Is Water Dowsing Safe or Dangerous?

Water dowsing, also known as “Water Witching” or “Divining” is an interesting method in which persons use a variety of tools, such as twigs, hanging medallions, or even cut off coat hangers, in order to find water underground.

The process is very mysterious. A person walks around the yard carrying an apparatus and when it moves a particular way, the determination is that the water is beneath them. In certain cases, the dowser can predict the depth of the water. Is this real? Is it spiritual or just some physical thing that is not yet explained? The answers are mixed and it depends on whom you are asking.

It would be difficult to separate the influences of spiritual interpretation from the tradition of dowsing. Even the terms mentioned above would seem to indicate a spiritual inclination. Does the Bible address this issue? Well it does give strict warnings against the pagan practice of divination (see Hosea 4:12; Deut 18:9-10) and Hosea seems to speak of the use of divination rods that could be similar to that of a dowsing rod. The question that needs to be answered is, “Is water dowsing divination?” Again, the answers vary. Some say, “No.” and others would suggest that it is.

Why does it work? A committed naturalist may seek explanation along the lines of quantum mechanics, specifically a theory called the “entanglement theory” in which particles “communicate” at a subatomic level. This theory is thought to unlock the mystery of the dowser’s thoughts being a part of the process of finding the article being sought. Then you have those given to New Age thought that will plunge headlong into spiritual explanations for the phenomenon and even open themselves to the occult.

Water dowsing seems quite harmless and many Christians utilize this phenomenon for innocuous purposes like finding water lines or digging wells. Is it permissible for the believer to dowse for water or is it something to be avoided at all costs? This subject takes us to areas of controversy such as the use of meditation or hypnotism. Should the Christian avoid these practices as well? Why or why not?

Perhaps this is a good time to reflect on the true liberty of the Christian. Romans chapter 14 and 1 Corinthians chapter 8 deal with issues of controversy. Romans 14:5 says, of the decision to partake or abstain, “let each be fully convinced in his own mind.” This is good medicine here. The believer is ultimately free from the bondage of sin. Though we inevitably trifle with sin in the course of life (and I am in no way suggesting we should make light of it) we are truly free in Christ’s atonement for us. 1 Corinthians 8:4 says, “We know that an idol is nothing and that there is no other God but one.” The atonement of Christ will not be trumped by some kind of idol. Nevertheless, the Christian is admonished to take the weaker brother into consideration and not become a cause for his or her stumbling. With the principles mentioned in these passages in mind, let’s consider the following thoughts.

Why does dowsing work? We simply don’t know conclusively.

As a believer am I free to utilize this phenomenon? If you are persuaded that it is spiritual in nature, no you should avoid it. You would be violating your own conscience and the precepts found in Scripture that warn us away from engaging any spiritual activity other than the worship of God alone. If it seems to you a phenomenon that has physical explanations, I am not aware of any specific prohibition in Scripture for water dowsing.

One final note: I am only addressing the phenomenon of the water dowsing apparatus. It is my understanding that some dowsers in history were able to inquire of the divining rod to lead them to any number of different things such as buried treasure or to certain individuals. To utilize any tool in this way would be tantamount to inquiring of an Ouija Board and cannot be sanctioned for a Christian. Such a practice fits squarely with the Biblical definition of divination/sorcery and is nothing less than an aspect of the occult. Scripture strictly forbids this.

As for water dowsing, I can only echo what the Bible says, “Let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.”(Rom 14:13).

PR

Handling Challenges to Faith

I was holding a conversation with someone when this person said, "I'm having some struggles with my faith." I've been told similar things over the years and the words weren't particularly shocking to me. Anyone who has taken the mantle of the Christian worldview to heart will inevitably find himself or herself at a crisis point in the course of their Christian walk.

"What are you struggling with particularly?" I asked. Thus began the process of unpacking the difficulties.

What is faith? Essentially it is confidence or trust. The Christian faith is not just a category of belief but it is a qualitative response to the message that Jesus of Nazareth is both Savior and coming King. The implications of such a proposition carry great weight. How we respond to the presentation of this truth claim, known as the Gospel of Jesus Christ, will define our character and what is deemed to be our "faith", or lack thereof. A significant change in lifestyle can be said to be an indicator of "great faith" in the Gospel. Conversely, little or no change in lifestyle can be construed to imply weak faith, or worse, none at all. We must remember that faith will always have an object. We cannot simply have faith or trust, we must trust someone or something, and that for something.

What is sure is that our lifestyle is an indicator of what we do or do not "believe" in. If we believe that there will be no consequence for a particular behavior and we are inclined to engage in it, it is highly unlikely that we would refrain for no reason in particular. However, if we believe a certain behavior will result in a negative consequence, i.e. driving 30 mph over the speed limit, we will be less likely to engage such a behavior.

The reason? It's simple...we believe, or have faith, that such an action may result in a negative consequence, and we would rather avoid the consequence than engage the behavior. As the "odds" of a negative consequence or the significance of the penalty increase, the likelihood of our engaging such behavior wanes. Most people will avoid driving at speeds exceeding 30 mph over the speed limit in a thickly settled area because of the severity of the penalty for getting caught or the consequence of an error in judgment, no matter how much they enjoy speeding.

Faith in the moral realm is no different.

What would cause a person to hold to a moral code? Asked another way, what would allow a person to continue in an "immoral" state? Who gets to define what "moral" really is? Why should we conform to that standard of morality?

To say that we believe in God is not to say all that much, really. To claim to have "faith" in God's existence is, for many, a given. The evidence for the existence of God is overwhelming to the person who is of the disposition to see it. Even the Bible suggests that to "believe in one God" is not a virtue in and of itself because, "even the demons believe, and tremble" (Ja. 2:19). When a Christian says that he believes or has faith in God, what is he saying? Is he simply stating that God is there? No, not at all. Obviously Christians affirm God's existence, but we are saying a lot more than, "I believe He exists."

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a message of accountability and deliverance. Mankind is accountable to God for sinful behavior (as defined over against the nature of God) and is offered deliverance from the ultimate consequence of sin through the sacrifice of Jesus of Nazareth. If someone says that he believes the Gospel, he indicates that he agrees with it's entailments. God is good, man is fallen and in need. God loves and deliver's those who will trust in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, from the coming judgment. Believers are consequently "saved" from inevitable perdition and empowered to live a moral life (as defined by God) by the Holy Spirit.
So when a person says, "I'm struggling with my faith." what is he or she really saying? Is he saying, "I'm not sure that God really exists anymore."? Is she saying, "I"m struggling with my commitment to the entailments of the Gospel."? It could be either. I'll suggest that a good dose of Christian apologetics is in order at this point.

1. On the existence of God.

There are manifold arguments that offer powerful evidence for the existence of God. The Cosmological, Teleological, Moral, Transcendent and Ontological arguments are sufficient places to objectively, rationally answer the question of the existence of God. A person who is disposed to receive the possibility of the existence of a Creator will find more than ample justification for such a belief.

A Christian who wrestles with this question, will find valid reasons from philosophy, biology, cosmology, history, geography and other disciplines to believe in the God of the Bible. Once having satisfied the question of the likelihood of the existence of God, this person can move on to embrace the remainder of the Christian worldview, his faith being grounded in objective reality as it is perceived. It is not "blind" faith that a Christian possesses, but an informed faith.

At this point we can move on to the other possibility; struggling with the commitment to the Gospel.

2. The entailments of the existence of God.

This is a place where many will find themselves struggling with their "faith" and has more to do with the desire to believe than simply being able to believe.

Have you ever placed a bag of chips on your desk and tried to eat only one or two? There is something about that salty flavor that can draw a person back for handful after handful. Like so may Hollywood villains have cajoled, "It is futile to resist."

The Christian worldview purports that humans are fallen and susceptible to temptation and sin. Even with the presence of the Holy Spirit's enabling power, an individual retains the ability to choose whom to yield to. The Christian may yield to the temptation to sin or to the commitment to please God, which often will run counter to his or her immediate desires. It is at these crisis points that doubt can become a major issue.

Humans have been called the "great rationalizers". I believe this is true. When placed in a predicament where we want something that we shouldn't have, we will often explain away the reasons against the wisdom for such an indulgence. This is human frailty that we must all beware! It is frequently at this point of temptation that the challenges to the existence of God, or the true nature of God, may be entertained by the Christian; but not necessarily for objective reasons. Christians may entertain "doubts" regarding God simply for the legitimizing of an immoral indulgence, relationship or whatever would run contrary to what is supposed to indicate a healthy relationship with God.

Ignorance will not help in this case. We cannot "feel" our way free from such a point of conflict, even though that is the course many will take. A privatized Christianity is often the result as the Christian seeks to live in a state of contradiction justifying both a relationship with God and the engagement of an immoral activity. The answer in such a case is, again, a good ol' defense of the truth.

"What are you struggling with, specifically? Do you believe that God is there? Do you believe that Jesus is the Savior? Do you believe that the Bible is the revealed Word of God?" These questions can narrow the struggle down to a specific that can be answered. It must be noted that, "I'm struggling with my faith." can be a broad statement simply indicating a spiritual struggle. A very real battle that every committed believer will realize at some time.

"What do I do when I find myself in such a crisis situation?" Answer: Objectify the situation.

Ask yourself what is really real? What do you really believe? Do you believe the Bible is true? Are you familiar with the reasons TO believe it? Do you believe that Jesus really came, died and rose from the dead? Are you familiar with the evidence FOR those claims. Find where the weakness of faith is and answer it directly. Leaving doubt undefined can allow a seemingly insurmountable obstacle for the one struggling with faith. By seeking to define in particular the nature of our "faith challenge" we will often find that we do not struggle with the basic propositions of Christianity. It may just be with our desire to commit to the entailments of the Gospel i.e. living a moral life that pleases God. Our reflection on the truths of the Christian worldview can be a great source of strength in overcoming these sorts of challenges.

As an example of what I am saying:

Consider a person who is tempted to engage an immoral act in secret such as adultery or thievery. His (or her) conscience as a believer, will not allow him to continue in this behavior "guilt free" because of the presence of God's Spirit; God sees and this person knows it. Because he cannot live in such a conflicted state, he will have a need to relieve the pressure somehow. The temptation to disbelieve in the presence of God, or in human accountability to God can become appealing to the person who desires to retain his profligate behavior. By ruling out a genuine disbelief in God an honest person can truly "get down to business" with this kind of challenge to their faith. "If God really does see and I really am accountable, I have some good reasons to refrain from licentious behavior. My faith, or confidence, is bolstered, not weakened."

When we take the "giant" of doubt down to a specific definition, we can begin to see an obstacle that really isn't so big at all. What the person may be left with is simply the raw battle with the flesh and with the help of the Holy Spirit, see it for what it is. Triumph over doubt and faithlessness is within reach! It is much easier to master our temptations when we have the confidence that the revealed truth of the Gospel is really true. There are good, objective reasons to overcome challenges to faith.

The truth will always be liberating to the one who wants to be set free. Faith in the God of the Bible will result in a display of confidence in the claims of God . The faith one places in Jesus Christ is reasonable and the struggle to maintain a morally right relationship with God is legitimized by the evidence we see and the witness of the Spirit within.

It cannot be overstated that Christian Apologetics is for the church today. I wonder, if more Christians were exposed to the many objective reasons FOR our faith, would more of us prevail against the normal temptations and "struggles with the faith" than do?

I can only believe that it would be so.

What is Christianity?

I teach a group of people, at my home, what the Christian worldview is. In our part of the world (the west) the Christian worldview is a topic that is not understood nearly as well as one would think. The average Christian that I might have a social interchange with would most likely, not be able to give a working definition of the Christian worldview. Why, I wonder?

I recently led a study with the following question, "What is Christianity?" The answers were varied. Some said a religion, some proposed that it was a social structure, others suggested a moral framework for personal scruples, and yet others, a relationship. Why the variety?

In a way all of the answers were right, but does that really help us nail it down? Can we offer a concise answer to the question, "What is Christianity?" I think so. With the advent of postmodern thought, we need clarity now more than ever.

I find it interesting how the definitions of certain words have changed over time. We have seen the need for revisions in the Bible exactly because of these changes in the English language.
Because we are looking for a working definition of Christianity, we will need to know the answer to at least a couple of other questions.

1. What is Christianity comprised of? Answer: Simple...Christians.

Fair enough. Now lets explore the next most logical question. What is a Christian? The answer is easy, right? A Christ follower. Where do we see this? Where did the name come from?

Turning to the book of Acts in the New Testament, we can readily put our hands on the origin of the term. We read in chapter 11 that Barnabas was teaching a group of people in Antioch. He left for Tarsus to find Paul (Saul) and bring him to Antioch to help instructing the people who were being added to the Lord.

In verse 26 specifically we see that the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch. This is the origin of the term, Christian. Incidentally, it was given by those who were not in fact, followers of Christ. So the second question I would ask is this....

2. What is a Christian? Answer: A disciple of Jesus Christ.

This isn't too tough. But we aren't through, now we need to define yet another term. You guessed it...disciple.

3. What is a disciple?

I can give the clinical answer, and it would be helpful to a point, but we need to have a working definition. Most of the definitions given in Websters are clearly out of a Christian perspective i.e. "one of the 12 followers of Jesus" or "a member of Disciples of Christ" and don't quite hit the mark we need for some practical understanding.

To better understand the answer to question # 3 we need to see that the term disciple has two clear implications. This will help us a lot.

First implication: A disciple has a master.

To suggest a disciple exists apart from the influence of a master, it to deconstruct the term. Disciples have masters (or teachers). Furthermore, the disciple is in the process of becoming like his master. This brings me to the second implication of the term disciple.

Second implication: A disciple must be in need of change.

To suggest a person can become a disciple and at the same time disavow the necessity of a change is to engage in a contradiction of terms. Such a one could not actually be a disciple. He would either be a master or teacher in his own right or a non adherent.

Now we start to really get into it. The following assertions may seem unnecessarily controversial to you, but just consider what I present in light of what we know to be true.

If you remove either component set forth as an implication of discipleship (the presence of a master or the need for the disciple to change) you no longer have a disciple. To do so is to have effectively altered the definition of the term disciple. To abrogate either component and at the same time lay claim to the term disciple is to adopt the term "disciple" illegitimately.

Here it comes.

Because Christian is a term given only to denote a disciple of Jesus, the suggestion that a person can be a Christian apart from having both, Jesus as his Lord/Master and the need to be changed into the likeness of Jesus the Master, is necessary false. I'll say it again this way. A person who does not have at the same time, Christ as Lord and the self perceived need to change, is not a Christian.

I must insist that a person who claims to be a Christian and yet is not a disciple of Jesus, is a necessary contradiction. You cannot be a true Christian and avoid being a disciple. To suggest someone can be, is to redefine the name Christian. Now if we begin to redefine our terms, I guess we can make Christians to be whatever we want them to be. It must be pressed that Christian is an objective term with an objective meaning. Hijacking the definition will not change the essential truth behind the name.

So what is Christianity?

Well, to be sure, it is made up of Christians/Disciples of Jesus Christ. Are we getting closer to a clear understanding of what Christianity is? I think so. Consider the Great Commission given by the Lord Himself in Matthew 28:19. Jesus said to, "Go and make disciples". He also said, "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you".

The first Christians were not told to "go make churches" or to "go get professions". They were clearly told to make disciples (Christians) with the understanding that they would instruct them in something. This is what Paul and Barnabas were doing in Antioch (and spending a good amount of time at it, too).

I suggest that what they were teaching in Antioch was in fact, Christianity. The Christian way of life. You don't need a year to teach someone that Christ died for them. You do need time to adopt a new worldview.

While Christianity is certainly a religion, it is not only that. Christianity is a worldview. Christianity is the adopted perspective that a disciple of Jesus Christ is taught to have, in the context of his relationship with his Lord. To reduce the term Christianity to merely address the existence of a social structure, is to extricate the demand for conformity to Christ inherent in the term. The implications of this action are bearing catastrophic consequences in the west today.

Today a person can be considered to be a "Christian" and yet at the same time feel free to personally assimilate a secular worldview without any serious warning coming from the church at large. In virtually every poll and study conducted, the "Christian" has essentially the same value system as the secular world around him. How can this be if a Christian is a disciple who is being taught to conform to the nature of his Lord? Do we begin to suggest that the Lord's values are congruent with those of the world? Certainly not (see 1 John 2:15).

Chuck Colson says, "The church's singular failure in recent decades has been the failure to see Christianity as a life system or worldview, that governs every area of existence. ~ How Now Shall We Live?

I think he's nailed it. Christianity is a worldview born out of a genuine relationship, specifically, the relationship between the Master and his disciple.

Are you a Christian? I hope so. If you are, you are in relationship with your Lord (and mine). He has accepted you by His own love and sacrifice. Now you are to learn His ways and adopt them for your own. Are you doing that?

If not, how is it you claim the name Christian? What will you do with the proposal of Christianity? Don't let anyone steal your opportunity to truly be a Christian/Disciple for that is exactly what the Lord is seeking. Don't let the Liar redefine the terms Christian and Christianity for you. Changing the meaning of the term will not change the truth that they were intended to address.

Consider Paul's stated objective in Romans 1:5, "...through whom [Jesus Christ] we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name..." and again in Romans 16:26, "now [the gospel] has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures has been made know to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith."

Some will think I am bringing a "works" gospel. This is no such thing. What I am contending for is the truth of what Christianity is, and thus, the definition of a Christian. To be sure we have grace in the atonement and are given grace where we fail. But to obfuscate the clear objective of the church (to make disciples) is quite frankly...evil.

PR

Got Hope?

I just heard a report on the radio this morning citing a study of roughly 20,000 teens. The results of the study seem to challenge the notion that teens tend to think that they are invincible.

I can remember doing some pretty crazy things when I was young. I suppose shortsightedness is the best reason I could give for actions that I would consider to be quite stupid today. Did I think I was invincible? Did I just not think at all? Hmmm.

Well, this new story gives us something else to think about. According to this study conducted by, Dr. Iris Borowsky, a researcher at the University of Minnesota, approximately 15% of teens think that they will die young (that's a large chunk of kids) and these youth exhibit a high level of fatalism. When asked why they were so fatalistic and negative concerning the future, the answer was telling. According to the study the teens simply think "there is no hope" and that "not much is at stake".

Where would a 7-12 grader ever get the notion that there was no real hope and nothing of real significance at stake?

Darwinian evolution is an educational institution in its own right today. Public education is required to teach this theory by school boards all across the country. The fact regarding the Darwinian model of evolution is not that it is conclusively true. Rather, the chilling fact about evolution is that it is being foisted upon the greater portion of our youth in America and around the western world.

Why would that be an issue here? Fair question, let me explain.

According to the Neo-Darwinian model, all life is a product of random chance evolution driven by natural selection. This is an expressly random process. There is no guiding designer. There is not even a blue print. All life simply came about by random chance processes and continues to change even today.

Now let's think about this for a second. If all life is random and up to chance, then it is easy to conclude that there is no God. If there is no Transcendent Creator responsible for all of what we see, then everything regarding ethics, righteousness, love, relationships, valor, justice, and anything else you can think of that is immaterial yet valuable to society, is necessarily transient in nature. What I'm saying is this. Nothing I have listed (the things that make life worth living) are significant beyond the random forces of nature, and if I have experienced any true value in life, it was just dumb luck and temporary at best. I would have been just as likely (maybe more so) to have experienced tragedy, injustice, rape, etc.

Furthermore, the evolutionary explanation, doesn't stay in the science room. It fuels an entire worldview that is itself without hope and self contradictory. An atheistic worldview cannot satisfactorily explain our existence and within its framework, any appeal for civility and respect for life on the part of our youth appears to be a effort to simply control them. In such a worldview, a teenager's natural inclination to rebel is justified by the proposed meaninglessness of life.

You know, sometimes I think adults really believe youth are stupid. We won't encourage them to get a job at a young age because we don't think they can handle it. It will damage there fragile psyche or something. After all they're only young once, right? Do you see how this attitude of nontranscendency filters into our value system? It's the idea that all that really exists is the material world, so get it now while you can. I have news for you. Teens aren't all that slow. They are learning and that's the problem. Not that they are learning, mind you, it's what they are learning that is the problem.

Who should be shocked at this study? We have been force feeding our children with this contestable theory for some time now. Should we really be so surprised when we see results like this? No, rather we could have predicted it. I'll make a prediction for you now. It'll get worse.

The scientists say that this study will help them to spot the "at greater risk" children early and perhaps save them from themselves. I have a better idea. Why don't we teach them that they aren't an accident and that there really is a good reason to live, and live a certain way? The Christian message of hope is good for society, good for our kids, and best of all...it's true and verifiable. Much more verifiable than Darwinist model of evolution is.

While I predict that the percentage of youth that embrace these fatalistic tendencies will grow, parents can do something that will help prevent their children from being sucked into this vortex of disillusionment. They can do their homework and present the problems of Darwinian Evolution to our youth and show them the reasons many of us place our faith in the Lord who is Creator of all.

And if we don't know why we have faith in God, perhaps an honest study of the subject matter might actually end in some of us older folk coming off our anti-depressants too.

If you want see how Christianity stands up to evolution go to: answersingenesis.org or christiananswers.net

You can contact me at aiiainstitute.org and let me know what you think or simply leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you.

PR

Baptism still has its significance

I am reminded that a simple baptism service has a very significant meaning. Baptism is an ordinance or as some denominations call it, a sacrament. It is just full of meaning.

First there's the mode. It's not the most important thing, but the mode does bear significance. Our denomination practices immersion baptism which symbolizes the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The picture of the person being immersed is that of a person dying and going down into the earth (elements) and back up in a newness of life. The picture is profound.

The Bible teaches us that a person who is a true believer is a person who is identified with Christ's death. That's the picture of baptism! It is Christ who died for us and we "die with Him" when we follow in baptism (see Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:4).

The person who is baptized into Jesus Christ is a person who has openly declared his identification with Jesus, claiming Jesus' burial and resurrection to be the substitution for his own. Regardless of the mode (sprinkling or immersion) the open declaration is present in what is referred to as believers baptism. I'm not addressing the issue of infant baptism as there is no possibility of open profession.

I wonder how many believers understand what they are doing when they submit to baptism. Do they think something magical will happen to them when they emerge from the waters? To be sure the moment is a celebrated one but it should be remembered that the real significance of baptism is not merely what it represents, it is also the statement that the person being baptized is making.

Let all those who have been baptized into Jesus Christ be mindful of the declaration that was made. Let us be careful that the declaration to be identified with Jesus Christ is not nullified by lives that are inconsistent with that declaration. And let all those who witnessed the baptism be mindful to pray for the edification (spiritual maturity) of the one who decided to follow Christ. As Paul said, we are one body. We need them and they need us.

Beginning to Blog

Hi there. Thanks for stopping by. I'm getting started so stay tuned for more posts to come in the future.