for the Texas Rangers, was in full catcher gear when the lightning and thunder exploded. He immediately took off running toward the Ranger dugout and said afterwards, "I don't remember what I was doing, but it freaked me out!" Minnesota's Josh Willingham happened to be on first base when he saw and heard the lightning and thunder and hit the dirt immediately. Teammates laughed and said he was making dirt angels. Ben Revere tweeted "My heart stopped when I heard the thunder at the stadium. Glad no one heard me scream like a little girl, too!! Lol." Maybe the funniest quote came from Minnesota's Denard Span:"That's the loudest noise I've ever heard. I thought Jesus was comin!"
It was comical to watch the video of grown men running off the field or hitting the dirt when God just burped. As I meditated on this comical event, I begin to think about the intimidation and impact loud and boisterous proclamations from the world's leading voices have upon the church and its mission. "Experts" declaring that there is no God, that life came about through random processes, that Christian morality is a detriment to any civilization's progress and enlightenment, or many other declarations have sent numerous Christians running for cover or hitting the ground in fear with their faith greatly shaken!
I was recently approached by a person who was shocked that someone in a church community actually believed in "millions of years of evolution" and "space aliens seeding the planet with life!" This was too much for this person to bear and believe! How could someone who has attended church for numerous years even begin to consider that these things were true? I explained to this person that their concern was well grounded and that their astoundment was shared by me as well.
It is a sad fact in many churches that the people who profess to believe in the inerrancy of scripture quickly abandon this belief when challenged by the so-called experts. Just like the lightning bolt and thunder clap that startled fans and players alike and sent them running for cover, so too do many Christians abandon their faith in the inerrancy of scripture and run for cover when their core beliefs are attacked and ridiculed publicly. "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!" They are filled with pride, deception, and false knowledge. They give an illusion of infallibility, power, and authority, but when the curtain is pulled back, they are only fallible and fallen men acting like God speaking authoritatively about reality!
The word of the Lord, however, is true and trustworthy as opposed to the corruptible and changeable word of fallible man. Acts 17:11 states:
Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
Stay Holy, My Friends!
Pastor Don
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Readers - I'd love to hear your comments! - Pastor Don