"Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'" -Genesis 1.26-28
As the initial work of creation wraps, God places His representative on earth. God makes man in His own image, and places him to steward and care for the rest of His creation. "The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it." Psalm 24.1 declares. This world is God's. Every plant, animal, and person belongs to Him. And God has entrusted the world to the care of humans.
God makes man so that man can represent Him as he cares for creation. Man is made in the image of God, male and female, so that together they can show the rest of creation what God is like. He charges man to this end, instructing Him to explore, enjoy, and care for the world He has made. God makes His world, and then makes man to represent Him. Man exists to show creation who God is. Man exists for God.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Monday, October 3, 2016
Saturday, October 1, 2016
Variety
"Then God said, 'Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind'; and it was so. God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good." -Genesis 1.24-25
The sun shines on the trees, as birds soar through the sky, and fish swim in the sea. While the creation to this point is amazing, God is not done yet. The sea and air are full, but the land is not, and so God speaks again, and the animals that fill the earth are created. Everything from elephants to ants is formed. Lions and dinosaurs, zebras and cows (that thought makes me smile, there were cows in the Garden of Eden), dogs and elk, squirrels and orangutans (that's one of my favorite words).
The shear number of animals is amazing. Think of all the types of bears there are. Now think about all the big cats. How many species of dogs are there? There are thousands of mammals, and nearly one million insects in the world,* and these numbers don't include the undiscovered or the extinct species. It's estimated that more than five billion species, 99% of all the species that have ever lived, are now extinct.** Think about that, the amazing variety of life on this earth (including plants, birds, and fish, as well as the animals created on day six), is only 1% of God's original creation.
God is infinitely creative, and that creativity results in wondrous variety. God is not boring, He thought up the platypus and the ostrich. He gave elephants trunks and moose antlers. He made horses run and kangaroos jump. With infinite creativity comes wondrous variety, and each species is unique, made according to its own kind. That is how God made the animals, in wondrous variety.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
*http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0934288.html
**Stearns, Beverly Peterson; Stearns, S. C.; Stearns, Stephen C. (2000). Watching, from the Edge of Extinction. Yale University Press. p. 1921. ISBN 978-0-300-08469-6.
The sun shines on the trees, as birds soar through the sky, and fish swim in the sea. While the creation to this point is amazing, God is not done yet. The sea and air are full, but the land is not, and so God speaks again, and the animals that fill the earth are created. Everything from elephants to ants is formed. Lions and dinosaurs, zebras and cows (that thought makes me smile, there were cows in the Garden of Eden), dogs and elk, squirrels and orangutans (that's one of my favorite words).
The shear number of animals is amazing. Think of all the types of bears there are. Now think about all the big cats. How many species of dogs are there? There are thousands of mammals, and nearly one million insects in the world,* and these numbers don't include the undiscovered or the extinct species. It's estimated that more than five billion species, 99% of all the species that have ever lived, are now extinct.** Think about that, the amazing variety of life on this earth (including plants, birds, and fish, as well as the animals created on day six), is only 1% of God's original creation.
God is infinitely creative, and that creativity results in wondrous variety. God is not boring, He thought up the platypus and the ostrich. He gave elephants trunks and moose antlers. He made horses run and kangaroos jump. With infinite creativity comes wondrous variety, and each species is unique, made according to its own kind. That is how God made the animals, in wondrous variety.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
*http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0934288.html
**Stearns, Beverly Peterson; Stearns, S. C.; Stearns, Stephen C. (2000). Watching, from the Edge of Extinction. Yale University Press. p. 1921. ISBN 978-0-300-08469-6.
Friday, September 30, 2016
Creative
"Then God said, 'Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.' God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.' There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day." -Genesis 1.20-23
Creation continues, God continues to speak and the words of His mouth continue to be obeyed. The earth is full of plants, the sky is full of stars, and day five, God fills the sea and the air with fish and birds. Each one is unique, and the creation of the first animals shows God infinite creativity.
I did a quick google search, and there are nearly 10,000 known species of birds in the world, that doesn't include all of the extinct varieties, or the ones deep in the rain forest that no one has discovered. God said "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures", this goes beyond fish. Whales, shellfish, turtles, krill, sea horses, even the microbes. There are over 17,000 species living in the depths of the oceans where no light reaches, and in a single liter of sea water there are 38,000 different microbes. Estimates greatly vary, but some experts say that the most explored region of the oceans, the coast to 65 feet deep, could contain up to ten million different species.* And all of these originated from a few words from the mouth of God.
During the summer, put out a bird feeder and look at the variety of birds that show up in your own backyard (no the brown fluffy thing with the bushy tail doesn't count). Do a google image search of fish, if that doesn't blow your mind, try searching tropical fish, or sea life. And remember, that the pictures available only show the ones we're aware of.
God is infinitely creative. The life contained in the sky and the oceans of our own planet show that. If you need further convincing, go back one day of creation, and do a google image search of the universe, or two days back and search flowers. Everything on this planet originated from the mouth of God. The gentle sound of water falling over rocks and the booming clap of thunder. The brilliant flash of lighting and the breathtaking colors of a sunset. The scent of a rose and the taste of strawberries. The way gills of a fish work and how birds are able to fly. All of these amazing things came from the words spoken by God who is infinitely creative.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
*https://ocean.si.edu/census-marine-life
Creation continues, God continues to speak and the words of His mouth continue to be obeyed. The earth is full of plants, the sky is full of stars, and day five, God fills the sea and the air with fish and birds. Each one is unique, and the creation of the first animals shows God infinite creativity.
I did a quick google search, and there are nearly 10,000 known species of birds in the world, that doesn't include all of the extinct varieties, or the ones deep in the rain forest that no one has discovered. God said "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures", this goes beyond fish. Whales, shellfish, turtles, krill, sea horses, even the microbes. There are over 17,000 species living in the depths of the oceans where no light reaches, and in a single liter of sea water there are 38,000 different microbes. Estimates greatly vary, but some experts say that the most explored region of the oceans, the coast to 65 feet deep, could contain up to ten million different species.* And all of these originated from a few words from the mouth of God.
During the summer, put out a bird feeder and look at the variety of birds that show up in your own backyard (no the brown fluffy thing with the bushy tail doesn't count). Do a google image search of fish, if that doesn't blow your mind, try searching tropical fish, or sea life. And remember, that the pictures available only show the ones we're aware of.
God is infinitely creative. The life contained in the sky and the oceans of our own planet show that. If you need further convincing, go back one day of creation, and do a google image search of the universe, or two days back and search flowers. Everything on this planet originated from the mouth of God. The gentle sound of water falling over rocks and the booming clap of thunder. The brilliant flash of lighting and the breathtaking colors of a sunset. The scent of a rose and the taste of strawberries. The way gills of a fish work and how birds are able to fly. All of these amazing things came from the words spoken by God who is infinitely creative.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
*https://ocean.si.edu/census-marine-life
Thursday, September 29, 2016
Purpose
"Then God said, 'Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth'; and it was so. God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day." -Genesis 1.14-19
As creation progresses, God continues to bring order and to show his authority. He has made light, and now He contains it in a source. He makes the sun, the moon, and the stars, and in doing so, He creates the seasons and years with the earths revolution around the sun, days with the earths rotation on it's axis. He makes these lights to illuminate the earth, the sun fully by day, and the moon and starts partially by night, so that darkness will never dominate.
With the fourth day of creation, we see that God makes everything with a purpose. The earth rotates so that days occur. If the earth did not rotate, one side would be a scorching desert, while the other would be a dark frozen wasteland. The moon is created, and we now know that it reflects light from the sun, to give light at night. The stars are there, and by them people can navigate where they are in the world. There is a point to everything in creation, and ultimately that point is to glorify God.
Louie Giglio gave two talks years ago, Indescribable* and How Great is our God**, and in them he talks about the stars, and how they exist to give God glory. In the beginning, God said "Let there be light" and there was light. It came from the mouth of God, and Revelation 21 and 22 tells us that in the new heaven and new earth there will be no sun or moon because the glory of God illuminates the inhabitants of the city. The sun, moon, and stars, serve as a reminder of God. They are not God, and they should not be worshiped, prayed to, or sought for the future, but as God's creation, they reveal and remind us of who God is. The sun gives light, warmth and comfort. At the same time it is powerful and dangerous, too long under it's rays, and your skin will burn. The moon gives light to the darkness by gently reflecting the light of the sun. The stars remain constant and can lead a lost sailor or traveler home. God is warm and comforting, but He is also powerful and dangerous. God is gentle, reaching into the darkness, and God is constant and unchanging.
The Sun, the moon, and the stars, declare the glory of God. That is their purpose.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvNs8IrfKWk
**https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azFFc20_Ub4
As creation progresses, God continues to bring order and to show his authority. He has made light, and now He contains it in a source. He makes the sun, the moon, and the stars, and in doing so, He creates the seasons and years with the earths revolution around the sun, days with the earths rotation on it's axis. He makes these lights to illuminate the earth, the sun fully by day, and the moon and starts partially by night, so that darkness will never dominate.
With the fourth day of creation, we see that God makes everything with a purpose. The earth rotates so that days occur. If the earth did not rotate, one side would be a scorching desert, while the other would be a dark frozen wasteland. The moon is created, and we now know that it reflects light from the sun, to give light at night. The stars are there, and by them people can navigate where they are in the world. There is a point to everything in creation, and ultimately that point is to glorify God.
Louie Giglio gave two talks years ago, Indescribable* and How Great is our God**, and in them he talks about the stars, and how they exist to give God glory. In the beginning, God said "Let there be light" and there was light. It came from the mouth of God, and Revelation 21 and 22 tells us that in the new heaven and new earth there will be no sun or moon because the glory of God illuminates the inhabitants of the city. The sun, moon, and stars, serve as a reminder of God. They are not God, and they should not be worshiped, prayed to, or sought for the future, but as God's creation, they reveal and remind us of who God is. The sun gives light, warmth and comfort. At the same time it is powerful and dangerous, too long under it's rays, and your skin will burn. The moon gives light to the darkness by gently reflecting the light of the sun. The stars remain constant and can lead a lost sailor or traveler home. God is warm and comforting, but He is also powerful and dangerous. God is gentle, reaching into the darkness, and God is constant and unchanging.
The Sun, the moon, and the stars, declare the glory of God. That is their purpose.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvNs8IrfKWk
**https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azFFc20_Ub4
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Life
"Then God said, 'Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear'; and it was so. God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good. Then God said, 'Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them'; and it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning, a third day." -Genesis 1.9-13
As the creation progresses, God continues to bring order and show His authority, and the use of His authority continues to bring about greater and more complex things. The second day of creation God separates the waters, making the sky, and at the beginning of day three He commands the waters to be gathered into a place and for dry land to appear. At His command the waters become seas, and for the first time the continents appear on the earth. But that isn't where God stops.
Once there is dry land, God begins to fill it. He commands vegetation, plants and fruit trees to come forth and it happens. Think of the creativity this shows. God simply said vegetation, plants, and fruit trees. He doesn't specify anything, but from the words of His mouth come apples and oranges, raspberries and blue berries, plums and peaches. At a single word, oaks, pines, and maples appear, along with cacti and palm trees. Roses and lilies, tomatoes and green beans, all of them come from the mouth of God.
Over the past few years I've really gotten into gardening, and as I have, I've noticed something about this passage that I hadn't before. God does not simply create the plants, but plants the produce seeds. He creates a way for life to continue and spread. I once heard the question, "How many apples are in an apple seed?" Within a single seed is the potential for a tree, and that one tree has the potential to produce countless apples over decades, maybe centuries. Within each apple are more seeds, each one containing a tree that will produce countless apples. That was God's design, ongoing life.
When God creates life, He does it in a way that allows that life to create more life. Death and barrenness are not part of His design. God is a god of life.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
As the creation progresses, God continues to bring order and show His authority, and the use of His authority continues to bring about greater and more complex things. The second day of creation God separates the waters, making the sky, and at the beginning of day three He commands the waters to be gathered into a place and for dry land to appear. At His command the waters become seas, and for the first time the continents appear on the earth. But that isn't where God stops.
Once there is dry land, God begins to fill it. He commands vegetation, plants and fruit trees to come forth and it happens. Think of the creativity this shows. God simply said vegetation, plants, and fruit trees. He doesn't specify anything, but from the words of His mouth come apples and oranges, raspberries and blue berries, plums and peaches. At a single word, oaks, pines, and maples appear, along with cacti and palm trees. Roses and lilies, tomatoes and green beans, all of them come from the mouth of God.
Over the past few years I've really gotten into gardening, and as I have, I've noticed something about this passage that I hadn't before. God does not simply create the plants, but plants the produce seeds. He creates a way for life to continue and spread. I once heard the question, "How many apples are in an apple seed?" Within a single seed is the potential for a tree, and that one tree has the potential to produce countless apples over decades, maybe centuries. Within each apple are more seeds, each one containing a tree that will produce countless apples. That was God's design, ongoing life.
When God creates life, He does it in a way that allows that life to create more life. Death and barrenness are not part of His design. God is a god of life.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Authority
"Then God said, 'Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.' God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day." -Genesis 1.6-8
Then God said... and it was so. God speaks, and what He says happens. Without question or hesitation, God's commands are obeyed, even by the water and sky. That is authority. God commands the universe with His voice, and what He says is accomplished by inanimate objects. His words bring everything out of nothing. By His authority chaos is brought to order, light fills the darkness.
The reality of who God is should put us flat on our faces, in reverent humility of His absolute authority, and yet we arrogantly defy Him. Psalm 19.1 says, "The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands." I'm looking through the window at the sky, it's clear and a bright shade of blue at the moment. God spoke and it was made, I can't even command the window to open. Who am I before God? Who are you?
Let us never forget that the absolute and ultimate authority belongs to God. When He speaks, what He says happens exactly as He says it. His will is perfectly accomplished.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Then God said... and it was so. God speaks, and what He says happens. Without question or hesitation, God's commands are obeyed, even by the water and sky. That is authority. God commands the universe with His voice, and what He says is accomplished by inanimate objects. His words bring everything out of nothing. By His authority chaos is brought to order, light fills the darkness.
The reality of who God is should put us flat on our faces, in reverent humility of His absolute authority, and yet we arrogantly defy Him. Psalm 19.1 says, "The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands." I'm looking through the window at the sky, it's clear and a bright shade of blue at the moment. God spoke and it was made, I can't even command the window to open. Who am I before God? Who are you?
Let us never forget that the absolute and ultimate authority belongs to God. When He speaks, what He says happens exactly as He says it. His will is perfectly accomplished.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Monday, September 26, 2016
Order
"Then God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day." -Genesis 1.3-5
God is moving in the silent darkness, and then He breaks the silence with the words that set everything into motion, "Let there be light". Immediately the darkness is banished as light comes from the mouth of God. For the first time the world is visible. For the first time the world feels warmth. God speaks, and something happens. He looks at what He has made and see that it is good. And then he brings order.
God does not destroy the darkness, because at this point everything is good, functioning as it was supposed to. He separates the light and the darkness, creating day and night. He creates a time to work, and a time to rest. God creates order at the beginning of His creation. God is not chaotic or random. Everything He does is intentional and with purpose. There are no accidents with God. God is a god of order.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
God is moving in the silent darkness, and then He breaks the silence with the words that set everything into motion, "Let there be light". Immediately the darkness is banished as light comes from the mouth of God. For the first time the world is visible. For the first time the world feels warmth. God speaks, and something happens. He looks at what He has made and see that it is good. And then he brings order.
God does not destroy the darkness, because at this point everything is good, functioning as it was supposed to. He separates the light and the darkness, creating day and night. He creates a time to work, and a time to rest. God creates order at the beginning of His creation. God is not chaotic or random. Everything He does is intentional and with purpose. There are no accidents with God. God is a god of order.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Friday, September 23, 2016
Present
"The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters." -Genesis 1.2
Chaos, that is the picture of Genesis 1.2. The earth has no form, and it is void and empty. It is dark, cold, and silent. There is no land, no light, no birds singing, and no tress from them to sing from. It sounds miserable and honestly, a bit frightening. And yet, we see that God is there, and He is active. In the midst of the chaos, God is present, and He is moving over the surface of the deep.
God is present in the chaos, always. For my undergraduate degree I took a class on Job and Psalms, and the biggest thing I took from the class is that God's silence is not equivalent to His absence. At this point in the creation narrative, God has not yet spoken. He has been silent, allowing the darkness and chaos to rule, but He is not absent, and He is not stagnant. He is there, and He is moving.
It is so easy to feel that God is not present when things are difficult and uncertain. When God does not answer prayer it is so easy to feel that He hasn't noticed or doesn't care. But the Bible shows us here, that even in the darkest moment, before light had ever been created, God was there. The darkness does not chase Him away, the silent void does not incapacitate Him. In the midst of chaos, God is always present.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Chaos, that is the picture of Genesis 1.2. The earth has no form, and it is void and empty. It is dark, cold, and silent. There is no land, no light, no birds singing, and no tress from them to sing from. It sounds miserable and honestly, a bit frightening. And yet, we see that God is there, and He is active. In the midst of the chaos, God is present, and He is moving over the surface of the deep.
God is present in the chaos, always. For my undergraduate degree I took a class on Job and Psalms, and the biggest thing I took from the class is that God's silence is not equivalent to His absence. At this point in the creation narrative, God has not yet spoken. He has been silent, allowing the darkness and chaos to rule, but He is not absent, and He is not stagnant. He is there, and He is moving.
It is so easy to feel that God is not present when things are difficult and uncertain. When God does not answer prayer it is so easy to feel that He hasn't noticed or doesn't care. But the Bible shows us here, that even in the darkest moment, before light had ever been created, God was there. The darkness does not chase Him away, the silent void does not incapacitate Him. In the midst of chaos, God is always present.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Peace be with you
Thursday, September 22, 2016
The Beginning
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." -Genesis 1.1
I've heard the debate for so long, young earth vs. old earth. Science says this, faith leads this way. It's one of those arguments that seems like a big deal because the truth, or reliability, of the Bible over science seems to hang on nailing down a date for when all of this started. Christians use the Bible to piece together a timeline and come to the young earth mindset, but science says this dinosaur fossil is 65 million years old. I've heard the theories proposed to reconcile the two opposing views, and I even reached out to one of the most brilliant Biblical minds I have the privilege of knowing, asking his thoughts on one particular theory. His response, "I don't think the Bible provides support for any of the theories. It is theological document, not concerned with our scientific questions. Even in Gen 1 the writer utilizes his knowledge of the world in his description of God as the creator of everything visible and invisible to us. I think it gives us a pattern for us to follow. Could we do the same today?"
The Bible doesn't tell us when the beginning was, because it doesn't matter. The time is not important, the Who is. What matters is not how long ago the creation took place, but who made it happen. Whenever the beginning was, God created the heavens and the earth. God is the one who began time, setting the universe into motion. Genesis 1.1 tells us that God is eternal, existing before everything, and bringing everything into existence. It shouldn't shake your faith when science says, "The universe is 13.8 billion years old"* because if that is the truth, it just means that 13.8 billion years ago, God decided to create everything.
It does not matter how old I believe the universe is. What matters is what I believe about it's originator. The Bible tells us that in the beginning, God created. That is what matters. The focus is not on me being able to argue that my timeline is correct for these reasons, but that when everything began, when this amazing creation came into being, God was there making it all happen.
The Bible tells us who the creator is, God. The Bible tells us that God existed before the creation. These are the things that matter. God is eternal, and God is all powerful. The universe exists because God created it.
Genesis 1.1 tells us that God is the eternal creator.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY
Peace be with you
*http://www.space.com/24054-how-old-is-the-universe.html
I've heard the debate for so long, young earth vs. old earth. Science says this, faith leads this way. It's one of those arguments that seems like a big deal because the truth, or reliability, of the Bible over science seems to hang on nailing down a date for when all of this started. Christians use the Bible to piece together a timeline and come to the young earth mindset, but science says this dinosaur fossil is 65 million years old. I've heard the theories proposed to reconcile the two opposing views, and I even reached out to one of the most brilliant Biblical minds I have the privilege of knowing, asking his thoughts on one particular theory. His response, "I don't think the Bible provides support for any of the theories. It is theological document, not concerned with our scientific questions. Even in Gen 1 the writer utilizes his knowledge of the world in his description of God as the creator of everything visible and invisible to us. I think it gives us a pattern for us to follow. Could we do the same today?"
The Bible doesn't tell us when the beginning was, because it doesn't matter. The time is not important, the Who is. What matters is not how long ago the creation took place, but who made it happen. Whenever the beginning was, God created the heavens and the earth. God is the one who began time, setting the universe into motion. Genesis 1.1 tells us that God is eternal, existing before everything, and bringing everything into existence. It shouldn't shake your faith when science says, "The universe is 13.8 billion years old"* because if that is the truth, it just means that 13.8 billion years ago, God decided to create everything.
It does not matter how old I believe the universe is. What matters is what I believe about it's originator. The Bible tells us that in the beginning, God created. That is what matters. The focus is not on me being able to argue that my timeline is correct for these reasons, but that when everything began, when this amazing creation came into being, God was there making it all happen.
The Bible tells us who the creator is, God. The Bible tells us that God existed before the creation. These are the things that matter. God is eternal, and God is all powerful. The universe exists because God created it.
Genesis 1.1 tells us that God is the eternal creator.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY
Peace be with you
*http://www.space.com/24054-how-old-is-the-universe.html
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
The Subject
I've started this post close to half a dozen times this morning. It's been a while since I've written, and to be completely honest I think a lot of my writing to this point has lacked proper focus. When I started this blog it was with the desire to reach the hearts of men, and help them to see and understand who God had created them to be. As I have reflected back over the past few weeks, I feel that focus was incorrect. We are not the point, and our destiny is not the ultimate goal. The Bible is not a moral compass, a field guide to getting through life. It is not science or history. The Bible is a theology book, and the subject is given in the very first sentence.
"In the beginning GOD created the heavens and the earth."
The subject of the Bible is God. The point of life is to come to know Him so that we may glorify Him. His desire is for us to know Him, so much so that He became man in the person of Jesus to show us what He is like, and left us hundreds of pages telling us who He is.
I've lost focus in my life. How many blogs have I written, how many sermons have I preached, how many studies have I led that were focused on getting people to live better lives, striving to do more or be more righteous? How much time have I wasted in pursuit of good things, neglecting the best thing?
Paul said in Philippians 3.7-11, "But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead."
The subject of life is God, and our goal must be to know Him. I want to want to know Him more. I don't want to write, or teach anything that does not help people to know God better. I don't want any focus other than Him.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY
Peace be with you
"In the beginning GOD created the heavens and the earth."
The subject of the Bible is God. The point of life is to come to know Him so that we may glorify Him. His desire is for us to know Him, so much so that He became man in the person of Jesus to show us what He is like, and left us hundreds of pages telling us who He is.
I've lost focus in my life. How many blogs have I written, how many sermons have I preached, how many studies have I led that were focused on getting people to live better lives, striving to do more or be more righteous? How much time have I wasted in pursuit of good things, neglecting the best thing?
Paul said in Philippians 3.7-11, "But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead."
The subject of life is God, and our goal must be to know Him. I want to want to know Him more. I don't want to write, or teach anything that does not help people to know God better. I don't want any focus other than Him.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY
Peace be with you
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
The Pursuit of God
"So with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he made a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two measures of seed. Then he arranged the wood and cut the ox in pieces and laid it on the wood.... Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench." 1 Kings 18.32-33, 38
In the preface of The Pursuit of God author A. W. Tozer says, "Current evangelicalism has laid the altar and divided the sacrifice into parts, but now seems satisfied to count the stones and rearrange the pieces with never a care that there is not a sign of fire upon the top of lofty Carmel." The first time I read the book this statement didn't stand out to me, because it isn't underlined, but yesterday, as I sat with a group of men discussing the introduction and preface of the book, this statement hit me.
It is easy to get caught up in the popular trends. I've been thinking about the various books that people have flocked to. Fifteen years ago it was A Purpose Driven Life, then there was the Rob Bell craze, and then Francis Chan. I haven't read Warren's book, and I know that Bell is surrounded with controversy, but I have found Chan to be very God centered and biblically focused. The Church does the same thing, jumping from teaching styles, worship styles, or programs, trying to stay fresh and relevant. The altar has been built, and the sacrifice prepared, but we are so busy constantly rearranging the pieces of the sacrifice that we never take notice that fire has not fallen from heaven.
The question on my mind is this, do we really want God to show up?
Do we really want the power of God to move in our lives? Do we really want Him to be at work? Do we really want to live for Him? I've been convicted about this a lot recently. God's job is not to make my life comfortable, or to solve all of my problems. He does not exist to serve me, I exist to know Him and obey Him. Romans 12.1-2 says, "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Our lives are to be laid on the altar before God, presented to Him and not taken back or rearranged.
God must be given control, we must surrender. We can have our opinions about how to follow Him. We can read the books, change the programs, but I wonder how much of it actually serves to distract us from God. How much have we complicated this whole thing with our own ideas and opinions? Tozer quotes Wesley, "Orthodoxy, or right opinion, is at best, a very slender part of religion. Though right tempers cannot subsist without right opinions, yet right opinions may subsist without right tempers. There may be a right opinion of God without either love or one right temper toward Him. Satan is proof of this."
Do we really know God, or have we created Him as we would have Him be? Maybe the reason the fire has not fallen from Heaven is because we aren't calling out to the right God. In 1 Kings 18, 450 prophets cry out to Baal from dawn to dusk, and nothing happens. For hours these men cry out to the god they have created, or adopted from another cultures creation. The altar is built, the sacrifice is arranged, but nothing happens because they do not know who God is. Elijah, who knows the true God, repairs the altar, offers a simple prayer, and immediately the fire falls from heaven. Maybe the question is not, do we want God to show up, but do we really know God?
2 Timothy 2.25-26 states that there are those who believe they follow God, but have really been ensnared by the enemy to do his work. I read a post this week that said "The devil's goal isn't to get you to do bad things but to keep you from Jesus." If Satan can distract us, ensnare us, keep us focused on the altar, we never notice that the fire hasn't consumed it. We make the mistake of thinking the altar, or the sacrifice is the point, when in reality, the fire consumes both of them.
God is the point, God as He is, not as we would make Him. I want my focus to be on the fire, not the offering, because without the fire, the offering is just rotting meat. I want my life to be a pursuit of God. I don't want this to be just another book I read, and then move on to the next thing, I want it to be the focus of my life. I want to be a pursuer of God, as Paul said in Philippians 3.14, "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
---------------------------------------------------------------
God, allow me to know You as You are, not as I would have You to be. The point of this is to know You, to experience Your fire falling from Heaven. Let this be the case in my life. Let me not be distracted by rocks of the altar or the sacrifice laid on top of it, but to be fully focused on who You are. May my life be spent in pursuit of You.
Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
In the preface of The Pursuit of God author A. W. Tozer says, "Current evangelicalism has laid the altar and divided the sacrifice into parts, but now seems satisfied to count the stones and rearrange the pieces with never a care that there is not a sign of fire upon the top of lofty Carmel." The first time I read the book this statement didn't stand out to me, because it isn't underlined, but yesterday, as I sat with a group of men discussing the introduction and preface of the book, this statement hit me.
It is easy to get caught up in the popular trends. I've been thinking about the various books that people have flocked to. Fifteen years ago it was A Purpose Driven Life, then there was the Rob Bell craze, and then Francis Chan. I haven't read Warren's book, and I know that Bell is surrounded with controversy, but I have found Chan to be very God centered and biblically focused. The Church does the same thing, jumping from teaching styles, worship styles, or programs, trying to stay fresh and relevant. The altar has been built, and the sacrifice prepared, but we are so busy constantly rearranging the pieces of the sacrifice that we never take notice that fire has not fallen from heaven.
The question on my mind is this, do we really want God to show up?
Do we really want the power of God to move in our lives? Do we really want Him to be at work? Do we really want to live for Him? I've been convicted about this a lot recently. God's job is not to make my life comfortable, or to solve all of my problems. He does not exist to serve me, I exist to know Him and obey Him. Romans 12.1-2 says, "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Our lives are to be laid on the altar before God, presented to Him and not taken back or rearranged.
God must be given control, we must surrender. We can have our opinions about how to follow Him. We can read the books, change the programs, but I wonder how much of it actually serves to distract us from God. How much have we complicated this whole thing with our own ideas and opinions? Tozer quotes Wesley, "Orthodoxy, or right opinion, is at best, a very slender part of religion. Though right tempers cannot subsist without right opinions, yet right opinions may subsist without right tempers. There may be a right opinion of God without either love or one right temper toward Him. Satan is proof of this."
Do we really know God, or have we created Him as we would have Him be? Maybe the reason the fire has not fallen from Heaven is because we aren't calling out to the right God. In 1 Kings 18, 450 prophets cry out to Baal from dawn to dusk, and nothing happens. For hours these men cry out to the god they have created, or adopted from another cultures creation. The altar is built, the sacrifice is arranged, but nothing happens because they do not know who God is. Elijah, who knows the true God, repairs the altar, offers a simple prayer, and immediately the fire falls from heaven. Maybe the question is not, do we want God to show up, but do we really know God?
2 Timothy 2.25-26 states that there are those who believe they follow God, but have really been ensnared by the enemy to do his work. I read a post this week that said "The devil's goal isn't to get you to do bad things but to keep you from Jesus." If Satan can distract us, ensnare us, keep us focused on the altar, we never notice that the fire hasn't consumed it. We make the mistake of thinking the altar, or the sacrifice is the point, when in reality, the fire consumes both of them.
God is the point, God as He is, not as we would make Him. I want my focus to be on the fire, not the offering, because without the fire, the offering is just rotting meat. I want my life to be a pursuit of God. I don't want this to be just another book I read, and then move on to the next thing, I want it to be the focus of my life. I want to be a pursuer of God, as Paul said in Philippians 3.14, "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
---------------------------------------------------------------
God, allow me to know You as You are, not as I would have You to be. The point of this is to know You, to experience Your fire falling from Heaven. Let this be the case in my life. Let me not be distracted by rocks of the altar or the sacrifice laid on top of it, but to be fully focused on who You are. May my life be spent in pursuit of You.
Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Voices
"The call is the expression of the nature of the One who calls, and we can only recognize the call if that same nature is in us.... The call of God is not a reflection of my nature; my personal desires and temperament are of no consideration. As long as I dwell on my own qualities and traits and think about what I am suited for, I will never hear the call of God.... The majority of us cannot hear anything but ourselves. And we cannot hear anything God says." Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, January 16.
There is so much in my head right now, I'm not even sure I know where to begin processing all of it. Recently it's been so overwhelming that I just haven't even tried. I'm tired. For the past few months I've felt a lot like Elijah in 1 Kings 19. Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel in 1 Kings 18 when God sent fire from heaven. There was an amazing showing of God's power, and in the very next chapter Jezebel promises to kill Elijah, and so he flees to Horeb.
This is the same mountain where Moses met with God and received the the Ten Commandments, as well as the instructions for the Tabernacle and the items within. This is a a place where God has met with man before. His power showed up in thunder and lightning which terrified the people. Elijah has just witnessed similar power on a different mountain. He comes to Sinai, and finds a cave where he sets up camp. God comes to him and asks what he is doing? The mission was to proclaim the message of God to the people and help Israel turn from pagan worship back to God. He begins the work, sees God do something amazing, but at the first sign of resistance, he runs away. On the mountain, God speaks to Elijah.
1 Kings 19.11-12, "So He said, 'Go forth and stand on the mountain before the Lord.' And behold, the Lord was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing."
God tells him that He is passing by. There is a wind that is smashing the rocks and breaking apart the mountain, but God is not in it. There is a earthquake which is shaking the foundation of the mountain, but God is not in it. There is a fire, which consumes the vegetation on the mountain, but God is not in it. Then, after all of the power and chaos, there is a gentle blowing, and now God is on the scene. Elijah covers his face, and leaves the cave to meet God.
Up to this point, God is seen in power. He speaks with thunder and lightning, He splits the Red Sea and the Jordan River. City walls collapse, giants fall, fire descends from heaven. God shows Himself in mighty ways, doing the impossible, and yet here, Elijah meets God in gentleness and tenderness. The mighty forces of nature that demanded his attention did not captivate him, because God was not there, but when God shows up, Elijah goes out to meet him.
Right now I feel like my focus is on the wind of missing my family, the earthquake of what everyone is telling me to do, and the fire of everything I feel like I need to figure out. There are so many things that grab for my attention that I cannot hear the gentle blowing of God showing up and wanting to speak. God is mighty and powerful, He shows Himself in mighty ways, but He is a gentle, compassionate, loving Father, who desires to nurture and comfort His children. I feel like so many people involved in this are focused on the wind, earthquake, and fire in their own lives, that they are not hearing the gentle blowing of God. I feel like that is often the case in life. There are so many distractions, so many personal feelings and emotions that get in the way of what God is wanting to say. Chambers said it, "The majority of us cannot hear anything but ourselves. And we cannot hear anything God says."
I'm trying to figure out how to silence everything else, or at the very least look past it and tune it out. I feel like for far too long I've been focused on what everyone expects of me, how everyone sees me, and who everyone sees me to be. I don't want to listen to anything but God. I don't want anything else to captivate my attention. I want to be like Elijah, who knew the voice of God, and when He showed up, responded and went out to meet Him. I want to hear what He says, no matter what that message may be, and I want to respond in full obedience. I want all the voices but His to be silenced.
Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
There is so much in my head right now, I'm not even sure I know where to begin processing all of it. Recently it's been so overwhelming that I just haven't even tried. I'm tired. For the past few months I've felt a lot like Elijah in 1 Kings 19. Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel in 1 Kings 18 when God sent fire from heaven. There was an amazing showing of God's power, and in the very next chapter Jezebel promises to kill Elijah, and so he flees to Horeb.
This is the same mountain where Moses met with God and received the the Ten Commandments, as well as the instructions for the Tabernacle and the items within. This is a a place where God has met with man before. His power showed up in thunder and lightning which terrified the people. Elijah has just witnessed similar power on a different mountain. He comes to Sinai, and finds a cave where he sets up camp. God comes to him and asks what he is doing? The mission was to proclaim the message of God to the people and help Israel turn from pagan worship back to God. He begins the work, sees God do something amazing, but at the first sign of resistance, he runs away. On the mountain, God speaks to Elijah.
1 Kings 19.11-12, "So He said, 'Go forth and stand on the mountain before the Lord.' And behold, the Lord was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing."
God tells him that He is passing by. There is a wind that is smashing the rocks and breaking apart the mountain, but God is not in it. There is a earthquake which is shaking the foundation of the mountain, but God is not in it. There is a fire, which consumes the vegetation on the mountain, but God is not in it. Then, after all of the power and chaos, there is a gentle blowing, and now God is on the scene. Elijah covers his face, and leaves the cave to meet God.
Up to this point, God is seen in power. He speaks with thunder and lightning, He splits the Red Sea and the Jordan River. City walls collapse, giants fall, fire descends from heaven. God shows Himself in mighty ways, doing the impossible, and yet here, Elijah meets God in gentleness and tenderness. The mighty forces of nature that demanded his attention did not captivate him, because God was not there, but when God shows up, Elijah goes out to meet him.
Right now I feel like my focus is on the wind of missing my family, the earthquake of what everyone is telling me to do, and the fire of everything I feel like I need to figure out. There are so many things that grab for my attention that I cannot hear the gentle blowing of God showing up and wanting to speak. God is mighty and powerful, He shows Himself in mighty ways, but He is a gentle, compassionate, loving Father, who desires to nurture and comfort His children. I feel like so many people involved in this are focused on the wind, earthquake, and fire in their own lives, that they are not hearing the gentle blowing of God. I feel like that is often the case in life. There are so many distractions, so many personal feelings and emotions that get in the way of what God is wanting to say. Chambers said it, "The majority of us cannot hear anything but ourselves. And we cannot hear anything God says."
I'm trying to figure out how to silence everything else, or at the very least look past it and tune it out. I feel like for far too long I've been focused on what everyone expects of me, how everyone sees me, and who everyone sees me to be. I don't want to listen to anything but God. I don't want anything else to captivate my attention. I want to be like Elijah, who knew the voice of God, and when He showed up, responded and went out to meet Him. I want to hear what He says, no matter what that message may be, and I want to respond in full obedience. I want all the voices but His to be silenced.
Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
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