A 'fuse' is commonly found in a fuse box, a safety device to prevent excessive current.
When someone 'has a short fuse', it means they have a short temper and anger quickly. The expression comes from the fuse used to set off explosives. And this is the term J. Warner Wallace is referring to ...but, he describes a long fuse.
Wars are fought much differently today, and no one would see someone stretching out a lengthy fuse. Even arson, vandalism, or sabotage ---however you want to define that type of deliberate destruction ---they include explosive devices with a detonating mechanism, not requiring a fuse.
But, it should not be too difficult to imagine how things were when railroads were to be built through mountainous terrain ...or even simply a farmer needed to get a huge rock or stump out of his field. Dynamite was used ...and a long fuse was used, placing the person a safe distance from the explosion, so they didn't have to worry about running and possibly tripping. It may be funny to watch Wile E. Coyote do it, but not in real life.
As I am about to address the statements by J. Warner Wallace, as part of my study, I must say that I believe God is in control. So, though there have been many explosive things which have happened throughout history ...one thing for certain, I don't believe God was caught off guard. To a certain extent, though many terrible things have happened, there was one event which caused a counter explosion ...sort of a planned demolition, which backfired for the ones determined it would go their way. The very thing they were planning to do, was God's doing. God knew what they were planning to do, and what they were going to do ...and it didn't play into their hand, it all ended up playing into the heart of God.
One would have to be hidden away in an ivory tower not to know of horrific events in one's own lifetime, the lifetime of their parents, and through every generation. During the time of King Herod, there were horrific crucifixions. Like most violence, it was senseless and so unnecessary. But, one crucifixion did make sense, and it was necessary. At the time, it didn't make much sense ...and few understood why it had to be, but more & more people were drawn to Him. And it did not end when many thought it would end ...it grew.
So, if I'm going to not totally veer from the assignment, I am supposed to say what I feel the fuse was, when it was lit ...and what the explosion was.
I believe the fuse was lit when the angels were created, and I think most of the group agrees that the explosion had its center at the crucifixion of Jesus and His resurrection.
I am going to say the fuse is His righteousness. That also includes a fair standard. Standards include guidelines ...and if the guidelines contain expectations, then there is usually some set understanding as to the degree we are to follow and what is acceptable. Now, if we are interviewed and then hired by an employer, we mostly understand this. But, why do we make it so much more complicated in reference to God??
And the action of lighting the fuse, I will say is His love. And the two, love & righteousness, traveled to the crucifixion of Jesus ...where both salvation and condemnation met. But, since both are God's business, and we are not qualified to fairly even guess what His judgment will be ---we are to do the part Jesus instructed us to do ---by spreading the salvation message.
I've often wondered why God created us, and that goes for why He created the angels also, which I believe He created before us for good reason. I believe there is a similar element that specifies the qualifying status that applies to both angels and humans ...as sons of God. For reasons that I believe apply to both, I believe the fallen angels are not sons of God. I think it is clearly written ...and I will list two verses here. Romans 8:14, states, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." And also Galatians 3:26, "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus."
That still does not answer why He created us ...but, I think the problem is that none of us really understand love, and I believe love is what lit the fuse.
Love is something that is not easily defined. Love has been described very loosely, and often describes very little. I had a supervisor from India who was a Christian, and she heard me say I love ice cream ...and she quickly corrected me. I was single, and she was married and had children. I concede that she knew more about love, but the important thing is that we both knew the Source ...we knew that God is Love. And it's important that we both knew from where our growth was to come ...if we were going to grow at all.
Generally, love is defined by 8 categories:
Storge ...familiar love
Ludus ...playful love
Eros ...romantic love
Philia ...affectionate love
Philautia ...self-love
Mania ...obsessive love
Pragma ...enduring love
Agape ...unconditional love
******* If we mention 'first love', we are usually talking about a familiar love which may be playful, and actually romantic and affectionate, or with dreams that it may become so. And for those who may enter into marriage and celebrate anniversary after anniversary ...they may experience enduring love, and even flatter themselves with saying they have unconditional love, but never do we reach the full understanding of God's love.
God does teach us.
To know some things about God's love, it may take time. I've heard many bitter people ask why God would place a tree within our grasp, punish us for giving into temptation by sending us from a virtual paradise, and then continue to punish us by letting cruel neighboring nations terrorize us.
Why do parents give consequences to children who dip their hand too many times into a cookie jar, when they were only given permission to do so once? And why do we let strict law enforcement officers reprimand our children and give them a warning for stealing a candy bar from a store?? Yes, why do we tolerate our neighborhood businesses who are so intolerant to our children's simple temptations ---shouldn't we take our business elsewhere, where our children can take whatever they want ---and force the business to be out of business???
Sometimes we can't see the forest for the trees.
Just like our children have to learn, God's people had to learn. They didn't automatically understand God ...after all, they were referred to as the 'children' of God.
And as the children of God learned, they assigned meaning to what they learned in Naming God according to their understanding of His character.
Elohim ...Creator
El Elyon ...Most High (alluding to omnipotent)
El Roi ...the God who sees
El Shaddai ...All-Sufficient
Adonai ...our Lord
Jehovah ...Self-Existent
Jehovah-jireh ...the Lord will provide
Jehovah-nissi ...the Lord is my Banner
Jehovah-mekoddishkem ...the Lord sanctifies
Jehovah-shalom ...the Lord brings peace
Jehovah-sabaoth ...the Lord of Hosts
Jehovah-raah ...the Lord my Shepherd
Jehovah-tsidkenu ...the Lord is our Righteousness
Jehovah-shammah ...the Lord is there (here & everywhere)
When I'm saying we can never truly understand His love ...let's go to the place where love is first mentioned in the Bible. The idea of sacrifice that at that time can't fully be realized ---to follow the tedious directions for sacrifice, to follow Him, to desire to follow Him ---our free will 'to fuse' or join with Him.
The love that we can't realize, beyond even a soldier giving his life, or a hero saving our life. "Greater love has no one than this, that one lays down his life for his friends." ---John 5:13
How about One who lays down His life for His enemies??
Jesus died for those like Saul (who became Paul). Jesus died so that anyone who decides (some later in life than others) to change their minds like Saul did, to no longer go against God ...can now go with God. That love is God's love.
I've often thought, if you desire to be with God in Heaven, then why not have the desire to be with Him now.
If you reject God, then He doesn't want you to merely reject Him for what may be a mere perception about Him, which someone else may have helped create ...but, to clearly know Him before you make your choice.
Since so many times people struggle against God, there has to be a clear message of who they are going against ...not a misunderstanding, not a poor representation of what is expected.
Jesus cleared up countless misunderstandings for those who walked the earth with Him ...if they wanted to listen. And the Bible has cleared things up for me ...to see who He is.
Yet, before Jesus ...they had events, one after another, where they could also see who God is. And since they didn't often understand His love, I refer back to the first mention of love in the Bible ...when Abraham was to understand the intertwining aspects of love, with his part to 'obey' by taking his son, whom he loved, up the mountain.
So, love and righteousness are intertwined ...and within us, we have to discern who we are going to allow to lead us, and ideally we'll choose to be led by His Holy Spirit. Galations 4:6, says, "And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."
Does one cry out to God, or cry out against Him??
So, once again, I'm redefining the fuse as sparks flying as to whether we are going to choose obedience or rebellion.
A third of the angels chose rebellion, but God quenched that fuse. Genesis 1:2, "And the earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."
Then our Creation came next ...and what part of the fuse begins to spark?? Disobedience quickly flares up amidst the confusion as to who should be believed. A silver tongue may serve up a silver platter ...but one likely does not get the perceived great deal. And they proceeded to eat the fruit which they were asked not to, having chosen who to listen to ...to re'fuse' to put God first.
It doesn't have to be a huge rebellion ...we can even politely dismiss the truth, and tell others that it is not necessary to believe God, or His Word in the Bible. We can say we love our neighbor as ourselves, and that is enough ...but, it's not.
That is only half of the commandment that Jesus gave us. Matthew 22:36-40, tells us the answer Jesus gave to the Pharisees (who were trying to appear wiser than the Sadducees who failed to trip Him up with their questions) ..."You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
And what did the prophet Isaiah say, in the very first Chapter??
(starting with verse 11):
11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.
12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?
13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot suffer it any longer ---away with it; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.
15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
(These verses in Isaiah hopefully clear up much of God's true feelings on the matter ...and we see the words 'willing' and 'obedient'. Back to the eight Greek words, the one termed 'philautia' is self-love, yet it was seen as a healthy love, not a selfish love. It is like the way we are supposed to carry out the 2nd commandment that Jesus gave ...to love your neighbor as yourself. We are supposed to love ourselves ...and though we can never love ourselves as much as God love us, if we love ourselves in this healthy way, we can more adequately love our neighbors too.
This is the way God created the angels to be ...and that is the way He intends Heaven to be. But, for everything to be as peaceful as God would have it to be ...it cannot have a selfish love than doesn't care about others (your neighbor), and what one strives for cannot be at the expense of others.
As the song lyrics go: "Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."
God knows the only way we can all get along, and we must trust Him ...and obey Him. Many people don't like to think of words like 'sin' and 'rebellion' ...yet they are both rooted in going against God.
Societies can think they are wise, and blur the lines of morality, to change what they feel is good and bad, right and wrong. It is bad and wrong to think we know more than God.
Isaiah 5:20-21, says "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight." (And Romans 1:28-32 ...mentions that they go as far as to even outright approve of those who practice unrighteousness.)
Second Thessalonians 2:10-12, says " ...and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send then strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they may all be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
If we don't trust God, we become wise in our own conceits. (Proverbs 3:7 and Romans 12:16)
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If you really like to do things your way ...then cook. The New Testament has no limitations on cooking, that I can see. And those of you who don't like to cook, will likely be thankful for those who do like to cook. I may be the exception, as people don't usually like it when I cook ---as I experiment too much with spices, and it often doesn't taste too good ---and often it tastes bad.
So, there is not one way to cook.
But, there is one way with God ...and to be with Him, is to be not against Him. John 14:5 gives us what Jesus said about the way, "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life."
If we say we want to follow Jesus, that does not mean we won't veer or stray off the path ...but to know the way, we must trust Him who leads the way.
But, what is it that we trust about whom we say we trust?? Are we to trust falsehoods?? Are we to trust our own leading, and trust that will be true enough ...whether it be part true, or not true at all???
Or do we establish our own level of intellectual reality, saying "Truth is that which is true for me ...and everyone must find their own truth. Be true to thyself."
Now, we don't have to be overly intellectual about it. When missionaries go to less advanced areas of the earth, they often start out with simple verses from the Bible, that are easy to understand. And upon hearing God's Word, often they embrace the simple message.
Matthew 28:19, Jesus tells His disciples to go, and teach all nations ...but, does that mean we should give up on our own nation. Our own nation may not accept the simple message of the Gospel of Jesus; therefore should we just give up trying to share the message?? Or should we rise to the challenge, with a sincere interest in sharing with them?? (Some of them may be family members, and that may provide more, or perhaps less opportunities over time.)
Some people look at the Bible with a carefree attitude, sort of the way I cook ...throw in whatever you want, and ignore whatever doesn't fit your fancy for that day. Others appear lackadaisical, uninterested, or dismissive.
But, the Bible is not there for us to dismiss, while clinging onto whatever is true for us. If we were to only cling to whatever was true for us, then the Apostles would have not been so driven to share the truth about Jesus, even unto death.
And there is much that convinces me that Creation is how we humans came about, not evolution. John 5:46-47, quotes Jesus as saying, "For had you believed Moses, you would have believed Me; for he wrote of Me. But if you believe not his writings, how can you believe My words?"
(The more often that verses like this are quoted, the more these verses and others like them are discounted, and accepted as not true ---until one has little they can trust, and it leaves them not believing much at all about God, and only that Jesus was good ---because He was kind and tried to help people on earth, while at the same time rebelled against the religious leaders of His time, and the government.)
(Were the apostles like some of today's religious extremists??)
Additional note: For those who think it is not fair for a loving God to exclude someone from Heaven. Simply, God doesn't exclude anyone, there are those who exclude themselves. We all have freedom of choice, and we don't all go to Heaven to have God remove the total autonomy of who we are, to become a mere automaton. Heaven is not designed by God for everyone to live together with their present mindset ...if there was no separation, then Heaven would be just like earth. And though some of you may say you prefer that ...those who are having to live each day with the most intense evil, will welcome a new life separated from those who will never change their wicked ways.
All those are elements that lead to understanding love. The apostle John did not die when he reclined at the table as they ate, resting his head against Jesus.
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