What H. G. Wells and C. S. Lewis Wrote That Has Influenced My Biblical Thinking

The following three statements have greatly influenced my biblical thinking. H. G. Wells wrote the first two statements and C. S. Lewis wrote the third.

“Jesus was too great for his disciples. And in view of what he plainly said, is it any wonder that all who were rich and prosperous felt a horror of strange things, a swimming of their world at his teaching?  Perhaps the priests and rulers understood him better than his followers. He was dragging out all the little private reservations they had made from social service into the light of a universal religious life.  He was like a terrible moral huntsman, digging people out of the snug burrows in which they had lived hitherto. In the white blaze of his kingdom there was to be no property, no privilege, no pride, and no precedence, no motive and reward but love. Is it any wonder that people were dazzled and blinded, and cried out against him? Even His disciples cried out when he would not spare them that light. Is it any wonder that the priests realized that between this man and themselves there was no choice but that he, or their priestcraft, should perish? Is it any wonder that the Roman soldiers, confronted and amazed by something soaring over their comprehension and threatening all their disciplines, should take refuge in wild laughter, and crown him with thorns, and robe him in purple, and make a mock Caesar of him?  For to take him seriously was to enter into a strange and alarming life, to abandon habits, to control instincts and impulses, and to embrace an incredible happiness. Is it any wonder that to this day this Galilean is too much for our small hearts?” (Wells, The Outline of History, Vol. 1, pp. 425-6)

“The doctrine of the Kingdom God, which was the main teaching of Jesus, and which plays so small a part in the Christian creeds, is certainly one of the most revolutionary doctrines that ever stirred and changed human thought.” (Wells, The Outline of History, Vol. 2, p. 8)

“There is no neutral ground in the universe. Every square inch is claimed by God—and counterclaimed by Satan.” (Lewis, "Christianity and Culture," Christian Reflections, p. 33)

Yes, Jesus mission was and is much, much bigger than most people understand!

Harry Wendt

Delusions and One-Liners for the New Year

The year 2012 is now history, and the doors into 2013 have opened. We shall not be saying, "Merry Christmas" for another year. However, we shall be saying, "Have a blessed New Year!" What do we mean by that? We would do well to remember that Jesus never equates "being blessed" with possessing and enjoying material things. He equates it only with knowing Him as the forgiving Savior and with following Him as Servant-Lord.

One of the appendices in Crossways International's In Heaven's Name, Why on Earth? is titled "Ten Deadly Delusions." If you do not have a copy of this publication, you can purchase one from us and work through those delusions with others; the answers to each delusion are included in that publication. Doing so will empower you to get your people beyond "popular opinion" to "divine revelation."

My wife, Chloris, and I send out a Christmas letter each year to about 230 partners and friends around the world. In our most recent letter, we included some intriguing one-liners that were sent to me by Vic Pabellon, my colleague in the Philippines:

• Give God what's right--not left.
• A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing.
• When praying, don't give God instructions; just report for duty.
• Don't wait for six strong men to bring you to church. Come now!
• Many people want to serve God, but only in an advisory capacity.
• It is easier to preach ten sermons than to live one.
• Peace starts with a smile.
• Many who sing,"Standing on the Promises" are content just to sit in the premises.
• If God is your co-pilot, swap seats.
• The best mathematical equation that I have ever seen: 1 cross + 3 nails = 4-given.

Give Jesus and me a lot of joy by sharing these insights and sayings with fellow-believers, family, and friends.

Harry Wendt