Some Facts About Lions

When Jesus told his followers to be wary of satan, He reminded them that their enemy prowled about roaring like a lion. This would be an example that they would be very familiar with. In Jesus's day, two thousand years ago, over a million lions roamed throughout regions that covered Europe, Syria, Israel, Iraq, Pakistan, Iran, and India. Today, there are fewer than 32,000 lions left on earth. 

Here are some other facts about lions: 

Did you know that Aslan is the Turkish and Mongolian word for “lion?” It is also the name of the lion in C. S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia.

Lions are the second largest of the big cats, after tigers.

Jesus and the Tabernacle

A few years ago our church hosted a life-sized replica of the Tabernacle used by the Israelites in the Old Testament. It was a powerful and moving reminder of God's desire to be close to His people, and all the ways throughout the centuries that He has moved heaven and earth to reveal Himself to His creation. 

I was working as the Media Director for our church at the time and one of my favorite memories was shooting some video footage in the Holy of Holies, alone and late in the evening, imagining what it must have been like for the High Priest when he pulled back the last veil and encountered the Almighty God . . . 

I think that, especially in our modern day, that we have heard so much about God that we have perhaps lost sight of the majesty of God. There is a tendency to profane holy things by making them common, ordinary, perhaps even mundane. Yet scripture continually reminds us that God is a Holy God, and sin is not tolerated in His presence. The habits and choices that we so casually make, God does not view in that same light. Yes, God is love, and He has provided a way of forgiveness through the sacrifice of Jesus, but sin is still repulsive in His presence. I'm reminded of the verse, "The prayers of a righteous man availath much." Because the opposite fact is also true, that the prayers of a unrighteous man, who casually flirts with the grace of God, are met with silence from Heaven. 

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

 

The Second Act

 

If you ask most people about the cause of events in their life, good and bad, you might get one of these two answers. 

1) If they believe in God, then they would probably agree that God is aware of, and allows all events in our lives because He promises that everything will turn out for good if we are obedient to Him. (Romans 8:28)

2) If they don't believe in God, then they probably believe that we are in charge of our own destiny and everything that happens is based on our choices with an element of chance and luck mixed into the equation. There is either no God, or if there is a God He could care less about the details of our lives. 

The problem with the first answer is obvious, if God is allowing everything that touches our lives than He is allowing evil to produce pain, tragedy, and death in everyone who is walking the planet. Which either means He is powerless to stop the influence of evil, or He doesn't care who gets hurt in the great scheme of things, or He is allowing evil to run unchecked (it seems) for reasons that He alone can comprehend. This explanation immediately ushers us toward the crossroads of our faith.