Frequently Asked Questions

How much of the Bible can we prove to be true?

The Bible is made up of history, narrative, theology, proverbs/folk wisdom, and poetry. As such, much in the Bible can be checked out in terms of coordination with secular history because the book is full of names of kings, countries, and events that are defined and sometimes dated. It can be checked out in terms of geography because it is full of place names including rivers, cities, and mountain ranges that can be located on maps and, thus, verified. And, again as we have seen, it can be checked out scientifically because it does not shy away from making scientific statements even though it does not purport to be a scientific book.

How does the Bible differ from other holy books in its message?

Of all the religious texts in the world, the Bible is the only one that gives an explanation for the creation, current condition, and destiny of the world in which we live. We are told of the Creator God and His activities throughout history and in the world in lives of people today.

We are told of Satan and his success in deceiving God’s created humans and, thus, bringing to an end the perfection of the creation and of the union between mankind and God. Then we are told of the grand plan to redeem man and to restore creation and, more importantly, re-establishing the relationship that was broken between man and God. Finally, we are given insight into how it all will end: With the defeat of Satan and his evil forces, with the creation of a new earth and heaven, and culminating with eternity with God in total fellowship and adoration.

No other religion even attempts to do this. No other holy book explains why there is suffering in the world, why we do the wrong thing when we want to do the right thing, or what we can do about our guilt. No other sacred text teaches that we can have confidence that God has everything under control, that justice will eventually be served, and, if we side with Him, He will see us through this world and take us eventually to be forever with Him.

Don’t you think some really smart men could have just written the Bible themselves?

If you or I were to write a story trying to explain the origins of the universe, the history of mankind on the Earth, and the concept of an eternal being and his/her relationship with humankind, how would we do it? It probably would look nothing like the Bible.

In the first place, we would be writing the entire saga from our point of view in history. But the Bible was written over hundreds of years and more, covering all kinds of cultures and geographies and educational changes.

In the second place, it would be simply our personal perspective of what had happened to date. The Bible, as we have seen, was written from the perspective of more than forty different authors of widely varying backgrounds.

In the third place, how could we even attempt to unravel meaning behind history? Or how could we come up with concepts of God that are more than merely making God a bigger than life human? Or how could we possibly project what will happen in the future to bring conclusion to the messy history of Earthlings?

One of the strongest arguments for the authenticity of the Bible as a message from God himself is that man would not have been able to dream it up. Its story and its teachings are truly other-worldly!

Do we have the whole story about Jesus?

The four gospels are not truly biographies in the way we think of biographies today. They tell about Jesus’ birth, His public ministry, and His death and resurrection, but we have very sketchy evidence about His childhood and early adulthood. And, although we have written records of His public teachings and miracles, we have very little detail about His personal life. We don’t even know what He looked like. So, how do we know we have enough of the truth to make a valid decision about who He was and what He did?

I think we answer that by understanding the validity of the methods by which the biblical books of the New Testament were written and selected to be included in the Bible. Much has been written on this subject and you can make that a matter of study if you wish.

But in recent years, some have proposed that new information about Jesus is revealed in later gospels that were written sometimes hundreds of years after his death. Scholarship standards tell us, however, that in evaluating the authenticity of any historical record, earlier manuscripts are always given more credibility those that were written many years after the events. Thus, the later writings that many want to include in the Bible today are more likely to be tainted with rumor or embellishment and, therefore, were not included in the canon of Scripture accepted by early Christians. And they should not be any more acceptable to us today that they were then.

So, no, I don’t think we have the whole story about Jesus. But I do believe that the records of His life on earth are accurate and complete enough to verify His deity, His actions, His teachings, His trial and execution, and His resurrection.

Did Jesus really come back to life after He was killed?

Yes. And it should not have been a surprise. Jesus himself predicted his death and resurrection. Think of it. Here is a rabbi, going around Galilee trying to get people to follow Him and then telling them that He will be arrested, tried and put to death. But, not to worry, He would not stay dead and would catch up with them again after a few days. Who would dare to make such a prediction about Himself? Either someone who didn’t care about His credibility or someone who was pretty much insane or someone who really knew what was about to happen.

Jesus even predicts how long He will be dead (John 2:19-21; Luke 9:22), who it is who is going to put Him on trial and that He would, in fact, be sentenced to death and executed (Matthew 16:21 and Luke 9:22). Then He adds the detail that although the Jewish religious leaders will take Him to trial, he will be turned over to the Gentiles “to be mocked and flogged and crucified.” (Matthew 20:19).

He let His disciples know exactly what would happen to Him. Mark 8:31 gives a similar account of Jesus letting His disciples in on what was going to take place. Apparently, they don’t understand, though, because Peter takes him aside to correct Him saying that this could not possibly happen! But the impossible did happen, according to the biblical accounts.

So, we find that when Jesus is arrested, He does not resist. His attitude is almost resolute as if He not only knows what is ahead, but realizes that this torture and death were the purpose for which He came to earth in the first place. The resurrection, then, was simply the end of the story that He had been telling all along.

And, when they see Him alive, the disciples probably say something like, “Oh, now we get it!” Only they would have said it in Aramaic, of course.

How can I, a mere human being, get to know God better?

God has made Himself available to us in a number of ways. Most of the time, we just have to be aware – seeing Him in the creation around us, reading His Word and really opening our hearts to understanding how it applies to us, praying in expectation that He will respond, and learning to listen with practiced ear to the messages the Holy Spirit gives us every day.

Is it important to have a devotional time every day?

For me, it is. I want to give to God the gift of time every day. But God wants our hearts more than He wants anything else, including our time. I think it is important not to be legalistic about a time of devotions. You are not a good Christian because you have quiet time every day. Nor are you a bad Christian if you don’t. I do believe, however, that if you are walking with God, the desire will be there and you will find yourself spending more and more time with Him – not because you must, but because you can.

What is the theme of GodSense?

God is real and He wants us to know Him.

Why do you love teaching the Bible?

I love to learn and I have found that, as I soak in knowledge and understanding, the greatest satisfaction comes in sharing those things with someone else. In my early adult life, I put this into practice by teaching English in a public high school and teaching in an English-speaking middle school in Central America many years ago. I also put my love for teaching into practice in the business arena as opportunities to teach aspects of the trade to others arose during my twenty-some years in real estate development.

By far the most satisfying teaching I have done, however, has been teaching the Bible. I am not seminary trained, but I have studied the Bible all my life, including some formal training during college years. The Bible is a fascinating book for me because of its unending depth, its intellectual challenges, its historical accounts, its relational wisdom, and its connection to the mind and heart of God. So I read it. I peruse commentaries. I read books by authors who have studied it more thoroughly than I. I absorb it, ponder it, interact with it, and allow it to sink into the depths of my being. Once I do all that, I just have to share with someone else what I have taken in.

How do I know if I am called to teach the Bible?

A calling to teach might be described as God singling you out and creating in your heart a desire to learn of Him, His ways, and His Word, and then to communicate that learning to others. Calling may not happen in one burst of revelation. More likely it will begin with a nudge--simply a sense of wanting to know more of God.

It will then grow into a stronger and stronger desire to share with other people what is being learned. And, eventually, you begin to know beyond any doubt that teaching is what you were created to do. Teaching is what drives your learning. Teaching is what energizes you and inspires you to inspire others. Teaching, at that point, has become your calling.

How do I choose topics on which to teach?

Whether our assignment is a one-time-only message to a Sunday evening Bible study group or an ongoing series of lessons on a topic of our choice, we must choose carefully what we will teach. When I am ready to select at topic, I like to spend some time in prayerful consideration of various subjects or passages of Scripture and thus allow God to guide my teaching.

Most of the time, it seems that the Spirit wants me to teach others what He has been teaching me in my own spiritual journey. The beauty of that plan is that the teaching is then fresh, is out of my personal experience, and is something that helps not only my students but me as well. But I always want my message to be God’s message, so I do not proceed with study and lesson planning until I have His clear direction.

What checklist can I use when I think my lesson is ready to teach?

Here are a few questions I ask myself when I am nearing completion of the preparation process:

• Have I taken adequate time to dig into my material, to meditate on my text, and to find the key points that God wants to teach through me?
  
  
• Are my thoughts organized in such a way that they are clearly communicable to my students?
  
  
• Have I thought of creative ways to make my points memorable so that my students will walk out of my class or my message mulling over what was presented?
  
  
• I am being bold enough to end my lesson with a challenge so that the teaching that is given will take hold and result in changed lives?

What is your best piece of advice for presenting a message or a lesson?

Be simple. Beginning teachers tend to try to pack too much into a lesson. Keep your main points few and make them memorable. Three main points are usually about all that students can absorb and remember if they are simply sitting through a speech. If it is a study session where they have outlines in front of them and are taking notes, you can present more points.

Even then, though, we must remember that our goal is changed lives. If our students walk away muddled or over-stimulated with new ideas, their intellects will be tickled, but their lives may not be changed. Sincerely presenting just one, two, or three main points gives us a better chance of penetrating the heart and the will.

How do you decide what to write about?

Often the themes that I write about relate to topics that I am teaching at the time. They might vary from truth to obedience to faith to relationships. The important thing, I believe, is for us as authors to write out of our own lives. If I am in the Bible and learning for myself, I am then ready to share what I learn with others. I teach (and write about) what I have been taught and what I am attempting to put into practice day by day.

How do you find a publisher?

This is the question of the century! There are many writers with manuscripts in hand who have yet to find the link to a publisher. I was very fortunate with GodSense because a small local publisher gave me a hearing and was willing to take time with the manuscript I provided. FaithWalk believed in the message and helped me with format and design to rewrite the book into a devotional format. Without their creative input, I might still be searching for a publisher. If you are not fortunate enough to have a small town publisher in your backyard, your bedside reading should include Writer’s Market. In it you will find publishers listed along with the types of books they are looking for, and you will find guidelines for writing book proposals, query letters, and cover letters. It sometimes happens quickly and sometimes takes a long time, but if you have a good product, you will eventually find a match with a publisher. If that does not happen soon enough for you, self publishing is another route that many writers take today. Just do a Google search on publishing and you will find on-line information about a number of self-publishing companies.

Do I need an agent?

Professional authors tend to use agents. It is very difficult these days to get the attention of publishers unless you are a nationally known name or can guarantee the sale of thousands of copies of books. Agents charge a fee, of course, but they do have inroads with publishers. They know how to prepare a book proposal and know which publishers are looking for the kind of book you have written. You can find evaluations of agents through Agent Research & Evaluation, Inc., and I am a firm believer in word of mouth recommendations. So talk to other authors personally or on-line and find out who they have found helpful.

I want to write, but how do I get started?

Begin writing what comes naturally. Sometimes the hardest part to write, whether it’s an article, book, or speech, is the beginning. So start in the middle if that’s what it takes to get the creative juices flowing. Then, as much as it is possible, write every day. It may mean getting up early or giving up some relaxation time, but try to get in a certain amount of writing daily. Don’t set your goals too high. Many prolific writers demand of themselves only 500 decent words a day. What often happens is that when you sit down to write only 500 words, a lot more come and, before you know it, you have spewed forth 1,500 words and you may just be getting started!