Scripture has some incredibly compelling stories of second chances. Jonah was swallowed by a whale, but was “released” three days later. Peter’s infamous denial of Christ was forgiven by the resurrected Lord. Oh, and those guys thrown into the fiery furnace had quite a story to tell, too.
But none of these guys have anything on Dr. William Mackay’s God-given second chance!
“Do not try to make the Bible relevant. Its relevance is axiomatic. Do not defend God’s word, but testify to it. Trust to the Word. It is a ship loaded to the very limits of its capacity.”
Some people make the Bible “say what they want it to say,” meaning they take teachings out of context, misinterpret passages, or even interpret Scripture through their own biases. But President Thomas Jefferson took this error to the extreme.
He made the Bible “say what he wanted it to say” by creating a whole new Bible!
Most people will agree that the Bible has its fair share of difficult passages. It contains laws and commandments, claims of exclusivity, and supernatural miracles that boggle the mind. Some have even suggested removing the parts of the Bible that are too difficult or divisive.
But cutting out parts of the Bible is just as foolish as cutting out parts of the Constitution.
In the late 19th Century and early 20th Century, a Russian peasant boy was dutifully taught the Word of God by his parents and fellow villagers. They labored diligently, hoping the Scriptures would shape his life, not knowing that the boy would one day become Premier of the Soviet Republic.
Sadly, the adult life of that young boy – named Nikita Khrushchev – didn’t reflect the truth of the Scriptures by which he was raised.
Tim Tebow is as famous for his Christian faith as he is his abilities on a football field. The quarterback attended the University of Florida, and during his time there, led his team to two national championship titles, and captured the highest award for athleticism, the coveted Heisman Trophy.
But when the University of Florida erected a life-sized statue of their star quarterback, the “numbers” they included on his image had nothing to do with passes completed, yards rushed, or touchdowns scored.
Nope. The numbers that stand out actually reference a chapter and verse in the Bible.
As a minister, have you ever heard this from a church member: “Justification? Sanctification? Incarnation? I’m sorry pastor; I just don’t understand these biblical concepts.” As a result of this frequent complaint, many pastors simply change the way they preach.
But Dr. James M. Hamilton Jr. isn’t buying it.
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