Life is but a Vapor

Life is just a vapor.  Man is fallen and sinful.  These days are evil.  The type of thing that happened in that theater shouldn't even be surprising anymore.  But it is, and it is still hard to swallow.  We think we have so much control.  We are so small.  Things like this are sad because people use this to try to show how evil God is, when this really shows how sinful man is.  God is grieved, and we should be too.

My morning started with a text from my mom wondering if we are doing fine.  We are 40 minutes away from that place, and didn't go to the movies last night.  Thanks for your concern, if you were concerned.  All is well with us.

Today was a light day.  Steve, the one going to Tijikistan, gave the devotional this morning.  We then had Andre's teaching interrupted by a woman who gave her testimony.  Her husband, who converted from Islam to Christianity, was martyred with two others around ten years ago.  He was so fervant for the Lord and served people well.  In fact, she met him through trying to share Jesus with him on a bus.  The most amazing part about this woman is that she was there to encourage us!  She kept saying that she encourages us to live well, to be willing to pay any cost, and to stand firm in our faith.  It was humbling. 

Life is but a vapor.

We then had a time of looking through the library here, and talking with Georges in his office.  After lunch, more apologetics.

What I loved about John Gilchrist is that his approach brought everything back to the Bible.  The Bible is its best defense.  We focused today on the claim that Muhammad fulfilled a few prophecies from the Bible (Deut. 18:18), which he did not (Deut. 31:10 confirms that).  Muslims even claim that when Jesus spoke of a counselor that would come, it was not the Holy Spirit, but Muhammad.  So...Muhammad would come to convict the world of sin (he committed many) and come to live within us?  Scary thought, but sad that people believe this.  Gilchrist just used the Bible to refute this. 

He also used the Bible to prove that Jesus fulfilled the old testament prophecies.  One really cool thing we learned was that Jesus was referred to as the suffering servant and the king whose reign would go on forever.  This was shown through his two fathers, Abraham and David. 

Abraham was the father of Jesus, spiritually.  Abraham's son, Issac, paralled Jesus in many ways, including the sacrifice that the Lord provided (a ram for Issac, and Jesus for us).  Abraham was Jesus' spiritual father in His first coming, and His suffering.  David was Jesus' spiritual father as well.  Solomon, a king with much success, is a type of Christ.  This points to the second coming of Christ, when He will reign forever.  Many people didn't understand this, and still don't.  They believed that since Jesus didn't set things right in Rome and establish an earthly, He was not the Messiah.  Muslims believe this as well.  But they do not understand that Jesus embodies both of these stacks of prophecies, as the suffering servant and the everlasting King. 

Good stuff, right?  Like I said before, the best part was that Gilchrist relied totally on the Bible, and not on logic, reasoning, and smooth arguments to defend the Bible.  God is big enough to defend Himself in His word.

Now for the weekend.  It looks like lots of fun with the Johnsons this weekend.  :)