February 23, 2025

     In one episode of the Simpsons, Homer calls the police to report that he has seen an alien. Chief Wiggum replies “your story is very compelling, let me just type that up on my invisible typewriter.” It sounds as if the police chief is mocking Homer until he receives another call this time for a real. A man says he has been starting house fires and is about to start another one. Chief Wiggum again replies “let me just type this up on my invisible typewriter”. The chief clearly does not take anything seriously.

     This humorous scene reveals something about how we think about reality. If we feel something is reasonable then we take it seriously. If we don’t feel something is reasonable then we laugh it off. Like Chief Wiggum you would probably doubt me if I said I had witnessed an alien landing in my back yard. If however, I told you I had a problem with a skunk you would believe me and begin suggesting solutions.

     It is both wise and normal to filter what we hear through our own reason and assess the credibility of information we are exposed to. After all we want to respond in the most appropriate way to the world around us. 

     One of the primary criticisms levelled at Christians is that we fail to do this in regard to our faith in both God and Jesus. It is said that belief in some supernatural being makes no sense. Nor does it make sense to think that a man was born without the help of a father, that he grew up and was able to perform miracles and was eventually put to death by the political leaders of the time only to raise again.

     Yet this, among other things, is exactly what we believe. And we believe it because it is true. It’s not a fable that we have adopted because we like the moral of the story. It’s not a tool we have made up to make us feel better. What we believe is historical fact. What’s more, it must be historical fact or we are foolish to take it seriously. Paul makes this point very powerfully in 1 Cor. 15:12-19.

     There is not time here to elaborate on the various evidences that exist which demonstrate that Christian faith is not misplaced. However I would encourage each Christian to look into that evidence. Some good sources are www.apologeticspress.org or a new book called Convicted by Dr. Brad Harrub which can be ordered from Focus Press. The “Case For…” books by Lee Strobel, or New Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowel are good as well. The point is, we need to be ready to give an answer that will prompt a greater response than “your story is very compelling just let me type that up on my invisible typewriter”.

~ Kevin Cleary

February 16, 2025

A few years ago, my grandfather told me a story about snowmobiling with friends. He was traveling quickly and went over a small cliff at a high rate of speed this was not an issue because he had enough inertia to carry him to flat ground where he landed and continued his journey. The couple following him was not moving as fast. They stopped and the wife asked if it was safe to proceed. Her husband asked if the tracks continued, she said they did. He then said “well it must be good lets go.” No sooner had he said it than they dropped straight down off the cliff. Everyone was okay and they laughed about the situation later, but the story is a good illustration about why we should not jump to conclusions or presume. 

Neal Pollard offers a few Biblical Observations about Presumption:

PRESUMPTION CAUSES ONE TO KNOW BEFORE HAVING INFORMATION.  Solomon, by inspiration, says, “He who gives an answer before he hears, it is folly and shame to him” (Prov. 18:13).  That applies to poor listeners in a conversation, but also faulty perception about one’s circumstances.   It is a biblical principle to be certain of a situation before ever uttering a word about it.  Think of how foolish it is to pass judgment without a full hearing.

PRESUMPTION CAUSES ONE TO HAVE BOLDNESS WITHOUT FOUNDATION.  In 2 Peter 2:10, Peter references certain unrighteous ones, saying, “Presumptuous are they, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.”  They fearlessly and recklessly speak against others, even those in authority, based on personal opinions they confuse with the truth (here is the idea of “self-willed” or “arrogant”).  They rant and rave about the object of their fury based on preconceived notions that they will not clutter up with the actual truth.

PRESUMPTION CAUSES ONE TO SIN WITHOUT RESTRICTION.  This is why David prayed, “Also keep back your servant from presumptuous sins” (Psa. 19:13a).  It is a prayer for self-control against willful sinning.  He speaks of this same, arrogant spirit, using a word elsewhere translated “proud.”  Willfully entering into sin hardens the heart, including saying something against somebody which we are certain we do not know with certainty is true.

Presumption is especially problematic when we apply it to people. I hear this most often in politics someone will say “I know what the Conservatives are really about” or “I know what the Liberals really want.” If you have proof, then feel free to expose those who are up to no good. However if you are just guessing then that’s a problem. Worse yet is personal presumption. In a similar way I have heard people accuse saying “you claim it was an accident, but I know what you were really trying to do.” “You said such and such, but I know what you meant.” These kinds of accusations are harmful and dangerous first because they impugn someone’s character. Second they leave the person making them feeling anxious and suspicious of everyone and everything. 

~ Kevin Cleary

February 9, 2025

     Since the time of Jesus many have and will continue to oppose Christians teaching and the truths expressed therein. One of the ways this has expressed itself in recent times is to suggest that like the development of some other religious traditions like Mormonism and Islam, Christianity developed through the promulgation of myths and vaguely remembered oral traditions.

     According to Islamic historians the Quran was revealed to Mohamed who did not write it down (he was illiterate) but passed it on orally to his followers. After Mohamed’s death Abu Bakr the first Calif ordered Zayd ibn Thabit to compile and record the sayings of Mohamed.        

     Based on this known history some have mistakenly assumed that this must be how religious text’s develop. This has led some to theorize a similar process for the compilation and organization of the New Testament. 

     In a similar way some theorize that the Old Testament developed during Jewish Captivity in Babylon. This was an effort to justify Jewish presence in Canaan. In both theories the reliance on oral tradition and later recording and compiling is a key component. Both theories miss a key component which is writing. The Old and New Testament originated with written documents which were painstakingly preserved. This does not allow for the development of myth or imaginative remembrances. 

     Of all the biblical canon Genesis tends to attract the most frequent label of myth. Even some who claim to be conservative bible believing Christians will suggest that Genesis is just a set of stories not meant to be taken as literally. No one told Jesus about this as he teaches and acts as if he believes Genesis as does the Apostle Paul. 

I would like to share a slightly humorous and revealing observation about all of this:

• In the so-called mythological book, we read that an all-powerful transcendent being created the finite universe and everything in it.
• The more sensible theory we’re told is that everything came from nothing for no reason. 
• In the mythological book we read that God created man and woman to exist in partnership and fill the earth.
• The respectable societal norm is instead that there is no such thing as male and female but instead there are 72 genders, and we have no idea what gender someone is unless they tell us their pronouns. 
• They mythological book tells us that human life is sacred and to be valued and protected. 
• The more enlightened view is that life that is to new, or too old, or too inconvenient, or too disabled or too difficult should be exterminated and the government if they are good and just will pay for said extermination. 

     We really should abandon these old fashioned myths along with the myth of gravity perhaps and virology. Maybe the Bible is less myth or more real that many people want to admit. 

Kevin Cleary

February 2, 2025

     I recently had a conversation with a friend who was thinking about a couple of important things in his life. At the end of our conversation he said that he would wait to do anything until he could talk to his dad about it. What do you do when you want to get prepared for a major life decision or change? Going away to school, changing jobs, having a baby, making a major purchase? We all have to decide what we will do about all kinds of things every day. Knowing what will be best is something that can cause great stress leaving us sleepless and unsure. Or these decisions can cause great excitement and anticipation. 

     One common method people use to work through these times is talking. We even have the saying “talk it out.” We may talk to a trusted friend, a parent or someone who has been through a situation like our own. Jesus made a regular habit of talking about the big things he was going to do: before a major preaching tour, before calling his twelve closest followers. Before he asked the twelve who they thought he was, before his own trial, and before the trial of a close friend. Jesus spent time talking to his Father. It’s no accident that before virtually every major event in Christ’s life and ministry Luke records that he spent quiet time in prayer.

     There are all kinds of things that we can and should do before a major event or decision. We may sleep on it. We may list the pro’s and cons, or make a to do list to ensure nothing is forgotten, more important than any of these is spending time talking to our heavenly Father. 

     This is a good habit to have in our personal lives and we should apply it there. That however is not the only way we should learn from and apply Jesus example. In Luke 9:18; 29; 11:1, Mat 26:36-45 and many other places Jesus includes his disciples in his time of prayer. The disciples continued this practice after Jesus resurrection and ascension in Acts 2:41; 12:12; 13:2 just to mention a few, the disciples spent time together in prayer.

     What about us? When our congregation is preparing for something important, when a family member is facing trouble, when there is great need in our community, or among our brethren in different locations do we set aside a time of prayer? We have recently been studying I Thessalonians where Paul reminds the Corinthians to “Pray without Ceasing” the idea being not so much that we spend our life walking around with our heads bowed muttering to God. Rather Paul wants us to develop a mindset which thinks of God and His role first. One important further point to consider is praying about smaller more regular things. Before we go to work or start a new task. Before we study the Bible or spend time with friends. Praying without ceasing means praying about all aspects of our lives.

     I plan to develop a relationship with Joel and Asher such that they will want to come to me when preparing for something they think is important. In the same way our heavenly father wants us to come to him with the things that we are doing. 

     As we prepare for ministry and look ahead to the ways we need to serve God let’s keep in mind that we have not prepared until we have talked with our Heavenly Father.

~ Kevin Cleary

January 26, 2025

People often ask me if we are nearing the end of time or if it can get any worse. We are currently studying I Thessalonians and some of them had questions similar to these. 

Recently I heard a government official describe the economy of today as “the worst he’s ever seen.” In environmental matters the cry is constantly, “the sky is falling,” or some equivalent. The older generation sees the youth of today as the worst ever. The young often see the older ones as more out of touch than ever. In the church, alarms are often sounded that if we don’t watch we’re going to see the church cease to exist. No wonder people are unhappy and worried.
There’s good reason to be worried. Lots of things aren’t what they ought to be, and they might get worse. Who knows? Nobody likes to live in such a state. While ignoring the conditions of the times is like hiding ones head in the sand, thinking it’s all over is also unrealistic. A lot of people have lived before us in all sorts of circumstances. Don’t you think they sometimes thought things would never be better? Every generation is near-sighted, only seeing what’s right in front of them. They fail to see what has been and what happened then.

Some perspective is in order. God holds the world tightly and as long as He does it will stay together (cf. Col. 1:17). God has promised that as long as the world stands, ”seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease” (Gen. 8:22) . So much for global warming or global freezing worries. A bit of God’s perspective takes away a lot of unnecessary worry.
God rules in the Kingdoms of man as well (Dan. 4:32). He may even allow a bad ruler to thrive (Psalm 9:17), or a wicked nation to be victorious (cf. Isa 19:5 ff). But God’s plan for the work He is doing will always work toward His good (Rom. 8:28). If you think the morals of today are worse than ever, read the stories of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19), or read of ancient Rome. Makes 2025 look pretty tame. Family values are greatly lacking, but are not so different than times past. Remember Judah (Gen. 3-8) and David. Most of us wouldn’t want to go back to those “good ole days”. As for the church condition, are we naïve enough to forget about Corinth, Sardis and Laodicea?
In all these cases God didn’t quit working. Even with the flood when God only saved a few He still kept going with His plan of redemption. He promised that that kind of destruction will only happen one more time, at the final day of judgment. We can never fail to be serious about our troubles and meet them head-on, dealing with them aggressively. But we must never lose sight of the real power in the world. God and His word provide us with the proper perspective in which to see all things.”

With all this in mind I would make two suggestions. First be diligent the days are dark and light is more needed than ever. Second be confident knowing that God is in control his word is still the truth and whatever affliction we may face in this world it is not worthy to be compared to the glory that awaits.

~ Kevin Cleary