Crossroads of the Eternal

Crossroads of the Eternal

M. Brett Callaway

Crossroads of the Eternal

Copyright © 2018 M. Brett Callaway. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401.

Resource Publications

An Imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers

199

W.

8

th Ave., Suite

3

Eugene, OR

97401

www.wipfandstock.com

paperback isbn: 978-1-5326-5382-7

hardcover isbn: 978-1-5326-5383-4

ebook isbn: 978-1-5326-5384-1

Manufactured in the U.S.A.

December 4, 2018

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright

2001

by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1: God’s Revelation

What is Revelation?

General Revelation

Special Revelation

Study Questions

Chapter 2: How Do We Know What We Know?

Sequence of Turning Information Into Knowledge

Newness

Evidence: Science, Faith, and Knowing

Assumption

Response

Study Questions

Chapter 3: Obedience

Turning From Obedience

Turning To Obedience

Following Christ

Study Questions

Westminster Shorter Catechism # 39

Chapter 4: Authority

Our Problems With Authority

Historical Examples of Authority in Society

Authority of God in Our Personal Lives

Discussion Questions

Chapter 5: What Is Truth?

Conceptions and Outworking of Truth

God Is Truth

Discussion Questions

Chapter 6: The Tyranny of Good Intentions

What Is Grace?

Costly Grace

Cheap Grace

Despised Grace

Exposing the Tyranny of Good Intentions

Christian Life Under the Tyranny

Setting the Captives Free

Discussion Questions

Chapter 7: Postmodernism and Power

The Hopelessness of Postmodernism

The Will to Power

Use of Crisis and Change To Overthrow and Transform

Postmodernism and Destabilization of Society

Enter The Crisis Phase

The Final Solution: Normalization and the New World Order

The One, True Hope

Discussion Questions

Chapter 8: Peace, Assurance, Boundaries, and Wonder

Senses

Peace and Happiness

Blessings of Boundaries and Wonder

Faith in Christ: The Bond by which We Transcend to the Sacred

Discussion Questions

Chapter 9: Suffering

The Reality of Suffering

Value and Purpose in Suffering

Responses to Suffering

Resignation

Our Living Hope

Discussion Questions

Heidelberg Catechism

Lord’s Day 1: What is your only comfort in life and in death?

Lord’s Day 2: What must you know to live and die in the joy of this comfort?

Chapter 10: Giving Thanks In All Things

Giving Thanks In All Things

Unexpected Blessings

Our Thanks and Our Lord’s Example

Discussion Questions

Chapter 11: Crossroads of the Eternal

Human, Spirit and Our True Being

Bound to the Timeless

Life At the Crossroads of the Eternal

Study Questions

Bibliography

If you believe that scientists are God-hating charlatans, this book may change your mind. Through heartrending real-life anecdotes, current events, biblical passages, and quotes from renowned scientists and theologians, Brett Callaway, a devout Christian and scientist himself, reveals that the true enemy in our battle is not science, but the adversary who fired the first shot with the words, ‘Did God really say . . . ?

—Chris Yavelow, author, speaker, educator

In the tradition of his storytelling forefathers, Brett Callaway gracefully and easily tells the story of God’s existence, his presence in this world, and how we are often blinded to the truth of this reality. And he does so in a refreshingly unassuming manner and in easy-to-read, straightforward language. We need more books like this!

—Karl Johnson, Director, 
C. S. Lewis Institute, Chicago

Dr. Callaway describes Godless ‘postmodern, atheistic’ processes men employ versus eternally beneficial processes where God and Christ have real authority. Crossroads of the Eternal is a dynamic place where all men live physically, emotionally, and spiritually, caught between the here and now and the timeless. Callaway astutely describes a yearning for the ‘timeless’ that is ingrained in all of us. This scholarly work offers excellent counsel regarding successfully satisfying that yearning.

—Matt Byers, senior advisor and evangelist

With a passion for lost souls Dr. Callaway has provided a jewel for saint and sinner. America has turned her heart away from not only her biblical heritage, but God himself. Dr. Callaway describes what has caused our spiral downward as a nation, and provides vital biblical solutions for our return back to God. As Joshua proclaimed he and his family’s allegiance to God, so must America choose who we will serve.

—Don Westray, pastor, Longstreet Baptist Church, Cumming, Georgia

Foreword

In his book Escape From Reason, Francis Schaeffer said, Every generation of Christians has this problem of learning how to speak meaningfully to its own age.¹ I grew up in the rural south where Christian language and imagery permeated the air—if not always the hearts. My Papa Callaway was a Baptist preacher. In fact, so many of the Callaways were Baptist preachers that a book was written about them.² My daddy was an agnostic, leaning atheist. I grew up listening to many religious and political debates between him and Papa while sitting in their living room.

On my mother’s side, the Andersons were also Baptists who worshipped with a Pentecostal flair—when they went to church at all. I only recall them at church when someone died. But they were nevertheless very serious about their faith. It infused their lives, actions, and language. Papa Anderson had been a moonshiner, the son of the biggest (both by his size—he was called Bigfoot Anderson—and in volume of whisky sold) moonshiner in north Georgia. His younger brother Johnny died in his teens in Atlanta attempting to escape revenuers. Papa was a very gifted story teller, even for that generation of gifted story tellers who lived in the mountains of Appalachia and are now all but extinct—replaced by poseurs, mostly with leftist leanings who know nothing of the life mountain folks lived and who mock the God they loved. Although Papa had quit moonshining long before I was born, I grew up hearing those stories and many others of life in the mountains in the early 1900s.

But today’s generation is indifferent to even thinking about God; it doubts the existence of a spiritual world and doesn’t believe in absolute truths, at least as a principle from which to discuss and resolve issues. In an ever-larger proportion of society, Christian traditions are not things to be clung to and treasured; they are despised as the causes of society’s problems. Christians are often seen as foreign creatures speaking an unintelligible language, believing foolishness about God and spiritual things, and rigidly hindering progress through their bigoted stubbornness. The chasm between those brought up in the church and those outside the church is greater than at any time in our nation’s history. This book is an attempt to begin to bridge that chasm. While I make liberal use of Scripture, I attempt to have it flow naturally from a context that doesn’t require a Christian background or knowledge of the Bible.

1. Schaeffer, Escape from Reason,

12

.

2. Callaway, Callaway Baptist Preachers.

Preface

Sam had changed. He was hardly recognizable. Years before, he seemingly had everything going for him. He was strong, handsome and rich, yet he was also grounded with the knowledge that he was the beneficiary of the hard work and sacrifice of his parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. He also had an ever-present consciousness that his strength and riches were not the most important things. He was a religious man; he firmly believed his fortunate situation in life was due to God’s favor, as a loving parent to his child, so he tried very hard to please his God by helping others. In fact, he was always very generous with his riches to those less fortunate, and quick to come to the rescue of those that were weak.

He wasn’t perfect, but who is? However, he was exceptionally good—many said he was the greatest they ever knew. I suppose this partly explains where I saw him today. He had fallen so far! As is too often the case, others took advantage of his goodness and were envious of his greatness. It started in subtle ways. When he gave to those in need, instead of thankfulness, they began to say how much more they needed. He could afford to give more, they said. After a time, they even began to accuse him of being selfish. This struck Sam’s tender heart. He began to doubt his motives. More troubling to Sam was how disappointing this would be to the God he loved like a father. He redoubled his generosity, then redoubled again. But the harder he tried and the more he gave, the more demanding and accusatory were those he gave to. As so often happens, self-doubts led to a downward spiral. He began to believe the terrible things that were said about him. He gave and gave, but instead of finding joy in it, he just felt guilty for not giving more—and his riches were running out!

Look at poor Sam today. He seems like a defeated man. He’s consumed with guilt for having been strong and rich. He’s almost neurotic with doubts about his motivations for the good he did—and still does. He is divided within himself. I fear for my Uncle Sam. I love him very much and want to see him more like his old self—healthy, strong, confident, rich, and still grounded in the knowledge that these are not the most important things. Many others would like to see him this way, too. Uncle Sam needs to regain his sense of purpose.

This, of course, is an allegory of America. How does an America that is ashamed of who she is, because she has forgotten who she was, find herself? How does she find herself and realign with the purpose she was made for? This phrase is laden with assumptions:

• Made for implies that we were made with intelligent intent. We aren’t the result of randomness.

• Made for a purpose implies there is a Purposer with a plan and an ultimate objective towards which our purpose is aimed. It also implies that our lives and actions have greater meaning.

• Aligning ourselves to our purpose means that we are also aligned with our Purposer and that the Purposer will see his plan to completion.

These assumptions have been the underpinning of human belief and actions throughout the ages. Yet today they seem foreign. For almost two generations in America, and longer in other countries, these foundational beliefs have ceased to be taught. As a result, we have a fundamental inability to bridge worldviews—and this doesn’t mean to reconcile them under a single, monolithic worldview, but merely to understand how a theistic worldview can be held by other human beings. Along with the loss of belief in God, or even gods and pagan spirits, there is an empty self-centeredness whose only arbiter is power, and whose greatest motivating force is self.

This book is an attempt to speak to those who sense there is something very wrong with the belief—whether held consciously or unconsciously—that there is nothing other than the physical world, no powers beyond human and nature, and no purpose other than what we choose to create. The book is unabashedly Christian, but approaches worldly issues and Christian beliefs without assuming prior knowledge of Christianity. Those who have grown up in a Christian tradition will find this a bit backwards, but even for you, my hope is that this approach will cause you to think about your faith from a fresh perspective. If, on the other hand, Christianity is foreign to you, or you might even be hostile to it, this book is primarily directed to you. I grew up the son of atheist parents but had a Christian preacher as a grandparent. I loved and respected them all. From my earliest recollections I was exposed to debates on religion in general, and Christianity in particular, between my dad and his dad. I still have friends and family whose worldviews have tracked with society’s, that is, from seeing Christianity as somewhat hypocritical a few years ago, to being militantly hostile to it today. In some ways I feel like Jacob, who wrestled with God at Peniel and told him, I won’t let you go until you bless me (Gen 32:22–32). If you also wrestle with the questions of the world and how the world’s answers about Christianity stand up to scrutiny, this book is for you. It is adapted from a Sunday school series I taught.

Not so long ago it was taken for granted that God exists. Today, there is a blindness to him even though he makes his presence known to all, so I begin by showing how better to recognize his presence and understand how he reveals himself to us. The next three chapters discuss how we move from an awareness of his presence to beginning to know him, and through a knowledge of him, begin to know what his purpose is for us and how our lives are shaped by that knowledge. Having seen how he reveals himself to us and how we know the world and see the world through different eyes, we look at how to apply our new view in the face of a society that remains blind to what we now see. Chapters five through seven explore truth first from the standpoint of its existence, then in how to recognize its counterfeits, and finally to understand the consequences of its loss. Chapters eight through ten look at how and why the ability to see God’s hand in all aspects of life and to center our lives on him by faith in his Son Jesus Christ completely changes our lives for the better. Non-Christians often hear this claim made by evangelists. If these skeptics ask why the claim is true, too often the answer is in Christian-speak that is foreign to them.