Winston Churchill:
A lie makes it halfway around the world while the truth is still putting its shoes on in the morning.
Robert Jastrow, the founder and director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, and author of God and the Astronomers, reaches this conclusion when considering modern scientific research:
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 rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.
Robert Jastrow, God and the Astronomers
Samuel Adams, in a letter to his daughter, Hannah, in 1780:
If you carefully fulfill the various duties of life, from a principle of obedience to your heavenly Father, you shall enjoy that peace which the world cannot give nor take away...you cannot satisfy me so much as by seeking most earnestly the favor of Him who made and supports you--who will supply you with whatever His infinite wisdom sees best for you in the world, and above all, who has given us His Son to purchase for us the reward of eternal life.
Philip Yancey/C. S. Lewis
During a British conference on comparative religions, experts from around the world debated what, if any, belief was unique to the Christian faith. They began eliminating possibilities. Incarnation? Other religions had different versions of gods appearing in human form. Resurrection? Some religions had accounts of return from death.
The debate went on for some time until C. S. Lewis wandered into the room. "What's all this rumpus about?" he asked, and heard in reply that his colleagues were discussing Christianity's unique contribution among the world religions. Lewis responded, "Oh, that's easy. It's grace."
After some discussion, the conferees had to agree. The notion of God's love coming to us, no strings attached, seems to go against every instinct of humanity. The Buddhist eight-fold path, the Hindu doctrine of karma, and Muslim code of law--each of these offers a way to earn approval. Only Christianity dares to make God's love unconditional.
From What's So Amazing About Grace? by Philip Yancey
Deuteronomy 11:11-12. But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven. It is a land the LORD your God cares for; the eyes of the LORD your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.
God especially cares for the land He was giving to His people.
When imaging God's creative hand at work in the "beginning" it is easy to envision His mighty arm stretching out and casting rainbows of color and crystals of gems, scattering them in profusion across the watery landscape of the new earth.
Did He have a blueprint? Or did He just thrust out His arm and randomly scatter the vibrant shades of mountains and flowers and animals as He determined at that moment? Did He "wing it?" Like an artist or interior designer, did He alter certain bits as He went along?
Did the angels sing and shout for joy at each thrust of His arm? Were they giving Him a standing ovation? Was that the "music of the spheres" and is it still echoing around this great universe?
Was His creation of nature general or specific?
It appears from the Old Testament that it was specific land He was creating to be the center of His Kingdom - and that He Himself is the Gardener - He cares for and watches over it.
Just glancing through the book of Deuteronomy the word land is used about 175 times - In Deuteronomy alone! and always about how God is giving it to His people as a special gift!
What does tell me? The land matters! God loves this physical planet. He watches the land itself. We must care for it, too...not destroy its ability to renew itself - not exploit its treasures for our own greed. We must care for the land He has given us!
A Glimpse of Grace
.....from an unexpected place....
"Because of the love that was between this man and me, My Lord King Arthur and his noble knights now lie dead. Therefore, Sir Lancelot, I now repent; and I would enter the kingdom of heaven through the grace of the passion of our Lord Jesu: for many are now in heaven who were on earth as sinful as we."
(Words of Lady Guinevere)
--from Le Morte D'Arthur [The Death of King Arthur], by Sir Mallory, written in 1485
From Jerry Bridges, written 2008. "Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace." We are never 'beyond the need' or 'beyond the reach.'
From Philip Yancy, written 2007. "There is nothing you can do to make God love you more. And there is nothing you can do to make Him love you less."
